Sundance Documentary Competition Announced

This is the week of nominees and lists of films in competition, so continuing that trend Sundance's announced their accepted submissions for their famed film festival. The documentary competition will feature 16 films (narrowed from a field of 862!) and every single one will be a world premiere.

If that's not enough to wet your appetite Leon Gast (When We Were Kings) Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Taxi to the Darkside) and Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, It Might Get Loud) have submissions at the festival. The documentary list is below, but head on over to Sundance's website for a full breakdown of all their lineups.


Bhutto (Directors: Jessica Hernandez and Johnny O'Hara; Screenwriter: Johnny O'Hara)—A riveting journey through the life and work of recently assassinated Benazir Bhutto, former Pakistani prime minister and a polarizing figure in the Muslim world.

CASINO JACK & The United States of Money (Director: Alex Gibney)—A probing investigation into the lies, greed and corruption surrounding D.C. super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his cronies.

Family Affair (Director: Chico Colvard)—An uncompromising documentary that examines resilience, survival and the capacity to accommodate a parent's past crimes in order to satisfy the longing for family.

Freedom Riders (Director: Stanley Nelson)—The story behind a courageous band of civil rights activists called the Freedom Riders who in 1961 creatively challenged segregation in the American South.

Gas Land (Director: Josh Fox)—A cross-country odyssey uncovers toxic streams, dying livestock, flammable sinks and weakening health among rural citizens on the front lines of the natural gas drilling craze.

I’m Pat _______ Tillman (Director: Amir Bar-Lev)—The story of professional football star and decorated U.S. soldier Pat Tillman, whose family takes on the U.S. government when their beloved son dies in a "friendly fire" incident in Afghanistan in 2004.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (Director: Tamra Davis)—The story of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose work defined, electrified and challenged an era, and whose untimely death at age 27 has made him a cultural icon.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (Directors: Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg)—A rare, brutally honest glimpse into the comedic process and private dramas of legendary comedian and pop icon Joan Rivers as she fights tooth and nail to keep her American dream alive.

Lucky (Director: Jeffrey Blitz)—The story of what happens when ordinary people hit the lottery jackpot.

My Perestroika (Director: Robin Hessman)—My Perestroika follows five ordinary Russians living in extraordinary times — from their sheltered Soviet childhood, to the collapse of the Soviet Union during their teenage years, to the constantly shifting political landscape of post-Soviet Russia. Together, these childhood classmates paint a complex picture of the dreams and disillusionments of those raised behind the Iron Curtain.

The Oath (Director: Laura Poitras)— Filmed in Yemen, The Oath tells the story of two men whose fateful encounter in 1996 set them on a course of events that led them to Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Restrepo (Directors: Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington)—Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington's year dug in with the Second Platoon in one of Afghanistan's most strategically crucial valleys reveals extraordinary insight into the surreal combination of back breaking labor, deadly firefights, and camaraderie as the soldiers painfully push back the Taliban.

A Small Act (Director: Jennifer Arnold)—A young Kenyan’s life changes dramatically when his education is sponsored by a Swedish stranger. Years later, he founds his own scholarship program to replicate the kindness he once received.

Smash His Camera (Director: Leon Gast)—Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis sued him, and Marlon Brando broke his jaw. The story of notorious, reviled paparazzo Ron Galella opens a Pandora's Box of issues from right to privacy, freedom of the press and the ever-growing vortex of celebrity worship.

12th & Delaware (Directors: Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing)—The abortion battle continues to rage in unexpected ways on an unassuming corner in America.

Waiting for Superman (Director: Davis Guggenheim)—Waiting for Superman examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories—from a handful of students and their families whose futures hang in the balance, to the educators and reformers trying to find real and lasting solutions within a dysfunctional system.

Spirit Awards: Documentary Nominees

Sticking with the recent theme of Award Show Nominees, the Spirit Awards (Sponsored by the Independent Film Channel), announced their list of potential winners recently. The unique catch with the Spirit Awards is their focus on the smaller and more independent film world: i.e. the perfect place to judge documentaries fairly.

This year's nominee's for best documentary are:
- Which Way Home by Rebecca Cammisa
- October Country by Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher
- More Than a Game by Kristopher Belman
- Food Inc. by Robert Kenner
- Anvil! The Story of Anvil by Sacha Gervasi

The Spirit Awards show isn't until early March, but let the speculating begin. The fan favorite is obviously Anvil! The Story of Anvil, but don't sleep on More Than a Game which does too many things right to be ignored entirely.

Who needs the Oscars? IDA Awards Announced!

Like a soothing aloe on burned skin, the International Documentary Association recently released a few of the winners from their yearly award show to quell the recent rage documentary film fans have had over The Academy Award selection process. The IDA's award show isn't until this Friday, so the big winners won't be announced till then, but in the meantime here's the list of smaller category winners to wet your appetite.

In the category carrying the most popular features, Anvil! The Story of Anvil beat out fellow contenders It Might Get Loud and Soundtrack for a Revolution (as well as three other nominees) to be named best music documentary.

The Continuing Series Award went to PBS' P.O.V. series while the Sundance Channel's Architecture School (a six-part series following a group of students at Tulane's School of Architecture) won in the best Limited Series category.

If you're into health issues, Garbage Dreams (the story of three teenage boys growing up in the outskirts of Cairo) won the newly added IDA/Humanitas Award and The Final Inch (which follows health workers in some of India's poorest neighborhoods) received this year's IDA/Pare Lorentz Award

There are a few other winners announced, but the big story is who won the best documentary feature and best documentary short awards. Those winners won't be unveiled until Friday, but the list of nominees is as follows:

Feature Documentary Nominees
- Afghan Star by Havana Marking
- Anvil! The Story of Anvil by Sacha Gervasi
- Diary of a Times Square Thief by Klaas Bense
- Food, Inc. by Robert Kenner
- Mugabe and the White African by Lucy Bailey, Andrew Thompson

Short Documentary Nominees
- The Delian Mode by Kara Blake
- Salt by Michael Angus, Murray Fredericks
- Sari's Mother by James Longley
- The Solitary Life of Cranes by Eva Weber


Our site will recap the Award show winners next week, so stay tuned here to know which documentaries you should be watching.

"This is It" DVD out in January

Sony Pictures recently announced This Is It will be released on DVD January 26th. The documentary, following Michael Jackson during his final rehearsals before passing away, has already grossed over $70 million.

The DVD includes two documentaries, Staging the Return: Beyond the Show and Staging the Return: The Adventure Begins, and highlight Jackson as he prepared for the concerts. I'm not quite sure if that means this is an extended cut or alternate rethinking of the theatrical film, but hopefully more details will be announced soon.

Oh My God Documentary

It seems the documentary world took this Thanksgiving week off as there are no new theatrical documentary releases to tell you about. So instead, we're going to highlight the trailer for Oh My God. Directed by Peter Rodgar, this film started its (limited) theatrical run earlier this month, but is actually just gearing up now for a wider release.

Despite it's cheesy, almost mocking title, Oh My God follows Rodgar around as he asks people from all over the world one simple question: what is God? As fascinating as the answers will be though, the stunning visuals appear to be the reason everyone should see this documentary.

But don't take my word for it, head on over to the film's website to watch the trailer, learn a little bit about the film and see when/if it is playing in your hometown.

Various Music Doc news

There seems to be a few bits of news on upcoming music related documentaries, so we decided to just throw them into one news article:

Lil' Wayne a lil' angry over documentary release - Last year the rapper Lil' Wayne allowed a film crew to follow him on his tour, and the result was a documentary that received some praise at Sundance Film Festival this year. Surprisingly though, as the film gears up for distribution, Lil Wayne sued to block it's release, apparently upset that he did not have the final word on edits. A judge ruled in favor of the film, but it's clear tensions still reign. Check out CNN for more on this story.


Beatles Documentary reveals studio sessions - The History Channel will air at 10 PM tonight The Beatles on Record, a film that takes audiences into the process of making the legendary Abbey Road album. Using both studio footage, pictures and even audio, audiences should get a clear and personal view of one of the greatest bands coming together to make one of the greatest albums. Sounds like the recipe for success. Head on over to Wired to read more about this potentially great little film.


Cowell produces Susan Boyle documentary - And so it begins, the singing sensation of last year's Britain's got talent finally has her first CD released and will now be featured in a documentary as well. The film, titled I Dreamed a Dream: the Susan Boyle Story, will be released sometime next month and will probably be hitting DVD shelves soon afterwards to capitalize on the woman's insanely popular vocals. Alas, If you haven't bought her CD yet, you're probably out of luck.

Tea Party Documentary's Hilarious Trailer

Anyone living in the U.S. is aware of the ongoing debates between liberals and conservatives on the numerous issues facing the nation. The most recent grass roots campaign (or at least recent campaign with a large media following) has involved conservatives sparking "tea party" rallies across the country. Because of the coverage they've been getting, it was only a matter of time before a documentary followed these individuals.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your position), someone forgot to tell the filmmakers how to make a film that's both interesting and inviting. For one, the title is called "Tea Party: The Documentary Film"- even the bland Al Gore knew his film's title needed a catchy phrase to hook people in. And secondly (and definitely worse), the trailer for this film truly begs the question: "is this a joke?"

Now, I feel bad criticizing the work people put in to defend their cause, but I have to admit this trailer honestly looks like something a comedy group would make. It is, I believe, serious though. So, with that in mind, I hope there was a little more thought put into the feature then the trailer.


Think I'm exaggerating? Watch the trailer and tell us your thoughts!

Oscar Short List Creates Controversy

This website has been on record multiple times complaining about past Academy Award snubs for our beloved documentaries, but it seems this is the year the 'scandal' surrounding the 'best documentary' feature has reached fever pitch in the entertainment world.

After the Academy announced this year's short list of 15 documentaries up for best feature, countless irate articles have been written. And the rage isn't limited to the blogs as the New York Times, LA Times and Entertainment Weekly have all posted articles expressing the opinions of the upset masses.

With no real star power on hand (i.e. nominated) to quell the rage, it will be interesting to see how this anger proceeds. Tyson director James Toback in particular seems to be leading the muckraking, while Michael Moore and the creators behind It Might Get Loud, Good Hair and Anvil are all making more guarded reactions to the way nominations play out.

Will this die out like past complaints about the documentary selection process, or will we see a change in the system? I personally hope for the latter, because it's hard for anyone to take the documentary genre seriously when its best works are being ignored by major award shows.

Read the articles from the NY Times, LA Times and Entertainment Weekly and then post your thoughts below!

Theatrical Releases

Every Friday we update you all with the week's theatrical documentary releases. Now, this is not a perfect process as our beloved genre prefers the rolling/limited release schedule instead of a big nationwide or international-wide release. So apologies if a film isn't out in your area, or if you are a filmmaker and we missed the boat on announcing your documentary's big day (if that is the case, please let us know and we'll correct the mistake).

Now, with that introduction out of the way, here's this weekend's releases with their current rating on the amazing website Rottentomatoes.com:


Defamation - (100% rating) What is anti-Semitism today, two generations after the Holocaust? In his continuing exploration of modern Israeli life, director Yoav Shamir travels the world in search of the most modern manifestations of the “oldest hatred", and comes up with some startling answers. The film questions our perceptions and terminology when an event proclaimed by some as anti-Semitic is described by others as legitimate criticism of Israel’s government policies. The film walks along the boundary between anti-Zionism, rejecting the notion of a Jewish State, and anti-Semitism, rejecting Jews. Is the former being used to excuse the latter? And is there a difference between today’s anti-Semitism and plain old racism that is affecting all minorities? (Rottentomatoes.com)

Oscar 'Short List' Unveiled

The Academy Awards recently announced their list of 15 films in the Documentary Feature category. This list will be presented to the entire Academy which will then vote and narrow the selections down to the handful receiving an official 'nomination' to the awards show in March.

The list:
“The Beaches of Agnes,” Agnès Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris)
“Burma VJ,” Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films)
“The Cove,” Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society)
“Every Little Step,” James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment)
“Facing Ali,” Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.)
“Food, Inc.,” Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films)
“Garbage Dreams,” Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.)
“Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders,” Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC)
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers,” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors (Kovno Communications)
“Mugabe and the White African,” Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors (Arturi Films Limited)
“Sergio,” Greg Barker, director (Passion Pictures and Silverbridge Productions)
“Soundtrack for a Revolution,” Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors (Freedom Song Productions)
“Under Our Skin,” Andy Abrahams Wilson, director (Open Eye Pictures)
“Valentino The Last Emperor,” Matt Tyrnauer, director (Acolyte Films)
“Which Way Home,” Rebecca Cammisa, director (Mr. Mudd)

As stated in the past, the documentary film category is notorious for snubbing some excellent films in the process of selecting a winner and this year is no different. Four films come to mind in this year's controversy with Tyson, It Might Get Loud, Anvil: the Story of Anvil and (the biggest shocker) Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story all failing to make the list. Though few consider any of these films worthy of actually winning, it's surprising the committee would leave off some of the genre's biggest names. And with last year's winner Man on Wire generating so much positive buzz outside the normal documentary circles, one wonders if this year will be a major setback.

What are your thoughts? Post them below!