Best sundance documentaries

It’s one of busiest opening weeks in some time for indie releases with Neon ( Pleasure ), Bleecker Street ( Montana Story ), IFC Midnight ( The Innocents ) and Roadside Attractions ( Family Camp ) in theaters — even as the imminent closure of the Landmark Pico underscores just how arthouses are struggling to win back core demos. Also out, Grasshopper Films presents Michelangelo Frammartino’s Venice Special Jury Prize-winner Il Buco ; Greenwich Entertainment documentary Mau is the first feature-length treatment on design visionary Bruce Mau; and Trafalgar Entertainment offers a remastered version of Lasse Hallstrom’s ABBA : The Movie , which follows the group’s hugely successful 1977 Australian tour. Roadside’s faith-based comedy Family Camp is the widest specialty release on over 850 screens. It’s the first feature from The Skit Guys — Tommy Woodard and Eddie James – targeting “family member from eight to eighty.” Two … [Read more...] about A Church Camp, Porn Shoots And Eerie Nordic Kids In Lively Indie Weekend – Specialty Preview

Ahead of its Disney’s Upfront presentation Tuesday in NYC, National Geographic has announced greenlights for six new nonfiction series as part of its latest programming slate. They include Dance The World With Derek Hough , a series which takes viewers on a global cultural journey of the origins of some of the most popular dance styles; Restaurants At The End Of The World, hosted by chef and entrepreneur Kristen Kish; an untitled series with adventurer and travel blogger Jeff Jenkins; Farming Is Life, with urban gardener and influencer Indy Srinath; Extraordinary Birder, hosted by lifelong birder Christian Cooper, and Science Fair : The Series , from the directors and producers of the Emmy-winning documentary film Science Fair, featuring high school competitors of a global science fair competition. The new series, which follow on the success of Gordon Ramsay: Unchartered, Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller and Running Wild With Bear Grylls, will … [Read more...] about Nat Geo Greenlights Nonfiction Series From Derek Hough, Jeff Jenkins, Kristen Kish, ‘Science Fair’ Team & More

Twenty-four hours before his win for Best Documentary Feature would result in one of the most powerful speeches of this year’s Oscar night, Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson and his Summer of Soul team gathered at an intimate brunch in the picturesque gardens of Dana Walden’s Brentwood estate. Walden was there, along with Peter Rice, Matthew Greenfield, David Greenbaum and other high-level Disney executives. Even Disney CEO Bob Chapek put in an appearance. They were present to toast the early success of a small Hulu imprint, Onyx Collective , which is run by Tara Duncan and is dedicated to flying the flag for creators of color, bringing diverse, authentic stories right to the heart of the studio better known for its noisemaking franchise brands like Marvel and Star Wars. As Disney continues to reign supreme as Hollywood’s biggest studio, Duncan’s ambitions for Onyx Collective are no less than to create a brand that can compete for that same mainstream attention, making it a … [Read more...] about Onyx Collective Continues Mission To Bring Representation To Disney After ‘Summer Of Soul’ Oscar Triumph — Deadline Disruptors

“I have very little to say except that I think it very charming and kind of you all to give us your Sunday night,” said a disarming Julian Fellowes at the NYC premiere of Downton Abbey: A New Era last Sunday. Distributor Focus Features – and the broader industry — hopes audiences will give the film many more Sunday nights, and other days and dayparts, jumpstarting the return to theaters of older demos. Downton opens this weekend on over 3,800 screens, not a specialty release but leading here as a bellwether for that elusive audience, a staple of arthouses, that had raised hopes briefly by turning out for No Die To Die last fall. Lingering Covid jitters or an entrenched streaming habit have kept the 45-plus crowd sparse in cinemas even as they flock to restaurants and other public activities. The hope is that the Downton franchise will prove beloved as Bond, as enduring as Spider-Man , for its numerous fans. “If it does well, people will start putting … [Read more...] about Can ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ Swing It As The ‘Spider-Man’ Of The 45-Plus Crowd? – Specialty Preview