Sunday, January 25, 2009

Sundance Comes to a Close

It's January 25. And that- sadly- means The Sundance Film Festival closes another chapter on it's annual festival. Of course, the great thing about Sundance is that it acts as a launching point for many films that otherwise would go unnoticed by big budget Hollywood companies. This premise holds especially true for documentary filmmakers using the venue to promote their respective works.

In honor of this film launching tradition, Documentary Film Online will highlight each and every documentary screened in Park City, Utah this year. For the next 2-3 weeks we'll break down two documentaries a day; highlighting the storyline, the director's known credentials, possible release dates and links to the film's website. So, starting tomorrow, check out the news page daily to get your post-Sundance fill.

But to tease you, here's some opening remarks. First, off the bat, two films I can't wait to see: Ondi Timoner's We Live in Public and Doug Pray's Art & Copy. Both director's hold a special place in my heart for their recent work and, especially in Timoner's case, for practically diving into a sea of footage and uncovering wonderful storylines.

I'm also curious to see Tom DiCillo's When You're Strange (about the Doors), Natalia Almada's El General (Almada is the great-granddaughter of Mexico's controversial president Plutarco ElĂ­as Calles), Paul Salzman's Prom Night in Mississippi (How will a Canadian portray the deep south?) and Giovanna Massimetti's 211: Anna (documenting how over 200 Russian journalists have been assassinated since 1991 sounds like some scary subject matter).

There are countless others, but why list them all? The point is, it appears this year's crop of documentaries looks to be truly special. So check back tomorrow and join me in investigating which ones are worth seeing and why.

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