Hot Docs 2012 Midpoint Roundup – A guide to the political stuff at Toronto’s fest
Today is day five of Hot Docs 2012 and unlike last year, a lethal combination of meetings, movies and meanderings have kept me from a daily tally here at Art…
Ezra Winton
Just do it (direct action)! – Activist documentary made free for May Day
From our activist and filmmaker friends in the UK: Constellation and Occupy.com present A FREE 24-hour ONLINE SCREENING of Just Do It – a tale of modern-day outlaws, in celebration…
Hot Docs 2012 – The good, the bad, the incomprehensible
This article was originally published at Art Threat. The 19th edition of North America’s largest documentary showcase and one of the world’s largest film festivals begins this week, running from…
Hot Docs 2012 – The good, the bad, the incomprehensible
The 19th edition of North America’s largest documentary showcase and one of the world’s largest film festivals begins this week, running from April 26 to May 6 in Toronto. With…
Cake art gets Kony’d – Social media facilitates another political misunderstanding
The Swedish Minister of Culture, Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, was presented a cake at an event that many have decried as racist – understandably when one takes a first glance at…
Killed by Canada’s Oil & Gas companies? – Doc subject & eco-activist Wiebo Ludwig succumbs to cancer
Wiebo Ludwig, Canada’s controversial anti-oil patch activist died of esophageal cancer yesterday, leaving behind a legacy of resistance against this country’s dirtiest industry and greediest corporations. The Albertan had his…
Of Waves, Bears and Oil – Friday Film Pick: Tipping Barrels
Tipping Barrels (Ben Gulliver, 2012) is one part surfing movie, one part wildlife documentary, one part guy flick and one part political commentary. It’s for parts two and four that…
The studios are killing independent film – A fantastic Q interview with filmmaker Alex Cox
Yesterday’s Q show on CBC Radio One had a great interview with the director of REPO MAN and SID AND NANCY, Alex Cox. An outspoken critic of the studio system…
Education versus war – Friday Film Pick: War Made Easy
As students wage a massive strike in Quebec, over proposed tuition hikes that will nearly double rates in a few years, and with police responding like violent fascists—blinding the eye…
Debunking the “asking for it” myth – Scottish anti-rape PSA tackles sexist attitudes toward women
I know I know, this is sooooooo 2010 – but there is a chance you didn’t catch this snappy little PSA by Rape Crisis Scotland as it was circulating way…
Let’s Do This – Book review of Making is Connecting by David Gauntlett
The optimism in David Gauntlett’s Making is Connecting (published by the fantastic UK outlet polity) is difficult to escape. Much like the plethora of networks, groups, clubs and civil society…
Farmers fight back against Honduran elite – Friday Film Pick: Resistencia
Produced by Amy Miller, the documentarian behind MYTHS FOR PROFIT and her much-anticipated follow-up THE CARBON RUSH, this week’s Friday Film Pick is the film-in-progress RESISTENCIA. Directed by Jesse Freeston,…
The dirty truth as visual essay – Canada’s govt continues aggressive pro-Tar Sands campaign
In the face of all evidence to the contrary, Stephen Harper’s Conservative government continues to shake the shoulders of critics, eliciting the lonely, pitiful cry: “The Alberta Tar Sands are…
The power of citizens media at Vancouver Olympics – Friday Film Pick: With Glowing Hearts
This week’s Friday Film Pick is a documentary about the power citizen’s media has to diversify representation, tell under-represented stories, and contribute to community. With Glowing Hearts looks at the…
Swedish beats and archival treats – Friday Film Pick: The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
One of the best documentaries to emerge from 2011 is the incredibly inspired, polished and dreamy The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975. A treasure trove of hundreds of hours of 16…
Little pink blenders for you and me – Friday Film Pick: Pink Ribbons Inc
This week’s Friday Film Pick is a fantastic new NFB documentary opening in theatres across Canada (rest of the world: you’ll have to probably wait a little). Pink Ribbons Inc…
Gasland director arrested in Washington – Politicians have acclaimed filmmaker hauled away from hearing
Josh Fox is an American video artist who rose to critical acclaim for his 2010 documentary feature breakthrough, Gasland. The creatively funky, seriously personal, and lively-paced film chronicles Fox’s investigation…
Historical truth is in the outtakes – Friday Film Pick: A Film Unfinished
A Film Unfinished (2010, Germany-Israel) had so much festival hype that when I couldn’t get my hands on a screener, I feverishly pre-ordered the film from Amazon – a practice…
And the Oscar goes to…another white guy – Academy Awards #84 give middle finger to women, again
The above video demonstrates how, waaaaaay back in 2009, most movies didn’t pass the Bechdel Test for women in movies, a simple three-part process to determine whether women are afforded…
Two films show effects of uranium mining – Friday Film Pick: Don’t Mine Me & Uranium
Continuing with our new initiative of highlighting at least one Indiegogo project each month, one of this week’s Friday Film Pick is Don’t Mine Me – a doc looking at…