Last Thursday, Full Frame Documentary Festival announced that its upcoming thematic programming willย be curated by the filmmakers Jessica Edwards and Gary Hustwit.ย 

Last year’s thematic programming was curated by the filmmaker RaMell Ross (you can read the INDY‘s in-depth interview with Ross, from last year, onlineย here). Curators from past years includeย Amir Bar-Lev, Jennifer Baichwal, and Steve James.ย 

“As filmmakers, theyโ€™ve brought the creative acts of an incredible range of artists, from Mavis Staples to Dieter Rams, into view,” artistic directorย Sadieย Tillery said in a press release. “They have a way of finding the spark in the creatorโ€™s eyeโ€”their films share the magic, and the gravity, artists experience in making something new and putting themselves out there.โ€

Hustwit has directed thirteen films. Helveticaโ€”an elegant feature-length film about, yes, the ubiquitous fontโ€”explored the obsessive world of typography. Other films like Objectified, Workplace, and Urbanized apply a stylish psychological lens to the objects and systems people tend toย take for granted.ย 

Edwards premiered her debut feature-length film about Mavis Staples,ย Mavis!,ย on HBO in 2016. She is the recipient of a 2017 Peabody for distinguished achievement in documentary filmmaking, and has worked with filmmakers like Sofia Coppola, David Lynch, and the Coen Brothers. Her documentary shorts includeย Tugs,ย The Landfill,ย and Slowerblack.ย 

The annual documentary festival will take place Friday, April 2 through Sunday, April 5 in downtown Durham. The full line-up has not yet been announced; tickets and passes are available here.ย 


Contact deputy arts and culture editor Sarah Edwards at [email protected].ย 

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Sarah Edwards is culture editor of the INDY, covering cultural institutions and the arts in the Triangle. She joined the staff in 2019 and assumed her current role in 2020.