Netflix to Premiere Documentary Shorts at Telluride

Netflix will premiere documentary shorts at the Telluride Film Festival, which runs Sept. 1-4. The films appear on Netflix later in September. 

Heroin(e) focuses on Huntington, West Virginia, which is described as the epicenter of America’s opioid epidemic. With an overdose rate that is 10 times the national average, the crisis is felt by many in the community. West Virginia native Elaine McMillion Sheldon highlights three women working to change the town’s narrative and break the cycle of drug abuse one person at a time.

The film launches on Netflix Sept. 12. 

Long Shot showcases an innocent man accused of murder, leading his dedicated attorney on a wild chase to confirm his alibi among thousands of people in a baseball stadium. The search leads him from the L.A. Dodgers, to a cellphone tower, to the office of the entertainer Larry David. On the night in question, television cameras happened to be positioned throughout the stadium, and “captured a story of remarkable circumstance,” said Netflix. 

The film is directed by Jacob LaMendola. It launches on Netflix Sept. 29. 

“We are delighted to provide a global platform to a particularly innovative and distinct form of filmmaking, original documentary shorts, which requires a very keen eye and skilled editing,” said Lisa Nishimura, VP of original documentaries. “Elaine and Jacob  have each crafted deeply emotional, impactful stories which will certainly shock, move and inspire viewers around the world."

The previously announced film Resurface,  winner of a special jury mention at the Tribeca Film Festival, will launch on Netflix Sept. 1. Struggling with trauma and depression, Iraq war veteran Bobby Lane wanted to cross surfing off his bucket list before taking his own life. He had no idea, said Netflix, “that one wave could save him.”

Resurface is directed by Joshua Izenberg and Wynn Padula.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.