Category Archives: Documentary

“A Thousand Pines” Adds Film Festival Dates Before PBS Broadcast on Independent Lens

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A-THOUSAND-PINES-Adds-Film-FestivalA Thousand Pines, a co-production with ITVS and Latino Public Broadcasting, is a vérité documentary that depicts the day-to-day lives of migrant workers laboring in America’s lucrative timber industry.

Following acclaimed screenings at numerous film festivals, including New York Latino, Workers Unite, Indie Memphis, DocsMX, Morelia, Green Film Festival of San Francisco, Hot Springs Documentary, and Buffalo International—where it won the Best Documentary Award, this insightful documentary continues its successful film festival run.

Additional in-person screenings are scheduled during February and March at the Alameda, Ocean City, San Diego Latino, and Houston Latino Film Festivals before its broadcast premiere on April 1, 2024, on PBS’s acclaimed series Independent Lens.

Directed by Noam Osband and Sebastián Díaz, A Thousand Pines is set in the beautiful and sometimes unforgiving landscape of the United States’ national forests. The first documentary to tell the story of workers in the US timber industry follows Raymundo Morales, the foreman of a crew of migrant workers from Oaxaca, Mexico, who depend on the controversial guest worker visa program. Filmed over the course of a year, between their hometown and the US, they must make the decision every year if they will leave their families in rural Mexico, or if they will return for another eight-month season of planting commercial pine forests.


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“Lost Angel: The Genius Of Judee Sill” Official Trailer And Poster Released

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LOST-ANGEL-The-Genius-Of-Judee-SillGreenwich Entertainment announced today the acquisition of North American distribution rights to Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill directed by Andy Brown and Brian Lindstrom (Alien Boy: The Life & Death of James Chasse).

The Onwards and Upwards, Batterymarch Films, and Submarine Deluxe production had its World Premiere at DOC NYC and Greenwich will release the film in theaters on April 12.

An intimate portrait of a one-of-a-kind singer-songwriter from 1970s Los Angeles, the documentary charts the life of Judee Sill from a troubled adolescence that included armed robbery and prison through her meteoric rise in the music world and tragic early death.

In just over two years, Judee went from living in a car to a deal with Asylum Records and the cover of Rolling Stone . As told by Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, David Geffen and JD Souther — along with Judee herself — the film explores Judee’s unique musical style and the inspiring recent rediscovery of her singular music by a new generation of musicians including Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek of Big Thief, Shawn Colvin and Weyes Blood.


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Sundance 2024: “Sugarcane” Sets Online Screening

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Sundance Film Festival

The documentary “Sugarcane” is now screening online from January 25-28 during 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, the film is stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life- SUGARCANE, the debut feature documentary from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie- is an epic cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning.

Set amidst a ground-breaking investigation into abuse and death at an Indian residential school, the film empowers participants to break cycles of intergenerational trauma by bearing witness to painful, long-ignored truths – and the love that endures within their families despite the revelation of genocide.

In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves near an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada sparked a national outcry about the forced separation, assimilation, and abuse many children experienced at this network of segregated boarding schools designed to slowly destroy the culture and social fabric of Indigenous communities.
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“Luther: Never Too Much” Doc Premies at Sundance 2024

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Directed by Dawn Porter, “Luther: Never Too Much,” the documentary film, chronicles the story of a vocal virtuoso. Using a wealth of rarely seen archives, Luther tells his own story with assistance from his closest friends and musical collaborators including Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson and Roberta Flack.

The film relives the many stunning moments of Luther’s musical career, while exploring his unrequited love life, health struggles, and a lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserved.

It features Fonzi Thornton, Robin Clark, Carlos Alomar, Danyel Smith, Jon Platt, Ava Cherry, Seveda Williams, Nile Rodgers, Valerie Simpson, Deborah McDuffie, Marcus Miller, Nat Adderley Jr., Jamie Foxx, Lisa Fischer, Kevin Owens, Richard Marx, Clive Davis, Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Max Szadek

“Luther: Never Too Much” is set to premiere today at 2024 Sundance Film Festival
and arrives nearly 20 years after the eight-time Grammy winner died in 2005 at age 54

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Sundance 2024: DIG! XX’ by Ondi Timoner Returns to Sundance 20 Years Later

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DIG-XXDIG! XX is the 20th anniversary expanded, remastered and reimagined edition of the rock doc DIG!, which looks at the collision of art and commerce through the eyes of two dueling rock bands — The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre — now over 27 years on, which adds new narration by The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Joel Gion and features 40+ minutes of never-before-seen footage.

“Twenty years ago, we had 2,500 hours of footage and a five-hour cut, so a lot of really great stuff hit the cutting room floor,” said DIG! XX director and producer Ondi Timoner.“A lot of those tapes are over a quarter century old — so if we wanted to share more of this crazy story, it was now or never…” says Ondi Timoner

Shot over seven years, DIG! (2004) won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance FIlm Festival. It intimately explores the star-crossed friendship and bitter rivalry between Anton Newcombe, leader of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Courtney Taylor, leader of The Dandy Warhols.
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TCM Premiering Original Documentary Series The Power of Film

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the-power-of-filmTurner Classic Movies (TCM) is premiering an all-new original documentary series, The Power of Film, which explores some of the most popular and memorable American films of all time. New episodes of the six-part series will premiere every Thursday beginning January 4 at 8pm ET. Hosted and curated by renowned UCLA professor emeritus, founding chair of UCLA’s Film and Television Producers Program, and one of the founders of the UCLA Film Archive, Howard Suber, each 40-minute episode dives deep into the art of storytelling by examining the defining principles and inner workings of beloved films.

Executive produced by Doug Pray (Netflix’s hit series Arnold, HBO’s Grammy-winning, 5x Emmy-nominated series The Defiant Ones) and Laura Gabbert (IFC/Hulu’s City of Gold, Greenwich Entertainment’s Food and Country), and based on Suber’s book of the same title, The Power of Film goes far beyond an online masterclass by intertwining his structured framework, teachings and insights with dozens of dramatic movie scenes to create a uniquely engaging narrative through humor, emotion and human experience.

Suber’s impact on the entertainment industry and deep understanding of cinema have inspired countless careers throughout his 53 years of teaching. His efforts resulted in the Dickson Emeritus Professorship Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a retired faculty member. Having an extensive history of analyzing films and television, Suber has uncovered the mysteries surrounding what makes a film not only popular, but also memorable across generations.
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Netflix Drops “Break Point: Season 2” Trailer

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Break-Point-seriesIn the latest Netflix trailer, the world’s top tennis players return to the courts and set their sights on glory once again during another grueling Grand Slam season.

The series gives fans a glimpse of what happens on and off the court. The first season was released this year, with the first part released in January and the second part in June.

This second season features interviews from stars like Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka, and Frances Tiafoe.

It is set for release on Netflix on January 10, ahead of the 2024 Australian Open.

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2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces 91 Projects Selected For 40th Edition

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Top L–R: Girls State, Seeking Mavis Beacon, The American Society of Magical Negroes, Layla.
Center L–R: Being (the Digital Griot), Freaky Tales, Love Me, Presence.
Bottom L–R: Porcelain War, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, In the Land of Brothers, A Real Pain.

Yesterday, the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the 82 films, eight episodic titles, and a New Frontier interactive experience selected for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online nationwide from January 25–28, 2024. This year marks the 40th edition of the Festival, bringing together audiences in Utah and beyond to celebrate Sundance’s rich history of supporting engaging new stories and groundbreaking independent artists. In-Person Ticket Packages and Passes and Online Ticket Packages and Passes are currently on sale and single film tickets go on sale January 11 at 10 a.m. MT.

To kick things off, the Festival will begin at noon MT on January 18 with premieres in Park City, showcasing the range of offerings in this year’s lineup across categories. Adding to the festivities, on the evening of January 18, the Institute will host the Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®. The fundraiser will benefit the year round artist support work of the Sundance Institute.

Films will debut in Park City starting January 18, with additional showings in Park City and Salt Lake City over the course of the Festival. Select titles also become available online beginning January 25, including all Competition titles (U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT), as well as additional selections from the feature, episodic, and shorts programs. Audiences can experience the curated online selection exclusively via festival.sundance.org. The online program, as noted below per listing, will allow fans of independent storytelling across the country to enjoy a sampling of the Festival lineup from wherever they are. The short film selections and 40th edition programming for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival will be announced on December 12.

“From the first edition in 1985, Sundance Film Festival has aimed to provide a space to gather, celebrate, and engage with risk-taking artists that are committed to bringing their independent visions to audiences — the Festival remains true to that goal to this day,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President. “It continues to evolve, but its legacy of showcasing bold work that starts necessary conversations continues with the 2024 program.”

“The Institute takes great pride in the role the Festival plays in advancing our mission to support artists creating audacious work,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “This year is especially significant as we look back on our history of showcasing stories that surprise and delight, spark empathy and reflection, and honor our shared humanity. We’re all thrilled for this opportunity to celebrate the power of storytelling as we gather in January to introduce captivating works from acclaimed filmmakers and discover more new voices.”

“Sundance’s passion and power shines through its programming. Curation is Sundance’s secret sauce and we’re energized by the range of films, stories, and artists we’ve watched and selected from around the world,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “This Festival has had a vital history of first impressions: introductions to new talent, new friends, new worlds — our commitment to our artists and our audiences is fundamental to our work. Our programming team, lead by Kim Yutani, has curated 11 days of exciting new voices and stories for the many audiences we serve whether they’re joining us in Utah or experiencing the Festival offerings from afar. Sundance 2024 will be a special year for discovery and community.”
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“Fireline” Opening On Digital Platforms On December 5

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Fireline was directed by Tylor Norwood and produced by Ben Sinclair. Gravitas Ventures has recently released the trailer for the documentary film.

The film focuses on three firefighters from the Cal Fire Lassen-Modoc Unit, and their harrowing experience fighting a megafire for 36 emotional hours.

The filmmakers also worked with The California Fire Foundation, which provides emotional support to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they protect.

The movie takes viewers into the spectacle and drama of a megafire, alongside a firefighting team struggling to save anything they can while protecting each other.

It takes audiences into the firescape, to feel for the first time what those fighting these blazes face, especially as climate change makes megafires larger and more frequent. It’s an intimate portrait of a system stretched to its breaking point, revealing the friendship, heartbreak, and exhilaration experienced by those who go to war against this elemental force.

Gravitas Ventures will release the film on digital platforms on December 5, 2023. The film has a running time of 82 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.

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The Job of Songs – Embrace the Power of Irish Music Documentary Sets Release

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Tourists flock to the west coast of Ireland to take in the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, but the real treasure lies in the soulful, acoustic sounds wafting out of pubs and living rooms of Doolin, County Clare. The denizens of this unspoiled coastal village of tight-knit neighbors and unlocked doors revel in the passion and history of their traditional folk songs, using music as a thread through generations to create community, connection, and joy.

THE JOB OF SONGS was made by a crew of three women, who are first time feature filmmakers: LILA SCHMITZ (director, producer, editor), ANIKA KAN GREVSTAD (director of photography, producer), and FENGYI XU (producer). The film was made with the support of acclaimed documentarians double Oscar-winning writer-producer-director Bill Guttentag and Emmy and Grammy Award winning documentarian Doug Pray. The film has screened at numerous prestigious International Film Festivals including DOC NYC, Galway Film Fleadh, Newport Beach Film Festival, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, Milwaukee Film Festival, and many others. It won Best International Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh.

Gravitas Ventures will release the film on digital platforms on November 21, 2023. The film has a running time of 74 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.

See the official trailer below:

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