Silverdocs Turns 10

Ahead of the festival’s opening night Monday, we take a look at what’s playing. By Sophie Gilbert

Comments () | Published June 15, 2012

Happy birthday, Silverdocs! Not only are you the biggest documentary festival in the country, but you’re also the best (at least in our humble opinion). Each year, the Silver Spring event offers up veritable cornucopia of treats for documentary nerds: films tackling everything from music to religion to subcultures to stars. This year, there are 114 films from 44 countries in the lineup, from filmmakers such as Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Detropia), Eugene Jarecki (The House I Live In), and Yung Chang (China Heavyweight).

Opening night kicks off with a screening of Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey, Ramona Diaz’s look at the unlikely success story behind Journey’s current lead singer, homeless teen turned cover-band frontman Arnel Pineda, who was discovered by guitarist Neal Schon via YouTube. Silverdocs has confirmed that Schon and bassist Ross Valory will be attendance; no word yet on whether Schon’s current partner, former Real Housewife and White House crasher Michaele Salahi, will be there (but we’re guessing so).

There are screenings at different times on all seven days; check silverdocs.com for a full list of films playing. We’ll be reviewing different documentaries over the course of the week, so keep an eye out for our favorites.