It is a testament to the quality of this year’s Sundance Film Festival back in January—in the good old pre-lockdown days—that close to a year later, its offerings are still finding outlets for those who weren’t in Park City, Utah. Such is the case for Miranda July’s “Kajillionaire,” a film that is neither comedy nor drama yet teases elements of both such that, when it ends, the filmmaker forces the audience to undergo hard questions about empathy and identity.

In the 2018 midterm elections, a then-record 117 women won seats in Congress, leading many writers to call it the “Year of the Woman.” Documentarians Hannah Rosenzweig and Wendy Sachs followed three Democratic women running in 2018, and the result of their years of work is a film called “Surge.”

“So many women were activated to actually run for office—women who had never thought they would run

Thanks to covid-19, both the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics were postponed to 2021. That means the competitors will have another whole year to train and prepare for their events in Tokyo.

And however disappointing, it’s just one more bump on the road for the Paralympics athletes featured in the new documentary “Rising Phoenix,” which opens on Netflix this weekend. Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter

Grace Fisher’s positivity has served the young lady well over her two decades of life, as she honed her musical abilities on guitar and piano, while dreaming of becoming a composer. “My mom always said that [even] as a young girl, I’ve been blessed with a happy outlook on anything,” Fisher told me recently of her optimistic attitude. Incredibly, Fisher has maintained that same poise and equanimity even after

The hybrid in-person and online version of the Bentonville Film Festival wrapped up this weekend, with drive-in films, virtual panel discussions and a host of films to choose from. Here are a few from the many offerings to keep in your sights.

“Amazing Grace” Directed by Lynn Montgomery: Grace Fisher was a happy-go-lucky, musically gifted

Every year, the American Legion program called Boys State brings in some of the best and brightest young men to experience simulated democracy first-hand.  They are divided into two different “parties,” and then must choose their leaders, give speeches, make deals and campaign over six intense days.  Its alumni include Bill Clinton, no less. 

And in a strange turn, in 2017, the Texas Boys

Journalist Maria Ressa was convicted of “cyber libel” just as Ramona S. Diaz’s documentary about her, called “A Thousand Cuts,” was due to premiere at AFI Docs in June. Ressa had for years worked for a press outlet called the Rappler, which was severely critical of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime and stifling of the free press. “We anticipated it," said Diaz, whose “A Thousand Cuts” began streaming earlier