SFFILM Announces 2023 Doc Stories Program

Posted on October 11, 2023 by admin

American Symphony, Courtesy of Netflix; Copa 71, Courtesy of New Black Films and Dogwoof; Anselm, Courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films

Ninth Annual documentary showcase runs November 2–5 in San Francisco and online. This year’s lineup features filmmakers including Lisa Cortés, Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss, Kaouther Ben Hania, Roger Ross Williams, dream hampton, and many more.

Today, SFFILM announced the program for their ninth annual documentary film showcase Doc Stories. The four-day program runs November 2–5, 2023 and includes 10 features, two shorts programs, and a very special tribute to the late trailblazing filmmaker, Julia Reichert. Several films will also be available for a limited streaming window November 6–7.

“This year’s line-up explores the powerful effects of institutional erasure and the unlimited possibilities of human determination,” said Jessie Fairbanks, the Director of Programming at SFFILM. “Documentaries offer a critical space in which audiences can contemplate challenging world issues, core ideological beliefs, and stories of inspiration. We are elated to host so many formidable documentarians who craft nuanced and thrilling stories that encompass these complex topics, while continuing to evolve the form of non-fiction storytelling.”

The 2023 Doc Stories selections explore a wide range of topics—professional and creative triumph, personal hardship and frailty, and the multi-generational impacts of human-made systems of control—through the most thrilling and incisive narrative nonfiction filmmaking this year. Opening Night is Matthew Heineman’s highly acclaimed American Symphony, featuring an intimate look into Grammy-winning musician, singer, and songwriter Jon Batiste. The Centerpiece film Copa 71 comes in hot off its debut at TIFF, telling the lost story of the first Women’s World Cup in soccer. Closing Night marks Wim Wenders return to SFFILM with his latest work Anselm, a 3-D presentation of the life’s work of astounding contemporary artist Anselm Kiefer. SFFILM is thrilled to welcome celebrated documentary filmmakers like Lisa Cortés, Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss, Kaouther Ben Hania, Roger Ross Williams, dream hampton, and many more.
Continue reading →

“The Youtube Effect” Documentary Set For Streaming On August 8th

Posted on August 6, 2023 by admin

The feature documentary from Director, Alex Winter explores the ascension and acceleration of YouTube, a video-sharing website that started with humble origins and has gone on to change how we experience the world. With exclusive access to some of YouTube’s biggest stars, the film presents an eye-opening and troubling look at the platform now so powerfully embedded in our lives.

The doc will be available on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu & more.

Producers include: Winter (Trouper Productions), Gale Anne Hurd (Valhalla Entertainment, Mankiller, The Terminator Trilogy and “The Walking Dead”), and Glen Zipper (Zipper Bros. Films, Undefeated, Challenger: Final Flight, What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali, Zappa). Executive Producers include Michael Cho, Mimi Rode and Tim Lee of Olive Hill Media, Michael Y. Chow and Sue Turley of XRM Media, Kevin Lin of Metatheory and Ian Orefice, Rebecca Teitel and Mike Beck for TIME Studios.

Those featured in the doc include: Caleb Cain, Steve Chen, Hany Farid, Carrie Goldberg, Ian Hecox, Loann Kaji, Ryan Kaji, Shion Kaji, Talia Lavin, Dave Lauer, Becca Lewis, Anthony Padilla, Andy Parker, Nitasha Tiku Tyler, Susan Wojcicki, Brianna Wu, Natalie Wynn and Jillian C. York.

The documentary features an innovative electronic score from Emmy-nominated composer Paul Haslinger. Node Records, a subsidiary of Wise Music Group, will release the soundtrack album on July 7.

Gravitas Ventures Sets Release Of Documentary “Sorry We’re Closed”

Posted on August 3, 2023 by admin

Gravitas Ventures has set the release of its documentary “Sorry We’re Closed” on demand on August 8th.

Do”Sorry We’re Closed” takes a look into the personal trauma, mental health, and livelihood of some of the best chefs during the hardest time of their careers.

In the summer of 2020, when restaurants are doubly hit hard by Covid-19 and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, Chef Elizabeth Falkner sets out across the country to check in with her renowned chef and restaurateur colleagues to find out how they are coping with the impossible task of keeping their doors open.The film explores how chefs pivoted, trying to stay afloat through new take-out menus and pop-up grocery stores.

Innovations abounded and yet the cracks in the system loomed large. What if all of our ‘go-to’ places were gone? What if we were permanently told, “Sorry, We’re Closed”?

The documentary is executive produced by Raymond Esposito with subjects featured Chef Elizabeth, Dominique Crenn, Nancy Silverton, Ann Kim, Gerald Sombright, Maneet Chauhan, and many more chefs from around the nation.

IMAX And Oscar-Nominated Filmmker Nathaniel Kahn Join Forces On “Deep Sky”, A Documentary On NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

Posted on July 13, 2023 by admin

IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) and Crazy Boat Pictures Ltd., together with Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn, today announced that they’ve completed production on “Deep Sky”, a new documentary on NASA’s Webb Telescope (JWST). The 40-minute short film is narrated by Oscar®-nominated actress Michelle Williams, and is currently slated for release across IMAX’s institutional theater network in October 2023.

This announcement was made today at the National Academy of Science in Washington, D.C., as part of the one-year anniversary of the release of the first images from JWST.

“‘Deep Sky’ represents an exciting return to form for IMAX Documentaries and our long tradition of immersive space films,” said John Turner, Head of Documentaries for IMAX. “Nathaniel Kahn’s Oscar-nominated documentary ‘My Architect’ is iconic and his Emmy-winning ‘The Hunt for Planet B’ served as the fascinating first step in telling the story of the people who built this telescope. Now we get to see the breathtaking images brought to life in a way that no one has ever seen before.”
Continue reading →

“RISE – The Siya Kolisi Story” Documentary Slated For World Premiere At 2023 Tribeca Film Festival

Posted on May 26, 2023 by admin

Today, award-winning athlete, entrepreneur and philanthropist Siya Kolisi announced that his documentary “RISE – The Siya Kolisi Story,” which chronicles his journey as the first black, South African rugby captain who overcame the odds to lead his national team to win the 2019 World Cup, is set to world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 12.

The documentary is more than a sports story and pulls back the curtain on Kolisi’s tumultuous upbringing in South Africa, where he navigated through poverty, systemic racism from apartheid, neighbourhood violence and a complex relationship with his father.

Rugby became Kolisi’s refuge as he honed his craft, becoming the first-ever, Black captain of South Africa’s national team in its 126-year history as well as one of the greatest superstars of his generation. In the process, Kolisi’s leadership on and off the pitch inspired a country that had been plagued by decades of segregation and injustice.

“I’m truly honored to be sharing my story with millions around the world,” said Siya Kolisi. “I hope my journey inspires people to chase their dreams and reminds others to never allow adverse circumstances to define our lives. We are more than products of our environments and we have the potential to change our respective narratives.”

See the trailer here.
Continue reading →

“Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive” World Premiere at ’23 Tribeca Festival on Friday, June 9th

Posted on May 23, 2023 by admin

“Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive follows the magnificent second act of Grammy Winner and global music legend, Gloria Gaynor as she pursues her decades-long dream of writing and recording a gospel album.

For more than fifty years, Gloria has inspired millions around the world with her song, “I Will Survive.” While she always believed in the timeless power of the song’s lyrics; they were never more impactful to Gloria herself until her sixties when she faced major upheavals in her own life.

The poignant documentary chronicles her struggles with ageism and financial ruin and through the power of faith and resilience embarks on a journey to not only ‘survive’ but to truly ‘thrive.’”

“Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive” is directed by Betsy Schechter. Betsy Schechter, David Zieff, Kieran Healy serve as producers.

Here are the public screenings for “Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive”:
Friday, June 9, 2023 at 8:15 PM at Spring Studios/The Indeed Theater
After the Movie: A performance by the one and only Gloria Gaynor.
Saturday, June 10, 2023 at 5:45 PM at Village East Cinema – 03
Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 5:15 PM at Village East Cinema – 07

“Queenmaker: The Making Of An It Girl” Sets Release On Hulu

Posted on May 7, 2023 by admin

In the height of heiress-era NYC, an anonymous blogger infiltrated Manhattan’s elite, brings socialite celebrity to new heights. When the website creator was unmasked, the mastermind was not the one anybody expected.

The documentary follows the early aughts ushered in a golden era for the New York social set, a generation of rich young women desperate to recreate the success of Paris Hilton and Tinsley Mortimer, keener than ever to show off their fortunes and one-up each other on nightly red carpets.

On the surface, “Queenmaker: The Making Of An It Girl” is a fun, nostalgic romp through the mid-2000s pop culture that dominated mainstream media and laid foundation for current reality TV and the influences of the social media generation.

“Queenmaker: The Making Of An It Girl” premieres May 17, only on Hulu.

Award-Winning Series ‘POV’ Announces 36th Season Lineup

Posted on May 6, 2023 by admin

Award-Winning Series ‘POV’ Announces 36th Season Lineup; Illustrates Commitment to Diverse Voices, Boundary-Pushing Nonfiction Forms of Storytelling

Season premieres with Jon-Sesrie Goff’s After Sherman on June 26; Features 16 titles including recent Oscar®-nominated documentary A House Made of Splinters and Oscar® Shortlisted feature Children of the Mist. POV airs on PBS, Mondays at 10p/9C and free streaming via the PBS App

Multi award-winning series POV, hailed as America’s longest-running non-fiction series on television, enters its 36th season with a slate of 16 feature documentaries with themes devoted to caregiving, transnationalism, activism, childhood aspirations, accessibility, and intergenerational relationships.

The series’ commitment to provide a public platform to showcase bold forms of nonfiction storytelling by filmmakers with diverse voices and perspectives brings audiences unforgettable protagonists with unique points of views. Half of Season 36’s films are directed by women, and over two-thirds by filmmakers of color.

Celebrated films previously announced this season include POV alumni director Simon Lereng Wilmont and producer Monica Hellström’s timely Oscar®-nominated documentary A House Made of Splinters. As the war in Eastern Ukraine takes a heavy toll on families living near the frontline, a small group of strong-willed social workers work tirelessly in a special kind of orphanage to create an almost magical safe space for kids to live in. In Vietnamese first-time director Hà Lệ Diễm’s riveting Oscar® Shortlisted feature Children of the Mist, she details the challenges facing a Hmong girl living in rural Northern Vietnam caught between tradition and modernity.

“Anonymous Sister” Documentary Sets Release In Theaters June 2

Posted on April 22, 2023 by admin

The film is from the Producer of Dick Johnson is Dead, Cameraperson, Charm City, and Trapped. Jamie Boyle’s deeply personal and critically-acclaimed documentary feature From the Producer of Dick Johnson is Dead, Cameraperson, Charm City, and Trapped

Jamie Boyle’s Deeply Personal and Critically-Acclaimed Documentary Feature opens in New York, Friday, June 2 at IFC Center, and Los Angeles on Friday, June 16
at Laemmle Monica Film Center.

Anonymous Sister begins in the 1980s, as the close-knit Boyle family is introduced through home movie footage of their lives in the Colorado countryside. As the years tick by, the youngest family member, Jamie, is drawn to the camera in early childhood, begging to operate it at any opportunity while her older sister, Jordan, embarks on what will become a prodigious figure-skating career.

By the time she reaches her late teenage years Jamie is documenting, in excruciating detail, Jordan and her mom, Julie, as both simultaneously descend into opioid addiction while battling chronic pain. Unbeknownst to her at the time, Jamie was capturing the reality of the opioid epidemic long before it was acknowledged or named, when it entered your home under the guise of healthcare, when those to whom we entrust our lives became the greatest threat to it.

Thirteen years later finds both family members sober and Jordan newly pregnant with her first child. The pregnancy will mark her first major interaction with the medical community since getting off opioids. Jamie once again picks up the camera as her mom and sister face new hurdles in their hard won sobriety. What she sees this time is not just a family, but an entire nation, in turmoil.

Director Jamie Boyle is a two-time Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker living and working in Brooklyn NY, the unceded land of the Lenape people. In 2019, she was selected to be part of the inaugural Sundance Talent Forum & Catalyst Lab and on DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 list. She was the editor, producer, and cinematographer of Jackson (SHOWTIME), winner of the 2018 News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary. Jackson premiered at the LA Film Festival and was awarded Best Documentary at over fifteen festivals.

New Trailer For “Living With Chucky” Released

Posted on February 22, 2023 by admin

A new trailer for the Child’s Play franchise documentary has been released.

The film is an official selection on Popcorn Frights Film Festival 2022, Fantastic Fest 2022, and Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2022.

Living with Chucky takes an in depth look at the groundbreaking Child’s Play franchise from the perspective of a filmmaker who grew up within it. Featuring interviews with cast and crew such as Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Alex Vincent, creator Don Mancini, and much more, this personal film recounts the dedication, creativity and sacrifice that went into making the franchise and its long-lasting impact on the horror community.

Storming into pop culture in the late 1980s, the three-foot menace known as Chucky, proved that Child’s Play was anything but. The horror film went on to spawn six sequels, a television series, a reboot, comic books, a video game and merchandise.

Written and directed by Kyra Elise Gardner, daughter of legendary special effects artist Tony Gardner, Living With Chucky looks back at the groundbreaking horror franchise by those there from the beginning. The documentary details the history of the Child’s Play films by the cast and crew, in addition to Gardner’s own relationship with the series and the impact it had on her family. Gardner, who grew up alongside Chucky the killer doll, seeks out other families involved with the Child’s Play films as they recount their experiences working on the franchise and what it means to be a part of the “Chucky” family.

“Living With Chucky” is set for release on VOD on April 4.