All these wonderful things

Doc Friday: TROUBLE Comes to HBO, THROW DOWN and GARDEN to Theaters

A trio of award winning films are reaching bigger audiences today, with the Oscar nominated TROUBLE THE WATER making its debut last night on HBO (en route to multiple replays this weekend) and two films that won awards at last summer's Silverdocs - Sascha Paladino's THROW DOWN YOUR HEART and Scott Hamilton Kennedy's THE GARDEN hitting theaters.

Tia Lessin and Carl Deal's TROUBLE THE WATER was one of the most acclaimed films of 2008 - winning grand jury prizes at Sundance and Full Frame.  We posted an email exchange with the directing/producing team in our year-end recap last December.  In addition to its Oscar nod, the film won the Gotham Award for Best Documentary and was nominated for two Cinema Eye Honors.

THROW DOWN YOUR HEART, Paladino's trek to Africa with musician Bela Fleck, opens today at NYC's IFC Center, with both Paladino and Fleck in attendance.  It comes to LA next month.  Paladino - who won prizes at SXSW and Silverdocs with his film - wrote here about his experiences at this year's IDFA in Amsterdam.

Kennedy's Oscar-nominated THE GARDEN kicks off its theatrical run via Oscilloscpe Laboratories with engagements at LA's Nuart and, surprisingly perhaps, Kansas City.  We talked to Kennedy in January about his film.

Finally, James Toback's TYSON finally hits theaters today via Sony Pictures Classics.  The Cannes and Sundance selection opens on both coasts - LA & NY - in typical SPC fashion.

Politico Ties OUTRAGE to Clinton White House, Does Not Name Names

One of the key compaints in Kirby Dick's new documentary OUTRAGE is that mainstream news organizations, particularly those steeped in the Washington political culture, collude with gay politicians by refusing to report on - or even willfully protecting - their sexuality, even when they continually campaign and vote against gay rights.

The hope for the filmmakers seems to be, as we noted in our review yesterday, that the film, with its detailed reporting on various politicians (both Republicans and Democrats it must be noted) would force the issue into the open.  Patrick Goldstein at the LA Times has already written a piece that must be the first time that particular news organization described local congressman David Dreier as a closeted gay man.

Now, however, Politico, the DC-based, widely-read website has posted its first, lengthy piece (not counting blog mentions) about the film and they refuse to name one of the subjects of Dick's film.  Further, they tie the film to a former aide in Bill Clinton's White House.

Headlined "Ex-Clinton Aide's Film Touts Outing", the article provides fodder for right-wing blogs by suggesting that OUTRAGE Executive Producer Chad Griffin (although the article names him as THE executive producer of the film, he's actually one of 7 EPs on the project) is the major force behind the film:

"A former aide in Bill Clinton’s White House is backing a new film that tries to make the case that several nationally prominent Republican politicians are closeted gay men who hypocritically thwart advances in the gay-rights agenda...

Last fall, Griffin’s firm worked on ads opposing Proposition 8, the California ballot measure that prohibited same-sex marriage in the state. He lost that fight, but returns to it with OUTRAGE."

OUTRAGE has its world premiere tonight at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Disney's EARTH Has Huge, $4M Wednesday, 12th Biggest Doc Day Ever

Disneynature's inaugural release EARTH, a super-sized version of the TV series "Planet Earth" from directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, set box office records on Wednesday with a stellar, one-day take of just over $4 million.

Pegging its release to Earth Day and backed by a huge marketing campaign, the first film from Disney's new, nature-doc division (harkening back to Disney's original TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURES shorts made by the studio in the late '40s and throughout the 1950s) was continued evidence that 2009 has a chance to become the biggest doc year ever.

EARTH set a couple of records in its massive opening - biggest Wednesday ever for a nonfiction title and largest number of screens for a documentary launch (currently at 1,804 theaters).  EARTH's Wednesday is now the 12th largest single day for a documentary - Michael Moore's FAHRENHEIT 9/11 holds the first 9 places on that list, while Disney's other 2009 nonfiction effort, JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE, had $4M+ days on the Friday and Saturday of its opening weekend.

The reigning nature doc, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, had its best box office tally on its 51st day of release, when it grossed $2,786,927.  Both PENGUINS and FAHRENHEIT were eventually on over 2,000 screens.  JONAS BROTHERS topped out at 1,271 screens.

TRIBECA 2009: Kirby Dick's OUTRAGE Turns a Whisper to a Scream

The opening few moments of OUTRAGE, Kirby Dick's brand new take on closeted gay U.S. politicos, do not come with subtlety.  After listening to the voice of Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) attempt to explain away his foot gymnastics in a Minnesota airport bathroom stall, sensational title cards are thrown at viewers featuring words like "conspiracy" and "tyranny".  Later, a Reagan administration official will be accused of "collusion with genocide".  The premise laid bare: keeping high-level political figures safe in the sexual closet requires a vast support structure of "don't tell-ers" that results in government policies or political campaigns aimed at keeping the gay man (and lesbian woman) down - and worse.

That's a lot to promise in the first five minutes of a film that already is carrying a substantial load on its shoulders.  Anne Schroeder Mullins at Politico says that the film is "promising to be a possible 'game-changer' for the civil rights of same sex couples".  ("Promise to be a possible"?)  And for weeks, there's been speculation about which high profile pols would be outed by Kirby Dick in the film.  (Marl Move anyone?)

So, getting that out of the way, yes, names are named.  However, if you've been reading political blogs like we have for the year or two leading up to the November elections, you may not be surprised to hear Florida Governor Charlie Crist's name bandied about, nor Congressman David Dreier of California.  Certainly not Larry Craig.  Perhaps the most surprising outing (for us at least) was not a politician but a newscaster - Fox News' Shepard Smith.

If the revelations are not particularly startling, the cumulative effect of their stories is very effective.  Kirby Dick successfully makes a prosecutor's case, starting with his loaded and provocative opening statement and then laying out his evidence - sometimes quietly, sometimes forcefully.  He details each politician's voting record on hate crimes legislation, gay marriage, AIDS funding (usually a series of repeating "no"s popping graphically onto the screen) as he begins to probe their personal lives.  And, most significantly, he moves the story from blog whispers and innuendo, to the big screen and its attendent publicity tour.  Dick alleges that the media has been complicit in perpetuating this tyrannical silence - clearly the hope is that reviews and press of his film will expose the subject to some mainstream sunlight.  Will CNN's Larry King Live - shown in the film to have edited out Bill Maher's outing of RNC head Ken Mehlman - invite Kirby Dick on as a guest?

Who Are the Most Important Documentary Directors?

Over at the Doculink listserv, there's been an ongoing discussion the past couple weeks about "the top 20 documentary filmmakers".  Part of the discussion has been - define top 20.  Is it top 20 of all time?  Top 20 currently active?  Most influential? 

But what began as pondering a list for 20, instead became a free-for-all, with folks there throwing out names of esteemed filmmakers until the total list numbered more than 150.  Now some of these were more than a bit nonsensical (what to make of someone proposing a filmmaker whose debut film is just now, unremarkably, hitting film festivals), and a few others were makers of single great films.  Others were documentary stalwarts as series producers, editors or cinematographers.

What follows, after the jump, is a curation of Doculink's original list.  For our standards, we're choosing the terminology "most important" - which could mean influential, indicative of a movement or an era, or that they created masterpieces of the form.  We've removed the one hit wonders and we've created an addendum list for noteworthy filmmakers who are in the early stages of their nonfiction careers.  And we've added a few folks who seemed particularly conspicuous in their absence.

Despite what feels like an exhaustive process, we're certain that we've yet to include some essential filmmakers.  So, let's take this list as a starting point.  Who do you think are the most important documentary filmmakers?  Who should be on the list?  Who is an emerging voice that should be included?  Is there anyone who shouldn't be here?

Blog Traffic Peculiarity - Why Was Sunday Our Biggest Day Ever

Spikes in blog traffic are an interesting thing (maybe only as interesting as recounting one's dreams - that is, fascinating to oneself but of only passing interest to everyone else).  Usually these spikes make some degree of sense - for instance, in late February we had our biggest day ever on the site in the 24 hours following the Oscars.  This made sense because our traffic was already elevated leading up to the Oscars and it made sense that this would all climax on the day after.

But our traffic this past week has been higher than normal, particularly of interest to me because I've been such a slacker (as I put finishing touches on my new film), culminating in Sunday - by far our biggest day ever on the blog.

The reason?  The photo on this 2-year old post.  Apparently, interest in the new HBO narrative version of the classic Maysles' Brothers documentary GREY GARDENS (with Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore) has sent thousands of folks scrambling to Google Images where our post is one of the top results.

ANVIL, ENLIGHTEN UP, VALENTINO and THE CROSS Show That (Theatrical) Hope Springs Eternal

Four very different documentaries - although none with a political or social justice tinge - are showing surprising resilience in limited release.  While reading the tea leaves is always difficult in comparing the success of one set of films with another, one can't help but note with some level of excitement that all four films are finding success via non-traditional theatrical routes.

No major distributors, nearly all in some variation of self-distribution or run-through (we put up the P&A, some professionals advise, book and promote).

Sascha Gervasi's ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL hunted around for the whole of 2008 looking for a theatrical deal to match the level of enthusiasm found amongst those who'd seen the film.  Eventually, the filmmakers (including now Film Independent head Rebecca Yeldham) decided to pursue a self-distribution/run-through strategy with Richard Abramowitz' Abramorama. 

Gervasi spoke about his struggles with distribution in a recent blog interview:

"You have to understand, though, that they all loved the movie. It was not like the old days, not like Jack Warner. It is more the accountants now, I think -- all scared of losing their jobs. Which his why, by the way, that they are losing their jobs. No imagination! So, in front of their eyes, they were seeing audiences made up of people from 18 to 80 who were all loving the film. And then they ask, but how do we sell this. Well: How about showing it?!"

This weekend, ANVIL led all films at the box office with the highest per screen average - it played on three screens and avereaged $11,550.

Meanwhile, Matt Tyrnauer's VALENTINO: THE LAST EMPEROR is continuing its highly successful expansion - perhaps boding well for the later-in-the-year release of RJ Cutler's THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE.

As indieWIRE reported last week, VALENTINO's early success has led the filmmakers to expand beyond their initial self-distriution plan via Truly Indie to team with Vitagraph. 

This weekend, VALENTINO made more than $90,000 on 12 screens.  It ranks 4th among all docs for 2009, behind JONAS BROTHERS - THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE, WALTZ WITH BASHIR and Matthew Crouch's THE CROSS: THE ARTHUR BLESSIT STORY. 

The latter film, which tells the story of the "Minister of the Sunset Strip", who in 1969 decided to evangelize as he carried a 12-foot cross around with him, has had a good deal of success targeting Christian audiences.  Crouch - who used to be the CP of Production for the Trinity Broadcast Network - self distributed through his own Gener8Xion Entertainment.  Released just three weeks ago, THE CROSS leads all small nonfiction releases for the year with just under $600,000.

Micro-distributor Balcony Releasing looks to be in the midst of their most successful film to date with Kate Churchill's ENLIGHTEN UP!  The yoga doc continued to pack them in for a second week at NYC's IFC Center, dropping just 41% to over $9K for the weekend.  Having played in just two theaters, the film already has a cume north of $70K.

Figures were less starry, although still solid, for Indiepix' launch of Jeremiah Zagar's acclaimed IN A DREAM at the Cinema Village in NYC.  The Oscar-shortlisted, Cinema Eye-nominated film took in $5,297 this weekend.

In its third weekend, Tom Donahue's GUEST OF CINDY SHERMAN continues to show life, garnering $3,503 on a reported single screen.

Fifteen Years Ago Today

SARASOTA 2009: WINNEBAGO MAN Wins Out on the Gulf Coast

If one needed further proof that late March/early April has become something of a hurricane's eye for film festivals, look no further than all the tweets my pals were posting on Twitter this weekend (yes, yes, we've fallen for that now too, you can follow us here). 

Over the course of three days, I was reading updates from Full Frame, Sarasota (one of our top 25 film festivals for documentary) and Ashland, which is quickly gaining a reputation for a strong doc line-up.  That swarm of activity was coming on the heels of Cleveland and AFI Dallas wrapping last weekend.

Sarasota has become something of a key stop for festival junkies, coming as it does in the wake of Austin's SXSW.  Sarasota takes a great mix of titles from Sundance and SXSW (as well as other key festivals and a handful of premieres), so it often makes for an excellent primer of the state of indie film, particularly on the narrative side - if you want to see pretty much every film that will be nominated for a Cassavetes or Someone to Watch Award at next year's Spirit Awards, you should book at flight for SRQ next year.

The documentary jury had a great line-up of films to sift through this year, including Darius Marder's LOOT, one of our favorite films of 2008.  They chose to award their Grand Jury prize to Ben Steinbauer's WINNEBAGO MAN, a film I missed at SXSW but about which I've heard great things.  I assume that I'll be seeing it soon "at a festival near you".

Doc juror Karina Longworth today posted her thoughts on six of the films she saw in competition, singling out LOOT and OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY for praise.

I'm also interested in what she has to say about Samantha Buck's 21 BELOW, scheduled to officially premiere at Tribeca later this month, and comparisons to Donal Mosher and Michael Palmieri's forthcoming OCTOBER COUNTRY (which had a sneak preview at True/False and is set to premiere at a major film festival in the upcoming months):

"(T)here’s something fascinating about the fact that (21 BELOW) will be traveling the festival circuit at the same time as OCTOBER COUNTRY, a documentary...set in a similar milieu but with a very different philosophy and aesthetic results. Go back a couple of years to include BILLY THE KID (and surely other films that slip my immediate memory), and there’s a trend story in here somewhere about the American suburban family fighting against decomposition."

Festival winners at Ashland, Cleveland and AFI Dallas after the jump.

Full Frame 2009: The Camera Sees All in BURMA VJ

This weekend, the acclaimed documentary BURMA VJ won three prizes at Durham's Full Frame Film Festival, including the Grand Jury Prize.  Our co-conspirator Nathan Truesdell saw the film at February's True/False Film Festival and was amazed.  He filed this report:

Anders Østergaard's BURMA VJ is your typical story of renegade journalists risking their lives in order to document an attempted monk-led overthrow of a military junta, and, of course by that, I mean it's nothing like I've ever seen.

"Joshua" works for the Democratic Voice of Burma, an underground news organization dedicated to capturing illegal footage inside of Burma.  The footage is then smuggled to Thailand and beamed back to the country via satellite from Norway.  The DVB have around 30 volunteers that shoot with small, nearly-broken, hand-held cameras that they must keep hidden from the secret police that roam the streets.  The risk?  Life imprisonment.  The reward?  The education and organization of the people of Burma who have been oppressed by their government for the last 40 years.

Since foreign reporters are banned from the country (even the internet is shut down at one point), the cameras of the DVB become the only outlet showcasing the real action on the street.  Their lenses capture the voiceless and frightened despair as protesters are swept into trucks by undercover police.  When tens of thousands of monks are prompted by beatings to march in defiance, the DVB gains their trust and embeds themselves inside the group.  This feeds new hope into the people, and as the military organizes to stand up against the uprising, hundreds of thousands of citizens join the march.  The scene is breathtaking. 

Back-and-forth (recreated?) phone conversations between the cameramen and the shadow-hidden Joshua accompany the amazing footage to construct the narrative of the film.  It's extremely well-crafted and unfolds with edge-of-your-seat suspense as crowds clash with police, and the cameramen hide on rooftops and in stairwells to secure the best vantage point and to prevent being hit by stray bullets.  They're on the verge of being captured at almost every corner, and the gritty hand-held footage brings us breathtakingly close to the reality of the situation.  I was left feeling like I had just witnessed some of the most important footage ever captured.