In a nod to the times, the annual GlobeDocs Film Festival goes virtual for 2020, presenting a mix of long and short documentary films, along with post-film discussions led by Boston Globe journalists. From October 1–12, more than 30 works are screened via the festival’s software, Eventive, which allows viewers to experience timely and poignant true stories from the comfort of their own homes. Films cover a wide range of subjects, exemplified by the fest’s signature entries: 9to5: The Story of a Movement, GlobeDocs’ centerpiece, discusses the real-life activism that inspired the classic flick about female workplace empowerment; festival opener Coded Bias reveals the prejudices in facial recognition software and how that affects our lives and society; and closer City Hall, from iconic local documentarian Frederick Wiseman, presents an intimate portrait of the inner workings of the Hub’s government. This year, GlobeDocs allows patrons to truly enter a whole new world without leaving their living rooms.
