New Herzog and Maysles at the Music Box / The Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle

There is an admirably ambitious new documentary film festival in town: DOC10 was programmed by Anthony Kaufman (who also programmed the impressive doc slate at last year’s Chicago International Film Fest) and will screen at the Music Box during the first weekend in April. It will feature the local debuts of 10 gems of contemporary nonfiction cinema. I offer capsule reviews of two of those films, Werner Herzog’s Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World and Al Maysles’ (co-directed) In Transit in my latest blog post for Time Out.

In other news, I’ve co-founded a new critics organization: the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle. The CIFCC is an alternative to other critics groups in that we are actively recruiting female and minority members and are inclusive of new technology and new modes of criticism (video blogs, podcasts, video essays, etc.) instead of heavily favoring print journalism. We are also seeking to strengthen the bonds between independent critics, independent filmmakers and independently owned theaters. We have an impressive member roster so far and if you are a Chicago-based film critic interested in joining, I urge you to apply online.