Monday Memo: A Band Called Death Released in Theaters


A Band Called Death from directors Jeff Howlett and Mark Covino bowed at theaters this week.

The film A BAND CALLED DEATH about Detroit’s proto-punk band Death from directors Jeff Howlett and Mark Covino hit theaters this week. Elisabeth Greenbaum Kassom interviewed Howlett and Covino for the International Documentary Association’s website, while Ben Edmonds covered the film for the Detroit Free Press. Jared Mobarak reviewed the doc for The Film Stage, while Eric Kohn wondered if a comparison between the film and SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN was apt at Indiewire. Mallika Rao of the Hufffington Post also spoke with Howlett and Covino about their film.

Writing for Realscreen, Adam Benzine covered the awards handed out at the first AFI Docs, with the Audience Award going to THE NEW BLACK from director Yoruba Richen. Ian Sandwell also had coverage of the festival’s awards in a piece for Screen Daily. Basil Tsiokos had coverage of the marriage of the festival and Washington politics in a piece for Indiewire, and provided additional coverage at his What (Not) to Doc blog. Ann Hornaday had news on the festival’s start for the Washington Post, and Patricia Aufderheide of American University’s Center for Social Media recapped a panel discussion she participated in on fair use issues.

In distro news, Adam Benzine of Realscreen reported that Sundance award-winner CUTIE AND THE BOXER from director Zachary Heinzerling was picked up by Dogwoof for UK theatrical distribution. His Realscreen colleague Kevin Ritchie reported that Sundance Selects had acquired North American rights for THE PUNK SINGER, Sini Anderson’s profile of musician and artist Kathleen Hanna. Benzine also had the news that Oscilloscope Laboratories had picked up North American rights for OFF LABEL, from directors Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher.

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