Just after opening their brand new flagship theatre, the Hot Docs International Documentary Festival used the new/old building to announce their slate of 189 films for their 2012 festival. This year's festival, running from April 26th to May 6th features documentaries in 11 different programs from over 50 countries.
Late last month at a press day for the re-opening of The Bloor Cinema – now officially known as The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, after the noted documentary festival that saved the building from being turned into another condo building – there was still some work left to be done. The concession stand had yet […]
Touching and insightful for fans of the world's most beloved red Muppet, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey will tickle the fancy of anyone wanting to know more about the title character, but the the documentary maddeningly hints at darker material unsuitable for such a lightweight production.
It's the end of an era for the historic Bloor Cinema, and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Annex rep theatre. Earlier today, Hot Docs announced that it has entered into a joint venture with Blue Ice Film to manage and program the theatre beginning this Fall. The group also plans to revitalize the space by making much needed upgrades to the Bloor's technical equipment; that means new projectors, a new sound system, new seating and more. A major overhaul of the lobby and the façade are also in the works.
In Superheroes, director Michael Barnett introduces to a gallery of men and women who take it upon themselves to don masks and capes, lurking the streets for criminals to thwart. But in a subculture that is so much more showmanship than substance, Barnett's film begins to stumble on almost identical faults.
The National Parks Project documentary is about two hours long. Two things will result from this: 1) If you see it in a theatre, your ass and legs will hurt by the time it’s over; and 2) If you see it in a city, you will emerge from the film incredibly restless after seeing thirteen of this country’s prettiest places.
It’s been about six months since Conan O’Brien took back the night with his talk show on TBS, but any fan of his or at least anyone still interested in what happened while he was off the air will want to see this documentary.
This year’s Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival kicks off today and runs through May 8. Featuring over 200 films in total, picking which films are worth seeing is a tall order for even the most seasoned fest-vet. With that in mind, allow us to present the second part of our Hot Docs coverage – A selection of documentaries that may just pique your interest.
The 2011 Hot Docs Film Festival is bigger than ever this year with over 200 movies being screened of the course of 11 days. I understand that the choices are overwhelming this year, but here I am to briefly give all you fine Dork Shelf readers my top five picks of the festival and five other films that are in smaller categories of competition that you shouldn't overlook.
This year's Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival kicks off tomorrow and runs through May 8. Featuring over 200 films in total, picking which films are worth seeing is a tall order for even the most seasoned fest-vet. With that in mind, allow us to present the first part of our Hot Docs coverage - A selection of documentaries that may just pique your interest.
Celebrities have their picture taken on an almost constant basis. Often by fans, sometimes by professionals, but only occasionally by certain photographers who have a knack for showing a side of the celebrity that is never seen on camera, often they can capture the loneliness that comes from lack of anonymity. For rock stars in […]
The Magnetic Fields are an eclectic but fairly obscure American indie rock band that has been recording for nearly twenty years. While not a household name, they have a fairly devoted following, and many musicians, such as Peter Gabriel, count leader Stephin Merritt as one of the great contemporary American songwriters. In Strange Powers: Stephin […]
New York City has seen its share of artistic revolutions, though any kind of positive revolution might have seemed impossible in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The city was crippled by massive debt with no help from the federal government, and whole neighbourhoods were urban war zones as countless buildings were left abandoned or […]
Before the days of iPods, televisions, and even radio or mass print publications, humans entertained themselves and each other by telling stories. In small groups around campfires, communities would tell each other the stories of their past and present. Fastforward to the 21st century, and Argentinean filmmaker Daniel Burmeister seems to have resurrescted this spirit. […]
Every filmmaker dreams of meeting their favourite director. So when aspiring filmmaker David Sieveking had the opportunity, he begins his film David Wants to Fly with a trip to the United States to hear David Lynch speak about his passion for Transcendental Meditation, a movement founded by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi—who also inspired, among others, […]
