As the release date for the highly anticipated programme of the mile-stone 10-year-anniversary approaches, DocEdge are pleased to announce the New Zealand Premiere of The Yes Men Are Revolting, the critically acclaimed third chapter by comedic-political activists The Yes Men. The festival have also confirmed the titles for the prestigious opening and closing slots of this year’s season.
For the last 20 years, notorious activists The Yes Men have staged outrageous and hilarious hoaxes to draw international attention to corporate crimes against humanity and the environment. Armed with nothing but thrift-store suits and a lack of shame, these iconoclastic revolutionaries lie their way into business events and government functions to expose the dangers of letting greed run our world. In their third cinematic outing (after The Yes Men and The Yes Men Fix the World), they are now well into their 40s, and their mid-life crises are threatening to drive them out of activism forever – even as they prepare to take on the biggest challenge they’ve ever faced: climate change.
This year’s distinguished opening night film is the previously announced Sweet Micky For President. The director, Ben Patterson, producer, Karyn Rachtman and subject Pras Michel will be in New Zealand for attendance of the Festival, alongside the directors of the closing night film (T)ERROR, Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe. (T)ERROR is the first documentary to place filmmakers on the ground during an active FBI counter-terrorism sting operation. Through the perspective of “Shariff”, a 63- year old Black revolutionary turned informant, viewers get an unfettered glimpse of the government’s counter-terrorism tactics and the murky justifications behind them.
The Festival marks the festival premiere of Christopher Dudman’s The Day That Changed My Life: a powerful film built around never-seen-before interviews captured in the immediate aftermath of the February 22nd 2011 earthquake in Christchurch. Woven together with archive footage and dramatic reconstructions, Dudman’s film creates a confronting and poignant story of how the day unfolded for the trapped, the rescuers, the hopeful and the grief-stricken. This Kiwi film will be joined during the festival by a fantastic collection of New Zealand directorial debuts and punchy shorts.
For food lovers and enjoyers of delicious cinematography, the highly praised For Grace follows Curtis Duffy, one of America’s most renowned chefs, realizing his dream of opening his own restaurant, Grace. Already the recipient of two Michelin stars, Duffy strives for his restaurant in Chicago to become the best in the entire country. The focus on his career does come at a price: Duffy’s marriage is under severe pressure, which also affects his two children. Grace was recently awarded three Michelin stars.
Alongside the directors of Sweet Micky for President and (T)ERROR DocEdge will announce more filmmakers in attendance during the Auckland and Wellington seasons when the full programme goes live on Tuesday 14th April 2015.
KEY 2015 DATES:
20th May – 1st June – Documentary Edge Festival: Auckland – Q Theatre, Auckland CBD
3rd – 14th June – Documentary Edge Festival: Wellington – The Roxy, Miramar
29th May – Screen Edge Forum – Auckland 4th June – Screen Edge Forum – Wellington
For more information and to keep up to speed with the latest news regarding the 2015 season, visit: www.documentaryedge.org.nz
