AFI Docs unveiled a slate of films for its June 22-26 festival that includes Robert Kenner’s “Command and Control,” the world premiere of Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio’s “Doc and Darryl” and Barbara Kopple’s “Miss Sharon Jones!”
The American Film Institute event, held in Washington and Silver Spring, Md., already announced that Alex Gibney’s “Zero Days” would be the featured screening at the opening night gala, and Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You” would close the event.
Werner Herzog will be recognized as the Charles Guggenheim Symposium honoree on June 24, with a conversation moderated by Ramin Bahrani. It’ll be followed by the East Coast premiere of Herzog’s “Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World.”
Also slated are a number of events at the Newseum — called “Spotlight Screenings” — including Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk’s “Audrie & Daisy,” Toby Oppenheimer and Dana Flor’s “Check It,” Roger Ross Williams’ “Life, Animated,” and Kim A. Snyder’s “Newtown.” They will be followed by panel discussions or Q&As with special guests.
The event will feature 94 films representing 30 countries.
The other world premieres include Jamie Sisley and Miguel M.i.G. Martinez’s “Farewell Ferris Wheel” and Nicole Opper’s “Visitor’s Day.”
Here are highlights of some of the titles announced on Monday:
“Command and Control”: A near-disaster exposes the threat of aging nuclear warheads across the U.S.
“Doc & Darryl”: Baseball greats Darryl Strawberry and Dwight “Doc” Gooden are profiled.
“Miss Sharon Jones!”: Kopple focuses on the singer as she fights a yearlong battle with cancer.
“Audrie & Daisy”: Two teenagers who are victims of sexual assault try to heal in a social media world.
“Check It”: A gang of gay and transgender teens to to overcome violence and poverty through the world of fashion.
“Life, Animated”: A boy with autism learns to communicate by reciting lines from Disney characters.
“Newtown”: A portrait of the community grieving after the shooting massacre in December, 2012.
