Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

5 Docs About Making Movies at DOC NYC

15/11/2013

DOC NYC is in full swing! While there are many eclectic documentaries to choose from, we have 5 recommendations for people who love watching movies about making movies (plus a bonus short!).

If you're a New Yorker who loves a good documentary, you're in luck. The fourth annual DOC NYC Film Festival is now taking place in downtown Manhattan. The Festival's mission is to cultivate and showcase original documentarians in a nurturing environment, allowing them to present their films to some of the best audiences in the world (but perhaps we're biased).

There are many diverse films being shown, with topics ranging from the political, the humorous, the shocking and the heartwarming, the heart of DOC NYC is its celebration of the power of the film and of the dedicated artists that devote their talents to the craft of filmmaking.

Several documentaries at this year's Festival highlight and celebrate the narrative filmmaking process and the sacrifices and skills required to be successful in this field. Whether you're looking for documentaries about specific people like sexploitation icon Joe Sarno or arts icon Marvin Hamlisch or films that both celebrate and examine the craft of moviemaking, DOC NYC has something for you.

Here are our 5 recommendations for narrative film fans at this year's stellar DOC NYC line-up.

The Act of Killing

Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer

Every year DOC NYC has a Short List section that is comprised of the year's most groundbreaking and original docs that will surely be receiving numerous accolades come awards season. Executive produced by Errol Morris and Werner Herzog, Joshua Oppenheimer's riveting The Act of Killing is one of the most fascinating and polarizing films of the year. The documentary shows the reflective power of cinema as the filmmakers challenge the notorious Anwar Congo and other former Indonesian death squad leaders (who are also American movie lovers) to recreate scenes from the brutal mass genocide they committed in the 1960s for the camera in the style of the American movies they love, of course. This is a film you have to see to believe.

The Sarnos: A Life in Dirty Movies

Directed by Wiktor Ericsson

Known as the Ingmar Bergman of 42nd Street, Joe Sarno was in the forefront of the sexploitation movement of the 1960s and 70s. Through beautiful black and white photography and with a focus on female desires in all its forms, Sarno promoted creative self-expression and sexual freedom. When his films started to be rediscovered in recent years, Joe's love of filmmaking was reignited, and he attempted to return to making movies with the support of his faithful partner and wife Peggy. While Joe passed away in 2010, this documentary is a loving testament to his contributions to cinema and his true mastery of his craft.

Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did for Love

Directed Dori Berinstein

Last year when theater/film and music icon Marvin Hamlisch passed away after a long and rewarding life in show business. In addition to winning every major award possible (yes, he completed his EGOT and won a Pulitzer prize), Hamlisch was perhaps most well-known for his work on A Chorus Line and the scores for films such as The Way We Were, Sophie's Choice, and The Sting. This documentary features Hamlisch's collaborators and friends Barbra Streisand, Robert Klein, Carly Simon, Liza Minnelli, and Steven Soderbergh all appear as they pay tribute to Hamlisch by sharing their personal stories about one of the industry's greatest.

What is Cinema?

Directed by Chuck Workman

Who doesn't love a good movie montage? You might not know the name Chuck Workman, but you've certainly seen his work. Best known for creating those memorable Academy Award montage sequences at the ceremonies each year (including the In Memoriam Segment), Workman decided to use his knowledge of cinema to craft a feature-length tribute to the movies. What is Cinema is a dynamic visual essay that combines clips from well-known movies which range from the dawn of cinema to the present day with interviews from directors like David Lynch, Michael Moore and Alfred Hitchcock to celebrate the craft of filmmaking where no limits should exist.

Misfire: The Rise and Fall of the Shooting Gallery

Directed by Whitney Ransick

The Shooting Gallery was a production company on the forefront of independent filmmaking until it ultimately imploded due to massive debt and incompatible artistic visions among its founders. In their short time at the top, the company, comprised of dynamic young NYC filmmakers, was responsible for indies like Laws of Gravity and You Can Count On Me, but most notably, Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade. The Shooting Gallery is described as the Enron of Independent Films, and this documentary explores the effects of egotism, greed and fiscal irresponsibility on a group of young men that had independent film glory at their fingertips and just couldn't hold on.

Bonus Short!

Last Days of the Video Store

Directed by Quin O'Brien

Don't all movie lovers long for the days when they could browse at their local video store? This short documentary follows the plight of Jeff Miller, a film fan who happens to be a clerk at Rocket Video, located in the heart of Hollywood. As he desperately tries to keep his beloved video store going, Miller faces a losing battle. Brick and mortar video stories, like independent bookstores, are being rendered obsolete by the new digital onslaught.
LINK: http://tribecafilm.com/blogs/5-docs-for-narrative-film-lovers-at-docny...
See more stories from tribecafilm

Most recent headlines

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

07/08/2025

Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, Redefining In-Car Entertainment Experience

July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...

12/07/2025

TV Station Groups Launch Texas Flood Relief Efforts

As the death toll continues to mount, with at least 120 killed and more than 170 people still missing on July 10 from devastating Texas floods, a number of broa...

12/07/2025

DirecTV Adds ViX Premium With Ads to MiEspaol Genre Pack

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., and MIAMI -DirecTV and TelevisaUnivision have signed a deal that will make the ad-supported premium subscription tier of ViX, ViX Premium wi...

11/07/2025

2025 Sundance Institute Producers Lab Fellows Announced

PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross Fou...

11/07/2025

Superman' Filmmaker James Gunn Reveals the Playlists Inspired by Your Favorite Characters

If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...

11/07/2025

L3Harris Delivers First P-8A Poseidon Aircraft to US Navy

L3Harris Technologies President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Jason Lambert and General Manager of L3Harris Waco facility Sean Ling held a ce...

11/07/2025

WETA Launches WETA+ Free Streaming Service

ARLINGTON, Va. WETA, the flagship public media station in the national capital area, has launched WETA+, a new streaming service tailored for the local Washingt...

11/07/2025

TV Tech's Top Regulatory Stories of 2025

The Federal Communications Commission has emerged as one of the central players in the broadcast TV landscape in 2025, with its deregulatory policies sparking h...

11/07/2025

Calrec to Feature Suite of Interconnected Audio Solutions at IBC2025

Calrec will introduce usability, customization and system enhancements across its entire range of Argo consoles during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Amsterda...

11/07/2025

Encompass Supports DAZN's Coverage of 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

LONDON Encompass Digital Media said it will support live and on-demand viewing of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup across multiple global regions for sports enterta...

11/07/2025

SBE Survey: Certified Broadcast Engineers Earn More

Two-thirds of broadcast engineers reaped the benefits of a pay raise within the last year....

11/07/2025

SmallHD Unveils Quantum 27 OLED Monitor

CARY, N.C. SmallHD has launched the Quantum 27, a new 26.5-inch Quantum-Dot OLED monitor designed to deliver postproduction image quality in a compact, set-frie...

11/07/2025

Tegna Will Pay $225K to Settle FCC Investigation

The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau and Tegna have entered into a consent decree that will settle an investigation into the accidenta...

11/07/2025

Sens. Markey, Lujn Again Call for FCC Vote on Paramount-Skydance Merger

WASHINGTON Following news in early July that Paramount had settled President Donald Trump's lawsuit, Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ben Ray Luj n (D-N...

11/07/2025

Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbe...

11/07/2025

Behind the Mic: Amazon Prime Preps for First Season of NBA Action; MSG Networks Adjusts Broadcast Booths for Rangers, Devils

Behind the Mic: Amazon Prime Preps for First Season of NBA Action; MSG Networks ...

11/07/2025

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Suite Studios' Craig Hering on Adapting to Clients' Needs With Scalable Cloud-Based Storage

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Suite Studios' Craig Hering on Adapting to Client...

11/07/2025

2025 SVG Content Management Forum Breaks Down AI's Impact, Continued Transition to the Cloud

2025 SVG Content Management Forum Breaks Down AI's Impact, Continued Transit...

11/07/2025

A Journey HOME: University of Nebraska's HuskerVision Goes IP

A Journey HOME: University of Nebraska's HuskerVision Goes IP Leaders from the HuskerVision and Lawo share their IP learnings By SVG Staff Friday, July 1...

11/07/2025

CMSI, Remote Picture Labs, Ace ESPN's Cloud-Based Editing Efforts for Wimbledon

CMSI, Remote Picture Labs, Ace ESPN's Cloud-Based Editing Efforts for Wimble...

11/07/2025

Netflix Enters the Live-Boxing-Production Ring for Round 2 With Historic Taylor-Serrano 3 Card at MSG

Netflix Enters the Live-Boxing-Production Ring for Round 2 With Historic Taylor-...

11/07/2025

'Too Hot to Handle: Italy' Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix

Back to All News Too Hot to Handle: Italy Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix Entertainment 11 July 2025 GlobalItaly Link copied to clipboard July 11, 20...

11/07/2025

Netflix Will Release 'Death Inc.' Seasons 1, 2 and 3

Back to All News Netflix Will Release Death Inc. Seasons 1, 2 and 3 Entertainment 11 July 2025 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Season 1 Season 2 Se...

11/07/2025

AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration

AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration launches two papers to guide the future of AI integration, today at the AI for Good Global Summit The...

11/07/2025

A Gaming GPU Helps Crack the Code on a Thousand-Year Cultural Conversation

Ceramics - the humble mix of earth, fire and artistry - have been part of a global conversation for millennia. From Tang Dynasty trade routes to Renaissance pa...

10/07/2025

Taliban repression silences award-winning Afghan woman journalist

The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afgha...

10/07/2025

A New Report Puts Aussie Artists in the Spotlight

Spotify is turning up the volume on Australian music with a multipronged initiative designed to highlight the dominance of Australian artists on the global stag...

10/07/2025

Spotify Toasts Oasis's Return With Exclusive Ways for Fans to Get Closer to the Music That Defined a Generation

This is not a drill: Oasis is back on the road-marking its first live performanc...

10/07/2025

Spotify and Youth Music Open Doors for Future Artists

The music industry depends on fresh ideas, bold voices, and emerging talent. Yet across the U.K., too many young musicians lack the space to develop their craft...

10/07/2025

Nielsen Appoints Richard Pacheco as Head of Global Partnerships

NEW YORK - July 10, 2025 - Nielsen, the global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, today announced that it appointed Richard Pacheco as head of ...

10/07/2025

Sponsored: Robotic Deployments Are Transforming Local News

Local newscasts don't exist in a vacuum. News directors and station management constantly evaluate what's working, what isn't and perhaps most impor...

10/07/2025

Stuttgart Media University Upgrades Studio with Lawo mc56

Lawo has announced that Stuttgart Media University (Hochschule der Medien, HdM) has comprehensively modernized its central recording studio after selecting an I...

10/07/2025

SMPTE Opens Early Bird Registration for Media Technology Summit

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has opened early-bird registration for the Media Technology Summit, which will take place in a ne...

10/07/2025

TNDV Television Launches Aspiration 35 to Support Cinematic Workflows

NASHVILLE, Tenn. TNDV Television has launched Aspiration 35, a new version of its 40-foot Aspiration truck reimagined for cinematic multicamera productions....

10/07/2025

Key Code Education Launches Beginner, Intermediate Training Courses

BURBANK, Calif. Key Code Education, a provider of instructor-led postproduction training, is growing its curriculum with new programs for beginner and intermedi...

10/07/2025

Actus Digital to Show Actus X Intelligent Monitoring With AI at IBC2025

HACKENSACK, N.J. Actus Digital will demonstrate how broadcasters can transform compliance monitoring from a necessary expense into a strategic revenue driver at...

10/07/2025

Comments on FCC Ownership Rules Due in August

The Federal Register has published a summary of the Federal Communications Commission's Public Notice seeking comments on its ownership rules that lists a d...

10/07/2025

Netflix Presents the Official Trailer for 'Superestar'

Back to All News Netflix Presents the Official Trailer for SuperestarPlay Video Play Video Entertainment 10 July 2025 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard...

10/07/2025

From Terabytes to Turnkey: AI-Powered Climate Models Go Mainstream

In the race to understand our planet's changing climate, speed and accuracy are everything. But today's most widely used climate simulators often strugg...

10/07/2025

Indonesia on Track to Achieve Sovereign AI Goals With NVIDIA, Cisco and IOH

As one of the world's largest emerging markets, Indonesia is making strides toward its Golden 2045 Vision - an initiative tapping digital technologies and...

10/07/2025

VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing

10 Jul 2025 VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing Kyiv, New York, Dubai, and Philadelphia - July 10, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq:...

10/07/2025

5G for All? What the DFL's Use of Easy5G, RefCam Could Mean for Events in the Future

5G for all? What the DFL's use of Easy5G and RefCam could mean for events in...

10/07/2025

Save the Date: PGA TOUR Studios Welcomes SVG Remote Production Summit on Oct 14-15

Save the Date: PGA TOUR Studios Welcomes SVG Remote Production Summit on Oct 14-...

10/07/2025

Cloud on the Road: How Remote-Production-Service Providers Are Adapting to a New Era

Cloud on the Road: How Remote-Production-Service Providers Are Adapting to a New...

10/07/2025

Seattle Kraken's Ryan Schaber on the NHL Team Taking Live Game Productions In-House

Seattle Kraken's Ryan Schaber on the NHL Team Taking Live Game Productions I...

10/07/2025

FOX Sports Reboots Small Control Room in Los Angeles as Hub for Vertical-First Production

FOX Sports Reboots Small Control Room in Los Angeles as Hub for Vertical-First P...

10/07/2025

SVG Sit-Down: MSE's Zach Leonsis, ViewLift's Rick Allen Go Deep on Joint Venture Targeting Local-Sports-Media Market

SVG Sit-Down: MSE's Zach Leonsis, ViewLift's Rick Allen Go Deep on Joint...