Documentaries! Documentaries! Documentaries!  With so many documentary films playing at this year’s Docfest the task of choosing which films to see and which ones to avoid could be a daunting one.  Worry not, my fellow Bay Area lovers of non-fiction, Filmbalaya is here to help.  Hopefully our subjective guide will help you plan your viewing schedule.  Rest assured, we were not given any compensation from any outside parties when rating these films.  It just so happens that this year’s festival, from what we’ve seen so far is compiled of a lot of worthwhile films, which explains most of the films getting a 3 star or higher rating.  Click on the movie’s title to read review

The After Party (The Last Party 3) - “A fusion of emotions that culminate in exceptional documentary making” – Cal Jeralin

First Position: A Ballet Documentary – “An impressive debut that was able to bring to light both the stories of 6 child dancers being pushed to their limits, and the grueling practices that goes on behind-the-scenes” – Adam Cuttler

General Orders #9 – “Reminded me of Terrence Malick’s contrast of images and narration…  Unique, and unlike anything I’ve seen” – Tom Ellis

Oil City Confidential – “Unless you hate music or are a bad person, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!” – Sarah Tell

Scrapper – “Scrapper has that same apocalyptic dread felt in Mad Max with the suspense and danger that went with The Hurt Locker” – Adam Cuttler

Where Soldiers Come From – “A moving and powerful documentary that successfully makes you feel acquainted with the people you view” – Tom Ellis

Bob The Monster – “a journey of transformation into one of the most controversial drug counselors in America” – Cal Jeralin

Dirty Pictures – “An educational trip through the accomplishments of a mad scientist in search of discovering the secrets of the human mind” – Cal Jeralin

Donor Unknown – “Like most character study documentaries, it’s always a bonus when the person of focus is just outside the realms of “normality” – Adam Cuttler

Heavy Metal Picnic – “1980′s Metal rules!” – Adam Cuttler

Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians – “The hypocrisy between good Christian morals and gambling are a big part of the movie… Holy Rollers is thought provoking film presented in a very casual and non-arrogant way” – Adam Cuttler

How To Start A Revolution – “A film about the extremely relevant and strangely not well known pamphlet by Gene Sharp instructing people on the basic elements of how to perform a successful revolution” – Tom Ellis

Tell Your Friends! A Concert Film! – “The next best thing to seeing a live comedy show would be seeing one on-screen within the lightly intoxicated safety of a Roxie Docfest loving crowd” – Adam Cuttler

Unlikely Treasures – “A brief watch that plays more like a pilot episode for a spin-off of A&E’s Horders – a great show, by the way” – Adam Cuttler

Peep Culture – “A gimmicky social media experiment where a man broadcasts his life 24 hours 7 days a week” – Adam Cuttler

Non-fiction films of fan stand up! 2 weeks of nothing but documentaries are just around the corner. There are over 70 films airing this year, practically guaranteeing at least something for somebody, even those who claim to not like documentaries. Really though, in a time where reality shows reign king of the tele I find it hard to believe that someone wouldn’t be interested in documentaries. Plus, this year the programmers seem especially keen on attracting the younger generation to the movies and is offering an all-you-can-see pass for just $25 to those 21 and under!

According to the press release, here’s just a hint of what you can expect to find at this year’s festival: “Egyptian belly dancers; California summer campers; the puppeteer behind Elmo; kids that run off to join the circus or want to become ballerinas; international hip hoppers; Christian card counters; English punk rockers; artists; yoga practitioners; new soldiers; compulsive collectors; stand-up comics; Tetris masters; and animator Bill Plympton.  Plus we take a delightful wander around Berlin in the Fall.”

As always stay tuned to Filmbalaya at least a week in advance as we start to preview the films for you and give you our take on what are the must-sees and what you should avoid.

Follow the jump for ticket info and the full schedule Read More…

Klaus Nomi in the cult classic rockumentary, Urgh! A Music War. See it at Docfest

When most fans of fictional film think of documentaries, the word ”boring” immediately arises.  If ever the case was to be made for just how non-boring and highly entertaining documentaries are capable of being, look no further than San Francisco’s Docfest.

As the old saying goes, Truth is stranger than fiction, and this year’s festival is sure to prove that to both non-believers of the documentary format and to those, like myself, who prefer it and already know such sayings to be true.

So, rather than escape into the world of make-believe, why not escape into the world of reality… well, reality as seen through the editor’s and director’s vision that is.

Enough thanks can not be given to the always handsome, Lord Byron, for whose coining of the phrase, “Truth is stranger than fiction” enabled me to make my brief point as to why documentaries should be seen.  Thank you, my Lord.  Ticket and full schedule info after the jump

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