Won’t You Be My Neighbor?[/caption]
The Cinema Eye Honors unveiled the first awards announcements for their 12th Annual awards, including The Unforgettables, their annual list of notable and significant nonfiction film subjects; The Shorts List, an annual list of the year’s ten top Nonfiction Short Films; and nominees in four categories: Broadcast Film; Broadcast Series; the Heterodox Award, which recognizes fiction films that actively blur the line between fiction and documentary; and the annual Audience Choice Prize. The full list of nonfiction film and craft nominees, including the five nominees for Outstanding Nonfiction Short Film, will be revealed on Thursday, November 8.
Eight films – Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s Free Solo, Stephen Loveridge’s Mantangi/Maya/M.I.A., Bing Liu’s Minding the Gap, Alexandria Bombach’s On Her Shoulders, Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s RBG, Sandi Tan’s Shirkers, Tim Wardle’s Three Identical Strangers and Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – were nominated for the Audience Choice Prize and also saw their subjects recognized amongst this year’s Unforgettables. Rashida Jones and Alan Hicks’ Quincy and Dava Whisenant’s Bathtubs Over Broadway round out this year’s Audience Choice nominees.
This is the first year that Cinema Eye will have an award to recognize Outstanding Nonfiction Series for Broadcast. Inaugural nominees in the Series category are Steve James’ America to Me (STARZ), Trey Borzilleri & Barbara Schroeder’s Evil Genius (Netflix), Zackary Canepari, Drea Cooper & Jessica Dimmock’s Flint Town (Netflix) Liz Garbus’ The Fourth Estate (Showtime) Matthew Heineman’s The Trade (Showtime) and Chapman Way & Maclain Way’s Wild Wild Country (Netflix).
The 12th Annual Cinema Eye Honors will be presented on Thursday, January 10, 2019 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.
The Final Year
Greg Barker gives an unprecedented look at the shaping of US foreign policy by following key members of outgoing US President Barack Obama’s administration.
Directed by Greg Barker
Starring Ben Rhodes, Samantha Power, John Kerry
Genre(s) Documentary Film
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Cinema Eye Honors Announces 2018 Audience Choice, Heterodox, Broadcast, Unforgettables and Nonfiction “Shorts List”
[caption id="attachment_32398" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Won’t You Be My Neighbor?[/caption]
The Cinema Eye Honors unveiled the first awards announcements for their 12th Annual awards, including The Unforgettables, their annual list of notable and significant nonfiction film subjects; The Shorts List, an annual list of the year’s ten top Nonfiction Short Films; and nominees in four categories: Broadcast Film; Broadcast Series; the Heterodox Award, which recognizes fiction films that actively blur the line between fiction and documentary; and the annual Audience Choice Prize. The full list of nonfiction film and craft nominees, including the five nominees for Outstanding Nonfiction Short Film, will be revealed on Thursday, November 8.
Eight films – Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s Free Solo, Stephen Loveridge’s Mantangi/Maya/M.I.A., Bing Liu’s Minding the Gap, Alexandria Bombach’s On Her Shoulders, Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s RBG, Sandi Tan’s Shirkers, Tim Wardle’s Three Identical Strangers and Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – were nominated for the Audience Choice Prize and also saw their subjects recognized amongst this year’s Unforgettables. Rashida Jones and Alan Hicks’ Quincy and Dava Whisenant’s Bathtubs Over Broadway round out this year’s Audience Choice nominees.
This is the first year that Cinema Eye will have an award to recognize Outstanding Nonfiction Series for Broadcast. Inaugural nominees in the Series category are Steve James’ America to Me (STARZ), Trey Borzilleri & Barbara Schroeder’s Evil Genius (Netflix), Zackary Canepari, Drea Cooper & Jessica Dimmock’s Flint Town (Netflix) Liz Garbus’ The Fourth Estate (Showtime) Matthew Heineman’s The Trade (Showtime) and Chapman Way & Maclain Way’s Wild Wild Country (Netflix).
The 12th Annual Cinema Eye Honors will be presented on Thursday, January 10, 2019 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.
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Documentary THE FINAL YEAR Following President Obama’s Foreign-Policy Team During His Last Year in Office Sets HBO Debut Date [Trailer]
During his last year in office, President Obama’s foreign-policy team worked to solidify the administration’s policies amidst immense challenges. The Final Year offers an insider’s look at key figures, including Secretary of State John Kerry, UN Ambassador Samantha Power, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes and National Security Advisor Susan Rice, as they sought to promote diplomacy and redefine how the U.S. confronts questions of war and peace, all while preparing to hand over the machinery of American power to a new administration.
Directed by Greg Barker (HBO’s Emmy(R)-winning “Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden”), the revealing behind-the-scenes documentary debuts Monday, May 21 (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), on HBO.
The film will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and partners’ streaming platforms.
Shooting from late 2015 until 3:00 a.m. on the morning of Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2017, director Greg Barker and his crew filmed extensively in the White House, the State Department and the United Nations, following their subjects to 21 countries, among them Austria, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nigeria, the UK and Vietnam.
Among the events chronicled in The Final Year:
Secretary of State Kerry is in Vienna for the Iran Nuclear Deal, which he calls “as serious a moment in diplomacy as you can get.” Meanwhile, the president is in Vietnam, where he holds a forum for young people. Advisor Ben Rhodes is focused on writing President Obama’s unprecedented upcoming speech in Japan to mark the 71st anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.
In Vienna, Secretary Kerry attends more than 30 meetings on the situation in Syria over two days, while UN Ambassador Power sits down with Syrian refugees to hear their heartrending stories. While Kerry and Power try to broker peace for Syria, Advisor Rhodes is in Havana, where he reflects on the newly open relationship between the U.S. and Cuba, saying, “If these two countries can try to put the past behind them, maybe we all can do that.”
In Laos prior to a presidential visit, Advisor Rhodes notes that the rhetoric of the presidential campaign is worrying people around the world. In the U.S., Ambassador Power speaks at the citizenship ceremony for her babysitter, Maria, noting emotionally that she is an immigrant herself. Next, she visits high security-risk areas in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria to help bring attention to the hundreds of girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, who have not been found after two years.
After becoming the first U.S. president to visit Laos, site of the 1964-1973 “secret war” that still claims victims from unexploded bombs, President Obama and his team prepare for UN General Assembly meetings in New York. With the situation in Syria front and center, there are heated arguments for and against military intervention, but National Security Advisor Rice points out that disagreement is important, noting, “You don’t want groupthink around a table.”
On election night 2016, Ambassador Power hosts a gathering with Madeleine Albright, Gloria Steinem and female UN ambassadors, but the mood is dampened when it becomes clear Hillary Clinton won’t be the next president. Although his successor will likely reverse his policies, President Obama, visiting Athens on his final trip as head of state, is hopeful. “History doesn’t follow a straight line,” he says. “It zigs and zags.” In the days before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Kerry, Rhodes and Power pack up their offices. Vowing to continue their work, Power says, “We’re in this for the long haul.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFlb1sAqvO0
The Final Year, which had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, was hailed as “compelling… irresistible… deeply moving” by the Hollywood Reporter, while the Wrap called it “immense and intimate.”
In addition to the Emmy(R)-winning “Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden,” director Greg Barker’s HBO credits include “Homegrown: The Counter-Terror Dilemma,” “Koran by Heart” and the Emmy(R)-nominated “Sergio.”
The Final Year is directed by Greg Barker; produced by Julie Goldman, John Battsek, Greg Barker; co-executive producers, Kerstin Emhoff, Andrew Ruhemann. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.
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Documentaries on Martin Luther King, Jr., Arthur Miller and More Set to Debut on HBO
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael appear in King In The Wilderness by Peter Kunhardt[/caption]
HBO has confirmed a diverse array of timely and thought-provoking documentaries for the first half of 2018, including: Peter Kunhardt’s KING IN THE WILDERNESS, about the last years of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Judd Apatow’s two-part, four-and-a-half-hour documentary THE ZEN DAIRIES OF GARRY SHANDLING; Rebecca Miller’s ARTHUR MILLER: WRITER, an intimate portrait of one the greatest playwrights of the 20th century; and I AM EVIDENCE, produced by Mariska Hargitay, about the untested rape kit backlog in the U.S.
Upcoming HBO documentaries include (in chronological order):
THE NUMBER ON GREAT GRANDPA’S ARM (debuts Jan. 27). When ten-year-old Elliott asks his 90-year-old great-grandfather, Jack, about the number tattooed on his arm, he sparks an intimate conversation about Jack’s life that spans happy memories of childhood in Poland, the loss of his family, surviving Auschwitz, and finding a new life in America. Drawing on haunting historical footage, photos and hand-painted watercolor animation, the short film tells a heartbreaking story of Jewish life in Eastern Europe before and during the Holocaust. Debuting on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, this gently powerful documentary centers on Elliott’s love for his beloved great-grandfather and his wish to keep Jack’s memories and lessons from that terrible time alive. Directed and produced by Amy Schatz.
MAY IT LAST: A PORTRAIT OF THE AVETT BROTHERS (Jan. 29). From longtime fans Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, and filmed with extensive access over the course of more than two years, this intimate portrait of the acclaimed North Carolina band charts their decade-and-a half rise, while chronicling the Avetts’ present-day collaboration with famed producer Rick Rubin on the multi-Grammy-nominated album “True Sadness.” With the recording process as a backdrop, it depicts a lifelong bond and unique creative partnership, as band members experience marriage, divorce, parenthood, illness, and the challenges of the music business. More than just a music documentary, the film is a meditation on family, love and the passage of time. An Apatow Production in association with RadicalMedia.
ATOMIC HOMEFRONT (Feb. 12). This timely film shines an urgent light on the lasting toxic effects nuclear waste can have on communities. Focusing on a group of moms-turned-advocates in St Louis, it follows them as they confront the Environmental Protection Agency, state regulators and the corporations behind the illegal dumping of dangerous radioactive waste in their neighborhoods. Directed by Rebecca Cammisa.
ARTHUR MILLER: WRITER (March 19). This intimate portrait of one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century is told from the unique perspective of his daughter, Rebecca Miller, who filmed interviews with her father over decades. Drawing on a wealth of personal archival material, the film provides new insights into Miller’s life as an artist and explores his character in all its complexity. Directed by Rebecca Miller.
THE ZEN DIARIES OF GARRY SHANDLING (March 26 and 27). Judd Apatow’s two-part, four-and-a-half-hour documentary explores the remarkable life of the legendary comedian, who was Apatow’s mentor and friend. It features interviews from nearly four dozen friends, family and colleagues; four decades’ worth of television appearances; and a lifetime of personal journals, private letters and home audio and video footage that reveal Shandling’s brilliant mind and restless soul.
KING IN THE WILDERNESS (April). Drawing on stories from the people around him, this film follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the last years of his life, from the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to his assassination in 1968. The documentary provides a clear window into King’s character, showing him to be a man with an unshakeable commitment to nonviolence in the face of an increasingly unstable country. With the U.S. currently in one of the most divided periods in 50 years, King’s words underscore why nonviolence is still vital today. Directed by Peter Kunhardt and produced by George and Teddy Kunhardt.
TRAFFIC STOP (April). This film tells the story of Breaion King, a 26-year-old African-American school teacher from Austin, Texas, who was stopped for a routine traffic violation that escalated into a dramatic arrest. Caught on police dashcams, King was pulled from her car by the arresting officer, repeatedly thrown to the ground and handcuffed. En route to jail in a squad car, she engaged in a revealing conversation with her escorting officer about race and law enforcement in America. The documentary juxtaposes dashcam footage with scenes from King’s everyday life, offering a fuller portrait of the woman caught up in this unsettling encounter. Directed by Kate Davis; produced by David Heilbroner.
I AM EVIDENCE (April). Produced by Mariska Hargitay, this documentary reveals the shocking number of untested rape kits in the United States today. Despite the power of DNA to solve and prevent crimes, hundreds of thousands of these kits, containing potentially crucial DNA evidence, languish untested in police evidence storage rooms across the country. The film tells stories of survivors who have waited years for their kits to be tested, as well as the law enforcement officials who are leading the charge to work through the backlog and pursue long-awaited justice. Directed by Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir.
THE FINAL YEAR (May). This documentary is a unique insiders’ account of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy team during its last year in office. Featuring unprecedented access inside the White House and State Department, the film offers an uncompromising view of the inner workings of the Obama administration as it prepares to leave power after eight years. Directed by Greg Barker.
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AFI FEST 2017 Presentations and Conversations Lineups Feature Christopher Nolan, Angelina Jolie and More
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Angelina Jolie, FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER[/caption]
Conversations on directing with Christopher Nolan and on storytelling with Angelina Jolie and Loung Ung are among the events on the Presentations and Conversations lineups for AFI FEST 2017 presented by Audi. Other events include a roundtable of documentary filmmakers presented by the Los Angeles Times; The Hollywood Reporter’s Indie Contenders Roundtable with eight standout artists; an in-depth conversation with director Patty Jenkins; a conversation with filmmaker Agnès Varda; and a conversation with Martin McDonagh and Sam Rockwell about THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, presented by Variety.
AFI FEST takes place November 9 to 16, 2017, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and other events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
PRESENTATIONS
CINEMATIC STORYTELLING: A CONVERSATION WTH CHRISTOPHER NOLAN Director/writer/producer Christopher Nolan discusses his latest film, Dunkirk, centering on the British maneuvers from the land, sea and air as the military and civilians attempt to save 400,000 soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, during World War II. A special 70mm film presentation of Dunkirk will precede the discussion. WORLD CINEMA MASTER IN CONVERSATION: AGNÈS VARDA French auteur and AFI FEST 2013 Guest Artistic Director Agnès Varda sits down for a discussion of her career and her new film Faces Places (co-directed with French installation artist JR). The event begins with a screening of Faces Places. The event will be moderated by Serge Toubiana, President of UniFrance.CONVERSATIONS
INDIE CONTENDERS ROUNDTABLE Hear from a diverse panel of artists who have done standout work in independent film this year. Presented by The Hollywood Reporter and moderated by columnist and blogger Scott Feinberg, the panel will feature a 90-minute discussion with the artists about their careers and influences, as well as the challenges and rewards of working on indies. Panelists include Sean Baker (THE FLORIDA PROJECT), Richard Gere (NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER), Salma Hayek (BEATRIZ AT DINNER), Diane Kruger (IN THE FADE), Kumail Nanjiani (THE BIG SICK), Robert Pattinson (GOOD TIME), Margot Robbie (I, TONYA) and Lois Smith (MARJORIE PRIME). The roundtable is presented by The Hollywood Reporter and will be moderated by Scott Feinberg their lead awards analyst. DOC ROUNDTABLE Los Angeles Times film critic Justin Chang sits down with a panel of distinguished directors behind some of the most talked-about and acclaimed documentaries of the year. The panelists will include Evgeny Afineevsky (CRIES FROM SYRIA), Greg Barker (THE FINAL YEAR), Kasper Collin (I CALLED HIM MORGAN), Feras Fayyad (LAST MEN IN ALEPPO), Yance Ford (STRONG ISLAND), Bryan Fogel (ICARUS), Steve James (ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL), Amanda Lipitz (STEP) and Brett Morgen (JANE). The roundtable it presented by the Los Angeles Times. ON DIRECTING: PATTY JENKINS WONDER WOMAN director and AFI Conservatory alumna Patty Jenkins sits down for a moderated, in-depth discussion. ON DIRECTING: SOFIA COPPOLA Director/writer Sofia Coppola sits down to discuss her latest film, THE BEGUILED, set during the American Civil War and centering on an all-female Southern boarding school that takes in a wounded Union soldier, with unsettling results. ON ACTING: BRINGING APES TO LIFE – ANDY SERKIS, TERRY NOTARY, MATT REEVES, JOE LETTERI Actors Andy Serkis and Terry Notary, director Matt Reeves and Senior Visual Effects Supervisor Joe Letteri of the critically acclaimed and visually stunning WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES sit down for a panel discussion on how performance capture and visual effects bring complex and emotional characters to life. ON COLLABORATIVE STORYTELLING: ANGELINA JOLIE AND LOUNG UNG Director Angelina Jolie and writer Loung Ung discuss the artistic and cross-cultural collaboration that brought FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER to the screen. Based on Ung’s autobiography, the film centers on a young girl who must embark on a harrowing quest for survival amid the sudden rise and terrifying reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER is Cambodia’s official Best Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission. CINEMA’S LEGACY: A CONVERSATION WITH JORDAN PEELE GET OUT director/writer Jordan Peele sits down for an in-depth conversation about his film and the impact and legacy of GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967), the groundbreaking, Oscar® winner about an interracial romance starring Sidney Poitier that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER will screen following the conversation. IN CONVERSATION: MARTIN MCDONAGH AND SAM ROCKWELL Director/writer/producer Martin McDonagh and actor Sam Rockwell, who have a long relationship working together for both the stage and screen, sit down for a moderated discussion with Jenelle Riley of Variety on THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, a darkly comedic drama centering on a mother (Frances McDormand) who makes a bold move to find her daughter’s murderer, riling local law enforcement. The conversation is presented by Variety.
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170 Documentary Feature Films Submitted for 90th Academy Awards
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Gaga: Five Foot Two[/caption]
One hundred seventy features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 90th Academy Awards. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December.
Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.
Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.
The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Aida’s Secrets
Al Di Qua
All the Rage
All These Sleepless Nights
AlphaGo
The American Media and the Second Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
And the Winner Isn’t
Angels Within
Architects of Denial
Arthur Miller: Writer
Atomic Homefront
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography
Bang! The Bert Berns Story
Bending the Arc
Big Sonia
Bill Nye: Science Guy
Birthright: A War Story
Bobbi Jene
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
Born in China
Born to Lead: The Sal Aunese Story
Boston
Brimstone & Glory
Bronx Gothic
Burden
California Typewriter
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story
Casting JonBenet
Chasing Coral
Chasing Trane
Chavela
Citizen Jane: Battle for the City
City of Ghosts
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Cries from Syria
Cruel & Unusual
Cuba and the Cameraman
Dawson City: Frozen Time
Dealt
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
Destination Unknown
Dina
Dolores
Dream Big: Engineering Our World
A Dying King: The Shah of Iran
Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends)
Earth: One Amazing Day
11/8/16
Elian
Embargo
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
Escapes
Everybody Knows… Elizabeth Murray
Ex Libris – The New York Public Library
Extraordinary Ordinary People
Faces Places
The Farthest
The Final Year
Finding Oscar
500 Years
Food Evolution
For Ahkeem
The Force
The Freedom to Marry
From the Ashes
Gaga: Five Foot Two
A German Life
Get Me Roger Stone
Gilbert
God Knows Where I Am
Good Fortune
A Gray State
Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story
Hearing Is Believing
Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS
Human Flow
I Am Another You
I Am Evidence
I Am Jane Doe
I Called Him Morgan
Icarus
If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast
The Incomparable Rose Hartman
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power
Intent to Destroy
Jane
Jeremiah Tower The Last Magnificent
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond – Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton
Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold
Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower
Karl Marx City
Kedi
Keep Quiet
Kiki
LA 92
The Last Dalai Lama?
The Last Laugh
Last Men in Aleppo
Legion of Brothers
Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982 – 1992
Let’s Play Two
Letters from Baghdad
Long Strange Trip
Look & See
Machines
Man in Red Bandana
Mr. Gaga: A True Story of Love and Dance
Motherland
Mully
My Scientology Movie
Naples ’44
Neary’s – The Dream at the End of the Rainbow
Night School
No Greater Love
No Stone Unturned
Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press
Nowhere to Hide
Obit
Oklahoma City
One of Us
The Paris Opera
The Pathological Optimist
Prosperity
The Pulitzer at 100
Quest
Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman
The Rape of Recy Taylor
The Reagan Show
Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan
Risk
A River Below
Rocky Ros Muc
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
Santoalla
School Life
Score: A Film Music Documentary
Served Like a Girl
The Settlers
78/52
Shadowman
Shot! The Psycho Spiritual Mantra of Rock
Sidemen: Long Road to Glory
The Skyjacker’s Tale
Sled Dogs
Soufra
Spettacolo
Step
Stopping Traffic: The Movement to End Sex-Trafficking
Strong Island
Surviving Peace
Swim Team
Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton
Take My Nose… Please!
They Call Us Monsters
32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide
This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous
Tickling Giants
Trophy
Twenty Two
Unrest
Vince Giordano – There’s a Future in the Past
Voyeur
Wait for Your Laugh
Wasted! The Story of Food Waste
Water & Power: A California Heist
Whitney. Can I Be Me
Whose Streets?
The Work
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DOC NYC 2017 to Close with NY Premiere of ERIC CLAPTON: LIFE IN 12 BARS + Announces Lineup
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Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars[/caption]
DOC NYC announced the full lineup of over 250 films and events for its eighth edition, running November 9 to 16 at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village and Chelsea’s SVA Theatre and Cinepolis Chelsea.
Special Events include Closing Night Film, the NYC premiere of Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, directed by Lili Fini Zanuck, with the acclaimed musician in attendance; Centerpiece Film, the world premiere of Far From the Tree, director Rachel Dretzin’s adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book; and the NYC premiere of Wormwood, an ambitious new project from Errol Morris exploring the 1953 death of a CIA agent. The NYC premiere Greg Barker’s The Final Year, accompanied by members of the Obama administration, will open the festival.
World premieres at the festival include A Murder in Mansfield, by Barbara Kopple (Miss Sharon Jones!), which explores the impact of a 1989 murder on a family; Maynard, by Sam Pollard (Two Trains Runnin’), about Atlanta’s first black mayor, Maynard Jackson; Naila and the Uprising, by Julia Bacha (Budrus), about the hidden role women played in the First Intifada, a project that won last year’s DOC NYC Pitch Perfect competition; Father’s Kingdom, by Larry Feinberg, exploring the legacy of Father Divine, who attracted over a million followers and claimed to be God; The Iconoclast, by King Adz, about notorious art forger Michel van Rijn; and The Godfathers of Hardcore, by Ian McFarland, on the long-lived NYC hardcore punk band Agnostic Front.
Among this year’s U.S. premieres are David Bowie: The Last Five Years, by Francis Whately, an intimate look at the creative final years of the music icon; Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco, by James Crump, a portrait of the most influential fashion illustrator of 1970s New York and Paris; Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, by Matt Tyrnauer, about the man who was the secret sexual procurer to the stars; The Stranger, by past DOC NYC award winner Nicole N. Horanyi, about a woman who discovers the man of her dreams has secrets; Armed with Faith, by Geeta Gandbhir and Asad Faruqi, which follows the heroic Pakistani Bomb Disposal Unit; Soufra, by Thomas Morgan, and executive produced by Susan Sarandon, about a woman who starts her own successful catering company in a Lebanese refugee camp; EuroTrump, by Stephen Robert Morse and Nicholas Hampson, on the Dutch Donald Trump, Geert Wilders; and The Beatles, Hippies and Hells Angels: Inside the Crazy World of Apple, by Ben Lewis, a look back at the wild early days of Apple Corps.
“Documentary storytellers help us make sense of the tumultuous times we’re living in with artistry, humor and inspiring characters,” said Director of Programming Basil Tsiokos. “This year’s DOC NYC line-up gives audiences fresh insight into high profile figures and shines a light on lesser-known individuals who leave a big impression.” Tsiokos led the program selection in collaboration with Artistic Director Thom Powers and Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen.
The festival is curated in 18 sections that include two new strands: New World Order, with 6 films about global issues in the news, including Sky & Ground, which follows an extended family of refugees as they escape Syria; and Spiral, about the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. Centerstage, an 8-title section focused on performing and performers, presents the world premieres of The Problem with Apu, in which a South Asian-American comedian explores the impact of the character from The Simpsons; and Repeat Attenders, about musical theater superfans.
In the festival’s two feature competition sections, 8 films appear under the Viewfinders section for distinct directorial visions. They include the world premiere of Mole Man, about an autistic man who has built a 50-room structure in his backyard; and the U.S. premieres of The Judge, about the first female Shari’a judge in the Middle East, and Silas, about a Liberian environmental activist.
In the Metropolis competition section, 7 films are dedicated to stories set in New York City. They include the world premieres of The Iron Triangle, about the resistance to the urban renewal of Queens’ Willets Point; Vigilante: The Incredible True Story of Curtis Sliwa and the Guardian Angels, an unfiltered look at the founder of the controversial group; and Miracle on 42nd Street, about an apartment complex providing housing to performing artists, including past residents Alicia Keys, Terrence Howard and Angela Lansbury.
Other returning sections include high-profile Special Events; national and global takes inAmerican Perspectives and International Perspectives; and thematic sections Fight the Power (on activism), Sonic Cinema (on music), True Crime (on crime), Science Nonfiction (on science and technology), Modern Family (on unconventional families),Wild Life (on animals), Art & Design (on artists), and Behind the Scenes (on filmmaking). Short-form content (85 films in total) is represented by the festival’s Shorts Competition and DOC NYC U (showcasing student work).
The following is a breakdown of programming by section:
OPENING NIGHT
THE FINAL YEAR Dir: Greg Barker (NYC PREMIERE) Greg Barker gives an unprecedented look at the shaping of US foreign policy by following key members of outgoing US President Barack Obama’s administration.CLOSING NIGHT
ERIC CLAPTON: LIFE IN 12 BARS Dir: Lili Fini Zanuck (NYC PREMIERE) An intimate, revealing musical odyssey on the life and career of guitar virtuoso Eric Clapton, told by those who have known him best.CENTERPIECE
FAR FROM THE TREE Dir: Rachel Dretzin (WORLD PREMIERE) An adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book examining how parents face their children’s extreme differences, challenging ideas of “normalcy.”SPECIAL EVENT
WORMWOOD Dir: Errol Morris (NYC PREMIERE) DOC NYC’s Visionaries Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Errol Morris (The Fog of War) investigates the 1953 death of a CIA agent in this innovative new project.VIEWFINDERS COMPETITION
THE JUDGE Dir: Erika Cohn (US PREMIERE) A vérité legal drama about the first woman appointed to a Shari’a court in the Middle East, providing rare insights into both Islamic law and gendered justice. LOVE, CECIL Dir: Lisa Immordino Vreeland (NYC PREMIERE) An affectionate portrait of Cecil Beaton, a multi-talented photographer, writer and painter who also designed sets and costumes for films like My Fair Lady. LOVE MEANS ZERO Dir: Jason Kohn (NYC PREMIERE) Infamous and influential tennis coach Nick Bollettieri has trained champions that include Andre Agassi and Boris Becker, but greatness comes at a personal price. MOLE MAN Dir: Guy Fiorita (WORLD PREMIERE) An autistic man is faced with the possibility of losing the only home he has ever known—and the remarkable 50-room structure he’s built in the backyard. NAILA AND THE UPRISING Dir: Julia Bacha (WORLD PREMIERE) Filmmaker Julia Bacha (Budrus) reveals the hidden history of the key role women played in the Palestinian uprising known as the First Intifada. SILAS Dirs: Anjali Nayar, Hawa Essuman (US PREMIERE) A rousing profile of Liberian activist Silas Siakor, a tireless crusader against illegal logging and a symbol of resistance for a new generation. THE STRANGER Dir: Nicole N. Horanyi (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) Amanda, a 25-year-old single mother, meets the man of her dreams on Facebook… but she soon discovers that the charming, worldly Casper has secrets. THIS IS CONGO Dir: Daniel McCabe (NYC PREMIERE) Filmmaker Daniel McCabe examines multiple sides of the fractious war in the Democratic Republic of Congo in this stunningly shot film.METROPOLIS COMPETITION
ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970: SEX FASHION & DISCO Dir: James Crump (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) A portrait of the most influential fashion illustrator of 1970s New York and Paris, known for discovering talents such as Pat Cleveland and Grace Jones. CRADLE OF CHAMPIONS Dir: Bartle Bull (NYC PREMIERE) Three amateur boxers compete for glory and life-changing opportunities in New York City’s legendary Golden Gloves tournament. THE IRON TRIANGLE Dirs: Prudence Katze, William Lehman (WORLD PREMIERE) Workers and owners of auto repair shops in Queens’ Willets Point face off against gentrification and urban renewal for the future of their livelihoods and community. MIRACLE ON 42ND STREET Dir: Alice Elliott (WORLD PREMIERE) The surprising history of Manhattan Plaza and its embrace of the performing arts, featuring famed former residents including Alicia Keys, Terrence Howard and Angela Lansbury. Screening with Lucy Walker’s Oh, What A Beautiful City (A City Symphony). A celebration of summertime in NYC. OH, RICK! Dirs: Dustin Sussman, Aaron Rosenbloom (WORLD PREMIERE) A profile of comedian Rick Crom, long-running emcee at Greenwich Village’s Comedy Cellar, featuring Ray Romano, Colin Quinn, Sarah Silverman and Wanda Sykes. STILL WATERS Dir: Peter Gordon (WORLD PREMIERE) In Bushwick, where rapid gentrification is pushing out Latino families, a unique alternative after-school program serves as a haven for the community. VIGILANTE: THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF CURTIS SLIWA AND THE GUARDIAN ANGELS Dir: David Wexler (WORLD PREMIERE) An unfiltered look back at 1970s and ’80s NYC through the eyes of Curtis Sliwa, founder of the controversial crime prevention patrol the Guardian Angels.AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES
12TH AND CLAIRMOUNT Dir: Brian Kaufman (NYC PREMIERE) Hundreds of hours of home movies, archival footage, illustrations and new oral histories offer multiple perspectives of the 1967 Detroit uprising. 32 PILLS: MY SISTER’S SUICIDE Dir: Hope Litoff (NYC PREMIERE) Years after the suicide of her sister Ruth, a talented but troubled artist, director Hope Litoff tries to make sense of her loss. FAIL STATE Dir: Alex Shebanow (NYC PREMIERE) Executive produced by Dan Rather, Fail State explores the dark side of higher education in America, focusing on the rise of for-profit colleges. FATHER’S KINGDOM Dir: Lenny Feinberg (WORLD PREMIERE ) In the first half of the 20th century, Father Divine, an African-American spiritual leader, gained over a million followers by claiming to be God. THE GROWING SEASON Dir: Evan Briggs (WORLD PREMIERE) An intimate, bittersweet portrait of growing up and growing old, set in a nursing home that also houses a preschool program. MAYNARD Dir: Sam Pollard (WORLD PREMIERE) Director Sam Pollard constructs a portrait of charismatic trailblazer Maynard Jackson, who became Atlanta’s first black mayor in 1973. METH STORM Dirs: Brent Renaud, Craig Renaud (NYC PREMIERE ) DEA agents face the Sisyphean task of curbing the influx of Mexican ice, a more potent form of meth, into poor, rural communities in Arkansas. SHOT IN THE DARK Dir: Dustin Nakao Haider (NYC PREMIERE) Orr Academy’s high school basketball team is a refuge from the brutal realities of the streets of Chicago’s West Side.INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
ARMED WITH FAITH Dirs: Geeta Gandbhir, Asad Faruqi (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) A suspenseful portrait of the men of the Pakistani Bomb Disposal Unit, who risk their own lives every day to combat homegrown and international terrorism. ASK THE SEXPERT Dir: Vaishali Sinha (NYC PREMIERE) A lighthearted look at India’s Dan Savage, Dr. Mahinder Watsa, a 93-year-old retired gynecologist. Is he a hero of progress or an enemy of traditional values? A BETTER MAN Dirs: Attiya Khan, Lawrence Jackman (US PREMIERE) Twenty years after their break-up, filmmaker Attiya Khan confronts her ex-boyfriend to take responsibility for their abusive relationship. CUBA AND THE CAMERAMAN Dir: Jon Alpert (NYC PREMIERE) For more than 40 years, acclaimed filmmaker Jon Alpert has enjoyed privileged access to Cuba, chronicling its changes from Havana to the countryside. ISLAND SOLDIER Dir: Nathan Fitch (NYC PREMIERE) Residents of the remote islands of Micronesia question whether the benefits of US protection are worth the human costs of fighting its wars. LOVESICK Dirs: Ann S. Kim, Priya Giri Desai (WORLD PREMIERE) In India, where marriage is a must but AIDS carries a stigma, Dr. Suniti Solomon serves as matchmaker for her HIV-positive patients. THE PINK HOUSE Dir: Sascha Ettinger Epstein (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) In a remote Australian gold-mining town, a genteel 70-year-old madam struggles to keep the oldest working brothel afloat in this entertaining portrait. Screening with Sam Ketay’s A Wonderful Place. Octogenarian Norma shares stories while giving a tour of her property atop her John Deere tractor. SOUFRA Dir: Thomas Morgan (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Working with a diverse group of Middle Eastern women, Mariam Shaar attempts to expand her catering company, based in a refugee camp near Beirut.NEW WORLD ORDER
EUROTRUMP Dirs: Stephen Robert Morse, Nicholas Hampson (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) An in-depth exploration of Geert Wilders, the “Dutch Donald Trump,” as the controversial politician seems poised to become the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. INSHA’ALLAH DEMOCRACY Dir: Mohammed Ali Naqvi (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Following Pakistan’s former dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, as he runs for president, the filmmaker questions if democracy is truly possible in Pakistan. PLAYING GOD Dir: Karin Jurschick (US PREMIERE) A candid, complex portrait of compensation assessor Ken Feinberg, a man tasked with putting a dollar value on human lives in the wake of tragedies like 9/11 and Sandy Hook. RECRUITING FOR JIHAD Dirs: Adil Khan Farooq, Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen (NYC PREMIERE) Over several years, a journalist follows a charismatic, outspoken Norwegian missionary as he recruits young converts to Islam, and to fight for ISIS in Syria. SKY & GROUND Dirs: Talya Tibbon, Joshua Bennett (WORLD PREMIERE) A compelling, ground-level immersion into the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time, accompanying a large, extended family by foot from Syria to asylum in Germany. SPIRAL Dir: Laura Fairrie (US PREMIERE) An urgent, alarming look at the rise of anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial and physical and verbal assaults against Jews throughout Europe, particularly in France.CENTERSTAGE
BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TODRICK HALL Dir: Katherine Fairfax Wright (NYC PREMIERE) American Idol contestant and RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Todrick Hall races to complete an autobiographical musical and take the live show on the road to his devoted fans. GETTING NAKED: A BURLESQUE STORY Dir: James Lester (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Uncovering New York City’s neo-burlesque subculture, this entertaining film offers a lingering look at several sexy denizens of the nightlife scene. THE PROBLEM WITH APU Dir: Michael Melamedoff (WORLD PREMIERE) South Asian-American comedian Hari Kondabolu confronts his long-standing “nemesis,” Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, better known as the Kwik-E-Mart owner on The Simpsons. REBELS ON POINTE Dir: Bobbi Jo Hart (NYC PREMIERE) A globetrotting profile of NYC’s beloved Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an all-male dance troupe that fuses camp humor with classical ballet performed in drag. REPEAT ATTENDERS Dir: Mark Dooley (WORLD PREMIERE) An entertaining portrait of musical theatre superfans, for whom shows like Les Miz,Starlight Express and Cats are an obsession, a refuge and a place where they belong. Screening with Ben Kitnick’s Catskills. An 86-year-old dancer remembers the heyday of the upstate resort community. SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME Dir: Sam Pollard (NYC PREMIERE) A star-studded roster of interviewees (including Jerry Lewis, Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal) pay tribute to the legendary, multi-talented song-and-dance man. SIGHTED EYES/FEELING HEART Dir: Tracy Heather Strain (NYC PREMIERE) A moving account of the life of black playwright, communist, feminist, lesbian and outspoken trailblazer Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun). STANDING UP Dir: Jonathan Miller (WORLD PREMIERE) An Egyptian lawyer, a couch-surfing custodian and an Orthodox Jew walk into a comedy club… and end up starring in a film about three unlikely aspiring stand-up comics.TRUE CRIME
COLD BLOODED: THE CLUTTER FAMILY KILLINGS Dir: Joe Berlinger (SNEAK PREVIEW) Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger reexamines the infamous 1959 murder of a Kansas family that Truman Capote explored in his landmark nonfiction novel In Cold Blood. (USA, 86 min.) THE ICONOCLAST Dir: King Adz (WORLD PREMIERE) A portrait of a Dutch art connoisseur and descendant of Rembrandt – in truth, a con man who made millions trafficking in forged and stolen art and antiquities. A MURDER IN MANSFIELD Dir: Barbara Kopple (WORLD PREMIERE) Oscar®-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple explores the legacy of the 1989 murder of Noreen Boyle in Mansfield, Ohio and its impact on her family. WHAT HAUNTS US Dir: Paige Goldberg Tolmach (NYC PREMIERE) An investigation into a rash of suicides among the men in the filmmaker’s high school graduating class reveals a disturbing cover-up centered around a popular coach. Screening with Elivia Shaw and Paloma Martinez’s The Shift. Spend an overnight shift with the emergency dispatchers for the city of San Francisco. WHITE BOY Dir: Shawn Rech (NYC PREMIERE) The story of “White Boy Rick,” a legend of Detroit’s drug world in the 1980s, still imprisoned for a juvenile offense for the past 30 years.SCIENCE NONFICTION
THE EXPERIMENTAL CITY Dir: Chad Freidrichs (NYC PREMIERE) A fascinating chronicle of an almost successful attempt to build the city of the future by a visionary scientist and futurist comic strip writer in the 1960s. HAPPENING: A CLEAN ENERGY REVOLUTION Dir: James Redford (NYC PREMIERE) Seeking hope for a sustainable tomorrow, filmmaker James Redford crosses the country to chronicle the clean energy revolution already taking place. HOT GREASE Dirs: Sam Wainwright Douglas, Paul Lovelace, Jessica Wolfson (WORLD PREMIERE) A fascinating look at biodiesel, a growing industry with the potential to undercut the dominance of Big Oil—and it all starts with recycled cooking oil. THE NEW FIRE Dir: David Schumacher (NYC PREMIERE) Innovative young nuclear engineers attempt to develop next-generation reactors to provide clean and safe solutions to the world’s future energy needs.WILD LIFE
DONKEYOTE Dir: Chico Pereira (NYC PREMIERE) A 73-year-old Spanish man dreams of walking the Trail of Tears with his donkey and his dog—but getting to America from Spain presents a challenge. EATING ANIMALS Dir: Christopher Quinn (NYC PREMIERE) Based on the book by Jonathan Safran Foer and produced and narrated by Natalie Portman, this unflinching exposé looks at the devastating costs of our dietary choices. RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE Dirs: Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer (WORLD PREMIERE) This quirky film follows bounty hunters and other colorful Gulf residents as they try to defend Louisiana from the invasive giant swamp rat known as the nutria. Screening with Olivier Bernier’s A Garbage Story. Over 30 years in the garbage business, Nick has become a bonafide trash connoisseur. SAMANTHA’S AMAZING ACROCATS Dir: Jacob Feiring (NYC PREMIERE) A woman pins her dreams of stardom on a traveling cat circus, but how long can she hold on as debt mounts and success seems elusive? Screening with Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman’s Nobody Loves Me. High in the Andes, a frog with an unusual appearance is threatened with extinction.ART & DESIGN
44 PAGES Dir: Tony Shaff (NYC PREMIERE) A heartwarming, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the landmark 70th anniversary issue of beloved children’s magazine, Highlights. BIG TIME Dir: Kaspar Astrup Schröder (NYC PREMIERE) A portrait of superstar Danish architect Bjarke Ingels as he takes on his largest project yet, relocating to New York City to create the new 2 World Trade Center. FIVE SEASONS: THE GARDENS OF PIET OUDOLF Dir: Thomas Piper (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) A portrait of visionary landscape designer Piet Oudolf, known for public works like the High Line that redefine our conception of gardens as works of art. LARGER THAN LIFE Dir: Tiffany Bartok (NYC PREMIERE) An intimate look at the life and death of Kevyn Aucoin, who moved from small town Louisiana to become a legendary makeup artist to supermodels and celebrities. MADDMAN: THE STEVE MADDEN STORY Dir: Ben Patterson (NYC PREMIERE) The rags-to-riches story of designer footwear mogul Steve Madden, who nearly lost everything because of his connections to notorious “Wolf of Wall Street,” Jordan Belfort. MORE ART UPSTAIRS Dir: Jody Hassett Sanchez (NYC PREMIERE) Who gets to decide what is good art? A competition touting the biggest cash prize in the art world finds cultural elitism butting up against Midwest populism. MR. FISH: CARTOONING FROM THE DEEP END Dir: Pablo Bryant (NYC PREMIERE) Finding it increasingly challenging to publish his subversive art, will controversial political cartoonist Mr. Fish be forced to sell out in order to sell his art?MODERN FAMILY
6 WEEKS TO MOTHER’S DAY Dir: Marvin Blunte (WORLD PREMIERE) In a remote jungle in Thailand, a unique democratic school provides orphans with education and empowerment under the watchful eyes of the woman they call Mother Aew. AMAZONA Dir: Clare Weiskopf (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) The director tries to make sense of the elder woman’s decision to leave her children behind to live in the jungle after a family tragedy. ELISH’S NOTEBOOKS Dir: Golan Rise (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) Discovering a secret cache of journals written for them by their late mother, Elisheva’s children confront their complex feelings for their emotionally distant parent. HARMONY Dir: Lidia Sheinin (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Battle lines are drawn when an elderly Russian woman finds her comfortable apartment invaded by her family. Screening with Laura Checkoway’s Edith+Eddie. The love story of America’s oldest interracial newlyweds is threatened by a family feud. LIFE TO COME Dir: Claudio Capanna (US PREMIERE) Surrounded by the sounds of machines and doctors in white coats, severely premature twins Eden and Léandro fight for their survival. LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE Dir: Gustavo Salmerón (NYC PREMIERE) Spanish actor-turned-director Gustavo Salmerón captures his eccentric, extraordinary mother, who had three dreams: having lots of kids, a monkey and a castle. PLOT 35 Dir: Eric Caravaca (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) French actor-turned-director Eric Caravaca unearths personal family history in search of his sister Charlotte, who died as a toddler before he was born. Screening with Matt Sukkar’s Durango. Adolescent brothers cope with loss over a summer in bucolic Colorado. THANK YOU FOR COMING Dir: Sara Lamm (NYC PREMIERE) After learning she was conceived via a sperm donor, Sara becomes a genealogical detective, navigating ancestry databases and DNA tests for clues to his identity.BEHIND THE SCENES
BLUE VELVET REVISITED Dir: Peter Braatz (NYC PREMIERE) Three decades after documenting the filming of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, the director crafts an unconventional yet accessible meditation on the cult classic film. JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND… Dir: Chris Smith (NYC PREMIERE) Offbeat documentarian Chris Smith (American Movie) reveals just how fully Jim Carrey took on the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon. KING COHEN Dir: Steve Mitchell (NYC PREMIERE) A look at the heyday of guerrilla filmmaking through a celebration of the work of maverick filmmaker Larry Cohen, known as “the John Cassavetes of exploitation.” SAVING BRINTON Dirs: Andrew Sherburne, Tommy Haines (NYC PREMIERE) An eccentric collector is on a mission to restore and preserve a cache of early films and cinema memorabilia, the legacy of a pioneering but forgotten Iowa showman. SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD Dir: Matt Tyrnauer (US PREMIERE) A deliciously scandalous portrait of unsung Hollywood legend Scotty Bowers, whose bestselling memoir chronicled his decades spent as sexual procurer to the stars.FIGHT THE POWER
ATOMIC HOMEFRONT Dir: Rebecca Cammisa (NYC PREMIERE) A citizens’ movement confronts government bureaucracy to uncover the atomic secrets of St. Louis, Missouri in order to keep their families safe. BALTIMORE RISING Dir: Sonja Sohn Actress Sonja Sohn (HBO’s The Wire) returns to Baltimore in her directorial debut to chronicle the city in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death. MANKILLER Dir: Valerie Red-Horse Mohl (NYC PREMIERE) Wilma Mankiller rose from poverty to become the first female chief of the Cherokee nation, battling rampant sexism, political rivals and health challenges. NOTHING WITHOUT US Dir: Harriet Hirshorn (NYC PREMIERE) Female activists, scientists and scholars in the US and Africa demonstrates the vital role that women have played—and continue to play—in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. THE OTHER SIDE OF EVERYTHING Dir: Mila Turajlic (NYC PREMIERE) A locked door in her family’s Belgrade home provides the gateway to understanding the filmmaker’s remarkable mother and Serbia’s tumultuous political inheritance. QUEERCORE: HOW TO PUNK A REVOLUTION Dir: Yony Leyser (NYC PREMIERE) Misfits in both the mainstream gay and homophobic punk scenes, Bruce LaBruce and GB Jones invented a radical underground subculture that spread around the world. UNFRACTURED Dir: Chanda Chevannes (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) Shot over the last year of the historic grassroots fight against fracking in New York state, a raw, intimate look at biologist and activist Sandra Steingraber. ZERO WEEKS Dir: Ky Dickens (NYC PREMIERE) In most countries, workers have paid leave and job security to care for a newborn or family emergency—but not in the US, costing us all a heavy price.SONIC CINEMA
THE BEATLES, HIPPIES AND HELLS ANGELS: INSIDE THE CRAZY WORLD OF APPLE Dir: Ben Lewis (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) An entertaining look behind the scenes at Apple Corps, which The Beatles hoped would allow them to spread their countercultural message throughout the world. BILL FRISELL: A PORTRAIT Dir: Emma Franz (NYC PREMIERE) A warm profile of Bill Frisell, a widely inventive guitarist who crosses musical boundaries, featuring Bonnie Raitt, Hal Willner, Paul Simon, Nels Cline, and more. DAVID BOWIE: THE LAST FIVE YEARS Dir: Francis Whately (US PREMIERE) An intimate look at the remarkably creative final years of David Bowie, through the production of his final two albums, and the stage musical, Lazarus. THE GODFATHERS OF HARDCORE Dir: Ian McFarland (WORLD PREMIERE) For over 35 years and still going strong, Agnostic Front’s Vinnie Stigma and Roger Miret have been synonymous with the New York punk scene. HELLO HELLO HELLO : LEE RANALDO : ELECTRIC TRIM Dir: Fred Riedel (NYC PREMIERE) Legendary Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo embarks on the recording of a new experimental concept album with a little help from some friends. ITZHAK Dir: Alison Chernick (NYC PREMIERE) Widely considered the greatest living violinist, Itzhak Perlman takes us on a journey through his music and life. STREETLIGHT HARMONIES Dir: Brent Wilson (WORLD PREMIERE) A who’s who of musicians trace the evolution of doo wop in the 1950s, from street corners to radio stations all across America.SHORTS
Shorts: Body Language On the limits and potential of the human body, exploring dance, tattoos, pro wrestling, meditation and light sensitivity. Shorts: City Lights The ups and downs of city living, featuring artists, improv, hard work, boxing and table tennis. Shorts: Dream Weavers About fulfilling dreams and reimagining the world, featuring Cuban cigar factory workers, men seeking wives, a mail-order bride and more. Shorts: The Future is Feminine Everyday women and girls who inspire, including a housekeeper turned real estate entrepreneur, children’s rights advocate, unlikely athletes and special birthday girl. Shorts: Justice For All True crime and the criminal justice system, exploring death row, surveillance, juvenile offenders, police corruption, war criminals and capital punishment. Shorts: Mother Earth Protecting the planet, from Standing Rock and anti-fracking activism, to saving orangutans and sea turtles. Shorts: The New Normal America, before and after 11/8/16, exploring the Trump campaign, a divided electorate, immigration anxiety, fake news and disturbing parallels to past regimes. Shorts: Recorded Memory The past looms large in these affecting stories about confronting family relationships, reckoning with career decisions, remembering trauma and more. Shorts: Strange But True Quirky real life stories exploring insomnia, dreams, fetishes, first love, conspiracy theories and psychic abilities. Shorts: Surviving the System Finding oneself in and out of the criminal justice system, in stories about a police traffic stop that escalates into violence and a restaurant offering former prisoners a second chance.DOC NYC U
DOC NYC U: THE NEW SCHOOL SHOWCASE Selections from The New School’s Documentary Media Studies program, featuring a tap dancer, migratory birds, New York life, selfies and a yodeling punk singer destined for greatness. DOC NYC U: NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY SHOWCASE NYFA selections profile a Hiroshima orphan, a Central Park mainstay, a wolf rescuer, a persecuted journalist and a lost city. DOC NYC U: NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SHOWCASE NYU’s NewsDoc offerings explore a controversial Tibetan boarding school program in China and the growing popularity of taxi driving as a career for women in India. DOC NYC U: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SHOWCASE Work from Columbia Journalism School’s Documentary Project profiles deportation fears under Trump, a drug crisis in the Muslim community and adult illiteracy. DOC NYC U: SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS SHOWCASE SVA’s SocDoc program presents profiles of artists, musicians, designers, a vintage barbershop, broken hearts and Native American activism.SHORT LIST
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL Dir: Steve James Steve James (Hoop Dreams) profiles a small, family-run Chinatown bank—the only financial institution indicted following the 2008 financial crisis. Courtesy of PBS Distribution. THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY Dir: Errol Morris DOC NYC’s Visionaries Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Errol Morris (The Fog of War) profiles legendary large-format photographer Elsa Dorfman. Courtesy of NEON/Netflix. CHASING CORAL Dir: Jeff Orlowski Following his acclaimed film Chasing Ice, director Jeff Orlowski sets out to chronicle the environmental devastation happening to the world’s coral reefs. Courtesy of Netflix. CITY OF GHOSTS Dir: Matthew Heineman Anonymous Syrian citizen journalists risk their lives to stand up against ISIS and report the truth about the Syrian conflict. Courtesy of Amazon Studios/A&E IndieFilms/IFC Films. DINA Dirs: Antonio Santini, Dan Sickles An unforgettable couple, both on the autism spectrum, navigate the complexities of sex and romance in this Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning film. Courtesy of The Orchard. FACES PLACES Dirs: Agnès Varda, JR French New Wave legend Agnès Varda and acclaimed photographer JR travel the French countryside, celebrating ordinary people through extraordinary photo murals. Courtesy of Cohen Media Group. THE FINAL YEAR Dir: Greg Barker (NYC PREMIERE) Greg Barker gives an unprecedented look at the shaping of US foreign policy by following key members of outgoing US President Barack Obama’s administration. Courtesy of Motto Pictures/Passion Pictures. THE FORCE Dir: Peter Nicks An immersion into the beleaguered Oakland Police Department as it attempts to reform its scandal-ridden image. Courtesy of Kino Lorber/PBS Independent Lens. ICARUS Dir: Bryan Fogel An unexpected exposé of a complex doping operation at the heart of Russia’s Olympics program. Courtesy of Netflix. JANE Dir: Brett Morgen Brett Morgen (On the Ropes) reconstitutes 50-year-old National Geographic footage into a poetic look at primatologist Jane Goodall. Courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films. KEDI Dir: Ceyda Torun This infectious portrait captures Istanbul through the eyes of its colorful street cats.Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories/YouTube Red. ONE OF US Dirs: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady This year’s Visionaries Tribute honorees Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) penetrate the insular world of New York’s Hasidic community. Courtesy of Netflix. RISK Dir: Laura Poitras Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) creates a complex portrait of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and his team. Courtesy of NEON/Showtime Documentary Films. STEP Dir: Amanda Lipitz The inaugural class of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women strives for success both academically and through its fierce step dancing team. Courtesy of Fox Searchlight. STRONG ISLAND Dir: Yance Ford Yance Ford explores the long-lasting impact on his African-American family of his brother’s murder, killed by a white man who was never punished for his crime. Courtesy of Netflix.
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20th Savannah Film Festival to Honor Salma Hayek, Holly Hunter, Aaron Sorkin + Unveils Lineup
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MOLLY’S GAME[/caption]
The 2017 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, celebrating it’s 20th anniversary, will run October 28 to November 4, and feature over 131 films. The festival will open with Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut Molly’s Game, and the Centerpiece Gala film is Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird.
This year, SCAD will honor Richard Gere (Lifetime Achievement Award), Zoey Deutch (Rising Star Award), Mariska Hargitay (Humanitarian Award), Ashley Judd (Virtuoso Award), Kyra Sedgwick (Spotlight Award), Andrea Riseborough (Outstanding Supporting Actress Award for “Battle of the Sexes”), Willow Shields (Rising Star Award), Salma Hayek Pinault (Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award), John Boyega (Vanguard Award), Holly Hunter (Icon Award), Robert Pattinson (Maverick Award), Aaron Sorkin (Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award) and Sir Patrick Stewart (Legends of Cinema Award).
2017 Savannah Film Festival Film Lineup
GALA SCREENINGS
Call Me Be Your Name (Director: Luca Guadagino. Cast: Armie Hammer, Timothee Chalamet, and Michael Stuhlbarg) Darkest Hour (Director: Joe Wright. Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane and Ben Mendelsohn) Downsizing (Director: Alexander Payne. Cast: Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, and Kristin Wiig) Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (Director: Paul McGuigan. Cast: Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, and Vanessa Redgrave) The Florida Project (Director: Sean Baker. Cast: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, and Valeria Cotto) I, Tonya (Director: Craig Gillespie. Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, and Allison Janney) Into the Rainbow (Director: Norman Stone, Gary Wing-Lun Mak. Cast: Willow Shields, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Wu Lei Leo and Jacqueline Joe) U.S. Premiere Lady Bird (Director: Greta Gerwig. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Lois Smith, and Stephen McKinley Henderson) Last Flag Flying (Director Richard Linklater. Cast: Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne) LBJ (Director: Rob Reiner. Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Stahl-David, Rich Sommer, Bill Pullman, C. Thomas Howell, Jeffrey Donovan and Richard Jenkins) The Leisure Seeker (Director: Paolo Virzi. Cast: Helen Mirren, and Donald Sutherland) Molly’s Game (Writer and Director: Aaron Sorkin. Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, and Kevin Costner) Mudbound (Director: Dee Rees. Cast: Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Jason Clarke, Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige and Rob Morgan) The Shape of Water (Director: Guillermo del Toro. Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, and Octavia Spencer) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Director: Martin McDonagh. Cast: Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish, Peter Dinklage, Lucas Hedges, Caleb Landry Jones, Clarke Peters, Samara Weaving, John Hawkes, and Zeljko Ivankek) The Upside (Director: Neil Burger. Cast: Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and Nicole Kidman) Wonderstruck (Director: Todd Haynes. Cast: Oakes Fegley, Julianne Moore, and Millicent Simmonds)DOCS TO WATCH
Expected to attend this year are directors Evgeny Afineevsky (Cries from Syria); Greg Barker (The Final Year); Bryan Fogel (Icarus); Yance Ford (Strong Island); Amanda Lipitz (Step); Brett Morgen (Jane); Jeff Orlowski (Chasing Coral); Laura Poitras (Risk); John Ridley (Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992) Ceyda Torun (Kedi).SIGNATURE SERIES
Beatriz at Dinner (Director: Miguel Arteta. Cast: Salma Hayek, John Lithgow, Chloë Sevigny, Connie Britton, David Warshofksy, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, and John Early) The Ballad of Lefty Brown (Director: Jared Moshe. Cast: Bill Pullman) Battle of the Sexes (Director: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Cast: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Alan Cumming, Bill Pullman, Elisabeth Shue, Austin Stowell, and Natalie Morales) The Big Sick (Director: Michael Showalter. Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoey Kazan, Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) Detroit (Director: Kathryn Bigelow. Cast: John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, Will Poulter, and Jacob Latimore) Flower (Director: Max Winkler. Cast: Zoey Deutch, Adam Scott, and Kathryn Hahn) Gifted (Director: Marc Webb. Cast: Chris Evans, McKenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, and Octavia Spencer) Good Time (Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie. Cast: Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Benny Safdie, Buddy Duress, and Barkhad Abdi) I Am Evidence (Producer Mariska Hargitay. Director: Trish Adelsic, Geeta Gandhbir) Logan (Director: James Mangold. Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, and Dafne Keen) Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (Director: Joseph Cedar. Cast: Richard Gere, Michael Sheen, and Steve Buscemi) Ruby in Paradise (Director: Victor Nuñez. Cast: Ashley Judd, Todd Field, and Bentley Mitchum) Served Like a Girl (Director: Lysa Heslov. Cast: Nichole Alred, Jas Boothe, and Rachel Engler) Story of a Girl (Director: Kyra Sedgwick. Cast: Kevin Bacon, Sosie Bacon, and Ryann Shane) Strange Weather (Director: Katherine Diekmann. Cast: Holly Hunter, Carrie Coon, and Ransom Ashley) Tulip Fever (Director: Justin Chadwick. Cast: Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan, Jack O’Connell, and Holliday Grainger) The Year of Spectacular Men (Director: Lea Thompson. Cast: Madelyn Deutch, Zoey Deutch, Lea Thompson, and Avan Jorgia)
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Toronto International Film Festival Announces 2017 Documentary Program, Opens with GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT & BAMI
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Grace Jones: Bloodlight & Bami[/caption]
The Toronto International Film Festival’s 2017 documentary program presents a distinct collection of works from award-winning directors, and will open with Sophie Fiennes’ Grace Jones: Bloodlight & Bami, a film that captures the legendary performer on and off stage.
The lineup features celebrated filmmakers, including Morgan Spurlock, who reignites his battle with the food industry in Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!; Brett Morgen, with his portrait of primatologist Jane Goodall in Jane; Greg Barker, who grants viewers unprecedented access into President Barack Obama’s foreign policy team in The Final Year; Frederick Wiseman, who takes us behind the scenes of a New York institution in Ex Libris – The New York Public Library; and Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, who follow three Hasidic Jews who attempt to enter the secular world in One of Us. The TIFF Docs Program is made possible through the generous sponsorship of A+E IndieFilms.
“Resistance is a key theme in this year’s documentaries,” said TIFF Docs Programmer Thom Powers. “We pay witness to rebels challenging the status quo in art, politics, sexuality, religion, fashion, sports and entertainment. They speak powerfully to our times as audiences seek inspirations for battling powerful and corrupt systems.”
The theme of resistance plays out in a diverse range of films, including Jed Rothstein’s The China Hustle, executive produced by Alex Gibney and Frank Marshall, which confronts a new era of Wall Street fraud; Matt Tyrnauer’s Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, which profiles the sexual taboo breaker Scotty Bowers; Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman’s Silas, which portrays Liberian activist Silas Siakor; and Erika Cohn’s The Judge, which follows the first female Shari’a judge, Kholoud Al-Faqih, practicing law in the West Bank.
We gain insights into high-profile figures in the worlds of entertainment and sports in films such as Chris Smith’s JIM & ANDY: the Great Beyond – the story of Jim Carrey & Andy Kaufman featuring a very special, contractually obligated mention of Tony Clifton, which examines Jim Carrey’s immersion into the role of Andy Kaufman; Lili Fini Zanuck’s Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, which delivers the definitive biography of the rock legend; and Jason Kohn’s Love Means Zero, which investigates the controversial tennis coach Nick Bollettieri and his history with Andre Agassi.
Several films deepen our understanding of black cultural figures, including Sam Pollard’s Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me on the complex career of the multi-talented Rat Pack performer; Kate Novack’s The Gospel According to André on the trend-setting fashion writer André Leon Talley; and Sara Driver’s BOOM FOR REAL The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat on the formative years of the acclaimed artist.
TIFF Docs upholds its tradition of featuring films and filmmakers from around the world with films such as Violeta Ayala’s Cocaine Prison on the drug trade in Bolivia; Mila Turajlić’s The Other Side of Everything on the dissident activism of her Serbian mother; Hüseyin Tabak’s The Legend of the Ugly King on the Kurdish filmmaker Yilmaz Güney; Sabiha Sumar’s Azmaish: A Journey through the Subcontinent on the politics of India and Pakistan; and Gustavo Salmerón’s Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle on his eccentric family in Spain. The TIFF Docs closing film is Emmanuel Gras’ Makala, which won the Grand Jury prize at Cannes’ Critics Week and portrays the heroic struggles of a subsistence laborer in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs September 7 to 17, 2017.
2017 TIFF Docs Program include:
Azmaish: A Journey through the Subcontinent Sabiha Sumar, Pakistan North American Premiere BOOM FOR REAL The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat Sara Driver, USA World Premiere The China Hustle Jed Rothstein, USA World Premiere Cocaine Prison Violeta Ayala, Australia/Bolivia/France/USA World Premiere Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars Lili Fini Zanuck, United Kingdom World Premiere Ex Libris – The New York Public Library Frederick Wiseman, USA North American Premiere The Final Year Greg Barker, USA World Premiere The Gospel According to André Kate Novack, USA World Premiere Documentary Program Opening Film. Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami Sophie Fiennes, United Kingdom/Ireland World Premiere JIM & ANDY: the Great Beyond – the story of Jim Carrey & Andy Kaufman featuring a very special, contractually obligated mention of Tony Clifton Chris Smith, USA/Canada North American Premiere Jane Brett Morgen, USA World Premiere The Judge Erika Cohn, Palestine/USA World Premiere The Legend of the Ugly King Hüseyin Tabak, Germany/Austria World Premiere Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle Gustavo Salmerón, Spain North American Premiere Love Means Zero Jason Kohn, USA World Premiere Documentary Program Closing Film. Makala Emmanuel Gras, France North American Premiere OF SHEEP AND MEN Karim Sayad, Switzerland/Qatar World Premiere One of Us Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, USA World Premiere The Other Side of Everything Mila Turajlić, Serbia/France/Qatar World Premiere Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me Sam Pollard, USA World Premiere Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood Matt Tyrnauer, USA World Premiere Silas Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman, Canada/South Africa/Kenya World Premiere Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! Morgan Spurlock, USA World Premiere