Traditional circuses still crisscross the country, but on a much-reduced scale from when they ruled America as the undisputed "greatest show on earth." Sharon Grimberg's two-part documentary The Circus rewinds to that era of big tops and big crowds that exploded more than 100 years ago. The circus helped knit together…

The song "My Bathroom" from 1969 never made it onto the Billboard charts. But that doesn't mean this ode to the commode—with lyrics like "My bathroom, my bathroom, is my very special room, where I primp and fuss and groom"—isn't worthy of deeper appreciation. That's the guiding spirit of Bathtubs Over Broadway, the…

Susan Lacy's HBO documentary on Jane Fonda opens with a White House recording from 1971 in which then-President Nixon disparages the actress-turned-activist. "What in the world is the matter with Jane Fonda?" Nixon asks. "I feel so sorry for Henry Fonda." The excerpt suggests how much the Hollywood star, who had…

The limited run of the gripping documentary Emanuel from Steph Curry and Viola Davis ends today (which is June 19 aka Juneteenth) and celebrities are doing their part to support, advocate and spread the message about the feature that focuses on the tragedy that struck the Emanuel A.M.E. church on June 17, 2015. Actors…

EXCLUSIVE: Martin Sheen to is on board to narrate Rush to Judgment II, an update to the 1967 version, Rush to Judgment, which is being executive produced by Stephen S. Jaffe. He is a former staff investigator and last surviving member of the legal team run by New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison who led a probe…

Serial killer Ted Bundy continues to fascinate the American public even decades after his execution. The latest demonstration of that comes with the popular success of the Netflix docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger. The four-part series from…

Free Solo's path to likely Emmy nominations has been paved with gold—the Oscar kind. The film about mountain climber Alex Honnold's breathtaking ascent of Yosemite's El Capitan—without ropes—won the Academy Award in February for Best Documentary Feature. It's now on Emmy nomination ballots in multiple nonfiction…

EXCLUSIVE: HBO Documentary Films has acquired the North American TV and streaming rights to Jenifer McShane's (Mothers of Bedford) Ernie & Joe. The documentary feature follows San Antonio police officers Ernie Stevens and Joe Smarro, who are diverting people from jail and into mental health treatment. Ernie & Joe made…

The 2017 publication of Salt Fat Acid Heat, winner of the James Beard Award for Best General Cookbook, established author Samin Nosrat as a major culinary authority. But the Netflix series adapted from her book has gone even further—turning her into a television star. "It’s been overwhelming," Nosrat says of reaction…

EXCLUSIVE: Grasshopper Film announced today that they have acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the Brett Story-directed documentary The Hottest August. The feature will make its New York premiere at BAMcinemaFest and then open in theaters across the country in the fall. The Hottest August is set to debut on…

Dogs has fetched a second season on Netflix. The verite documentary series, developed by Glen Zipper, celebrates the deep emotional bonds between people and their beloved four-legged best friends. The first season premiered November 16 on Netflix. "We are so excited that our pack is back for Season 2 of Dogs! From the…

"Missing my daughters growing up. That's what I was sentenced to." Cindy Shank voices those words in The Sentence, an HBO documentary directed by her younger brother, Rudy Valdez, that explores the impact of mandatory minimum drug sentences on one tight-knit family. In 2007 Shank was married and raising three…