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Full Frame Announces Invited Program and NEW DOCS Lineup for 19th Annual Documentary Film Festival
Durham, N.C. – March 10, 2016 – The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival has announced its “Invited Program” and “NEW DOCS” lineup of new feature and short films. Specific screening times and venues will be announced with the release of the full schedule on March 17.
“I am overwhelmed by the incredible films set to screen at Full Frame this year,” said director of programming Sadie Tillery. “We strive for a lineup that embraces diverse approaches to documentary filmmaking and makes space for both established filmmakers and new voices. We’re thrilled to share this wide range of forms and subjects with audiences in April.”
One of the nation’s premier documentary film festivals, Full Frame celebrates its 19thannual festival this April. Full Frame is a qualifying event for consideration for the nominations for both the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject and the Producers Guild of America Awards.
The “NEW DOCS” program includes 50 titles, 32 features and 18 shorts, from across the United States and around the world, selected from over 1,800 submissions. “NEW DOCS” films are eligible for the Full Frame Audience Award and are shortlisted for a variety of additional juried prizes. Award winners will be announced at the annual Awards Barbecue on Sunday, April 10.
The “Invited Program” features 21 films screening out of competition. Within this list are the festival’s “Center Frame” screenings, which feature moderated panel discussions following the films and take place in Fletcher Hall at the Carolina Theatre. The “Opening Night Film,” “Center Frame” programs, and special free screenings will be announced in the coming week.
NEW DOCS
100 Years Show Alison Klayman
Carmen Herrera and her geometric, primary-colored paintings are portrayed with cinematic vigor, echoing the energy of the 99-year-old artist herself. (Short)
The Art of Flying Jan van Ijken
Thousands of starlings flock together in gyroscopic unison in this wordless depiction of one of nature’s most curious gestures. (Short)
At Home in the World (Et hjem i verden) Andreas Koefoed
At a Red Cross school in Denmark, a dedicated teacher helps refugee children withstand the hardships of adapting to a new country, as they fight to overcome their traumatic pasts. North American Premiere
Audrie & Daisy Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk
By weaving together the stories of two teenage girls, this film examines the devastating intersections of sexual assault and social media.
The Bad Kids Keith Fulton, Lou Pepe
At a Mojave Desert high school, intrepid educators work to connect with at-risk students. Can their commitment help break the shattering effects of poverty and abuse?
The Ballad of Fred Hersch Charlotte Lagarde, Carrie Lozano
This understated portrait of one of today’s greatest jazz pianists illuminates the creative process of a musical genius and the challenges of life as an AIDS survivor. World Premiere
Battles Isabelle Tollenaere
An essay in four chapters, this mysterious exploration of the footprints of war reveals European landscapes in which military past and peaceful present converge. US Premiere
The Black Belt Margaret Brown
In 2015, Alabama closed 31 DMVs, wiping out access to identification cards in Alabama’s Black Belt. This short follows a mobile unit traveling county to county to help register voters. (Short)
Call Me Marianna (Mów mi Marianna) Karolina Bielawska
As she embarks on a quest to become herself, Polish transgender woman Marianna must summon inner strength and make immeasurable sacrifices.
City of Trees Brandon Kramer
At the height of the recession, a stimulus-funded “green jobs” training program in Washington, D.C., throws racial tensions and the messiness of nonprofit work into sharp focus.
Clínica de Migrantes: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness Maxim Pozdorovkin
This moving examination of immigration and health care focuses on the work of Puentes de Salud, a volunteer-run clinic that provides medical services to the uninsured Latino community of South Philadelphia. World Premiere(Short)
Dancing for You (Dans for livet) Erlend E. Mo
Inspired by her granddad’s valiant struggle with cancer, 12-year-old Vilde wants to be the first female champion of Halling, a Norwegian folk dance traditionally reserved for men. (Short)
Dixie Land Roman Bondarchuk
Under the mentorship of a beloved octogenarian teacher, four members of a Ukrainian youth brass band learn American tunes—and dream big dreams—in a post-Soviet landscape. World Premiere
Figure (Figura) Katarzyna Gondek
This dreamlike meditation follows the creation of a massive sculpture from fabrication to transportation, documenting its journey to the snowy hill where it will remain. (Short)
Following Seas Tyler J. Kelley, Araby Williams
A sailing family makes 20 ocean voyages over two decades. This vivid firsthand account of years on the open seas brings their adventures to life through their own 16mm footage. World Premiere
Forever, Chinatown James Q. Chan
Artist Frank Wong’s exquisitely detailed dioramas of the Chinatown of his childhood serve as portals to the past in a rapidly changing San Francisco. World Premiere(Short)
Gleason Clay Tweel
Within weeks of being diagnosed with ALS, former NFL defensive back Steve Gleason finds out that he and his wife are expecting their first child. Gleason follows his decision to live, for his family and for others fighting the disease.
God Knows Where I Am Todd Wider, Jedd Wider
This absorbing feature laces together varied perspectives and moves through time to unravel the mystery surrounding a woman found dead in a vacant New Hampshire farmhouse.
Golden Age (Kulta-aika) Maija Blåfield
A self-proclaimed “documentation of remembering and forgetting,” this enigmatic short recollects and reimagines over 116 hours of footage the filmmaker shot over several decades. (Short)
The Ground We Won Christopher Pryor
In the tiny farming town of Reporoa, New Zealand, a community rugby squad vows to come back from a losing season and go undefeated.
Heavy Fog Tonight Nathan Reich
The chief engineer of a steam-driven power plant creates installations that whistle and mist. As this unconventional artist grapples with retirement, a celebratory show takes place. (Short)
Hooligan Sparrow Nanfu Wang
Nanfu Wang documents Chinese activist Ye Haiyan (aka Sparrow) as she protests against a school principal’s sexual abuse of young girls, leading both Wang and Sparrow to become targets of government intimidation.
Horizons (Horizontes) Eileen Hofer
Three Cuban ballerinas, each from a different generation, take center stage in this mesmerizing celebration of dance and discipline.
A House Without Snakes Daniel Koehler
In Botswana, two young men must wrestle with the choice between honoring ancestral traditions or following modern possibilities. World Premiere(Short)
I, Destini Nicholas Pilarski, Destini Riley
This animated short takes us inside the experiences of a young woman as she confronts the wrenching impact incarceration has had on her family. World Premiere(Short)
In Pursuit of Silence Patrick Shen
Challenging Western society’s most basic preconceptions about the nature of silence, this film conjures up innovative ways to help us hear what we’ve been missing.
Kedi Ceyda Torun
Strutting amid the many glittering wonders of Istanbul are countless feline wanderers. Here, we glimpse the private lives of these independent creatures, as well as the humans who’ve become attached to them.
Kiki Sara Jordenö
This entrance into the world of voguing contrasts the energy and pulse of ball culture with the intimate and emotional stories of a group of young LGBTQ people of color.
Kivalina Gina Abatemarco
As rising sea levels and coastal erosion encroach upon their Arctic community, the Iñupiat Eskimos of a tiny Alaskan island fight to hold on to their homeland and their culture. North American Premiere
La Laguna Aaron Schock
Amidst the rainforests of southern Mexico, a Mayan boy faces the impending loss of the freedom of his childhood as family pressures and economic realities close in. World Premiere (Short)
Life, Animated Roger Ross Williams
The family of a young autistic boy, who couldn’t speak for years, discovered a way to communicate with him through his treasured Disney films. Together, they transform the lines of animated characters into a language of love.
The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano Joshua Seftel
As photographer Phil Toledano obsesses over his mortality, he stages elaborate shoots to enact the myriad dark ways he might age, deteriorate, and die. (Short)
Motley’s Law Nicole N. Horanyi
Kimberley Motley is a former beauty queen, mother of three—and the only foreign, only female lawyer licensed to litigate in Afghan courts.
Mr. Gaga Tomer Heymann
Revealing rehearsals and passionate performances bring to light the genius and complexities of Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, an artist who has helped revolutionize contemporary dance.
The Mute’s House (Beit Ha’Ilemet) Tamar Kay
An intimate look into the lives of energetic eight-year-old Yousef and his deaf mother, Sahar, the last Palestinian residents of a deserted apartment building in the Israeli-controlled district of Hebron. North American Premiere (Short)
Newtown Kim A. Snyder
The bereaved community of Newtown, Connecticut, still reeling from the mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, opens up about the aftermath of an unthinkable tragedy.
NUTS! Penny Lane
This wildly fantastic story of Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, whose goat testicle impotence cure and million-watt radio station brought him fame and fortune, spins together animation, archival footage, and an unreliable narrator.
Off the Rails Adam Irving
Asperger’s syndrome and an obsession with New York City transit compel Darius McCollum to commandeer hundreds of trains and buses, landing him in jail 32 times. World Premiere
Out Run S. Leo Chiang, Johnny Symons
Follow transgender pioneer Bemz Benedito and Ladlad, the only LGBT political party in the world, on the campaign trail as they seek Congressional seats in the Philippines. World Premiere
The Peacemaker James Demo
Padraig O’Malley has dedicated his life to negotiating agreements between leaders of war-torn regions across the world. The Peacemaker follows him through years of this important work, revealing its deep ties to his personal life. World Premiere
Pickle Amy Nicholson
At once hilarious and heartfelt, Pickle chronicles a series of pets with bizarre afflictions through the recollections of a couple who loved them regardless. (Short)
Salero Mike Plunkett
The discovery of vast lithium reserves beneath Bolivia’s dazzling Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, threatens to challenge salt-gatherer Moises’s traditional way of life. North American Premiere
Sonita Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami
As her family attempts to sell her as a bride, a determined Afghani refugee living in Iran fights to keep her dream of becoming a rap star alive.
Speaking Is Difficult AJ Schnack
This staggering indictment of gun violence in America contrasts serene present-day footage of sites of mass shootings with recordings of 911 calls. (Short)
Starless Dreams (Royahaye Dame Sobh) Mehrdad Oskouei
With rawness and candor, young women in an Iranian juvenile detention center reflect on the crimes they have committed and the harsh circumstances that have shaped them.
Tarikat Jasmijn Schrofer
This visual poem, a hypnotic invocation of Islamic Sufi spiritual traditions, invites the viewer into the trancelike rhythms and movements of a quest for enlightenment. North American Premiere (Short)
Territory Eleanor Mortimer
In Gibraltar, tensions flare when unruly monkeys intrude upon the domesticated lifestyle that humans have built up around them. (Short)
Topophilia Peter Bo Rappmund
Nature and industry clash and converge in this time-lapse experiment that follows the path of the 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
Trapped Dawn Porter
When Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws restrict access to abortion in southern states, a group of passionate clinic workers and lawyers wage a fight to preserve a woman’s right to choose.
When We Talk About KGB Virginija Vareikyte, Maxi Dejoie
Seven stories of former dissidents and KGB operatives in Vilnius, Lithuania, underscore the feelings of guilt, triumph, and loss that linger in a society once caught between ideology and regime. US Premiere
INVITED PROGRAM
All These Sleepless Nights Michal Marczak
Over the course of a summer of endless parties and shimmering sensations, two Polish university students revel in and reel from the boundless possibilities of youth.
Author: The JT LeRoy Story Jeff Feuerzeig
The twisting, riveting tale of a gender-fluid author with a troubled past, who went on to become a literary sensation.
Behemoth Zhao Liang
Dante’s Inferno meets industrialization in a breathtakingly cinematic allegory that explores the environmental ravages and human costs of coal mining in Inner Mongolia.
By Sidney Lumet Nancy Buirski
Weaving an interview with the renowned director together with rich selections from his oeuvre, this film highlights Lumet’s career and life through his own recollections.
Don’t Blink – Robert Frank Laura Israel
This energetic portrait of the acclaimed photographer and filmmaker moves between past and present to capture an array of Frank’s extraordinary images and bear witness to his creative process.
The Fear of 13 David Sington
Part one-man show, part confessional, this gripping film allows a convicted murderer who spent two decades on death row to tell his own story—leaving the truth open to interpretation.
The Illinois Parables Deborah Stratman
This visionary compilation unpacks the state of Illinois in eleven chapters, spanning different histories to explore social attachments to religion, violence, and the land itself.
The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith Sara Fishko
From 1957 to 1965, an obsessive photographer documented the jazz musicians who stopped by his Manhattan loft to play all night.
Kate Plays Christine Robert Greene
Actress Kate Lyn Sheil relocates to Sarasota, Florida, to research her role as Christine Chubbuck, the television news reporter who committed suicide on air in 1974.
Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog’s heady, playful treatise on technology in the modern age takes us from the inception of the Internet to the future of artificial intelligence.
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise Bob Hercules, Rita Coburn Whack
Through interviews with friends and family, and a wealth of archival footage, this luminous biography traces the immense influence of the poet, performer, and activist.
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble Morgan Neville
Traversing continents and cultures, the cellist and his international music group demonstrate the power of artistic collaboration through performances and personal stories.
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
The legendary, influential king of 1970s sitcoms reflects on his life, his work, and the profound shift in national consciousness fomented by his groundbreaking television shows.
Presenting Princess Shaw Ido Haar
Video blogger and aspiring singer Samantha Montgomery is unaware she has a follower and fan in the form of an enigmatic Israeli composer, whose unforgettable YouTube mashups might just help Samantha achieve her dreams.
Raising Bertie Margaret Byrne
In this longitudinal portrait of coming of age, three young men in rural Bertie County, North Carolina, persevere against poverty, discrimination, and unemployment. World Premiere
Rebel Citizen Pamela Yates
The late cinematographer and director Haskell Wexler looks back on his body of work to talk about key moments from his powerful films and their lasting political, and personal, impact.
Sherpa Jennifer Peedom
In 2014, an avalanche on Mt. Everest took the lives of 16 Sherpas. With stunning visuals, this on-the-ground film reveals the complex forces leading up to the tragic accident and the tumultuous negotiations that follow.
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru Joe Berlinger
A riveting behind-the-scenes look at the well-known business strategist’s once-a-year seminar “Date With Destiny,” where some 2,500 attendees prepare to change their lives.
Two Trains Runnin’ Sam Pollard
Featuring artful animation and performances by Gary Clark Jr. and Lucinda Williams, this story of the search for two forgotten blues singers takes us to Mississippi during the height of the civil rights movement. World Premiere
Unlocking the Cage Chris Hegedus, DA Pennebaker
Having devoted his career to fighting for greater legal rights for nonhuman animals, attorney Steven Wise and his colleagues at the Nonhuman Rights Project launch a history-making lawsuit arguing for captive chimpanzees’ right to personhood.
Weiner Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg
With unparalleled access to the candidate, Weiner follows disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner’s 2013 campaign for mayor of New York City and intensely navigates new political scandal as it unfolds.
The 19th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will be held April 7-10, 2016, in Durham, N.C., with Duke University as the presenting sponsor. The complete schedule of films will be announced on March 17. Individual tickets go on sale April 1, and can be purchased online.