CHRISTINE SUN KIM

We are <3ing photographer & filmmaker Todd Selby's latest film, in which deaf sound artist Christine Sun Kim explains her aesthetic vision. Gorgeous ting. (via nowness)

INSIDE THE CREATIVE MIND OF TOM FORD

Oh look, it's a trailer from fancy fashion man Tom Ford's much hyped & much delayed, fly-on-the-wall documentary:

We first told you about the project yonks ago, and now it looks like the film is set to debut on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network on October 23rd. Have a look at some more exclusive snippets below, if you like.

DIGITAL COUTURE

Cutting-edge fashion's hottest commodity, one Nicola Formichetti, has been flirting with digital couture, hand-in-hand with multi-player gaming company CPP. The result? A virtual catwalk starring Zombie Boy himself, Mugler model Rick Genest. 

A truly exciting premise, lead by a team of creatives who approach their craft fearlessly. We'll let the documentary do the talking; head on over to Dazed for the full version.

NONFICTION: OSCAR RUMBLINGS FOR JESSICA YU

Our very own Jessica Yu (via Nonfiction) is getting some very exciting Oscar buzz for her documentary Last Call at the Oasis.

The doc deals with the vital role water plays in our lives, exposes the defects in the current system and shows communities already struggling with its ill-effects, as well as individuals championing revolutionary solutions.

Have a look at the trailer below, click here for info on the film, and here for a fantastic review via indieWIRE.

GREEN PORNO

This is almost too surreal to be real. It's also been around for a couple of years, but we've somehow bypassed it, so we're hoping perhaps you have too?

Meet Green Porno, actress Isabella Rossellini's award-winning series of very short films about the reproductive habits of animals and insects. Scientifically accurate and thoroughly entertaining (in a WTF sort of way), we've selected a couple of films for your perusal. Here she is as a whale, and then a dolphin.

There many, many more like this and you can view them all on the Sundance channel. Green Porno is also available as a book from Harper Collins, which you can get here.

UP THERE

Have a butchers at this fantastic short documentary by Malcolm Murray, about one of the last remaining advertising poster painters. The film was made as part of 'The Ritual Project', which is sponsored by Stella Artois - more on that here. 

LITTLE SCRAPS OF PAPER: PAUL BOWER

South London-based graphic artist & illustrator Paul Bower is the subject of our very own Tomas Leach's new Little Scraps of Paper film. Little Scraps is a series of wonderfully intimate mini-documentaries from a team of talented directors, which focusses on creative people and their process.

In this film, we meet Paul at work in his quirky studio, where he discusses the importance of sketchbooks and the immediacy of his workflow.

Here are a few words from Tomas on the project: "The lovely people at Pocko asked me to make a film about Paul for his upcoming show, Come And Get It. He has such a great way of working, it was a real pleasure seeing into his world and getting to nose about in his studio."

Make sure you catch Paul's show at the Sanderson Hotel (50 Berners St, W1T 3NG), where his penchant for punchy typography and bold, multicoloured posters will be on display for just two more nights (30th & 31st August). Definitely one not to miss.

LITTLE SCRAPS OF PAPER: LILY & ALESSANDRA

And speaking of Tomas Leach, his excellent Little Scraps of Paper venture (which we first told you about here) has recently uploaded two wonderful new short documentaries.

We meet London-based cake maker extraordinaire Lily Vanilli, and Montreal-born & Brooklyn-based illustrator Alessandra Olanow. Intimate, informative & charming as ever, Little Scraps shorts are always a pure delight:

DOCUMERCIALS

Following nicely on from our recent relaunch of Nonfiction Unlimited on our website, here's an insightful piece from documentary.org's Tamara Krinsky about the unique benefits of documentary filmmakers working in advertising. 

Look out for quotes from our very own Tomas Leach; Krinsky also refers to Tomas' ad for Chevrolet, in which American race-car driver Jimmie Johnson describes his scariest driving experience (see it below).

LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD

Martin Scorsese's documentary on The Beatle's George Harrison, Living In The Material World, will be out on DVD on 10th October.

Co-produced by the legendary guitarist's widow Olivia and featuring home movies & interviews with the surviving band members, the film traces George's life from his early musical influences in Liverpool, through to his time in the Beatles and beyond.

The 2-part documentary will be shown first in the US this autumn on HBO. An accompanying book, written by his late wife, will also be released and features photographs, letters and diary extracts from his life. 

LITTLE SCRAPS OF PAPER: SIMON ERL

London-based tattoo artist Simon Erl is the subject of the latest short film from the Little Scraps of Paper team. Lima Charlie capture Simon at work, as he walks us through his creative process.

VISIONARIES: TOM FORD

Ultra-suave master of fashion & film Tom Ford is to star in a fly-on-the-wall documentary about himself. The hour-long film, entitled Visionaries: Tom Ford, is set to premiere on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) on 24 June and was shot over several months, spanning the designer's debut womenswear show in NY - which featured the likes of Beyonce & Julianne Moore on the catwalk - , the opening of his flagship store in Beverly Hills, and even a brief stint guest-editing French Vogue in Paris. 

Fashion documentaries have become a bit of a must in recent years, with the likes of Marc Jacobs, Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour (for US Vogue) having all had the fly-on-the-wall treatment. The OWN network doesn't broadcast in the UK, but we'll venture a guess it's a matter of weeks before one of our own snaps it up.

Update: The doc has been delayed until September 4th. Patience, good reader, patience.

Update 2: Head here for all the latest on this, plus a trailer!

DIARY OF CANNES

We are loving this diary of the Cannes Film Festival from directors Carlo Lavagna and Roberto de Paolis (who gave us an interview with Bernardo Bertolucci via Nowness just last week), which features appearances from Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Michelle Rodriguez, Kanye West and many more. Watching this make us feel like we were on the Cote d'Azur with them! (Sadly we were not).

AT HOME WITH BERTOLUCCI

Directors Carlo Lavagna and Roberto de Paolis meet legendary Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci (The Dreamers, Last Tango in Paris, La Luna, etc) for a cosy tete-a-tete. Bertolucci was the recipient of an honorary Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony in recognition of his remarkable career & immeasurable contribution to international cinema.

TALIHINA SKY

What looks like a fairly awesome Kings of Leon documentary is on the horizon, people. Exactly when it will come out is a mystery, but we do know it is called Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon, that it will premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival (but only as a "work in progress"), and that we have this exclusive trailer for you to delight over:

LITTLE SCRAPS OF PAPER: DAVID WILSON

We told you about Little Scraps of Paper a while ago; Tomas Leach & co's mini films that peer into the makings of a creative mind at work. Check out their latest short about director and visual artist David Wilson below.

YOHJI

Enigmatic & internationally renowned Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto is having a busy year. His mainline label, launched in 1977, continues to challenge notions of proportion, androgyny and asymmetry every season. Earlier this month, The V&A launched a major retrospective of all things Yohji, which will be on show until 10 July (definitely one not to miss).

And now the 68 year-old designer's incredibly successful collaboration with Adidas, Y-3, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. To commemorate the event, director Theo Stanley was invited to shadow Yamamoto for several months, as he prepared for Y-3's performance-based Spring/Summer 2010 show. Click here to see the trailer for the resulting documentary, Yohji Yamamoto: This Is My Dream. 

And just because we don't like to do things by halves, make sure you also see Y-3's brand new fashion film for Spring/Summer 2011, inspired by Yamamoto's love for rock & roll, and the striking, dark energy it often conveys.

IGGY + DEBBIE

Let's all stare at this picture for a bit.

It was taken in Toronto in 1977 by Bob Gruen, back when Blondie were opening for Iggy Pop on their first major national tour. Gruen tells The Guardian, "I saw them talking, so asked if I could get a picture. We stepped into a bathroom, and instead of just standing there, he put his arm round her, feeling her up; she started licking his chest. A great music picture is all about attitude. They just look cool." Yes they do.

Check out Rock 'n' Roll Exposed, a 4-part documentary series devoted to Bob Gruen's life & work, Monday at 11pm on Sky Arts 1 HD. 

HOME-GROWN: LITTLE SCRAPS OF PAPER

Here's one to add to your bookmarks: Tomas Leach's Little Scraps of Paper.

The site, as its tagline reads, offers "a series of short documentary films about how creative people develop ideas". Tomas (who is one of our amazing directors) began creating these films as a personal project, which then developed into a fantastic platform for creative minds to share and inspire. A new film will be uploaded every month, and here is the latest; a look at London-based Moody and Farrell, who make wonderful hats.

LIBERTINES DOCUMENTARY

Sometimes accused of focussing their energies on perpetrating their own rock myth over releasing consistent material, this might be one to file in the 'hardcore fans only' category.


Carl Barat has just announced that a documentary about The Libertines will premiere at this year's East End Film Festival in London. Directed by photographer Roger Sargent, the film will open the festival on April 27. Here's a teaser clip.