As a “bomb cyclone” touches down on the east coast, we can think of no better respite from the cold than taking a trip to the beach, courtesy of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary Dina. Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini’s documentary Dina tells a love story of a unique stripe. The film follows Dina Buno, a 49-year-old living on disability, suffering from a neurological disorder, and her courtship with Scott Levin, a Walmart greeter with Asperger syndrome. Today we’re pleased to present an exclusive clip, featuring Scott and Dina on the beach and a rendition of Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.”
“Dina is a sometimes uncomfortable film to watch, especially as we wonder how certain moments were constructed: is this a performative piece or vérité? And does it matter? We can’t forget Robert Flaherty was a kind of con man in his own right,...
“Dina is a sometimes uncomfortable film to watch, especially as we wonder how certain moments were constructed: is this a performative piece or vérité? And does it matter? We can’t forget Robert Flaherty was a kind of con man in his own right,...
- 1/4/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The nonfiction organization Cinema Eye and its nominations committee of top international documentary film programmers, curators, and filmmakers has picked their annual list of “Unforgettables” who helped to define documentary cinema in 2017. They selected 30 individuals from 15 different films to be in the running for this year’s Cinema Eye awards. Like the Doc NYC shortlist, many of the films on this curated list are in the running for the year’s top awards, including the Oscar. “Jane,” “Faces Places,” “City of Ghosts,” and “Strong Island” continue to lead the documentary awards pack.
The full slate of Cinema Eye nominations for nonfiction feature, short, and broadcast films/series will be be announced on Friday, November 3 in San Francisco at Sffilm’s Doc Stories event. Awards will be presented in New York City at the Museum of the Moving Image on Thursday, January 11, 2018.
Read More:doc NYC Announces Its Awards Short List, Including ‘Icarus,...
The full slate of Cinema Eye nominations for nonfiction feature, short, and broadcast films/series will be be announced on Friday, November 3 in San Francisco at Sffilm’s Doc Stories event. Awards will be presented in New York City at the Museum of the Moving Image on Thursday, January 11, 2018.
Read More:doc NYC Announces Its Awards Short List, Including ‘Icarus,...
- 10/18/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The nonfiction organization Cinema Eye and its nominations committee of top international documentary film programmers, curators, and filmmakers has picked their annual list of “Unforgettables” who helped to define documentary cinema in 2017. They selected 30 individuals from 15 different films to be in the running for this year’s Cinema Eye awards. Like the Doc NYC shortlist, many of the films on this curated list are in the running for the year’s top awards, including the Oscar. “Jane,” “Faces Places,” “City of Ghosts,” and “Strong Island” continue to lead the documentary awards pack.
The full slate of Cinema Eye nominations for nonfiction feature, short, and broadcast films/series will be be announced on Friday, November 3 in San Francisco at Sffilm’s Doc Stories event. Awards will be presented in New York City at the Museum of the Moving Image on Thursday, January 11, 2018.
Read More:doc NYC Announces Its Awards Short List, Including ‘Icarus,...
The full slate of Cinema Eye nominations for nonfiction feature, short, and broadcast films/series will be be announced on Friday, November 3 in San Francisco at Sffilm’s Doc Stories event. Awards will be presented in New York City at the Museum of the Moving Image on Thursday, January 11, 2018.
Read More:doc NYC Announces Its Awards Short List, Including ‘Icarus,...
- 10/18/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Michael Cera, who previously contributed music for Scott Pilgirm vs. The World and Juno, has teamed up with Sharon Van Etten for the song "Best I Can." The track is featured in Dina, an upcoming documentary that's based on the life of Dina Buno and her fiance Scott Levin. Cera was immediately taken with the [...]...
- 9/26/2017
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize earlier this year, Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini’s documentary Dina tells a love story of a unique stripe. The film follows Dina Buno, a 49-year-old living on disability, suffering from a neurological disorder, and her courtship with Scott Levin, a Walmart greeter with Asperger syndrome. Featuring a score by Michael Cera, the first trailer has now arrived ahead of an October release.
“A tender love story, Dina is a documentary that could easily be mistaken for a fiction film. Framed in long takes, often on a tripod, several choices other than its style call the film’s legitimacy into question, including a key moment which occurs in the film’s third act that leaves one wondering if directors Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini are playing fair. The film, up until that moment, is so engrossing that as manipulative as it may appear,...
“A tender love story, Dina is a documentary that could easily be mistaken for a fiction film. Framed in long takes, often on a tripod, several choices other than its style call the film’s legitimacy into question, including a key moment which occurs in the film’s third act that leaves one wondering if directors Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini are playing fair. The film, up until that moment, is so engrossing that as manipulative as it may appear,...
- 8/21/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Getting out early can be an advantage in the documentary race, which is often front loaded at January’s Sundance Film Festival. While a raft of movies made their mark, the question is which ones can sustain support through the end of the year.
Among that festival’s breakouts were three Syria documentaries. Daring and timely “City of Ghosts” (July 14, A & E/Amazon Studios), which is Matthew Heineman’s follow-up to his Oscar-nominated border drug war thriller “Cartel Land,” will get a major push. Any footage from Syria came from the fearless Raqqa journalists he tracked through Turkey and Germany, where they discover that they are not necessarily safe — anywhere.
It remains to be seen if there will be room for more than one Syrian documentary. HBO Documentary Films is forgoing Emmy consideration for “Winter on Fire” nominee Evgeny Afineevsky’s harrowing “Cries From Syria” (March 10, HBO), planning an Oscar push this fall.
Among that festival’s breakouts were three Syria documentaries. Daring and timely “City of Ghosts” (July 14, A & E/Amazon Studios), which is Matthew Heineman’s follow-up to his Oscar-nominated border drug war thriller “Cartel Land,” will get a major push. Any footage from Syria came from the fearless Raqqa journalists he tracked through Turkey and Germany, where they discover that they are not necessarily safe — anywhere.
It remains to be seen if there will be room for more than one Syrian documentary. HBO Documentary Films is forgoing Emmy consideration for “Winter on Fire” nominee Evgeny Afineevsky’s harrowing “Cries From Syria” (March 10, HBO), planning an Oscar push this fall.
- 7/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Many of the films at this year’s True/False Film Festival spotlighted men and women who have been pushed to the margins but continue to fight for their voice to be heard. Whether it’s a film about young women in Copenhagen revealing their stories about sex and love (Venus) or the men and women from the city of Ferguson protesting in the streets (Whose Streets?), this year’s selection of films told the stories of those that are often ignored.
Dina Buno is one of those voices that is often ignored by society. Dina is an earnest look at a woman living with disabilities – both mental and physical. She lives with Asperger’s, depression, Ocd, and aspects of Autism (as we later learn while she gets her nails done). But she has also fallen victim to physical trauma that is slowly hinted at throughout the film, until a...
Dina Buno is one of those voices that is often ignored by society. Dina is an earnest look at a woman living with disabilities – both mental and physical. She lives with Asperger’s, depression, Ocd, and aspects of Autism (as we later learn while she gets her nails done). But she has also fallen victim to physical trauma that is slowly hinted at throughout the film, until a...
- 3/12/2017
- by Michael Haffner
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A tender love story, Dina is a documentary that could easily be mistaken for a fiction film. Framed in long takes, often on a tripod, several choices other than its style call the film’s legitimacy into question, including a key moment which occurs in the film’s third act that leaves one wondering if directors Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini are playing fair. The film, up until that moment, is so engrossing that as manipulative as it may appear, I’m willing to forgive the choice of pulling back the curtain a bit on a moment that’s offered up with little context.
The story of Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize winner follows Dina Buno, a 49-year-old living on disability, suffering from a neurological disorder, and her courtship with Scott Levin, a Walmart greeter with Asperger syndrome. The filmmakers arrive after Scott proposes to Dina at a Red Robin,...
The story of Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize winner follows Dina Buno, a 49-year-old living on disability, suffering from a neurological disorder, and her courtship with Scott Levin, a Walmart greeter with Asperger syndrome. The filmmakers arrive after Scott proposes to Dina at a Red Robin,...
- 1/31/2017
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
My Happy FamilyDear Josh,With a festival like Sundance, where critics and distributors alike are clamoring to find the next big thing, certain types of films are bound to get lost in the shuffle. Such is the case with Ramona Diaz’s fine, unassuming documentary Motherland. Centering on the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Metro Manila, one of the busiest maternity wards in the Philippines, the film has a wealth of fascinating material. A nurse tallies the number of women and children in the ward; a young mother learns of “Kangaroo Mother Care” (widely used because of a lack of incubators); a nurse attempts to convince various mothers to use an Iud; the ward doctor drones over the Pa system in a strict, motherly tone (the way one would speak to a summer camp group). There’s a great documentary to be made here, so it's somewhat frustrating that Motherland is merely quite good.
- 1/29/2017
- MUBI
This year’s Sundance Film Festival was expected to hit some topical notes and in that regard, the documentary competition did not disappoint. This year’s section dealt with some of the most contentious international issues of our times.”City of Ghosts,” Matthew Heineman’s powerful followup to the Oscar-nominated “Cartel Land,” deals with the courageous investigative journalists of Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, who have risked their lives to smuggle out footage of the war crimes being committed on Syrians by Isis. Jeff Orlowski’s “Chasing Coral” exposed the impact of climate change on coral reefs, while “Icarus” tackled Russia’s doping scandal.
“Quest,” the understated vérité effort from Jonathan Olshefski, was especially relevant. The film follows an African American family in Philadelphia over the course of a decade. Starting with the election of Barack Obama in 2008, “Quest” climaxes with the arrival of Donald Trump. As the family watches Trump on television,...
“Quest,” the understated vérité effort from Jonathan Olshefski, was especially relevant. The film follows an African American family in Philadelphia over the course of a decade. Starting with the election of Barack Obama in 2008, “Quest” climaxes with the arrival of Donald Trump. As the family watches Trump on television,...
- 1/29/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
On Friday in Park City, the bidding wars opened for business. Fox Searchlight co-president Nancy Utley began and ended her day at the Eccles Theatre, where the Sundance premieres culminated with the big acquisition title, “The Big Sick,” directed by Michael Showalter and produced by Judd Apatow. Appetites remain high for Sundance titles, but last year proved to be a teachable moment for indie distribution: There’s a big difference between being able to compete for a title, and successfully gauging what will work in the marketplace.
“The marketplace is always changing, but now it is changing more rapidly, both on the production and consumer side,” said Searchlight co-president Stephen Gilula. “The bar for theatrical viability keeps going up. While we are talking about other models, Searchlight is still a global, theatrically driven company, trying to make money on each individual title. We haven’t changed our acquisition calculus, but...
“The marketplace is always changing, but now it is changing more rapidly, both on the production and consumer side,” said Searchlight co-president Stephen Gilula. “The bar for theatrical viability keeps going up. While we are talking about other models, Searchlight is still a global, theatrically driven company, trying to make money on each individual title. We haven’t changed our acquisition calculus, but...
- 1/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson, Chris O'Falt and Graham Winfrey
- Thompson on Hollywood
On Friday in Park City, the bidding wars opened for business. Fox Searchlight co-president Nancy Utley began and ended her day at the Eccles Theatre, where the Sundance premieres culminated with the big acquisition title, “The Big Sick,” directed by Michael Showalter and produced by Judd Apatow. Appetites remain high for Sundance titles, but last year proved to be a teachable moment for indie distribution: There’s a big difference between being able to compete for a title, and successfully gauging what will work in the marketplace.
“The marketplace is always changing, but now it is changing more rapidly, both on the production and consumer side,” said Searchlight co-president Stephen Gilula. “The bar for theatrical viability keeps going up. While we are talking about other models, Searchlight is still a global, theatrically driven company, trying to make money on each individual title. We haven’t changed our acquisition calculus, but...
“The marketplace is always changing, but now it is changing more rapidly, both on the production and consumer side,” said Searchlight co-president Stephen Gilula. “The bar for theatrical viability keeps going up. While we are talking about other models, Searchlight is still a global, theatrically driven company, trying to make money on each individual title. We haven’t changed our acquisition calculus, but...
- 1/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson, Chris O'Falt and Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
“I’m nervous of the unexpected,” Dina Buno says to no one in particular as she sits in a dentist’s chair and waits for the drilling to start, but the film that bears her name — a sporadically engaging but hugely empathetic non-fiction portrait — is nothing if not unexpected. For Dina, a suburban Philadelphia resident who lives with what her mom describes as “a smorgasbord” of mental health conditions (Asperger’s being the most evident of the lot), this movie is just another chapter of the life that she’s been living for 48 years. For the rest of us, it’s full of surprises.
Look no further than the strangely moving scene in which a beefy male stripper is hired to dance for Dina and her neurologically diverse group of friends. The guy doesn’t flinch when he walks in the door, he just gets right down to business. All smiles.
Look no further than the strangely moving scene in which a beefy male stripper is hired to dance for Dina and her neurologically diverse group of friends. The guy doesn’t flinch when he walks in the door, he just gets right down to business. All smiles.
- 1/21/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
A verité documentary that mirrors the minor-key humor, the rough-hewn texture, the gentle conflicts and awkward grace of many quirky indie narrative features, Dina cozies up unobtrusively to its complex, strong-willed protagonist as she takes charge of her impending wedding and lays out her expectations for a relationship with no shortage of challenges. After capturing Puerto Rico's trans community in Mala Mala, nonfiction filmmakers Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles here take a sensitive snapshot of two ordinary people on the autism spectrum who are determined to carve out a meaningful future together.
The film takes its title from Dina Buno,...
The film takes its title from Dina Buno,...
- 1/16/2017
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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