Bathtubs Over Broadway (USA, 87 min.) Dir. Dava Whisenant Programme: Artscapes (International Premiere) Forget Bye Bye Birdie. Forget Cats. Forget An American in Paris, Rent, Fiddler on the Roof, Phantom of
Keep ReadingThe bottom dropped out of the recorded music business some time ago, but box-office for performing arts documentaries has never been better. Films like Amy (2015), Janis: Little Girl Blue (2015), Muscle Shoals (2013) and Searching for Sugar
Keep ReadingTwo Trains Runnin’ (USA, 80 min.) Dir. Sam Pollard The number of good American music docs that combine the songs of the South with the nation’s turbulent history of racism are
Keep ReadingChavela (USA/Mexico/Spain, 93 min.) Dir. Catherine Gund, Daresha Kyi “My name is Chavela Vargas,” says the titular subject in on the opening of this documentary. “Don’t you forget it.” While fans
Keep ReadingDreaming of a Jewish Christmas (Canada, 55 min.) Dir. Larry Weinstein Don’t let Adam Sandler’s The Chanukah Song fool you: the Jews sure know how to write a good Christmas carol. Larry Weinstein
Keep ReadingMy Piece of the City (Canada, 60 min.) Dir. Moze Mossanen Earlier this year, Charles Officer’s Unarmed Verses wowed audiences at Hot Docs and other festivals with its story of youths
Keep ReadingUnarmed Verses (Canada, 85 min.) Dir. Charles Officer The thought experiment called the ship of Theseus asks if a boat remains the same if one removes all of its boards and
Keep ReadingWhere You’re Meant to Be (UK, 75 min.) Dir. Paul Fegan VIFF features two docs about traditional music from the UK and the difference is as sharp and strong as the
Keep ReadingSong of Granite (Ireland/Canada, 97 min.) Dir. Pat Collins The world of the musical biopic can be a well-worn path. It can also be one of inspiration. Pat Collins offers the
Keep ReadingSammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me (USA, 100 min.) Dir. Sam Pollard Programme: TIFF Docs (World Premiere) Sam Pollard, who directed Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, has an extensive
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