Chicago and docs.

Critics for the Chicago Reader write up about 20 highlights of the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival, which opens today and runs through April 8.

"[D]ocumentary-only festivals have a special appeal," writes Austin Considine in the New York Times. "Audiences can expect a much wider range of styles and subjects than would be found at a general film festival, where documentaries are only a '10- or 20-film sidebar,' said Christopher Kamyszew, the Chicago festival's director."

Updated through 3/31.

Also honorably mentioned in the piece: the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (today through April 8), the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (April 19 through 29), the Portland Documentary and Experimental Film Festival (April 25 through 29), the Doxa Documentary Film Festival (May 22 through 27) and the Silverdocs AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival (June 12 through 17).

Earlier: Jonny Leahan at indieWIRE on the "Doc Blogs."

Update: AJ Schnack rounds up a preview of the docs on Tribeca's slate.

Updates, 3/31: Dan Mucha sends in a lengthy report to Facets Features and points to Tom Lynch's piece for Newcity on the Chicago festival's origins and future.

Posted by dwhudson at March 30, 2007 1:35 AM