The Waiting is Over. Full Frame Starts Today

One of the most important documentary film festival returns to in-person screenings

Screenshots of films included in the Full Frame Festival

This week, Durham becomes the center of the film world for documentary movie lovers. For four days, filmmakers will head downtown to screen 50 documentary films at four theaters as part of the Full Frame Film Festival.

It’s the first in-person screening of films at the festival since 2019, and the city has missed the experience and excitement of hundreds of people collecting in downtown Durham to talk movies.

Tom Rankin is excited. The former director of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke and current director of the MFA program in experimental & documentary arts said he’s waited for this moment for a long time. Here are a few of the films that he’s most looking forward to catching at the festival.

JULIA’S STEPPING STONES

World Premiere of a film by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, longtime Full Frame attendees.

A must-see very personal film made by husband/wife film team Bognar and Reichert about Reichart’s long career (which includes being a founder of New Day Films, the archive of which is held at Duke).  Reichart began to tell her story in during her long battle with cancer; Steve completed the film after her death.  A must-see chronicle, which is paired with Growing Up Female, Julie Reichart and Julia Klein’s first film.

Tom Rankin
Tom Rankin

GOOD NIGHT OPPY

Screening for free outdoors on Friday, April 5, in Durham Central Park. Directed by Ryan White.

Good Night Oppy tells the inspirational true story of Opportunity, a rover that was sent to Mars for a 90-day mission but ended up surviving for 15 years.  Made by award-winning filmmaker and Duke alum Ryan White,  you can’t miss seeing the journey to Mars under the Durham stars in a perfect outdoor screening.

CHRISTO’S VALLEY CURTAIN & THE POOT

Screening as part of the Thematic Program, “In Process: Documenting Creativity” curated by Gary Hustwit and Jessica Edwards.

A rare opportunity to see both incredible short films on the big screen. The Poot, about traditional Persian carpet weaving, won the Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short in 2011 (directed by Elham Asadi), and Christo’s Valley Curtain follows and celebrates the dramatic hanging of a huge orange curtain between two Colorado mountains.  (Directed by Albert Maysles, David Maysles and Ellen Giffard, 1974)

DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY

Part of the Tribute to Nancy Buirski, who founded Full Frame and led the festival for 10 years before directing her own films.  Her most recent feature, Desperate Souls reflects her deep interest in cinema history, exploring the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy and considering, among other things, how it embodies a cultural moment.

LOVE MACHINA

Directed Peter Sillen, who directed the acclaimed documentary Benjamin Smoke with Jem Cohen (winner of the 2000 CDS Filmmaker Award), returns to Full Frame.  Addressing the timely subject of AI, Love Machina has much of say about the nature of love, robotics, AI and immortality. 

RED WHITEVILLE AND BLUE

With broad international relevance, local talented director D.L. Anderson’s deep look into our complex political moment through Whiteville, NC, and beyond. A Sunday special.

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