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Festival Coverage

Toronto After Dark 2021: ‘Alien on Stage’

Directed by Lucy Harvey and Danielle Kummer, Alien on Stage is an unexpectedly heartwarming documentary about an amateur theatre group comprised of Dorset bus drivers who set out to produce a stage adaptation of Ridley Scott’s classic sci-fi/horror Alien.  Though their initial adaptation is serious, they are given the opportunity to take their show to London’s West End as a comedy.

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The Rescue

From the Academy Award winning team who brought you Free Solo comes The Rescue, a documentary that chronicles the 2018 search-and-rescue of the Wild Boars soccer team who were trapped in a flooding cave in Thailand.

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9/11: Inside the President’s War Room

9/11: Inside the President’s War Room is a candid documentary meant to commemorate the events of September 11th, 2001 and serve as essential viewing for its 20th anniversary.  While the film delivers on its candid nature, featuring exclusive photographs and interviews with past White House officials including former president George W. Bush, Adam Wishart’s doc is not as considerate as it could be.

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For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close

In the late 1980’s, Del Close set out to write his autobiography, Wasteland, for DC comics. In Wasteland, the actor and comedian, who mentored comedy legends from John Belushi to Tina Fey but found little material success in his own career, presented a fictionalized and darkly surreal version of his life story. In director Heather Ross’ semi-experimental documentary, For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close, Wasteland serves as a frame for a deeper examination…

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Moby Doc

An artist making an autobiographical documentary is a bold and, quite frankly, strange move.  But in the case of Moby Doc, this choice is on brand for enigmatic electronic musician Moby.  Early into the movie, even Moby acknowledges how seemingly unconventional this choice is.  This doesn’t excuse the odd conception of Moby Doc but, at least, it gives us an idea of how self-aware the musician is.  However, a detrimental line is crossed when Moby…

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Tiny Tim: King for a Day

Directed by Johan von Sydow, Tiny Tim: King for a Day is the story of Herbert Khaury.  A social outcast from childhood, Khaury grows up to become Tiny Tim, one of the most unexpected and unusual pop stars of the 1960s.  With long hair, a falsetto voice, and a ukulele, Tiny Tim was seen by many as a freak for defying social norms.  Tiny Tim: King for a Day argues that Tiny Tim’s insistence on…

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Underplayed

By: Trevor Chartrand Director Stacey Lee raises some important questions in Underplayed, a documentary about diversity in the music industry.  Specifically, the film focuses on electronica (or dance music) and the women who make it.  Often left behind on a concert schedule predominately populated by men, these artists are underappreciated and underrepresented, especially in this particular genre.

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Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie

In the spirit of American Movie and Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made, Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie is a fun movie about the indie filmmaking process.  This time, audiences watch aspiring filmmakers Sam Suchmann and Mattie Zufelt, best friends since hitting it off at the Special Olympics as youngsters, as they attempt to cut their teeth making the most outrageous party-horror ever made.  Their dream project is titled…

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Stray

Showing different perspectives from the streets of Istanbul, filmmaker Elizabeth Lo explores the day-to-day lifestyle of stray dog Zeytin in Stray.  There are brief transitions to other viewpoints provided by fellow pooches or human beings, but Zeytin is certainly the star of the show.