Okay, this looks awesome. I’m sure eyebrows might raise at the thought of a Keanu Reeves produced documentary, but this subject matter is pretty irresistible to me. The film is called ‘Side by Side: The Science, Art and Impact of Digital Cinema’ (directed by Christopher Kenneally) and it looks at the war between digital and analog filmmaking. Pretty relevant stuff considering the recent announcement that the Eastman Kodak Company has just filed for bankruptcy protection. Even though the digital revolution seems inevitable, there are a handful of filmmakers who refuse to go down without a fight, insisting that we’re acting too fast by replacing a tried and true format (film) with a technology (digital) that at this point, simply doesn’t compare in terms of the quality if the image. Here’s the synopsis:

The documentary investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation. We show what artists and filmmakers have been able to accomplish with both film and digital and how their needs and innovations have helped push filmmaking in new directions. Interviews with directors, cinematographers, colorists, scientists, engineers and artists reveal their experiences and feelings about working with film and digital–where we are now, how we got here and what the future may bring.

I have to say that I absolutely love Wally Pfister. His work is amazing and he’s refreshingly honest and outspoken about his stance on digital filmmaking (and his apparent hatred of 3D). Still, I think there are interesting arguments to be made on both sides, which is what makes this film so interesting. David Lynch, James Cameron, George Lucas and Steven Sodebergh all chime in as supporters of digital filmmaking. Each side has its share of supporters. As for docs, it seems film is even less relevant as it’s truly rare to see a non-fiction film shot on 16mm nowadays. I know I’m always excited when I hear about docs shot on film, but I guess it’s just too expensive when considering the digital alternative. It’s a truly a shame.

You can find more info on Side by Side here:

facebook.com/sidebysidethemovie
sidebysidethemovie.com
twitter.com/sidebysidemovie

Oh look! Another great screening series that I’m not going to be able to attend! That’s okay. I’ll just post the dates of this winter’s DocYard programming schedule and see if I might live vicariously through those of you in the Boston area who end up checking out some of these great films. The stand out on my list would have to be Ross McElwee’s ‘Space Coast’. I’ve never seen it but it looks pretty amazing. Lots of great stuff to choose from here, so hopefully these screenings fill up quick! Check out the line up below:

Opening Night Film – January 23 SPACE COAST (1979)
Q&A with directors Ross McElwee and Michel Negroponte
SPACE COAST follows three residents of Cape Canaveral, Florida, several years after the phasing out of Apollo moon missions.

February 6 OUR SCHOOL (2011)
Q&A with director Mona Nicoara
OUR SCHOOL follows three Roma (commonly known as “Gypsy”) children in a rural Transylvanian village who are among the pioneer participants in an initiative to integrate the ethnically segregated Romanian schools.

February 20 CAMPAIGN (2007)
Q&A with director Kazuhiro Soda
CAMPAIGN provides a startling insider’s view of Japanese electoral politics in this portrait of Yama‐san, a man plucked from obscurity by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to run for a critical seat on a suburban city council.

March 5 BOMBAY BEACH (2011)
Q&A with director Alma Har’el
Winner, Best Documentary, Tribeca Film Festival
Winner, Emerging Cinematic Vision, Camden International Film Festival
BOMBAY BEACH is a dreamlike poem that sets the personal stories of distinctive yet familiar characters
to a stylized amalgam of observational documentary and choreographed dance. The film’s setting, the
Salton Sea, is a barren Californian landscape often seen as a symbol of the failure of the American
Dream.

March 19 BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN (2010)
Q&A with director Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley
BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN follows the story of reluctant activist Daniel Goldstein as he struggles to save his home and community from being demolished to make way for a professional basketball arena and the densest real estate development in U.S. history.

April 2 SCENES OF A CRIME (2011)
Q&A with director Grover Babcock
SCENES OF A CRIME explores a nearly 10‐hour interrogation that culminates in a disputed confession
and an intense, high‐profile murder trial in New York state in which detectives, prosecutors, witnesses,
jurors and the suspect himself offer conflicting accounts of exactly what happened in this mysterious
and disturbing true‐crime documentary.

Closing Night Film – April 16 MARATHON BOY (2010)
Skype Q&A with director Gemma Atwal
MARATHON BOY is the story of a four‐year‐old boy who is plucked from the slums of India by his coach
and trained to become India’s greatest runner, but what starts in hope turns into the stuff of film noir: a
tale of greed, envy and broken dreams.

For more information on the DocYard and its 2012 Winter Season, visit www.thedocyard.com.

Holy shit, the year is almost over! That means it’s time once again to look back at all of the great films of the past 12 months (or longer, depending on whether or not you caught a 2011 release at a festival in 2010) and rank them. It seems every year, right around summer time, people start complaining that it’s been a “bad year for film”. While it was starting to look like that might be the case, we’re now well beyond the uninspired rut of R rated comedies and comic book movies that made up the blockbuster season (it was definitely a bad year for good blockbusters) and things look much brighter. I think it’s been a great year for film.

I had trouble putting together a top 10 list of docs, so I decided to expand mine to 20 (the top ten films are accompanied by brief notes on why I enjoyed those films). I should note that there are a few releases that’ve been popping up on best of the year lists (particularly Tabloid and Cave of Forgotten Dreams) that aren’t on mine. These films were included on my 2010 list as I’d seen them that year at TIFF. I also have a few releases on my list that technically premiere last year, but didn’t receive a wide theatrical release (or other form of distribution) until this year. So be it. And of course, there are a ton of films I didn’t get to see and couldn’t consider. Finally, I’m happy that our good friend Charlotte Cook has taken some time to put together her list of favourite films as well, which you will find at the bottom of the post.

I generally find it pretty tough ordering films on these lists, so there are many spots that are probably interchangeable. Having said that, I think I’m pretty satisfied with what I’ve got here and I’m definitely looking forward to what 2012 has to offer. Please feel free to ream me out in the comments for missing that great underlooked film or for my list being too North American-centric. Seasons greetings and happy new year to you all!

20. Fake It So Real
Directed by Robert Greene

19. The Harvest
Directed by Gabriel Deloach

18. Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
Directed by Michael Rapaport

17. Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
Directed by Matthew Bate

16. The Real Rocky
Directed by Jeff Feuerzeig

15. Position Among the Stars
Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich

14. Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop
Directed by Rodman Flender

13. Into the Abyss
Directed by Werner Herzog

12. Bill Cunningham New York
Directed by Richard Press

11. Bombay Beach
Directed by Alma Har’el

10. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Directed by Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

The only thing working against Paradise Lost 3 is the fact that the first third of the film has to take the time to recap the previous 2. For fans, this might feel strained, but ultimately seeing this film in theatres and getting back into the details of this case was exhilarating and infuriating all over again. It’s a great cap on an important series of documentary films. I’m excited to see the full version with the additional footage in January.

9. Undefeated
Directed by Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin

Undefeated isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, but it does a great job at playing in the sports drama universe and making good use of all of the tropes connected to these types of films. I’m not a sports guy, but I LOVE sports films and this one certainly delivered. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house during the final scene of this film.

8. Life in a Day
Directed by Kevin MacDonald

Life in a Day seemed like it could be a disaster but I was pretty blown away by the results of this simple concept. While most of the footage might not be mind blowing on its own, it’s weaved together in such a way that there’s a basic loose narrative that features a some humour, drama, horror, and every other possible result of a one day on earth around the world. The resulting footage is evidence of a universal language of cinema.

7. Convento
Directed by Jarred Alterman

Convento celebrates creativity and imagination both in its subject matter and the way in which director Jarred Alterman handles the material. It’s beautifully shot and a truly unusual viewing experience that showcases the creepy and fantastic artwork of its main character. Convento is a real life fantasy film that’s unlike any documentary film I’ve seen this year.

6. The Interrupters
Directed by Steve James

Steve James’ The Interrupters might be an issue film at heart, but it’s an awareness of the importance of great characters and dramatic storytelling that elevates it beyond your typical news magazine piece. It’s an epic drama that many have compared to HBO’s The Wire, which I think is a pretty fair assessment. It’s a powerful film that succeeds in large part due to some extremely skilled editing and James’ ability to gain incredible access to his subjects.

5. Abendland
Directed by Nikolaus Geyrhalter

Nikolaus Geyrhalter returns with his brand of austere observational filmmaking that seems to be inspired more by Stanley Kubrick than any of the cinema verite masters. In Abendland, he captures Europe at night, exploring both the familiar and the alien as he captures various aspects of Western life. I don’t think the film is for everyone, but the rapid changing settings (and the intentional structure of sequences) was a lot of fun to watch and beautifully realized on screen.

4. Buck
Directed by Cindy Meehl

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Buck and I sort of had my guard up assuming it might be a sappy, manipulative tear jerker. While it definitely is a tear jerker, it’s a truly wonderful film featuring a great character who’s complexity runs much deeper than ‘the real Horse Whisperer’. It looks pretty beautiful as well.

3. The Arbor
Directed by Clio Barnard

Not only is the family drama on display in The Arbor completely enthralling, the presentation is truly exciting and pushes the boundaries of non-fiction filmmaking. Using audio interviews with the real subjects lip synched by actors, director Clio Barnard manages to play with recreations and other storytelling techniques in a way that was completely new to me and truly inspiring.

2. Senna
Directed by Asif Kapadia

I went in to Senna knowing nothing about the man or the story, so it was a completely fresh experience for me. This was definitely a bonus as they story is rich in drama and even though the climax is telegraphed, it was a thrilling and suspenseful experience. Director Asif Kapadia masterfully constructs this story through stock footage to create an experience that feels immediate and visceral.

1. Project Nim
Directed by James Marsh

James Marsh has perfected his brand of retrospective documentary filmmaking, telling stories of the past in a way which makes them feel as though they’re unfolding in real time on-screen. He indulges in cinematic conventions, using reenactments to create an entertaining and emotional experience that celebrates both non-fiction storytelling and the craft of filmmaking. Project Nim (along with many other films on this list) defies the label ‘documentary film’ and succeeds on its own merits as pure cinema.

Honourable Mentions:

Liberia ’77, Fightville, Corman’s World, Rebirth, Page One: Inside the New York Times, Urbanized, Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Files, Whore’s Glory, Dragonslayer

Charlotte’s List:

“As per every year I have to be difficult and this list is in no order, I don’t like to put one film above or below the other. There are a huge amount I know I’m missing, but these are the films that really stuck with me. I would like to note that there are a lot of films towards the end of the year, those that played at TIFF especially, that I haven’t had a chance to see as I’ve been busy screening next year’s films. Nevertheless all of these films I adore, and would highly recommend checking out if you haven’t seen them yet.”

Convento
The Interrupters
Justin Bieber Never Say Never
Beats Rhymes and Life
This Is Not A Film
Hell and Back Again
Senna
Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
Bombay Beach
We Were Here

Honourable Mentions: Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Files, Life in a Day, Becoming Chaz, Give Up Tomorrow, You’ve Been Trumped, Page One: Inside the New York Times, Sound It Out, Price of Sex, Bobby Fischer Against the World.

Others I consider last year, but would love to mention: Nostalgia for the Light, The Arbor.

For those of you still waiting for Godfrey Reggio‘s ‘Qatsi Trilogy’ to hit blu ray, you might want to take some time to check out footage from his next film The Holy See (via Christopher Campbell at The Documentary Channel Blog) Details are scarce but it looks like the film is set to find a release in 2012 and is currently in post-production. They’re also looking for some potential backers. From their Vimeo page:

The film “holy see” is preparing to enter postproduction seeking the final funding needed. Financing can be in the form of participation, charitable contribution or distribution rights. For more information please contact info@holyseefilm.com.

Filmed entirely on the Red Camera, it looks to be another ‘tone poem’ which follows the aesthetic tradition established in Reggio’s previous work. He’s also teaming up with Philip Glass once again to create another unique, cinematic experience. Check out the two clips and keep an eye out for The Holy See, which should be available sometime next year.

For those who don’t know me (all of you), I’m as much of a fan of genre films as I am documentaries. I’m a huge action/horror guy and I love discovering weird and unusual films from the past. This is exactly why I was such a huge fan of Mark Hartley’s ‘Not Quite Hollywood’ and ‘Machete Maidens Unleashed’. Both films work as vibrant, energetic history lessons on exploitation cinema and also leave you walking away with a big ‘what to watch’ viewing list. Well now Hartley is at it again, and this time he’s targeting Menaham Golan and Yoram Globus’ Cannon Films. Anybody who grew up watching action films in the eighties will surely remember there AWESOME company logo, which played before releases like American Ninja, Invasion U.S.A., Bloodsport, and Cobra. Cannon, with the help of Christopher Reeve, was also responsible for killing the Superman franchise with Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. They’re filmography is LONG and varied, and I’m extremely excited to see what Hartley has in store.

The film’s full title is ‘Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films’, and apparently it’s been acquired for distribution in the U.S. by Drafthouse Films, which is a PERFECT fit. The film is currently in pre-production in Australia (where Hartley is from), and is slated for a theatrical release in late 2012 alongside a travelling retrospective of the Cannon films. Can’t wait to see this! If you’ve got a favourite Cannon Film release, share it in the comments section! I must say I’m a sucker for the big screen He-Man adaptation, Masters of the Universe. Check out the trailer below.

As Errol Morris recently stated on Twitter, it seems about time that the Oscars honour Frederick Wiseman with a lifetime achievement award. His body of work is massive and he’s responsible for some truly classic non-fiction films. As we all know, the Academy Awards can’t be counted on for much, so luckily the Cinema Eye Honours has stepped up and plan to honour one of Wiseman’s greatest films, Titicut Follies. Hopefully with this recognition Wiseman will consider making his films more readily available on DVD/Blu Ray! Check out the Cinema Eye press release:

New York – The Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking today announced that the 2012 Legacy Award will be presented to the landmark 1967 documentary, Titicut Follies, a stark and graphic portrayal of the conditions that existed at the State Prison for the Criminally Insane at Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman will accept the award on behalf of the film at this year’s Cinema Eye ceremony.

“It’s hard for me to believe that Titicut Follies was shot forty-six years ago,” said Wiseman. “I’m thrilled to receive the Cinema Eye Legacy Award but it is tough for me to deal with the implications.”

The award will be presented on January 11, 2012 at the 5th Annual Cinema Eye Honors ceremony to be held at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York. A Stranger Than Fiction screening of Titicut Follies will be held the following week, on January 17, at the IFC Center, on the eve of the opening of Wiseman’s latest film, Crazy Horse, which debuts at New York’s Film Forum on January 18, before rolling out to theaters nationwide.

“Few filmmakers – in fiction or nonfiction – have created such an enduring body of work that is also, uniquely, their own as Frederick Wiseman,” said Cinema Eye’s Advisory Chair Andrea Meditch. “The legacy of Titicut Follies stands as a beacon to all of today’s filmmakers for its unflinching honesty and the lingering power of John Marshall’s camera and Wiseman’s editing.”

“Titicut Follies is a remarkable film, both for its unwavering look at a failed institution and as the template for the decades of Wiseman films that would follow,” said Laura Poitras, the Chair of the Cinema Eye Filmmaker Advisory Board, which voted to give the Legacy Award to Titicut Follies. “As filmmakers, we look to Wiseman as an inspiration and we are honored to salute the debut film of this vital American auteur.”

This is the third year that Cinema Eye will present a Legacy Award, intended to honor classic films that inspire a new generation of filmmakers and embody the Cinema Eye mission: excellence in creative and artistic achievements in nonfiction films. The Legacy Award celebrates the entire creative team behind the chosen film. This year marked the first time that Cinema Eye’s newly established Filmmaker Advisory Board voted on the recipient of the award. Previous Legacy Awards went to Ross McElwee’s Sherman’s March and the Maysles Brothers’ Grey Gardens.

As someone who worked in the video game industry for three years or so (and is still friends with a lot of people who continue to work on games), I always thought that a documentary on the making of a video game would be pretty interesting. Having experienced it first hand, I can attest to the long hours and stress that goes into creating a product that attempts to bring art, storytelling, and technology together in a fresh and exciting way. Canadian filmmakers James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot’s decided to document this process in their film Indie Game: The Movie, which looks at the journey of the indie video game developer. Here’s the synopsis:

Indie Game: The Movie is a feature documentary about video games, their creators and the craft. The film follows the dramatic journeys of video game developers as they create and release their games to the world.

The film tells the emotional story of friends Edmund McMillen & Tommy Refenes, as they craft their first Xbox game: “Super Meat Boy”. It follows Phil Fish, the creator of the highly-anticipated game: “FEZ”. After 4 years of working in near solitude, Phil reveals his opus to the public for the first time. And, the film tells the surprising story of one of the highest-rated video games of all time:”Braid”.

The film is about making video games, but at its core, it’s about the creative process, and exposing yourself through your work.

I’m not a huge gamer myself, but I’m often blown away by the creativity that goes into some of these smaller games in regards to design and art direction. I’m very curious to get an inside look at the creation of these smaller games and compare it to my own experience in the industry. As for the film itself, it looks to be very well shot and appropriately energetic. I know a lot of people who will be excited to check this one out, including myself. Indie Game: The Movie premieres at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and you can pre-order the DVD over at the films official website.

Non-fiction fans have their fair share of surfing documentaries to choose from nowadays and sometimes it can be tough to weed out the good from the bad. I’ve never surfed in my life, but I’m certainly not against the idea of watching a great film on the subject. It’s just tough to find one that’s got a good story behind all of the glossy, slow-motion surfing footage. The trailer for director Adam Pesce’s Splinter looks to be about more than just the sport and has definitely caught my attention. It’s a unique story of indigenous surfing in Papua New Guinea and how it has affected the people of Vanimo Village. Here’s the synopsis:

Splinters is the first feature-length documentary film about the evolution of indigenous surfing in the developing nation of Papua New Guinea. In the 1980s an intrepid Australian pilot left behind a surfboard in the seaside village of Vanimo. Twenty years on, surfing is not only a pillar of village life but also a means to prestige. With no access to economic or educational advancement, let alone running water and power, village life is hermetic. A spot on the Papua New Guinea national surfing team is the way to see the wider world; the only way.

Splinters has been playing the festival circuit (it recently screened at IDFA) and SnagFilms has acquired film for VOD, digital and broadcast platforms. To find out how you can see Splinters, be sure to visit the film’s official website and ‘like’ the official Facebook page.

There’s nothing better than hitting up a rep cinema and watching one of your favourite movies on the big screen with an enthusiastic audience. Recently I had the pleasure of seeing Tom Holland’s original 1985 film Fright Night — a childhood favourite of mine — on the big screen with a large audience at the Toronto Underground Cinema, and it was a total blast. Now, that very theatre is featured in Morgan White’s documentary The Rep, which looks at the culture of rep cinemas and highlights some of the famous theatres — some active, some closed down — throughout North America. Here’s the synopsis:

The Rep follows the first year of business for Alex, Charlie, and Nigel as they try to make their theatre, The Toronto Underground Cinema, a success in the dying world of repertory cinema. The film also places the cinema in context to the larger world of rep. Featuring interviews with theatres such as Film Forum in NYC, The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, and The New Beverly Cinema in L.A., and celebrities such as Kevin Smith, Edgar Wright, John Waters, Atom Egoyan, and George A. Romero, the world of repertory cinema will come alive as a vibrant and culturally significant medium that needs to be preserved.

Check out the trailer above and share some of your favourite rep screening experiences in the comments below! Also, be sure to check out Morgan’s web series of the same title, available for viewing at The Rep’s official website!

It’s that time of year again! The Oscar shortlist for best documentary feature has been released, and as usual, non-fiction fans are steaming over some pretty glaring omissions. I have such little interest in the Academy Awards that I feel it’s insincere to even be posting about this, but the documentary nominations have been a recurring issue within the non-fiction community for years now. Most famously, Steven James’ Hoop Dreams was snubbed back in 1994, drawing criticism from Roger Ebert (among others), who was an aggressively vocal supporter of the film. Now, 17 years later, Steve James is once again ignored as his great film The Interrupters didn’t even make the short list. Asif Kapadia’ Senna (one of my favourite films of the year) was another noticeable snub. I can’t help but wonder how anybody is still surprised by the Academy’s oversights or why this seriously flawed and outdated organization still holds power or influence over anyone other than consumers of populist, blockbuster entertainment.

I don’t want this to sound elitist or snobby. I’m not one of THOSE people. I don’t consider “blockbuster” a dirty word. I take pride in my well-rounded love of cinema and try to embrace a variety of films — blockbusters included — with a fairly open mind. Still, I have little love for the Academy Awards. They’ve gotten it wrong one too many times and their nominations are usually uninspired across the board. Yes, the documentary category is particularly infamous for it’s snubs, but why is this still news? Can’t we just accept the fact that the Academy favours a certain type of film and leave it at that? I’m perfectly fine with writing them off as irrelevant dinosaurs. I realize that an Oscar nomination can mean a lot for a film and the careers of the people behind it, but what does ‘Oscar worthy’ really even mean? In my mind, it refers to a film that panders to a fairly conservative audience and does little to shake up traditional storytelling conventions. As for the documentary category, it usually means issue/advocacy films that put message over craft (although Man on Wire’s win a couple years back was a refreshing choice).

Having said all of that, why do people continually insist on shaping this organization into something it’s not? Every year there are complaints about the host, the nominees, the winners, the musical numbers, the length, the jokes, etc. Isn’t there a point where you just have to cut your losses and conclude that the Oscars just aren’t for you? This show is one of the highest rated televisions events of the year and they’re certainly not going to jeopardize that by showcasing only the films that TRULY deserve recognition. The dependance upon ratings seems to guarantee that the big categories will play it safe to avoid alienating a casual moviegoing crowd. The documentary category (and foreign film category) is the place to let voters take some chances, but more often then not they insist on focusing on issue films rather than highlighting some of the more potentially accessible non-fiction films (Senna, Tabloid, Best Worst Movie, etc.). No wonder casual filmgoers assume all docs are boring! Thankfully we have the Cinema Eye Honors to recognize some of the films the Academy overlooks (including The Interrupters and Senna).

Alright, enough of the ranting. Let’s look at the films that actually made the list. It’s not all bad…I was thrilled to see Buck, Project Nim, Paradise Lost 3, and Undefeated made the cut. There are a bunch I’ve yet to see (Bill Cunningham, If a Tree Falls) and some I’d never heard of (The Loving Story, Semper Fi: Always Faithful). Sure, one of my favourite films of the year (Tabloid) didn’t make the cut, but that doesn’t really bother me. I guess it’s just not an “Oscar worthy” film, whatever that means.

Anyways, check out the list (along with trailers) after the jump.

Battle for Brooklyn

Bill Cunningham New York

Buck

Hell and Back Again

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front

Jane’s Journey

The Loving Story

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Pina

Project Nim

Semper Fi: Always Faithful

Sing Your Song

Undefeated

Under Fire: Journalists in Combat

We Were Here

It’s been a while since we’ve highlighted a Kickstarter campaign here at The Documentary Blog, so I thought I would throw up a post in support of a film that looks like it has a lot of heart and could be a “tonne” (clever, right?) of fun to watch. Bending Steel is the story of Chris Schoeck, a Queens native training to become a professional strongman. Here’s the synopsis:

“Bending Steel” documents Chris’ personal journey, as a strongman in training, to find acceptance and fulfillment through his initiation in to a world of strength and showmanship. With the help of Chris Rider, his strongman trainer, Chris Schoeck follows his dream and attempts to join a coveted position amongst the great Oldetime Strongmen who performed for captivated audiences at Coney Island and around the world. Over the years the strongmen have faded from the spotlight and their legacy has been lost in time. To revitalize the art of performing strength feats, Chris is forced to face adversity and overcome his introverted nature in order to step out on the boardwalk for the first time and earn a place in history.

At this point the film is shot and the hundreds of hours of footage is in the process of being shaped into a feature film. Director Dave Carrol and co-producer/cinematographer Ryan Scafuro are hoping to raise $25,000 to go towards various key post-production services. As of this post, they’ve got 12 days to go and are at nearly the halfway point. Have a look at the trailer above and the Kickstarter video below and help support a potentially great film. You can do so by heading over to Kickstarter and donating some money in return for some great incentives! For more information on Bending Steel, visit the official website and Facebook page. Good luck guys!

DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by Lionsgate, but all thoughts are our own.

The DVD of Martin Scorsese’s documentary George Harrison: Life in the Material World has been released in the UK and is set to come out in the near future here in North America. I’ve yet to see the film, but I thought (with a little convincing from the fine folks at Lionsgate) that it would be fun to recommend five other great docs that profile musicians. There are TONS of music inspired documentaries to choose from, but I thought I would focus on the ones that look at a single musician and reveal something about that person beyond their songwriting talents. What are some of your favourite docs on musicians? Let us know in the comments section!

LONELY BOY
Canada, 1962
Directed by Wolf Koenig & Roman Kroitor

Considered to be a cinema vérité classic, Lonely Boy is a candid look at a young Paul Anka, navigating the world of teenage pop stardom. He’s charming, handsome, and certainly knows how to treat his female fans, but he wasn’t always icon material. His personal manager, Irvin Feld, talks about ‘grooming’ Anka. “Paul’s features are excellent. His eyes are great. He has a great mouth.” Yet they still felt the need to adjust his nose with a little bit of plastic surgery. It’s a truly unique look at the creation of a pop icon. The film also gives us a transparent look at the filmmaking process as there is always a sense of the director’s influence on the scene. At one point, Anka gives the owner of the famous Copacabana a gift, which is met with a kiss on the cheek. Offscreen we hear one of the director’s request that the kiss be taken again due to camera issues, which is met with a great laugh from the subjects. A great piece of non-fiction filmmaking (and it’s Canadian!)

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON
USA, 2005
Directed by Jeff Feuerzeig

I’ve gone on about my love of The Devil and Daniel Johnston quite a bit around here and my thoughts still stand. It’s got everything. It’s beautifully filmed, the characters are compelling, it’s emotionally devastating, and it’s got dramatic twists and turns. I remember hearing about the film when it first started playing festivals and I had my reservations, expecting something more along the lines of a poorly crafted fan-service fluff piece. Boy was I wrong. I was also caught off guard by how little I knew about Daniel Johnston’s personal issues and just show much I would get caught up in this unique underdog story. It’s truly a beautiful film and I recommend it to everyone.

KURT COBAIN ABOUT A SON (2006)
Directed by AJ Schnack

AJ Schnack’s portrait of Kurt Cobain is probably the least traditional biopic on this list, but it’s certainly one of the most beautiful. Narrated by Cobain himself, using audio interview clips collected by journalist Michael Azerrad, About a Son gives us an intimate look at the life of a rockstar who struggled with the responsibilities and expectations of being a music icon. Set against images of the towns in which Cobain grew up, Schnack’s film avoids biopic cliche’s by keeping things grounded in a sense of intimacy and honesty, presenting Cobain’s story quite literally in his own words. Nirvana fans should be thankful to have been treated with such a thoughtful presentation and a respectful treatment of this tale of a reluctant music legend.

THEREMIN: AN ELECTRIC ODYSSEY (1994)
Directed by Steven M. Martin

Okay, so this one is sort of thinking outside the box as Leon Theremin was an inventor, not a musician. However, he was responsible for one of the strangest instruments ever, the Theremin. If you’re not familiar with the eerie, warbly sounds it generates, you might want to refer to almost any sci-fi film produced in the 1950′s or take another listen to The Beach Boys Good Vibrations. Beyond his contribution to the music world, Theremin’s life plays like a whacked out espionage movie. He invented super-secret spy microphones for the KGB, was rumoured to have been kidnapped by Soviet Officials, and spent prison time in sharashka, a secret laboratory in the Russian gulag. It’s a great story that contains some pretty unusual performances thanks to Theremin and his orchestra of theremin players.

HATED: GG ALLIN AND THE MURDER JUNKIES (1994)
Directed by Todd Phillips

Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Due Date) NYU student film was a fascinating and hilarious documentary about one of the most disgusting, loathsome, and untalented figures in music history: GG Allin. The film attempts to understand Allin’s anarchistic attitude and propensity for violence and chaos, but really ends up working as a real life Spinal Tap with flashes of sadness throughout. It isn’t particularly deep or well made, but it’s definitely an interesting look at the early beginnings of a director who would go on to film some of the biggest mainstream comedies in Hollywood. You can watch the entire film embedded above. Definitely NSFW!

Martin Scorsese’s “George Harrison: Living in the Material World” is now available on DVD in the UK and will soon be available on DVD in North America. Check out the trailer below.