Pure Nonfiction

Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

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Hear the world's top storytellers talk all things documentary film. Host Thom Powers is as well-connected as it gets in this world as a documentary curator for TIFF and other renowned festivals. He wrote the book "Mondo Documentary" that is “required reading for fans of nonfiction cinema,” says Judd Apatow. Our podcast guests range from documentary legends to emerging talent. Follow us on Instagram and Substack at @purenonfiction.

Author

Pure Nonfiction

Episodes

PN 68: Policing in “Flint Town” 02.03.2018 37:16

On Twitter: @caneparitilidie @jessicadimmock @thompowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.

PN 67: “Control Room” Revisited with Josh Rushing 23.02.2018 30:36

On Twitter: @joshrushing @thompowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.

PN 66: Attorney Gloria Allred on “Seeing Allred” 15.02.2018 29:01

On Twitter: @GloriaAllred @thompowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.

PN 65: Sam Pollard on Sammy Davis Jr, Spike Lee & St. Clair Bourne 08.02.2018 30:55

You can watch an extended version of this interview at TIFF Originals on YouTube . Read more about the St. Clair Bourne retrospective at New York’s Metrograph cinema (Feb 16-19) Hear Jon Else discuss Henry Hampton’s work on “Eyes on the Prize” on episode 40 . Ava DuVernay talked about the influence of Pollard’s film “Slavery by Another Name” on episode 26 . “Sammy Davis Jr: I Gotta Be Me” had its...

PN 64: First Person Documentary with Yance Ford, Bryan Fogel & Jeff Orlowski 01.02.2018 35:34

On Twitter: @yford @StrongIslandDoc @bryanfogel @IcarusNetflix @chasingcoral @thompowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.

PN 63: Tabitha Jackson + 2018 Sundance Preview 16.01.2018 52:59

Films discussed in this episode (in order of mention): Three Identical Strangers The Imposter American Animals The Sentence On Her Shoulders Minding the Gap Our New President Clinica de Migrantes Shirkers Believer RBG Won’t You Be My Neighbor 306 Hollywood A Thousand Thoughts Cameraperson I Am Not Your Negro Faces Places On Twitter: @sundancefest @thompowers @purenonfiction Pure Nonfiction is dist...

PN 62: Errol Morris, Brett Morgen & Ceyda Torun on Documentary Style 11.01.2018 40:39

On Twitter: @errolmorris @brettmorgen @catsinistanbul @thompowers @purenonfiction @docnycfest Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network. For more, listen to: PN 51 with Errol Morris and Elsa Dorfman on “The B-Side” PN 58 with Brett Morgen on his career Try our other podcast: Documentary of the Week , produced by WNYC. If you’re in New York City, join us for Stranger Than Fiction’s...

PN 61: Jennifer Brea on “Unrest” 21.12.2017 28:15

On Twitter: @jenbrea @unrestfilm @thompowers @PureNonfiction Unrest website: www.unrest.film Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network .

PN 60: Alex Gibney & Blair Foster on "Rolling Stone” 15.12.2017 42:58

On Twitter: @alexgibneyfilms @JigsawProds @thompowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.

PN 59: Yance Ford on "Strong Island" 30.11.2017 33:45

On Twitter: @yford @thompowers @PureNonfiction This interview was recorded at SVA MFA Social Documentary program in New York City. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.

PN 58: Brett Morgen on Jane Goodall 06.11.2017 45:51

On Twitter: @BrettMorgen @thompowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.

PN 57: DOC NYC Preview 26.10.2017 40:01

FILMS DISCUSSED IN THE INTRO HIGHLIGHTING SPECIAL GUESTS AT DOC NYC Streetlight Harmonies (with Doo Wop singers from The Crystals, The Drifters, The Chantels) Soufra (with Susan Sarandon) Fail State (with Dan Rather) Maddman: The Steve Madden Story (with Steve Madden) Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco (with Pat Cleveland) Metropolis Competition (on New York stories) Itzhak (with Itzhak P...

PN 56: Agnès Varda & JR on “Faces Places” 19.10.2017 42:26

You can find Varda’s past work on Sundance Now and Filmstruck. On Twitter: @facesplacesfilm @jrart @thompowers @purenonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network.

PN 55: Frederick Wiseman - From "Titicut Follies" to "Ex Libris” 06.09.2017 48:53

On Twitter: @ZipporahFilms @thompowers @PureNonfiction Zipporah Films website: http://www.zipporah.com . Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network .

PN 54: TIFF 2017 Documentary Preview Part 2 of 2 01.09.2017 31:58

The films discussed in order of mention are: Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (d. Matt Tyrnauer) Silas (d. Anjali Nayar & Hawa Essuman) The Legend of the Ugly King (d. Hüseyin Tabak) The Other Side of Everything (d. Mila Turajlic) Cocaine Prison (d. Violeta Ayala) The Judge (d. Erika Cohn) Azmaish: A Journey Through the Subcontinent (d. Sabiha Sumar) Of Sheep & Men (d. Karim Saya...

PN 53: TIFF 2017 Documentary Preview Part 1 of 2 30.08.2017 37:34

On Twitter: @thompowers @DorotaMischka @PureNonfiction @TIFF_net Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network .

PN 52: Playwright Dominique Morisseau on “Detroit '67," “Pipeline," “Shameless" & more 27.07.2017 31:47

On Twitter: @domorisseau @LCTheater @thompowers @purenonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network .

PN 51: Errol Morris & Elsa Dorfman on “The B-Side” 13.07.2017 36:37

On Twitter: @errolmorris @thompowers @purenonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network .

PN 50: D.A. Pennebaker on "Monterey Pop" at 50 22.06.2017 36:40

On Twitter: @DAPennebaker @PHFilms @Criterion @thompowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network . Our podcast will take a break for the summer and resume with Season 4 in the fall. Stay tuned to @PureNonfiction on Twitter for updates.

PN 49: Steve James From "Hoop Dreams" to "Abacus" 18.05.2017 44:45

On Twitter:  @AbacusMovie @ThomPowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the  TIFF podcast network .

PN 48: HBO’s Sheila Nevins on Seductions, Heartbreaks & Her New Book 11.05.2017 44:41

On Twitter: @thesheilanevins @thompowers @PureNonfiction Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network .

PN 47: Jonathan Demme & Renée Shafransky on Spalding Gray 04.05.2017 29:09

On Twitter: @PureNonfiction @thompowers “Swimming to Cambodia” is now available on DVD. This episode also touches upon the IFC TV series “Documentary Now” that has a parody episode of the film titled “Parker Gail’s Location is Everything” (season 2, episode 3). Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network .

PN 46: Rashida Jones, Jill Bauer & Ronna Gradus on "Hot Girls Wanted" 27.04.2017 26:17

On Twitter: @iamrashidajones @hotgirlswanted @thompowers @PureNonfiction This episode was recorded at the Miami Film Festival . Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF podcast network .

PN 45: Matt Tyrnauer on "Citizen Jane" 20.04.2017 44:04

On Twitter: mtyrnauer @janejacobsdoc @thompowers @purenonfiction This interview was recorded at SVA's MFA Social Documentary program. Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF Podcast Network.

PN 44: From Indiana Jones to Guatemala’s Civil War - Frank Marshall & Ryan Suffern 13.04.2017 26:33

On Twitter: @LeDoctor @suckatash23 @FindingOscarDoc @thompowers @PureNonfiction This interview was recorded at SVA’s MFA Social Documentary program . Pure Nonfiction is distributed by the TIFF Podcast Network .