One of the more prestigious precursors for the Documentary Oscar are the IDA Documentary Awards. While the International Documentary Association’s choices don’t always line up with the Academy’s, they can provide a snapshot of where the Doc race is a few months out. This morning, the IDA announced their shortlist for their 2021 awards and it provided good news for acclaimed docs such as “Summer of Soul,” “Ailey,” “Convergence: Courage in Crisis,” “In The Same Breath,” “Who Are You Charlie Brown?” and“Flee.”

READ MORE: “CODA,” “Summer of Soul” dominate 2021 Sundance Film Festival Awards

Up to ten nominees in each of the feature and short documentary categories will be selected from the shortlists.

Continue reading ‘Summer of Soul,’ ‘Flee’ & ‘Ailey’ Make 2021 IDA Doc Feature Shortlist at The Playlist.

The past decade’s so-called “golden age of documentaries” has yielded memorable projects about all sorts of cultural icons, including musicians, filmmakers, and athletes.  The world of dance, however, has been disappointingly underrepresented.  Part of the reason might be general audiences’ ignorance of the art form itself.  Plenty of casual viewers know who Tina Turner is, but how many could identify George Balanchine?

READ MORE: Barry Jenkins To Direct A Biopic About Famous Choreographer Alvin Ailey

All that is to say, a documentary such as “Ailey,” which spotlights the life and career of (you guessed it) legendary dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey, is long overdue.  Piecing together archival footage, interviews, performances, and taped conversations with the man himself, “Ailey” appears to be a compelling deep dive into a figure that broke social and artistic boundaries to transform the landscape of modern dance.

Continue reading ‘Ailey’ Trailer: New Documentary Illuminates The Pain And Genius Of Influential Dance Figure at The Playlist.

So… I guess we’re back? If you’re an American, chances are you’ve been vaxxed to the max already and or are probably awaiting your second dose, which should come quickly.  As we already noted, folks like Marvel are already flexing, welcoming audiences back to theaters, and well, that means nature is healing, right? Cinema is healing too, and with New York vowing to reopen fully on June 1, that probably means the rest of the country isn’t far behind.

Continue reading Summer 2021 Preview: Over 50 Movies To Watch at The Playlist.