Bermuda Docs To Screen 10 Films In October

October 7, 2011

Five award-winning films from the Sundance Film Festival, an Oscar®-nominated film, and a film tipped as an Oscar® contender for 2012, are among 10 feature length documentary films selected for screening at the Bermuda Documentary Film Festival (Bermuda Docs), October 21-23.

The warm and sweet-natured film, Buck – which won the Audience Choice Award for U.S. documentaries at Sundance this year – will open the festival on Friday October 21 at 6 p.m. The film tells the story of real-life American cowboy Buck Brannaman, who was the model for Robert Redford’s role in The Horse Whisperer. Brannaman teaches people how to communicate with horses through leadership and sensitivity, and not punishment, in an uplifting film suitable for all ages.

Also on opening night, The Interrupters tells the moving and surprising stories of a year in the life of three ‘violence interrupters’ at violence prevention programme CeaseFire in Chicago, who try to protect their communities from the violence they once employed. One of the violence interrupters profiled in the film, Cobe Williams, will attend the festival along with the film’s co-producer, Zak Piper, and will take part in a Q and A after the film.

Rounding out the festival lineup are:

Gasland, nominated for an Oscar® in 2011 and winner of a Special Jury Prize at Sundance, about the environmentally destructive practice of hydraulic fracturing, pioneered by Dick Cheney’s Halliburton corporation, which is used to extract natural gas from the earth’s core – but at significant risk to the country’s drinking water.

Rejoice and Shout, about the history of gospel music featuring performances by Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Wards, the Staple Singers, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and many more.

Tabloid, about former beauty queen Joyce McKinney, who fell in love with a Mormon missionary, followed him to England, and kidnapped him and whisked him away to a ‘love cottage’ in a story the English tabloid press dubbed “The Case of the Manacled Mormon”.

Senna, the remarkable life story of charismatic Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna featuring never-before-seen footage from the Formula One archives. The film won the Audience Choice Award for World Cinema documentaries at Sundance this year.

The Black Power Mixtape, 1967-75, a powerful documentary chronicling the growth and evolution of the black power movement featuring never-before-seen footage of Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton, Angela Davis, and Eldridge Cleaver as well as insightful commentaries from modern day artists and activists who were influenced by the movement’s leaders. The film won the Editing Award at Sundance this year.

Project Nim, by Academy Award® winning director James Marsh (Man on Wire), who won the Directing Award at Sundance for his profile of ‘Nim Chimpsky’, a chimpanzee that was the subject of a landmark experiment that aimed to show that a chimp could learn to communicate with sign language if raised and nurtured like a human child.

You’ve Been Trumped, a David and Goliath story for the 21st century about a group of proud Scottish homeowners who take on celebrity tycoon, Donald Trump, when he tries to build a luxury home, hotel and golf course development on pristine coastal wilderness.

Fire in Babylon, the breathtaking story of how the West Indies side of the 1970s and 1980s emerged to dominate cricket at the highest level. Featuring archive footage of their greatest triumphs, plus interviews with the charismatic members of the team, and a soundtrack featuring Bob Marley, Gregory Isaacs and Burning Spear.

Synopses, photos and trailers for all the films can be seen at www.bermudadocs.com.

Tickets go on sale today (Friday October 7) at www.bdatix.bm, All Wrapped Up-Washington Mall, Fabulous Fashions-Heron Bay Plaza, or by calling 232-2255.

Bermuda Docs is presented by Mini, and sponsored by Stella Artois, North Rock Communications Ltd., BELCO, and the Bermuda Arts Council. The festival’s host hotel is the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.