The Zurich Film Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival have entered into an alliance alliance. Europe’s most prestigious music festival is on board to present concerts in Zurich as partner of the “SoundTrack_Zurich” industry event which takes place during the Zurich Film Festival. In a bid to further expand its engagement in the field of music, the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) announced the ... more >
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NEWS: Zurich Fest joins forces with a Montreux institution
Ray Parker, Jr. to present new documentary about his career at event
New documentary trains spotlight on American hero come up on the civil rights movement, “John Lewis: Good Trouble”
A indefatigable proponent for civil rights speaks out on screen
Produced by Dawn Porter, Erika Alexander and Laura Michalchyshyn
Directed by Dawn Porter
This is the time. As America’s streets are once again flooded with voices screaming for human rights, the time is now for the views, the heart, the words, and the power of the man who is John Lewis. Director Dawn Porter’s new documentary, “John Lewis: Good Trouble” is an honest look at one of the most important men who ever fought for the civil rights movement. We are lucky that this man is ... more >
AFI DOCS | 9TO5: THE STORY OF A MOVEMENT
The gender parity movement wouldn't have been the same without them
(during all of this week, Screen Comment’s Eric Althoff gives readers his take on the choicest films from the 2020 crop of AFI Docs, the world’s premier documentary film festival which took place online this year due to the coronavirus) Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, who won last year’s Oscar for best documentary for their film “American Factory,” are back to shine their cameras on a largely ... more >
From our past, a scream, resonating loudly, “Da Five Bloods” | REVIEW
Film couldn't have been more timely
Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Norm Lewis and Clarke Peters
Directed by Spike Lee
Spike Lee’s latest film “Da 5 Bloods” is a film that speaks to the times, loud and clear. When Lee was filming the movie last year, how could he have known that it would be touching on exactly what we are going through right now? That question is answered in many ways throughout this allegorical piece but none as stronger as the scenes which bookend this firecracker of a movie. The very first ... more >
“It’s a really big ask to say, hey, put your trust in me to tell this story” (filmmaker AJ Schnack on the making of “Long gone summer”)
Capturing a slice of MLB history
Major League Baseball’s 2020 season has been mothballed for months because of covid-19, and even when the truncated schedule begins in late July, it’s doubtful that, for health reasons, there will be any fans in attendance. There’s no way that filmmaker AJ Schnack could have foreseen this when he started work on his “30 for 30” documentary “Long Gone Summer” a few years ago, but it may have ... more >
AFI Docs series | “White Noise” brushes searing portrait of American white nationalism
Produced by Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg
Directed by Daniel Lombroso
(during all of this week, Screen Comment's Eric Althoff gives readers his take on the choicest films from the 2020 crop of AFI Docs, the world's premier documentary film festival which took place online this year due to the coronavirus) A more timely documentary there might not be the rest of this year, as director Daniel Lombroso trails some prominent figures of the alt-right as they travel ... more >
When guilt takes you dark and frightening places, “The Soul Collector”
From South Africa's horror trove
Tshamano Sebe, Inge Beckmann and Keita Luna
Directed by Harold Holscher
As Hollywood-backed horror films get dumber and more predictable, independent and foreign horror filmmakers continue to give genre fans unique and finely crafted cinematic experiences. Harold Holscher’s debut feature film was well received at the 2019 Fantasia film festival and with good reason. “The Soul Collector” (originally titled “8”) is a smart and well-made horror tale that is quite ... more >