New this week: ‘Your Place or Mine’ and ‘All That Breathes’
February 6, 2023 GMTHere’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.
In ’20 Days in Mariupol’ doc, the horrors of war illuminated
January 23, 2023 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Associated Press video journalist Mstyslav Chernov had just broken out of Mariupol after covering the first 20 days of the Russian invasion of the Ukrainian city and was feeling guilty about leaving.
Sundance Film Festival unveils lineup for 2023 edition
December 7, 2022 GMTDocumentaries about Brooke Shields, Judy Blume and Michael J. Fox, films from veteran directors like Nicole Holofcener, an adaptation of the viral New Yorker story “Cat Person” and the feature directorial debut of actors Alice Englert and Randall Park are among the world premieres set for the Sundance Film Festival in January.
Julia Reichert, Oscar-winning documentarian, dies at 76
December 2, 2022 GMTJulia Reichert, the Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker behind “American Factory” whose films explored themes of race, class and gender, often in the Midwest, has died.
New this week: Taylor Swift, ‘Descendant’ and ‘Ghostwriter’
October 21, 2022 GMTHere’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
— One of the year’s standout documentaries , Margaret Brown’s “Descendant” takes a wide lens to the discovery of the Clotilda, the last known ship to bring African captives to the American South for enslavement.
‘Philly on Fire,’ ‘Bella!’ tie for Library of Congress prize
October 18, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Documentaries about feminist leader and politician Bella Abzug and a deadly 1985 Philadelphia police bombing are the winners of this year's Library of Congress film prize.
“Bella!” and “Philly on Fire” were selected by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and veteran documentarian Ken Burns, the latter among those for whom the prize is named.
Review: ‘Three Minutes’ a heartbreaking celluloid memorial
August 17, 2022 GMTWhat gets you, deep in the gut, are the smiles. The broad, awkward, sometimes silly smiles of people on an unremarkable day in an unremarkable town in 1938 Poland, fascinated by this new thing called a movie camera and oblivious to the fact that one day, this amateur travel movie will become a devastating historical artifact.
Fox News gets into movies with story from romance novelist
August 16, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Fox News is getting into the movies by producing its first feature film, an adaptation of “The Shell Collector” from romance novelist Nancy Naigle.
PBS series, AP detail toll of Russian invasion of Ukraine
July 28, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Two documentaries detailing the punishing effects of Russia's war on Ukraine will air on PBS' “Frontline” investigative series.
The specials are part of an extensive collaboration between the series and The Associated Press that includes gathering, verifying and cataloging potential war crimes and co-publishing stories and videos from AP and “Frontline" war reporting.
Review: Timely ‘The Janes’ doc looks at secret abortions
June 7, 2022 GMTFew documentaries looking at the past offer as real a vision of the future as “The Janes.”
Directors Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes have taken a look at a dozen or so women who came together in Chicago to secure abortions at a time when the procedure was illegal in most of the country.
Vangelis, the Greek ‘Chariots of Fire’ composer, dies at 79
May 19, 2022 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Vangelis, the Greek electronic composer who wrote the unforgettable Academy Award-winning score for the film “Chariots of Fire” and music for dozens of other movies, documentaries and TV series, has died at 79.
Acclaimed filmmaker Brent Renaud shot, killed in Ukraine
March 14, 2022 GMTBrent Renaud, an acclaimed filmmaker who traveled to some of the darkest and most dangerous corners of the world for documentaries that transported audiences to little-known places of suffering, died Sunday after Russian forces opened fire on his vehicle in Ukraine.
TV marks Black History Month with provocative, creative fare
February 4, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — How U.S. history is told and taught is being challenged and potentially constricted on several fronts, but television's approach to Black History Month is firmly in overdrive.
There's a wealth of provocative and creative Black-focused programs in February, looking deep into the past to examine topics such as the roots of slavery and the achievements of towering figures including Frederick Douglass.
Netflix documentary ‘Procession’s’ life beyond the film
January 28, 2022 GMTFilmmaker Robert Greene knows well the burden of responsibility in making a documentary. It’s not just to the film itself, the audience or the storytelling. It’s the responsibility to the subjects in front of the camera.
At Sundance, documentaries resurrect lost eras of music
January 25, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Can a music scene still develop the way grunge did in 1990's Seattle or hip-hop did in the Bronx in the 1970s? Or has the digital makeover of music made such geographical-based explosions obsolete?
The Sundance Film Festival is back and online once more
January 19, 2022 GMTThe lights may be dim at the Eccles Theater and Park City's Main Street will have fewer cinephiles packing the snowy sidewalks when the Sundance Film Festival begins its 44th edition Thursday night.
‘Summer of Soul,’ ‘Drive My Car’ make Oscars shortlist
December 21, 2021 GMTDocumentaries about Julia Child, “Black Woodstock,” the pandemic and The Velvet Underground and acclaimed international films like Japan’s “Drive My Car,” Iran’s “A Hero” and Norway’s “The Worst Person in the World” just got a little closer to scoring Oscar nominations.
George Stevens Jr. memoir, ‘My Place in the Sun,’ out in May
December 15, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The founder of the American Film Institute and son of Oscar winning director George Stevens has a memoir coming out next year. George Stevens Jr.'s “My Place in the Sun” will be published May 17.
Sundance Film Fest unveils lineup for hybrid 2022 edition
December 9, 2021 GMTThe Sundance Film Festival is returning to the Utah mountains in January armed with documentaries about Bill Cosby, Princess Diana, Kanye West and Lucille Ball and the directorial debuts of Eva Longoria, Tig Notaro and Jesse Eisenberg.
‘RBG’ filmmakers find a rich vein: Feminist love stories
November 12, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The label “date movie” hasn’t traditionally been applied much to documentaries but filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen have twice now made non-fiction films of trailblazing female icons that also happen to be portraits of loving, supportive marriages.
Winners for 2020 announced for Virginia AP broadcasters
November 6, 2021 GMTWHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Robin Reed, news anchor at WDBJ-TV, was honored on Saturday with The Associated Press Robert Gallimore Distinguished Service Award during the presentation of the 2020 Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters Awards.
In ‘Becoming Cousteau,’ diving into the depths of Jacques
October 21, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Who was Jacques-Yves Cousteau, exactly?
He was an oceanographer and explorer but held no scientific degree. He was an environmentalist whose voyages were nevertheless sometimes funded by oil companies seeking drilling sites.
New this week: Documentaries on Bieber, Fauci and ‘Buried’
October 4, 2021 GMTHere’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
Camden Film Festival celebrates documentaries
September 19, 2021 GMTCAMDEN, Maine (AP) — The Camden Film Festival, which celebrates documentaries, is wrapping up this weekend on Maine's Midcoast.
The festival opened with “Becoming Cousteau,” from two-time Oscar nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus, about the undersea explorer who tried decades ago to warn the world about the climate crisis.
‘RBG’ filmmakers find a rich vein: Feminist love stories
September 12, 2021 GMTThe label “date movie” hasn't traditionally been applied much to documentaries but filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen have twice now made non-fiction films of trailblazing female icons that also happen to be portraits of loving, supportive marriages.
Q&A: Ali gets the Ken Burns treatment in 4-part PBS film
September 9, 2021 GMTConsidering the number of movies, documentaries and other entertainment vehicles made about Muhammad Ali, it would seem that — much like the former heavyweight champion at the end of his 1971 fight against Joe Frazier — there’s not much left to offer that's fresh.
Jimmy Page at Venice film fest to present Led Zeppelin doc
September 4, 2021 GMTVENICE, Italy (AP) — Guitarist Jimmy Page says he turned down a lot of “pretty miserable” pitches over the years to make a documentary about Led Zeppelin. But he finally bit when he received a deeply-researched proposal focusing almost exclusively on the music and chronicling the band’s birth in 1968 and its meteoric early rise.
In ‘Homeroom,’ an unprecedented school year caught on film
August 13, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Oakland filmmaker Peter Nicks had already made two well-regarded documentaries capturing the flawed institutions of his city and their role in shaping local lives: 2012’s “The Waiting Room,” about a public hospital, and 2017’s “The Force,” about the Oakland Police Department during a wave of shootings and protests.
Twin documentaries spotlight dance legends Ailey and Jones
July 27, 2021 GMTAlvin Ailey and Bill T. Jones may have a generation between them, but the two influential choreographers crossed paths at a few pivotal moments. Ailey was the one who commissioned Jones’ first work, “Fever Swap,” in 1983.
Even in Cannes, Mark Cousins stands out as a movie diehard
July 7, 2021 GMTCANNES, France (AP) — It's not hard to find people at the Cannes Film Festival dedicated to the big-screen, theatrical life of movies. But even among the devoted flocks of Cannes, Mark Cousins stands out as a true believer.
Tulsa massacre documentaries offer deep dive into tragedy
May 30, 2021 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Several documentary filmmakers — some backed by NBA superstars — are shedding light on the historically ignored Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, one of the most horrific tragedies in American history.
2 documentaries up for Oscars tell stories of nonagenarians
April 16, 2021 GMTThe Oscar isn’t the only one celebrating its 93rd trip around the sun at the Academy Awards ceremony this year...
HBO film seeks a look behind Tiger Woods’ public persona
January 8, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — For a man who first appeared on television when he was 2, showing Bob Hope how he could already swat golf balls, the public actually knows little about Tiger Woods...
Sundance Film Festival unveils slate for 1st virtual edition
December 15, 2020 GMTA Questlove-directed documentary about the other major music event of the summer of 1969 and documentaries about the creators of Sesame Street and the coronavirus pandemic in China are among the 72 feature films debuting at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival...
32nd annual Boston Jewish Film festival goes virtual
October 31, 2020 GMTNEWTON, Mass. (AP) — The 32nd annual Boston Jewish Film Festival kicks off this week, and for the first time film buffs won't have to trek to a movie theater to watch...
Ahead of the election, a landslide of documentaries
October 28, 2020 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The election has unleashed an avalanche of documentaries like no season before it...
Q&A: Adam McKay on the lessons of the 2000 recount
October 19, 2020 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Adam McKay was head writer at “Saturday Night Live” during the 2000 election — a heady era for the sketch show that saw the phrase “strategery” become lodged in the nation’s consciousness, Darrell Hammond’s Al Gore explain his “lockbox” and a blue-suit clad Will Ferrell dance as Janet Reno...
Using ‘face doubles,’ new HBO doc captures LGBTQ purge
June 30, 2020 GMTAnonymous sources in documentaries have often been reduced to a shadowy, voice-distorted figure — or worse, a pixelated blur...
Review: ‘Bully. Coward. Victim,’ a personal look at Roy Cohn
June 16, 2020 GMTThe director of a new documentary about Roy Cohn is not exactly a neutral party. After all, Cohn played a key role in getting her grandparents executed...
Film shows nightmare of an emergency room in Italy
May 18, 2020 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Filmmaker Sasha Joelle Achilli has made documentaries on the Ebola virus and now the coronavirus. Ask which virus scares her more, and the answer is easy.
“The frightening thing about COVID is it's everywhere, and you just don't know,” she said.
HBO doc puts spotlight on Natalie Wood’s life, not her death
May 5, 2020 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The fate of “ Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind ” hung on a Robert Wagner interview. Director Laurent Bouzereau knew that it would be a delicate conversation.
Column: A look at some of the best sports documentaries
May 1, 2020 GMTSports and cinema have an uneasy alliance.
For every “Raging Bull,” there are an abundance of flicks that get it wrong when they try to recapture a memorable event or famous athlete...
New this week: Beastie Boys doc, Earth Day shows, ‘Fleabag’
April 20, 2020 GMTThe planet and its wondrous inhabitants take center stage this week in celebration of Earth Day.
Several documentaries will spotlight the wonders of the outside world, while a live R&B battle and a new Beastie Boys documentary provide a chance to get moving in our homes...
‘The Assistant’ aims to go behind the headlines of #MeToo
January 30, 2020 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — “The Assistant” is one of the first narrative films to come out of the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal...
At Sundance, Lin-Manuel Miranda shares the spotlight
January 26, 2020 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Lin-Manuel Miranda knows that, for some, the story of his life is already written...
New documentary cloaks anonymous sources in ‘face doubles’
January 26, 2020 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — In documentaries, anonymous sources have often been reduced to a shadowy, voice-distorted figure — or worse, a pixelated blur. But a new documentary premiering Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival has, with the aid of advanced digital technology, gone to greater lengths to preserve the secrecy of its sources while still conveying their humanity.
Khashoggi documentary ‘The Dissident’ lands at Sundance
January 25, 2020 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — A searing documentary about the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi made its anticipated debut at the Sundance Film Festival, unveiling a detailed investigation into the Saudi Arabia regime and the companies and governments that do business with it...
Review: From god to devil: Doc tells Maradona’s mythic tale
September 18, 2019 GMTWho's that amazingly expressive actor they got to play Diego Maradona? The one you can't take your eyes off of, whose every facial muscle can project joy, pain, sadness, humor or anger from miles away, and sometimes all at once...
Correction: TV-Moon Landing Specials story
July 17, 2019 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — In a July 5 story about TV specials marking the 1969 moon landing, The Associated Press erroneously reported that a July 20 concert celebrating the event will air on PBS. The National Symphony Orchestra Pops concert at the Kennedy Center will not be aired.
TV is over the moon with specials recounting 1969 landing
July 5, 2019 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The 1969 moon landing turned an achievement seen only in the imagination and sci-fi movies into a most improbable television event, a live broadcast starring Neil Armstrong and a desolate landscape...
Steph Curry makes faithful moves through production company
June 28, 2019 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Stephen Curry may be a sharpshooting three-time NBA champion, but he is quickly building a career away from the court to inspire the masses through his burgeoning production company.
N. Korea airs documentary glorifying Kim’s summit with Trump
March 7, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea's state TV has aired a documentary glorifying leader Kim Jong Un's recent visit to Vietnam that omitted the failed nuclear negotiations with President Donald Trump...
Speech law makes docs on Jackson, R. Kelly tough to stop
January 30, 2019 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Denials and denunciations. Lawsuits and legal threats. Attacks and pushback. What's a documentarian to do...
At Sundance, powerhouse documentaries will be everywhere
January 21, 2019 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — For documentary filmmakers, there's no place like the Sundance Film Festival.
The mountainside festival which kicks off Thursday in Park City, Utah, has become known for launching nonfiction films to box office successes and awards, and this year is shaping up to be no different...
In a record year, the movie theater strikes back
December 20, 2018 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The movie theater was dead, they said. After ticket sales Two documentaries that debuted Friday in the Twin Cities, Fahrenheit 11/9 and Time for Ilhan, say a lot about the state of our democracy. The 11/9 in Michael Moores new film refers to Nov. 9, the day (or dawn, for bleary-eyed election watchers) in 2016 when it was confirmed that Donald Trump had been elected president.Rash Report: A split vote on two new documentaries about democracy
September 22, 2018 GMT
This week in art-house cinema: Gilda Radner, King Lear, Joan Jett and James Dean movies
September 20, 2018 GMTDocumentaries about Joan Jett, Gilda Radner and public education — along with throwbacks to James Dean and animated 1980s "Transformers" — are highlights of this week in specialty cinema in Tulsa.
The unexpected superheroes of summer? Mister Rogers and RBG
June 27, 2018 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Escapism is usually the domain of big-budget spectacles, but a pair of blockbuster documentaries has caught on at the summer box office partly because they're a respite from today's headlines...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary ‘RBG’ has box office muscle
May 16, 2018 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary "RBG " is turning into a mini box office phenomenon...
Kristen Bell narrates cuddly IMAX documentary ‘Pandas’
April 2, 2018 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Anyone who has seen Kristen Bell break down in (happy) hysterics over a sloth knows the actress' affinity for animals, especially those of the cute and cuddly variety. So when the people behind the new IMAX original film "Pandas" asked "The Good Place" star if she would consider narrating the documentary, it was a no-brainer.