We’re often asked the question, “How do you find such a variety of films to screen?” The answer is a bit intricate, but the scouting season starts Sundance. We try to bring Aquidneck Island a mix of thought-provoking documentary films and the talent behind them.
With so much content streaming online, playing in theaters, and produced for television, curating films that are going to resonate with our viewers in a genuinely interesting way can be a bit of an art form. We wish we could screen all the films that we see at various festivals, but there simply aren’t enough weeks in the year to show them all.
We recently made the trek to Park City, Utah to attend the annual Sundance Film Festival. If you’re wondering about some of what our 2018 season might hold, then read on for 10 films that dazzled at Sundance.
CHEF FLYNN
Ten-year-old Flynn transforms his living room into a supper club using his classmates as line cooks. With sudden fame, Flynn outgrows his bedroom kitchen, and sets out to challenge the hierarchy of the culinary world. Dir. Cameron Yates
THE DEVIL WE KNOW
In 1945, DuPont introduced Teflon to the marketplace and changed millions of American households. Today, a biopersistent chemical used in the creation of those products is in the bloodstream of 99 percent of all Americans. A compelling and ultimately terrifying watch that will make you question everything in your kitchen. Dir. Stephanie Soechtig
THE GAME CHANGERS
The Game Changers will introduce the world to elite athletes, special ops soldiers, visionary scientists, cultural icons and everyday heroes. Each on a mission to create a seismic shift in the way we eat and live. Dir. Louie Psihoyos
GENERATION WEALTH
A documentary that investigates the pathologies that have created the richest society the world has ever seen. Underscoring the ever-increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots, Lauren Greenfield’s portraits reveal a focus on cultivating image over substance, where subjects unable to attain actual wealth instead settle for its trappings, no matter their ability to pay for it. Dir. Lauren Greenfield
INVENTING TOMORROW
Take a journey with young minds from around the globe as they prepare their projects for the largest convening of high school scientists in the world, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Watch these passionate innovators find the courage to face the planet’s environmental threats while navigating adolescence. Dir. Laura Nix
RBG
RBG tells the electric story of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s consuming love affairs with both the Constitution and her beloved husband Marty— and of a life’s work that led her to become an icon of justice in the highest court in the land. Dirs. Betsy West + Julie Cohen
SCIENCE FAIR
Nine high school students from disparate corners of the globe navigate rivalries, setbacks, and hormones on their quest to win the international science fair. Only one can be named “Best in Fair.” Science Fair follows one mentor and nine students from around the world as they prepare their projects and team for the 2017 ISEF event in Los Angeles. Though all are participating for the love of science, we also learn that there are other underlying influences motivating them to pursue their dreams of participating in the competition. Dir. Cristina Costantini
STUDIO 54
Studio 54 was the epicenter of 70s hedonism—a place that not only redefined the nightclub, but also came to symbolize an era. It’s co-owners, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell, two friends from Brooklyn, seemed to come out of nowhere to suddenly preside over a new kind of New York society. Now, 39 years after the velvet rope was first slung across the club’s hallowed threshold, a feature documentary tells the real story behind the greatest club of all time. Dir. Matt Tyrnauer
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS
New York, 1980: three complete strangers accidentally discover that they are identical triplets, separated at birth. The 19-year-olds’ joyous reunion catapults them to international fame, but it also unlocks an extraordinary and disturbing secret that goes beyond their own lives – and could transform our understanding of human nature forever. Dir. Tim Wardle
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
An exploration of the lessons, ethics, and legacy of iconic children’s television host, Fred Rogers. Examining Roger’s legacy, Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville offers a deliberate and beautiful tribute to an authentic human being and provides a much-needed salve for these often-fraught times. Dir. Morgan Neville (photo by Lynn Johnson)
