STF celebrates the 25th anniversary of THE GOOD FIGHT
- by Raphaela Neihausen, October 30, 2009
Matti Mattson, the 93-year-old veteran who fought with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War, took the stage on Tuesday to a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at Stranger Than Fiction (pictured). The occasion was the 25th anniversary screening of THE GOOD FIGHT, co-presented by the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives. Mattson praised the filmmakers for capturing the spirit of the times when over 3,000 American soldiers volunteered to fight against the fascist forces in Spain. The filmmaking trio of Noel Buckner, Mary Dore, and Sam Sills were joined by the film’s consulting historian David Paskin in a Q&A to discuss the making of the film. They noted that the film was among the last round of projects to be funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities under the administration of President Carter. It took over five years to complete and entailed over 100 interviews. Twenty-five years later that investment of energy is still paying dividends as a historical record. Among the STF audience were filmmakers who have previously presented their own work in the series including George Stoney, Ngawang Choephel, and David Leitner.
New film in STF fall line-up: HOOP DREAMS
- by Raphaela Neihausen, October 26, 2009
This year marks the 15th anniversary since HOOP DREAMS premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the audience award for Best Documentary. Roger Ebert described this film as “one of the great moviegoing experiences of my lifetime.”
To celebrate this special anniversary, STF will screen HOOP DREAMS on Monday November 9th. Due to the length of the film - the screening will commence at 7pm. Filmmaker Peter Gilbert will be in attendance. Tickets now on sale here.
STF hosts STILL BILL
- by Raphaela Neihausen, October 23, 2009
Written by guest-host Hugo Perez
Last Tuesday night, STF (with co-presenter SXSW) hosted the sold out New York premiere of Damani Baker and Alex Vlack’s STILL BILL, an intimate and engaging portrait of music icon Bill Withers. Withers is one of those iconic figures whose name some people don’t recognize until you mention that he penned and performed songs like “Lean on Me”, “Ain’t No Sunshine”, and “Lovely Day”. But STILL BILL is not just your standard biopic of a music industry legend, it’s an examination of an artist who stopped publishing and performing at the height of his career and a man who wonders whether he still has something to say in today’s world. Withers’ common sense philosophy of life suffuses his ruminations on his career – ruminations shared both with the camera, and with friends like Cornell West and Tavis Smiley who drop by for an impromptu visit. Withers’ classic songs are woven in throughout the portrait through archival performances that compliment Withers’ reflections on his life and whether he wants to get back in the saddle again.
A little Berlusconi at STF
- by Raphaela Neihausen, October 15, 2009
Another sold out house greeted Erik Gandini’s VIDEOCRACY. Fresh off the heels of the Toronto International Film Festival and the Hamptons Film Festival, Erik made a brief stop in NY to present the film. The Q&A included insights into Erik’s approach to both the subject matter and filmmaking process. In plugging last Tuesday’s screening, Time Out NY wrote “you must must must see this documentary” - they were right! To read more about the film, you can visit Robyn Hillman-Harrigan’s piece in Flavorpill.
(photo courtesy of Joshua Z Weinstein)
Read more »STF: Kung fu style
- by Raphaela Neihausen, October 08, 2009
Last Tuesday, STF screened Alexander Sebastien Lee’s THE REAL SHAOLIN to an audience that was equal-parts documentary lovers and martial-arts enthusiasts. A crowd-pleaser at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, THE REAL SHAOLIN follows two Chinese and two Western students of martial-arts over months of difficult lessons and life-changing experiences, revealing just how much hard work goes into those dazzling moves. The film not only transports us to a different country, but to a different state of mind, where everything is sacrificed for athletic mastery. For the Westerners Orion and Eric, adjusting to the foreign mindset is an added challenge. For Yuan and Zhu, the stakes are even higher, as they have no other prospects. Alexander Sebastien Lee (visiting all the way from Beijing, China) explained the challenging multi-year process of filming and editing this project, and also shared some martial arts philosophies that he picked up along the way. The Q&A was capped off with the audience singing “Happy Birthday” to STF host Thom Powers. It was a somewhat excruciating experience for Thom, leading him to dictate a new STF rule: STF audiences can only sing this song to 10 year olds (like Doug Pray’s daughter during the screening of BIG RIG) or 98 year olds (like film subject Ruth Gruber during last week’s screening of AHEAD OF TIME).
(photo courtesy of Joshua Z Weinstein)
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Upcoming Screenings
Mar 16: DAVID HOLZMAN’S DIARY
by Jim McBrideThis landmark work blending fiction and reality made a deep impression on the 1970s generation of filmmakers. STF is pleased to show this rare big screen appearance, accompanied by a Q&A with the ...
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Apr 6: AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE
by Steven SoderberghAND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE provides an intimate portrait of master monologist Spalding Gray, as described by his most critical, irreverent and insightful biographer: Spalding Gray. Director Steven ...
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Apr 13: HORSES
by Liz MerminAn unusual, beautifully detailed documentary following a year in the lives of three charismatic Irish racehorses. Ireland’s horse-racing culture has produced some of the finest athletes in the ...
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Apr 14: FAMILY AFFAIR
by Chico ColvardWednesday Night Special Description from Sundance catalogue: At 10 years old, Chico Colvard shot his older sister in the leg. This seemingly random act detonated a chain reaction that exposed ...
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Apr 20: THE KIDS GROW UP
by Doug BlockIn his previous documentary, the internationally acclaimed 51 BIRCH STREET, Doug Block looked at his parents’ seemingly ordinary marriage and uncovered a universal story about an archetypal, ...
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Apr 27: CLEANFLIX
by Andrew James and Joshua LigairiDescription from Toronto International Film Festival catalogue: Mormons can be movie lovers too. The problem is that their religious leaders strongly discourage R-rated content. As one Mormon ...
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May 4: PIN GODS
by Larry LockeInspired by the record breaking accomplishments of Walter Ray Williams, Jr., the reigning professional bowler of the year, three newcomers set out to chase their own dreams of pro bowling greatness. ...
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May 11: LIFE 2.0
by Jason Spingarn-KoffDescription from Sundance catalogue: Every day, across all corners of the globe, hundreds of thousands of users log onto Second Life, a virtual online world not entirely unlike our own. They enter ...
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May 18: MY PERESTROIKA
by Robin HessmanDescription from Sundance catalogue: The Bolshevik revolution, the cold war, and the collapse of the Soviet Union defined the history of the twentieth century. With such a past, what does it mean ...
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May 25: MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA
by Dziga VertovSoviet director Dziga Vertov’s experimental film grew out of his belief, shared by his editor, Elizaveta Svilova (who was also his wife), and his cinematographer, Mikhail Kaufman (also his brother), ...
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Jun 1: HAYNESVILLE
by Gregory KallenbergHAYNESVILLE: A Nation’s Hunt for Energy takes place in the Louisiana backwoods, and follows the momentous discovery of the largest natural gas field in the United States (and maybe the world). The ...
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Jun 8: CLOSING NIGHT FILM: TBA
by ...
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THE GOOD FIGHT directors (L to R): Noel Buckner, Sam Sills and Mary Dore.
L to R: Directors Noel Buckner, Mary Dore, Sam Sills and project historian David Paskin. Seated in front is 93-year-old veteran Matti Mattson.
Matti enjoying some wine at 99 Below.
Director Ngawang Choephel (
A toast to the directors.
Related Film/Screening:
SXSW producer Janet Pierson with long-time friend Joni Wehrli.
STF season passholders Andrew Berends and Andrew Yamato.
Filmmaker Yoni Brooks (Bronx Princess) with a friend
Related Film/Screening: 

