Posted in: AMC, TV | Tagged: amc, amc plus, bill hader, documentaries, Documentary Now, documentary now...and forever, fred armisen, ifc

Documentary Now… And Forever! IFC Pairing Documentaries & Series

IFC today announced Documentary Now…and Forever!, a week-long cinematic celebration pairing classic documentaries and the landmark series. The in-person, retrospective screening series will play at The IFC Center located in New York, NY, from Wednesday, September 14 through Tuesday, September 20. For fans who cannot make it to the in-person screenings, a curated selection of documentaries will also be available on AMC+, AMC Networks' premium streaming destination, beginning the same day.

Known for lovingly paying homage to the world of documentaries, Documentary Now! Season 53 will debut with a two-episode premiere on Wednesday, October 19 at 10 PM on IFC and on AMC+ the same day. New episodes will debut weekly on Wednesdays. Starting today, September 1, AMC+ will be the exclusive home of previous seasons of Documentary Now!

"As devoted documentary lovers, everyone at IFC Center has been a fan of 'Documentary Now!' since the series began. It's a thrill to be able to bring some of the series lovingly crafted, tone-perfect episodes to the big screen, alongside the original films that inspired them," said John Vanco, Senior Vice President and GM of IFC Center. "We're especially honored to be hosting the first public screenings ever of the new season's premiere, 'Soldier of Illusion,' which pays tribute to intrepid nonfiction filmmakers like Werner Herzog, and the US premiere of 'Trouver Frisson,' an homage to the inimitable Agnes Varda. And we're proud to be welcoming Chris Hegedus, director of the documentary The War Room, and other special guests for these screenings."

The schedule for the week of Documentary Now…And Forever! at the Toronto International Film Festival 2022 is up now on their website. In celebration, AMC+ will also host some of the timeless documentaries that acted as inspiration for Documentary Now! episodes from September 14 through September 20, then again in October in line with the Season 53 premiere. The line-up will include:

• That Summer, which inspired "Sandy Passage"
• The Thin Blue Line, which inspired "The Eye Doesn't Lie"
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which inspired "Juan Likes Rice & Chicken" (Note: Only available in October)
• Stop Making Sense, which inspired "Final Transmission" (Note: Only Available in October)
• The Source Family, which inspired "Batsh*t Valley, Parts 1 & 2"
• Marina Abramovich: The Artist is Present, which inspired "Waiting for the Artist"
• The September Issue, which inspired the all-new episode "Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport"
• Faces Places, which inspired the all-new episode "Trouver Frisson"

The two-part season premiere episode, "Soldier of Illusion," written by John Mulaney and starring Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman, Big Little Lies), Nicholas Braun (Succession, Zola), and August Diehl (Inglourious Basterds), was inspired by the Werner Herzog-focused documentary Burden of Dreams. In the early 1980s, a visionary German filmmaker (Skarsgård) tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains. Kevin Bishop (Miracle Workers, The Tracey Ullman Show), Gana Bayarsaikhan (Wonder Woman), Matthias Rimpler (Ludzie i Bogowie), and Fred Armisen will also star, with Documentary Now! ensemble alumni Deb Hiett returning as narrator. 

"Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport" will star two-time Academy Award-winner and Documentary Now! alumni Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, Carol), as well as Emmy®-nominated actress Harriet Walter (Succession, Killing Eve). Paying homage to documentaries 3 Salons at the Seaside and The September Issue, the episode is a fly-on-the-wall portrait of a hair salon owner (Walter) and her staff (Blanchett) in the small coastal village of Bagglyport as they prepare their yearly stylebook.

"How They Threw Rocks" will feature Welsh actors Trystan Gravelle (Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, A Discovery of Witches), Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes, The Crown), and John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of The Rings, Indiana Jones), as well as legendary Welsh singer Tom Jones. In the vein of When We Were Kings and other great explorations of sport, the episode chronicles the Welsh sport of Craig Maes, also known as "Field Rock," and the iconic 1974 bout dubbed "The Melon vs. The Felon (Gravelle)." Fellow Welsh actor Sam C. Wilson (Dodger) joins as infamous Craig Maes competitor Sior Strawboss or "The Melon." "My Monkey Grifter" will be helmed by actor Jamie Demetriou (The Afterparty). Drawing inspiration from My Octopus Teacher, the episode follows Benjamin Clay (Demetriou), a filmmaker who forms a deep, emotional, and financially taxing relationship with a monkey who may have ulterior motives. 

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!