The Way We Get By is almost certainly a marvelous movie, at least judging from Mike Riggs‘ review, which ran in our Silverdocs issue (6/12). The producers of the movie liked Riggs’ review so much they excerpted it on their movie poster, an excerpt of which you can see above. Interesting thing about that review, though: Riggs never said “Absolutely stunning” in it (regardless, I am absolutely stunned I didn’t kill such wildly gushing copy when I had the chance).

To find that part of this quote, you have to turn to Riggs’ morning roundup from Thursday, June 11. He wrote then:

As for me, I got pretty choked up watching The Way We Get By, and can’t think of a single friend, family member, or down-on-his-luck stranger to whom I would not recommend this film. Absolutely stunning. And Trimpin opened my eyes to the joys of reviewing movies while high sound installations.

I had to ask. He says “I had smoked a little bit before I watched” The Way We Get By, but swears he was stone-cold sober when he wrote that ringing endorsement.

Still lamenting the fact that you missed some Silverdocs screenings last month and don’t know when you’ll get the chance to see them again?  Have no fear.  POV, the PBS series dedicated to documentaries with a point of view, is showing several programs that previously played in Silver Spring throughout the summer and into the fall. Read More “Silverdocs Movies Getting Wide Release” »

“This was our film school”, said director Aron Gaudet about his first feature documentary, The Way We Get By, which has screened at more than 20 film festivals in the last three months, including Silverdocs this past week. Gaudet and his now fiance/film’s producer Gita Pullapilly spent four grueling years on the project, working full time at other jobs while traveling sometimes 19 hours in a car for a shoot. But the overwhelmingly positive reaction from audiences has made the journey much more than just a learning experience.

Set in Bangor, Maine, the film follows three elderly individuals – Bill, Jerry and Gaudet’s mother Joan – who go to a small airport every day to greet the troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite facing failing health, depression and mounting debt, the three are committed to greeting the troops as they first step back on American soil, even if it’s as early as three in the morning.

I had the opportunity to chat with Director Aron Gaudet. Here’s what he had to say:

Read More “Filmmaker Q&A With Aron Gaudet, Director of The Way We Get By” »

Winning the Sterling US Feature Award at Silverdocs was a surprise to directors Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher, whose documentary October Country moved beyond the traditional three-act narrative with a layered character study of a low-income rural American family.

The portrayal is particularly intimate in that it follows Mosher’s own family.  He is the eldest of three to a mother who admits to forfeiting her dreams to motherhood at an early age and having a knack for picking bad men.  The same trait seemed to pass to her daughter Daneal, now the single and unemployed mother of a beautiful toddler named Ruby. Littlest is Desi, a sharp-minded but devastatingly sweet girl who despite being privy to child and domestic abuse and teen pregnancy, shows promise for breaking out of her family’s cycle.

I had the opportunity to meet with Palmieri and Mosher this weekend. Here’s what they had to say:

Read More “Q&A With Directors of Silverdocs Winner October Country” »

Casting in fiction filmmaking is often said to make or break a film.  But this is even more the case in documentary, where casting often involves making a bet that the subjects’ lives will make for an entertaining story.

Director Marshall Curry certainly bet well when casting three tween race kart drivers for his latest doc, Racing Dreams, which picked up the award for Best Documentary at Tribeca and screened this past week at Silverdocs.   Annabeth (11), Josh (12) and Brandon (13) “popped out” in screen testing, said Curry, who sensitively documented  their earnest, sometimes sad, and often humorous childhood travails all the while competing in the year-long World Karting Association Championship.

Curry last swept the festival circuit with his first documentary, Street Fight, which picked up an Oscar nomination in 2005.  His latest features sharper production values but no less compassion.

I was able to meet up with Curry after his screening at the AFI Theater in Silver Spring on Saturday. Here’s what he had to say:

Read More “Filmmaker Q&A With Racing Dreams Marshall Curry” »

Nutty’s got the video.

Silverdocs is winding to a close, but there’s still a lot of good stuff to catch. As always, look to our complete coverage of the fest for more details.

Here are some of today’s highlights:

Carmen Meets Borat, which profiles a 17-year-old who tells what it was like when her village was accosted by Sacha Baron Cohen. 4:15 p.m.

Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo, a look at Oklahoma’s rodeo-as-rehabilitation program. 4:30 p.m. Read More “Today at Silverdocs: Carmen Meets Borat, The September Issue, Soul Power, More!” »

When HBO finally got their act together and agreed to keep funding Screen on the Green with the help of a co-sponsor, movie fans and Facebook petitioners cheered.  But there was little instant gratification when organizers announced that the first screening wouldn’t occur until July 20th.  Summer officially starts on Sunday and these mild temperatures are perfect for movie-watching under the stars.  Luckily, three other groups will be showing movies outside this week for those cinema-philes eager to spread a blanket and enjoy a free movie.

Locations and plot descriptions after the jump! Read More “When School’s Out, Outdoor Movie Screenings Are In” »

Mmm…South Australian salt flats….

As ever, be sure to refer to our comprehensive, super-sweet, blah blah &c. guide to Silverdocs for all your documentary needs!

Opening tonight:

Act of God, in which people who’ve been struck by lightning proffer “anecdotes [that] may have you zoning out between crashes of thunder,” Tricia Olszewski reports.

Intangible Asset No. 82, about a quest to find South Korea’s greatest drummer. Justin Moyer calls it “a testament to the power of music and mysticism.” Harrumph!

Ella Es El Matador, a film about female matadors that centers on the charsimatic Maripaz Vega. Sarah Godfrey says: “It’s impossible not to immerse yourself in the action.”

Ma Bar, about 73-year-old Scottish power-lifter Bill McFayden. According to Justin Moyer, it “packs the primal emotional punch of a feature film.”

Read More “Tonight at Silverdocs: Ella Es El Matador, Winnebago Man, Voices from El-Sayed, and More” »

Lots, lots more. Today’s the first full day of the fest; here’s a smattering of what’s being screened from noon ’til midnight. For the entire schedule and ticket information, go to Silverdocs.com.

Albert Maysles Shorts Program, Part I, a 68-minute collection of five short films from this year’s Guggenheim Symposium honoree. 12:15 p.m.

Another Planet, a doc on child laborers that Aaron Leitko calls “powerful viewing.” 12:30 p.m. Read More “Today at Silverdocs: Facing Ali, Afghan Star, Off and Running, and More” »

The AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival kicks off big tonight at 7 p.m., with fest opener More Than a Game playing in all three houses at AFI Silver.

The film follows LeBron James and four other Akron, Ohio basketball players in their teen years, their talent and perseverance taking them from inner-city courts to championships and fame.

James will be in attendance along with former teammates Sian Cotton, Willie McGee, Little Dru Joyce III, Romeo Travis, and their coach, Dru Joyce II. A post-screening discussion with them and the doc’s director, Kristopher Belman, will follow.

More good stuff slated for the rest of the week; check out our full Silverdocs coverage and clear your calenders.