Tag: Documentary Filmmaker

Dance, Directors, Documentaries, Interviews, Spotlight

Exclusive Interview with “Everybody Dance” Director Dan Watt (Part 2)

By Joan Amenn We’re back with Part 2 of this great interview with the director of “Everybody Dance” just in time for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and here he is going to tell us more about his experiences as a documentary filmmaker and how he won the Chita Rivera Award for Best Direction of a Documentary so let’s dive in! Joan Amenn: That’s fantastic. I’m … Continue reading Exclusive Interview with “Everybody Dance” Director Dan Watt (Part 2)

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Documentaries, Female Filmmakers, Film Festivals, Indigenous People, Tribeca Film Festival, Women in Film

Richland: Tribeca Film Festival 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 93 minutes Director: Irene Lusztig By Joan Amenn Early on in the documentary “Richland” (2023), a Hanford energy worker somewhat defensively declares that viewing the creation of the atomic bombs that were used against Japan in WWII as a bad thing was an “outsider’s” way of thinking. He says that the residents of Richland see it as an accomplishment to be proud … Continue reading Richland: Tribeca Film Festival 2023 Review

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Documentaries, Film Festivals, Film Reviews, Reviews

Hot Docs International Film Festival 2021 Review: Lady Buds

Year: 2021 Runtime: 96 minutes Director: Chris J. Russo Cast: Sue Taylor, Chiah Rodriques, Felicia Carbajal, Karyn Wagner, “The Bud Sisters” By Joan Amenn Since 2016 when Proposition 64 legalized recreational marijuana use in California, it has been the best and worst of times for small cannabis farmers. Director Chris J. Russo is to be congratulated on a debut feature that is engaging, entertaining, educating … Continue reading Hot Docs International Film Festival 2021 Review: Lady Buds

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Documentaries, Female Filmmakers, Film Festivals

Hot Docs International Film Festival 2021 Review: It Is Not Over Yet

The COVID pandemic has brought the issue of eldercare, particularly in nursing homes, into raised public awareness. The treatment of the elderly and their quality of life has become cause for renewed discussion, not just in the US but on a worldwide basis. Against this backdrop, “It Is Not Over Yet” (2020) is a particularly timely documentary as it explores one woman’s crusade to reform eldercare in her native Denmark. Continue reading Hot Docs International Film Festival 2021 Review: It Is Not Over Yet

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Documentaries, Interviews, Women in Film

Exclusive Interview with Director Lynne Sachs

. I actually started that film as a triptych, “Film About a Father Who,” that was about the ways that you can know about another person. I made this film that was about my Dad, and then I made a film about a woman who was a filmmaker and a mother who lived in Israel and how her life got wrapped up in the violence of the Middle East. Continue reading Exclusive Interview with Director Lynne Sachs

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Documentaries, Film Festivals, Film Reviews, Reviews

Sundance Review: “Rebel Hearts”

What happens when you fight the status quo? What happens when you fight an entity that has centuries of power? In “Rebel Hearts” (2021), we learn about the time the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary did just that in the 1960s. Back then, for some women, becoming a nun was an avenue to give back to their communities, obtain an education, and not be required to become a housewife. Continue reading Sundance Review: “Rebel Hearts”

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Activism, Documentaries, Film Reviews

Review: Time

Documentaries are my favorite genre of film, believe it or not. I find that documentaries are so incredibly unique, even though one could argue they are all the same. Maybe you think if you’ve seen one true-crime documentary, you’ve seen them all–but no! The way the story is told and unfolds is what makes each documentary so attractive to me. How will the filmmakers uncover their story and grab the audience’s attention? I want to learn about something or experience something I have never seen or heard, to gain a new perspective or knowledge on the subject. That is where I feel incredibly torn about “Time”, because it fulfils this in so many ways, yet falls short. Continue reading Review: Time

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Documentaries, History, Women in Film

Review: Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story

Since the dawn of motion pictures, women have been performing stunts to amaze and entertain their audiences. From the silent film era, to the rise of female action stars in the 1970s, to the present day abundance of superhero movies, “Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story” gives audiences a look into the history of these amazing women and their fight for equal representation and recognition in their field. The film is based on a book of the same name by Mollie Gregory. Both the movie and the book are a must for any fan of film or Hollywood history. Continue reading Review: Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story

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Documentaries, Film Festivals, Film Reviews

Fantasia Festival Review: Texas Trip-A Carnival of Ghosts

“Texas Trip-Carnival of Ghosts” (2020) pays homage to the B-rated films that were shown on the big screens of drive-in movies in the 1950’s and 1960’s, specifically in Austin, Texas. The premise seems to be that those odd, low budget horror, science-fiction and exploitation films were the inspiration for this generation of performance artists who are one of the reasons the city’s motto is “Keep Austin Weird.” Like the cult classic horror film that inspired its title, “Texas Trip-Carnival of Ghosts” is an unsettling road trip that plays with the audience by occasionally having artists pose in macabre handmade masks. At one point, a quote by Hunter S. Thompson is referred to, and who better to be a spirit guide on a journey through bizarre landscapes then this icon of counterculture? Continue reading Fantasia Festival Review: Texas Trip-A Carnival of Ghosts

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