Last summer I wrote a post riffing off of a Bill Moyers Journal blog post asking you what one documentary you thought the next president should screen in the White House. Responses included Sicko, An Incovenient Truth and Our Brand is Crisis, among others. Earlier this month, Politico.com offered a glimpse at some of the […]

With the Oscar deadline for submissions now long passed by (September 2; in order to be eligible, a film had to show for one week in Los Angeles and Manhattan), I figured it’s time to stick my head out the window and check who’s in the running for an Academy Award for this year. I […]

The Oscars are taking place this Sunday, so I’ll do my best to break down who has the best shot at winning in the Documentary Feature category. First, let’s just do away with Operation Homecoming and War/Dance. You know it hurts me to say it, after having advocated so strongly for both films, but their […]

With Critical Condition, Roger Weisberg takes an unflinching look at what it’s like to be sick and uninsured in America. He took a few minutes to answer some questions about his film and why health care and universal health insurance should be a critical issue during this election year. Critical Condition will have its broadcast […]

Now that Sundance is over, I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on the Oscar nominees for Best Documentary: No End In Sight Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs Operation Homecoming: Writing The Wartime Experience Richard E. Robbins Sicko Michael Moore and Meghan O’Hara Taxi To The Dark Side Alex Gibney and Eva Orner War/Dance […]

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning in Los Angeles. Here’s the list for documentary film. BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE NO END IN SIGHT Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs OPERATION HOMECOMING: WRITING THE WARTIME EXPERIENCE Richard E. Robbins SICKO Michael Moore and Meghan O’Hara TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE Alex Gibney and Eva Orner WAR/DANCE Andrea […]

The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) recently announced the roster of nominees for their respective 2008 Awards. In the category of Best Documentary Screenplay for the Writers Guild Awards, the nominees were: The Camden 28, Written by Anthony Giacchino, First Run Features (POV 2007) Nanking, Screenplay by Bill […]

Ah, the doc world never sleeps. There I was, slowly plotting my next blog post about the January 12 deadline for submitting Oscar nomination ballots: I was going to make an 11th hour pitch for Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, the fantastic doc based on writings by U.S. soldiers in Iraq by Richard Robbins. […]

As the curtain rises on another entry into the blogosphere, let me quickly introduce myself: My name is Tom Roston, and I was a Senior Editor at Premiere magazine — where I covered movies 24/7 for ten years — until that publication folded this year. I have always been a passionate fan of documentaries, particularly […]

Just coming back from seeing Jessica Yu‘s (POV’s In the Realms of the Unreal) new doc Protagonist and want to know more about her other work? Rented Sicko and want to hear Michael Moore‘s opinions on healthcare and the ’08 election? Can’t stop thinking about the Grey Gardens musical you saw last season and want […]

Each week, we’ll highlight links from the “Watching” and “Reading” sidebars on the right side of the page. WATCHING Michael Moore’s Sicko named Best Documentary at the 17th annual Gotham Awards on Tuesday night. The Webby Awards name 12 “most influential online videos of all time.” Watch daily reports from the International Documentary Film Festival […]

Our weekly doc roundup collects critical reactions to some current documentary releases in the theaters and on DVD. IN THEATERS NOW It’s a sparse week for documentary releases in the theaters. The only major release is Rob VanAlkemade’s What Would Jesus Buy, which follows the anti-consumerist Reverend Billy, a performance artist and mock evangelist who […]