Amid the ongoing discussion about prison reform, something often lost is that many of America’s incarcerated prisoners have something to offer society beyond “going straight.” The new documentary “Life & Life” visits several of those individuals, whose talents for music bring them popularity inside, and could be their redemption on the outside. Director NC Heikin’s main subject is Reggie ... more >
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AFI DOCS: some parting words
This year's iteration of AFI DOCS showed once again that truth is more important than ever. Documentaries are enjoying a golden age, with not only major filmmakers but up-and-comers getting into the form to show us what is really real in our world. Many looked into the past, whether it was examining some truly courageous nuns or popping open the vault of a departed rock star. Some examined ongoing ... more >
SMALL TALK WITH BIG PEOPLE: Matt Ogens of the documentary short “AUDIBLE,” currently airing on Netflix
He previously directed "Confessions of a Superhero," a film that premiered at SXSW in 2007
Director Matt Ogens grew up in Frederick, M.D., not far from the Maryland School for the Deaf. One of his best friends was hearing-impaired and Ogens became familiar with the deaf community thanks to him. “It just so happened that years later, when I decided to become a filmmaker, I directed a commercial campaign about high-school football teams around the country, and one of them was Maryland ... more >
Review: Questlove’s “SUMMER OF SOUL (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
This film is Questlove's directorial debut
The same summer that a largely white, middle- and upper-class group of students descended upon Woodstock, N.Y. for a mammoth concert like no other the Harlem Cultural Festival was taking place in Mount Morris Park in Harlem. That little attention was paid to these equally splendid affairs is sadly understood given that it was a black audience and black artists. Thankfully, the lost footage of that ... more >
Eight mentionworthy films from the 2021 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
"ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN," "THE FIRST STEP," "THE NEUTRAL GROUND," "LARRY FLYNT FOR PRESIDENT," "REFLECTION: A WALK WITH WATER," "THE LOST LEONARDO," "THE LAST OUT," "CODED" and "NO LONGER SUITABLE FOR USE"
“Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” Director: Morgan Neville Anthony Bourdain was the most unlikely of celebrities: a recovering drug addict and chef who wrote frankly about his experiences in the galley, publishing them in a memoir called “Kitchen Confidential.” The book was a sensation, catapulting Bourdain to stardom. Soon he was able to stop cooking entirely and focus on traveling ... more >
It’s the story of a wacky band from the seventies that overcame the odds: “THE SPARKS BROTHERS”
DOCUMENTARY
Co-produced by Complete Fiction and Media Rights Capital (MRC)
Directed by Edgar Wright
In the seventies Ron and Russell Mael fast attracted a fan base thanks to their decidedly unorthodox musical act, the Sparks. Despite changing demographics, shifting musical tastes and their unending oddity, the brothers have managed to enthrall fans well into the 21st century. Director Edgar Wright (“Shaun of the Dead,” “Baby Driver”) is just one among those many famous fans to wax nostalgic ... more >
INTERVIEW: Mariem Pérez Riera, director of “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It”
Film premiered at Sundance in January
Mariem Pérez Riera was able to bring her subject to Tribeca this past weekend for in-person screenings of the documentary “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It.” It had been a challenging year for Pérez Riera, who had to finish editing the film during covid-imposed lockdowns. “I remember on Friday the 13th of March [2020] I finished locking the film,” Pérez Riera said with a laugh. ... more >