Ava DuVernay's '14th' to Open San Francisco's Doc Stories
Ava DuVernay's "14th" will open San Francisco's Doc Stories festival next month.
SFFILM will present the 12th edition of the documentary festival from Nov. 5-8 at the Vogue Theatre, with DuVernay's Netflix film as the opening-night screening, according to Variety.
The screening is set for Thu, Nov. 5 at 6:30 PM PT. "14th", directed by DuVernay, is listed as a 107-minute film from the United States that premiered at the New York Film Festival, a major autumn showcase for new cinema, according to Variety.
The four-day programme centres on 10 feature documentaries described as Oscar contenders. Alongside "14th", the features include J.M. Harper's "Soul Patrol", Sam Pollard's "Tutu" and James Marcus Haney's "Black Sunflowers", according to Variety.
The lineup also includes Laura Poitras's "They're Here", about ICE agents' descent on Minneapolis. It is part of the feature slate for the festival, according to Variety.
Short films get their own space. Doc Stories will show 11 short documentaries, including Joshua Oppenheimer's "The Revolution Against Death", according to Variety.
Several film-makers are expected to attend in person. Ava DuVernay, Sam Pollard, Laura Poitras, Luke Lorentzen and Ben Proudfoot are among those due at the festival, according to Variety.
The festival will also host three Doc Talks, extended conversations around the craft. That includes a 60-minute session with Poitras and co-director Rachel Lauren Mueller on the making of "They're Here", according to Variety.
What makes this stand out for local audiences is access. Films that usually arrive through awards coverage or streaming will play on a single screen with the directors in the room.
