If Only My Parents Were Penguins

Leave it to Variety to remind us all what a glorious era in documentary we're witnessing.  For critters, that is.

Let's see... it's not a bad era for inspirational sports docs, either (especially if the beleaguered coach finally wins the state championship in the final seconds).  Or for the offbeat competition doc, be it a spelling bee, or scrabble tournament, or ballroom dancing championship, or, hmmm, a crossword puzzle thingamajing.

It's never a bad era for music docs.  Or another Michael Moore rabblerouser.

And for everyone else pointing a camera at the world around them, it's a helluva era, too.  Even if you don't have a pre-ordained docu-formula-for-success, all you need do is get your labor of love into a big-time festival and the industry bigshots will look you over seriously. 

Seriously.

But if you're looking to score that big-time distribution deal, you better be able to do penguin numbers, babe.