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.
