Kyle writesThe Fourth Annual Doc10 Film Festival Starts This Week!

written by Kyle Sanders

The Fourth Annual Doc10 Film Festival
April 11 - 14th, 2019
The Davis Theater

For those of you whose interest is piqued by sincere cinema, the Doc10 Film Festival could prove to be just the ticket you're looking for: a four day theatrical experience dedicated solely to ten distinct documentaries presented by the Chicago Media Project.

The festival kicks off April 11, appropriately with Knock Down the House--a politically-inspiring spotlight on Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez--and will close out with The Biggest Little Farm, a fascinating look into the trials and errors of starting a sustainable farm in the middle of nature. All documentaries will screen at The Davis Theater in Lincoln Square.

The festival began as the brainchild of Chicago Media Project founders Steve Cohen and Paula Froehle. "We realized there were a large number of people in Chicago with the desire to be more engaged in film, especially documentaries--they had the interest, but not the access," Paula said. Unlike some festivals that allow filmmakers to submit their own cinematic works, Doc10's selection process is curated. "We have a programmer, Anthony Kaufman, and he sees films all year round. Then he brings us suggestions that he thinks are the best...we look for ten (documentaries) that are fairly diverse in terms of content and cultural background, as well as subjects we choose," Paula said.

This year's crop of docs range from concerns both environmental (Anthropocene: The Human Epoch) to political (The Infiltrators), from a "rousing tribute" to the First Amendment (Hail Satan?) to a complex portrait of a legendary journalist (Mike Wallace is Here), and nearly all are products of our modern culture. "We don't start out with a theme," says co-founder Steve Cohen. "What we tend to see is the documentaries that get released tend to reflect what is going on in the world today."

But Doc10 isn't just about admiring documentaries, there are plenty of doc-related events to keep all film-goers occupied. The festival includes discussion panels at select showings, investor workshops, brunches, and the return of the "VR RV," a festival favorite that allows festival-goers to experience a virtual reality traveling space. All the more to make Doc10 a worthwhile occasion that celebrates truth in film making.

"When you can turn the camera on the average person's life or demonstrate how dramatic life really is, it demonstrates to the audience that their lives are equally valid in terms of material," Paula explained. "Each one of us carries a story inside ourselves that validates why we're here; documentary films speak to what is at the core of human beings and what connects us." Steve continued the sentiment: "When you see real stories of real people playing out in front of you, you can't help but want to be activated by (documentary films)."

The Chicago Media Project does indeed hope you're activated to check out the Doc10 Film Festival, happening April 11 - 14. Tickets for screenings and a full list of events can be found on the website.

To find out more information about the Chicago Media Project, visit https://www.chicagomediaproject.org/.