Niall's Picks
Like many, my formative, childhood cinema-going adventures were filled with escapist fare like fantasy and sci-fi - I still recall the mind-blowing sensation of watching Star Wars at aged five! My interest and appreciation for cinema grew as I grew, and in later years the discovery of the work of directors like Pedro Almodovar, Spike Lee, Jane Campion, Terrence Davies and Wong Kar Wai as well as countless others from previous and subsequent generations, provided further escapism, though instead of galaxies far, far away, I was transported into the lives of characters in far flung corners of the world. Now, the films I enjoy cover all genres, from lavish, golden-era musicals and film noir to minimalist kitchen sink dramas, documentaries, and everything in between. I think my picks illustrate my eclectic taste - I hope you enjoy them!
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About Niall's Picks
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The White Fortress
"The White Fortress is a startling, hypnotizing, but above all haunting work destined to linger." Globe and Mail
Berlin International Film Festival
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film FestivalSet in the rundown Sarajevo suburb of Alipasino Polje, writer/direct...
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Taming The Garden
"...the foibles of the super-wealthy and the environmental cost of our way of living – are brought together in this extraordinary, savagely poetic film." The Observer
Sundance Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
Hot Docs International Documentary FestivalSalomé Jashi's remarkable...
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Neds
"A stringent street psychodrama in which brutality is an infection and every male is a carrier." NPR
Toronto International Film Festival
BFI London Film Festival
San Sebastian International Film FestivalNeds follows the story of John McGill, a young boy growing up in 1970s, Scotland. While a b...
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Unarmed Verses
"There's a quiet, discreet magic at work with Charles Officer's latest documentary, Unarmed Verses." The Globe and Mail
Winner Hot Docs Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
Winner Vancouver Film FestivalA thoughtful and vivid portrait of a community facing imposed relocation. At ...
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Nîpawistamâsowin We Will Stand Up
The story of the killing of Colten Boushie and his family's pursuit of justice.
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Spoon
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Tallinn Black Nights Film FestivalThere are many aspects that have defined our turn towards modernity and our plunge into the post-modern era. There are the ways in which we communicate, there are the ways in which we travel, the ways in which we work an...
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The Smart Studios Story
SXSW
Wendy Schneider’s illuminating documentary pays tribute to the history of Madison, Wisconsin-based recording studio, Smart Studios and its connection to the global rise of Alternative Rock in the 1990s. Featuring fantastic archive material and contributions from its founders and many of the...
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The General (1926)
Cannes Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
International Film Festival RotterdamWhen the American Civil War breaks out, confederate railroad engineer Johnny Gray has his beloved locomotive carrying his fiancée stolen by Union spies. He boards another massive train, and sets out to ...
