The theatrical release of "Prescription Drugs", the follow-up film of acclaimed filmmaker's Chris Bell to his Sundance hit, "Bigger, Stronger, Faster", is scheduled on January 22, 2016. The release date also marks the film's debut on iTunes and on demand.
This hard hitting and thought provoking documentary exposes the Big Pharma, its marketing practices and their impact on the staggering level of addiction to prescription drugs in North America.
This is Chris Bell's follow-up to his film "Bigger Stronger Faster" after witnessing friends and relatives face tragedy as they become addicted to prescription drugs. Bell sets out to explore the goals of pharmaceutical companies and doctors in this ever-growing market and asks how are they any different to back-alley drug-pushers. His journey leads to experts on the nature of addiction in our culture as well as to pharmaceutical whistle-blowers that testify to the solely dollar-driven aims of pharmaceutical companies.
In the film, Chris meets with WWE legends such as Matthew “Horshu” Wiese and Chris Leben, with former California State Senator (now Congressman for California's 33rd District) Ted Lieu, pharmaceutical company whistle-blower Gwen Olsen, Cliffside Malibu Rehabilitation Center founder Richard Taite, Professor of Psychiatry David Healy, author of Generation RX Greg Critser, and members of his own family.
"Prescription Thugs" is a Samuel Goldwyn Films release. Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsley serve as the films Executive Producer.
Shortlist generate minor controversy with the omission of crowd-pleasers "Iris" and "The Wolfpack"!
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Tuesday, December 1st, the 15 films in the Documentary Feature category that will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards®. One hundred twenty-four films were originally submitted in the category.
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Amy”
On the Corner Films and Universal Music
Best of Enemies” '
Sandbar
“Cartel Land”
Our Time Projects and The Documentary Group
“Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”
Jigsaw Productions
“He Named Me Malala”
Parkes-MacDonald and Little Room
“Heart of a Dog”
Canal Street Communications
“The Hunting Ground”
Chain Camera Pictures
“Listen to Me Marlon”
Passion Pictures
“The Look of Silence”
Final Cut for Real
“Meru”
Little Monster Films
“3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets”
The Filmmaker Fund, Motto Pictures, Lakehouse Films, Actual Films, JustFilms, MacArthur Foundation and Bertha BRITDOC
“We Come as Friends”
Adelante Films
“What Happened, Miss Simone?”
RadicalMedia and Moxie Firecracker
“Where to Invade Next”
Dog Eat Dog Productions
“Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom”
Pray for Ukraine Productions
The Academy’s Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles.
The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT Directed by Ben Patterson; Story by Pras Michel of "The Fugees" LOS ANGELES PREMIERE BUZZ SECTION JUNE 11, 2015 8:30 PM
SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT follows Pras Michel, Grammy award-winning rapper and founder of the hip-hop group The Fugees, as he returns to his homeland of Haiti post-earthquake and finds a corrupt government in paralysis. With no experience or money, Pras passionately mobilizes a presidential campaign for the unlikeliest of candidates: Michel Martelly, aka “Sweet Micky”, Haiti’s most popular and most outlandish pop star.
The idealistic and politically inexperienced pair set out against a corrupt government, civil unrest, and a fixed election system to change the course of Haitian history. When Pras’s former bandmate — superstar Wyclef Jean — also enters the presidential race, their chances seem further doomed and the story takes on the wild twists of celebrity drama. Pras Michel acts as masterful storyteller in SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT and Director Ben Patterson brilliantly captures an important part of Haiti’s history as a fledgling democracy struggling to produce a government worthy of the world’s first black republic
The film won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival.
IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST Directed by Tony Vainuku and Erika Cohn LOS ANGELES PREMIERE JUNE 17, 2015
A stand-out hit at Sundance 2015, IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST is an insightful, eye-opening and moving documentary exploring in rich detail the remarkable story behind the Polynesian Pipeline to the NFL. To understand this phenomenon, one must appreciate the individuals and cultures behind the headlines, their unique diaspora to the United States and the role of the Mormon Church in facilitating their immigration.
A contemporary American story, IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST transports viewers deep inside the tightly-knit and complex Polynesian community in Salt Lake City, Utah. With unparalleled access and shot over a four-year time period, the film intimately portrays four young Polynesian men striving to overcome gang violence and near poverty through the promise of American football. Viewed as the “salvation” for their families, these young men reveal the culture clash they experience as they transform out of their adolescence and into the high stakes world of collegiate recruiting, pursuing the dream of continuing their community’s legacy of producing NFL stars. Their stories combined with archival footage and interviews with current and former NFL players (including Troy Polamalu, Haloti Ngata, Star Lotulelei and Vai Sikahema) make this film even more powerful.
This visually stunning film follows the life of dancer Maiko Neshino. She has reached a pinnacle in her career as the celebrated Prima Ballerina of the Norwegian National Ballet. Now, she comes face to face with her desire to have a child – and star in Swan Lake. In their debut documentary, filmmakers Åse Svenheim-Drivenes and Anita Rehoff Larsen explore the roles of mother and daughter with the traditional image of a ballerina. Early home videos of Maiko’s family in Japan are woven together with present day interactions between Maiko and her mother, emphasizing the sacrifices the family made to make Maiko’s dreams of ballet a reality. Elegant performance footage is balanced with moments of strenuous training, but Maiko’s grace can barely conceal the strain of continuing to persevere as the National Ballet’s top dancer – especially as her body changes.
The film will make its World Premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 14th 3:55 PM at REGAL Cinemas- LA Live. An additional screening is scheduled on June 16th at 3:30PM. Both Maiko and Ase will be in Los Angeles to grace the premiere.
“A Surreal, moving, infuriating and persuasive argument that in South Sudan, there’s nothing ‘post’ about colonialism.” Manohla Dargis, New York Times
“Provocative and unapologetically political filmmaker Hubert Sauper returns to the kind of African situations that characterized his Oscar®-nominated Darwin’s Nightmare.” Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Hubert Sauper's "We Come As Friends" is one of the first releases this year for BBC Worldwide North America. Early reactions to the film across the globe have been exceptional with many considering the film as a potential awards contender this year. The poster alone is very provocative and has proven to be a conversation starter.
The film won awards at the Sundance Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Subversive Film Festival, Austrian Film Festival, the San Francisco International Film Festival and others.
The films release schedule is as follows:
NEW YORK | August 14 at IFC Center LOS ANGELES | August 21 at Laemmle Royal WASHINGTON D.C. | August 21 at AFI Silver Theater
It will continue to open across the nation with engagements in markets including Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and more. Sauper will be participating in special appearances and Q&As in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.
The film is a modern odyssey - a dizzying, almost science fiction-like journey into the heart of Africa. At the moment when the Sudan, the continent’s biggest country, is being divided into two nations, an old “civilizing” ideology re-emerges – one of colonialism and a clash of empires – with new episodes of bloody (and holy) wars over land and resources. Academy Award® nominated director of "Darwin’s Nightmare," Hubert Sauper, takes us on a voyage in his tiny, self-made aircraft constructed from tin and canvas, leading us into the most improbable locations and into people’s thoughts and dreams in both stunning and heartbreaking ways. Chinese oil workers, UN peacekeepers, Sudanese warlords, and American evangelists ironically weave common ground in this documentary.
"We Come As Friends" is written and directed by Hubert Sauper. It is produced by Gabriele Kranzelbinder and Hubert Sauper. Cinematographers: Barney Broomfield and Hubert Sauper. Editor: Denise Vindevogal. Composer: Slim Twig. Sound department: Alexander Koller. Music Department: Malia. Sudan.
"Gorgeous." Indiewire "A mesmerizing documentary." Variety "A delicately seductive flow of scenes." The Hollywood Reporter "A charming and beautifully filmed story." Screen International "Spellbinding Documentary…" Dot Earth New York Times
SONG FROM THE FOREST will open theatrically in the US beginning on April 10 in New York, April 17 in Los Angeles and other cities across the nation after that.
New York | April 10
CINEMA VILLAGE Director and Subjects will be attending
As a young man, US-born ethnomusicologist Louis Sarno heard a song on an Afropop the PRI radio program that never let him out of its grasp. He followed the mysterious sounds back to the Central African rainforest, found his music with the Bayaka pygmies – and never came back. Today, 25 years later, Sarno is a full member of this community of hunters and gatherers. He has a son with a Bayaka woman, 13-year-old Samedi. As a baby, Samedi became seriously sick. As he lay dying, Sarno held him the whole night and promised him: “If you survive, one day I will show you the world from which I came.”
Now it is time to keep his promise, and so Sarno travels with his son from the African rainforest to a different jungle made of concrete, glass and asphalt – to New York City.
The award-winning documentary SONG FROM THE FOREST – A FILM BY MICHAEL OBERT takes us on this incredible journey with father and son providing an intimate reflection on the meaning of fatherhood and the sense of belonging. Sarno and Samedi meet family and friends including Sarno’s college roommate filmmaker/musician Jim Jarmusch, whose films Dead Man (1995) and Ghost Dog (1999) include characters reminiscent of Sarno and his life story.
SONG FROM THE FOREST narrates their victories, but also their defeats in a modern epic in which the shared journey of father and son steers towards a surprising reversal of roles and gives the viewer an intimation that the African rainforest and urban America, these apparently separated worlds, are not all that separate after all. Torn from his familiar surroundings, Sarno‘s fragile world is off balance in the US. The music of the Bayaka, existing only in his memory and the recordings he made becomes his inner voice and gives its pulse to the film. This traditional African music produces a tense contrast to the images from the contemporary US and evokes memories of the forest. The immense cultural divide between the Central African rainforest and the concrete jungle of New York City, rendered in the hypnotically atmospheric soundtrack as well as in patient and intimate images, forms a compelling and unifying backdrop to the various strands of the film. SONG FROM THE FOREST is a modern epic set between rainforest and skyscrapers.
Monday, March 16 11:00 AM – 12:24 PM, Stateside Theatre
Tuesday, March 17 4:45 PM – 6:09 PM, Alamo Lamar B
Friday, March 20 2:00 PM – 3:24 PM, Alamo Lamar B
A WOMAN LIKE ME is a hybrid documentary that interweaves the real story of director Alex Sichel, diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2011, with the fictional story of Anna Seashell (Lili Taylor), who tries to find the glass half full when faced with the same diagnosis. The documentary follows Alex as she uses her craft as a filmmaker to explore what is foremost on her mind while confronting a terminal disease: parenting, marriage, faith, life, and death. When we are stuck between a rock and hard place, can our imagination get us out?
Opening March 6! LA - LAEMMLE MUSIC HALL NY -VILLAGE EAST
When a legendary escape artist comes up for parole after more than three decades years behind bars, a chance for freedom must be weighed against his infamous past.
Mark DeFriest is an American prison legend, a notorious escape artist who has spent 34 years behind bars, with little light, hope or human contact.
The film is the exploration of Mark DeFriest's life and mind, both the facts of the case and the hyper world of his design, as seen in animations. Interweaving the animated past of Mark’s case with the parole narrative, the film becomes a de facto courtroom where the facts of Mark’s case are finally laid out.
Mark DeFriest attempted 13 escapes and got out seven times, turning his original four-year sentence into Life. The original crime that sent him to prison: stealing his own father's tools. So how did a low-level criminal end up looking at life in prison? And will he ever get out?
Postscript:
After going the rounds of film festivals, including a much-talked about screening at the Los Angeles Film Festival last year, Mark Defriest has finally been granted parole! Gabriel added a new ending to the film. Showing the film at LAFF and other festivals was actually key in Defreist's parole being granted! Director Gabriel London has followed this story for 12 years and been a key player in pushing for his release, and was able to show it to the parole board.
Filipina Documentary Filmmaker Michele Josue's film "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine" opens today at AMC River East 21 in Chicago and at Laemmle NoHo 7 in Los Angeles. For screening schedules in your city, please check this link: http://mattshepardisafriendofmine.com/screenings
"Our film and the people in it all bear witness to the simple fact that Matt Shepard was a good person — an amazing person with a bright future who tragically fell victim to the ignorance and hatred that persists in our society today." - Michele Josue, Director of "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine"
The new and award-winning documentary "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine" explores the life and tragic death of Matthew Shepard, the gay student brutally murdered in Laramie, Wyoming in one of the most notorious hate crimes in U.S. history. Framed through the personal lens of friends and family, it’s a story of loss, love, and courage in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
Watch the trailer below...
Directors Statement
Fifteen years ago, just past midnight on October 12, 1998, my dear friend Matt Shepard died from a vicious anti-gay attack at the hands of confessed homophobe Aaron McKinney and his accomplice Russell Henderson. Matt’s death opened the world’s eyes, including my own, to the hate and inequality the LGBT community struggles against to this very day.
I was 19 when Matt died and his loss was devastating for me. It’s a hard thing to understand, but as his story became an international news event, my heartbreak and sense of loss only grew as my friend Matt was replaced by “Matthew Shepard,” an historic figure and icon that will forever be associated with unspeakable violence and hate. And as the media stripped my friend of his humanity, I made a promise to myself that when I was emotionally and artistically ready, I would share, with the world, who Matt really was — in the only way I knew how, through film.
So three years ago, in 2010, after close to a year of research and intense discussion, I, along with a very small team, set off to make “Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine,” a film that would recapture the Matt the world barely knew. During the course of these years, I traveled all across the U.S. as well as Switzerland and Morocco to film important people and pivotal locations from Matt’s life. We made numerous trips to Laramie, Wyoming, where we photographed evidence from Matt’s attack. We interviewed the exemplary law officials who were involved in his case, including Undersheriff Rob DeBree, who painstakingly walked us through every detail of that fateful evening’s events. We filmed everyone from Matt’s parents, his closest friends, teachers, and mentors, to the bartender who last saw Matt and his murderers at the Fireside on October 6, 1998.
The people I chose to be featured in “Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine,” many of whom are also mutual friends of mine, all had close relationships with Matt and knew him at various points in his all-too-brief life. Collectively, they construct a truly encompassing and intimate portrait of Matt as he really was—a complex, sensitive, gay young man who worked hard to find peace and his place in the world. Through their vivid recollections of Matt, his joys and struggles, they reveal a young person, struggling to come of age, who is no different than any of us.
While Matt’s death did open my eyes to a world that could be so hostile and cruel, in many ways, the opportunity to tell Matt’s story has also showed me how incredibly good, beautiful, and just the world can be. Matt’s story includes exemplary police work, tireless activism, and the legislative victory of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. His story shows us how love overcomes hate, and mercy surpasses cruelty and intolerance. Finally, there is the power of “Matthew Shepard,” Matt’s legacy to inspire current and future generations to be proud of who they are and to live their lives with courage, compassion, and forgiveness.
As a filmmaker and Matt’s friend, I feel extraordinary gratitude to be able to tell his incredible story and a tremendous obligation to depict him honestly, as the flawed, yet wonderful human being he was. For this reason, it is heartbreaking to me that the dehumanization and victimization of Matt continues to this day in the form of outrageous conspiracy theories and disgraceful character assassinations, which can only be motivated by a reckless opportunism and a blatant disregard for any sort of acceptable journalistic standards.
Now more than ever, our film stands as a witness to what actually happened the tragic night of October 6, 1998 and, more importantly, to the innately good, kind, and big-hearted person Matt was. Our film and the people in it all bear witness to the simple fact that Matt Shepard was a good person—an amazing person with a bright future who tragically fell victim to the ignorance and hatred that persists in our society today.
As a storyteller, I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to tell Matt’s story in the honest, sensitive, and dignified way it deserves to be told. As Matt’s friend, I am forever grateful to have this opportunity to stand up for him, alongside his family and friends and countless supporters around the world, as he is not here to stand up for himself.
OPENING MARCH 6, 2015 LA - LAEMMLE MUSIC HALL NY - CINEMA VILLAGE VILLAGE EAST
**** March 1 Update ***** With the good news of Defreist's parole being granted, Gabriel added a new ending to the film!
This is one amazing news! I saw this film at last year's Los Angeles Film Festival and I was really taken aghast by the injustice committed against Mark Defriest and featured a review of the film in this blog. (You can read it here http://raymonddeasislo.blogspot.com/2014/06/los-angeles-film-festival-diary-day-6.html.) I also included this doc among my favorites movies of 2014.
And this is not even the great news yet. The greater news is that Mar Defriest was granted parole just two days ago! It is effective on March 10th! His original parole date set at 2085 will now be potentially cut by 70 years from his original release date --- this is one news that Mark has waited for three decades.
The film and the audience reactions have had a great impact in bringing awareness of the unjust incarceration of the film’s subject, Mark Defriest, which has aided this amazing possible sentence reduction. This is a testament to the power of film. Award-winning filmmaker Gabriel London has been following Mark's story for 12 years and the possibility of Mark Defriest's freedom during his lifetime was, until a few months ago, incomprehensible.
The Mind of Mark Defriest A FILM BY GABRIEL LONDON www.defriest.com
This documentary captures the bizarre, infuriating story of a carefree19-year-old Mark Defriest who ended up in solitary confinement for most of his adult life in a Florida prison. His crimes? Taking the tools his father, who was recently deceased, had willed to him before the will was probated.
The only home he has ever known is a prison cell, despite repeated escape attempts and doubts that he ever belonged in prison. Originally found ‘incompetent to be sentenced’ by five of six psychiatrists, he, like many mentally ill prisoners, has spent an incredible amount of time in solitary confinement – 27 of the last 34 years. After years of disciplinary write-ups – common with the mentally ill – Defriest’s parole date stood at 2085.
After the film was released, audiences responded with anger and passion to the perceived injustice in Defriest’s case. Filmmaker Gabriel London traveled to Tallahassee to share the film to the Florida Commission on Offender Review.
Dubbed as “Florida’s Houdini” and “unluckiest prisoner” by the press, Defriest recently was granted parole. His legendary escapes and stranger-than-fiction entry to the injustice system now serve as an catalyst for prison reform.
"The Mind of Mark Defriest" has won awards and critics’ praises ever since its film festival debut. Filmmaker Gabriel London successfully captures the haunting story with exclusive interviews, access to the subject, and visually-stunning animations.
Top Ten Audience Favorite- 2014 HotDocs
Winner of Audience Award, Best Documentary- 2014 Naples International Film Festival
Winner of Best Documentary Feature- 2014 Lone Star Film Festival
Official Selection- 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival
Official Selection- 2014 Doc NYC
Official Selection- 2014 Starz Denver Film Festival
Official Selection- 2014 Key West Film Festival
Official Selection-2014 Tallgrass International Film Festival
Four engineers, one problem: How to find the right woman in real life?
In his previous documentary RULES OF SINGLE LIFE (2011), Bulgaria-born, Helsinki-based engineer-turned-director Tonislav Hristov examined his own divorce and that of four friends – wondering what had gone wrong. His latest film, the English-spoken LOVE & ENGINEERING takes this concept one step further, as it follows Atanas, a Bulgarian 3D engineer living in Finland.
Love & Engineering follows four desperate geeks around thirty looking for analog love. Disconnected from normal social life, but hard-wired to reproduce, they are willing guinea pigs in experiments by their mentor Atanas. A fellow geek and a Bulgarian 3D engineer with a PhD, Atanas wants to help others in the name of science. On the basis of his own experiences, he sets out to structure a (pseudo) scientific formula for love and dating. With Atanas’ help, Todor, Tuomas, Markus and Andon try to hack real life, as the camera tracks their expectations, hopes, disappointments and frustrations. A film about true love in times of pixelated communication.
World Premiere in competition at the 2014 SXSW Film Festival Official Selection, Mill Valley Film Festival Official Selection, Hot Docs 2014 In competition for the Grierson award, BFI London Film Festival Copenhagen International Documentary Festival A documentary by David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg Featuring Bill Andrews and Aubrey de Grey Opening Thursday, December 11, 2015 Laemmle Noho 7 5240 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA
‘Cure ageing... or die trying.’ So goes the rallying call of Bill Andrews, the American scientist searching for a solution to the great inevitable. A health-conscious runner, his approach contrasts sharply with the methods of his British counterpart Aubrey de Grey, a magnificently bearded, beer-swilling theoretical biologist. The science is fascinating, with complex theories spun out through onscreen animation. And the moral and social implications are certainly meaty. But it is the characters themselves who are the most compelling element of this film. As we spend time with these radical biologists the personal reasons for their quests emerge, with particularly touching scenes detailing their parental relationships. And, like many a high-functioning brainiac, they possess a cadre of peccadilloes, none more so than de Grey, whose views on polyamory and al fresco lovemaking seamlessly flow into a philosophy that both men share – the absolute and defiant desire to live.
Following a successful festival run at SXSW, Hot Docs, and Mill Valley, THE IMMORTALISTS will open in theaters on December 11 in LA (Laemmle NoHo) before premiering on GaiamTV in early 2015, followed by a full roll-out on TV VOD as well as all North American digital retailers.
THE IMMORTALISTS is directed by David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg. Executive producer is Chuck Braverman. Cinematography by David Alvarado. Produced by Kate McLean, Jason Sussberg, and David Alvarado. With sound designed by Peter Albrechtsen, MPSE, editing by Annukka Lilja, and original score by Eric Andrew Kuhn.
Festival favorite and Oscar-shortlisted documentary "Evolution of a Criminal" leads the field of powerful, significant films from every corner of the United States, from Hawaii to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as Afghanistan, Africa, and Haiti! Three-part series "A Path Appears" that examines the roots of gender inequality, the devastating impact of poverty, and the ripple effects that follow is also in the Winter/Spring 2015 program.
The Winter/Spring 2015 slate of the highly acclaimed Independent Lens series on PBS was unveiled today featuring stories from various cities inside and outside of the United States. The program will kick-off with the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning film "Rich Hill" by Tracy Droz Tragos & Andrew Droz Palermo. The film, an immersive and realistic picture of growing up poor in America, follows three teenage boys in small town America as they struggle with isolation, broken families, and lack of opportunity. It airs on Monday, January 5, 2015.
“From explosive conversations about race in America, to the ongoing war in Afghanistan, to communities dealing with poverty and unrest, our winter/spring line-up features provocative explorations into many hot-button issues of our time,” says Independent Lens Deputy Executive Producer Lois Vossen. “We’ll continue to spark conversations by presenting independent voices and perspectives to help bridge gaps that threaten to divide us.”
Below is the season lineup from January-June 2015. All programs are at 10 p.m. ET (check local listings).
Monday, January 5, 2015 Rich Hill, by Tracy Droz Tragos & Andrew Droz Palermo This Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning film follows three teenage boys in small town America as they struggle with isolation, broken families, and lack of opportunity. An immersive and realistic picture of growing up poor in America.
Monday, January 12, 2015 Evolution of a Criminal, by Darius Clark Monroe Filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe returns to the scene of the crime to explore what led him to rob a bank as a teenager in Texas, though interviews with family, friends, law enforcement officials, and the victims in the bank. Executive Produced by Spike Lee.
Monday, January 19, 2015 The Kill Team, by Dan Krauss This film goes behind closed doors to tell the harrowing story of a 21-year-old U.S. infantryman in Afghanistan who — with the help of his father — attempted to alert the military to heinous war crimes being committed by his platoon.
Monday, January 26, February 2, and February 9, 2015 A Path Appears, by Maro Chermayeff Nicholas Kristof is joined by Malin Ackerman, Mia Farrow, Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, Ashley Judd, Blake Lively, Eva Longoria, and Alfre Woodard to uncover gender oppression and human rights violations in the U.S. and around the world.
Monday, February 16, 2015 Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People, by Thomas Allen Harris The first documentary to explore the role of photography in shaping the identity, aspirations, and social emergence of African Americans from slavery to the present, Through a Lens Darkly probes the recesses of American history through images that have been suppressed, forgotten, and lost.
Monday, February 23, 2015 American Denial, by Llewellyn Smith Using the story of Gunnar Myrdal’s 1944 investigation of Jim Crow racism as a springboard, this film explores the power of unconscious biases and how the ideals of liberty, equality, and justice still impact notions of race and class today.
Monday, March 23, 2015 Little White Lie, by Lacey Schwartz Filmmaker Lacey Schwartz grew up with two loving Jewish parents. When she discovers that the man she’s always assumed was her father is not her biological parent, she unlocks a powerful family secret about her real father’s identity.
Monday, April 6, 2015 Little Hope Was Arson, by Theo Love In 2010, 10 East Texas churches were burnt down in one month, igniting the largest criminal investigation in the region’s history. A gripping portrait of a community terrorized from the inside out.
Monday, April 13, 2015 The Homestretch, by Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly Three smart and ambitious Chicago teens brave frigid winters, high school pressures, and homelessness as they fight to stay in school, graduate, and build a future.
Monday, April 20, 2015 The Great Invisible, by Margaret Brown
Featuring unprecedented access to footage from the oilrig before the Deepwater Horizon spill, this film explores the stories behind the disastrous oil spill, from fallout to aftermath, and its continuing effects on a region dependent on nature.
Monday, May 4, 2015 Kumu Hina, by Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson Kumu Hina, a native Hawaiian mahu (transgender) teacher, inspires a tomboyish young girl to claim her place as leader of an all-male hula troupe, while Hina searches for love and a fulfilling romantic relationship with an unpredictable Tongan man.
Monday, May 11, 2015 Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity, by Catherine Gund The evolution of daredevil choreographer Elizabeth Streb’s movement philosophy as expressed through her technique, lifestyle, and challenge to assumptions about art, aging, injury, gender, and human possibility.
Monday, May 18, 2015 1971 by Johanna Hamilton In 1971, eight citizens broke into an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania, took hundreds of damning secret files, and shared them with the public and the press. Now, for the first time ever, they tell their story.
June 15, 2015 Limited Partnership, by Thomas Miller & Kirk Marcolina The story of a gay couple’s 40-year fight for the right to marry in the U.S. Decades before The Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8, a Filipino American and an Australian fell in love and waged a battle for marriage equality.
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Raymond Lo
"Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World," the official Batkid documentary, will have its world premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival, which runs from January 23rd – January 29th in Park City, Utah
The Film’s director, Dana Nachman, couldn’t be more honored to have been selected for Slamdance, which is known to showcase bold and daring films.
The documentary goes behind the scenes on the day that Miles Scott, a.k.a. Batkid, saved the city while touching the hearts of millions around the world. Miles, five years old at the time, was given the chance to dress up as his favorite superhero. The film explores Mile’s story, featuring exclusive interviews with he and his family on their farm in Northern California. Audiences will also hear from key members of the small team that planned the wish as they tell the roller coaster story of how a modest goal of 200 people witnessing a child’s dream evolved to take over an entire city and the internet.
Dana Nachman has won numerous prizes including 3 Emmy Awards, The Edward R Murrow Award, The Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Cinequest Film Festival. She has received more than a dozen grants for her work including grants from the Tribeca Institute, Fledgling Fund.
Her films Witch Hunt (2008), Love Hate Love (2011), and The Human Experiment (2013) have premiered and screened at the Toronto, Tribeca, IDFA, AFI and Cinequest Film Festivals.
Fans of legendary actress Jane Fonda will now have a rare chance to peer into the early life of the actress in the documentary film "Jane". Directed by Drew Associates, "Jane" captures a rare and oft forgotten piece of film and theater history as a young Jane Fonda prepares for her tumultuous starring role on Broadway in "The Fun Couple." The Drew Associates filmmakers track Fonda's every move during the production as she strives to legitimize herself as an actress and remove herself from the shadow of her father, Henry Fonda.
The film follows Jane through demanding rehearsals, testing the play for out-of-town audiences and, finally, opening night in New York. Though the show opens to devastating reviews, Jane's love of acting, her determination and her resilience shine through the biting criticism.
Watch the trailer below:
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2014 Whistler Film Festival announced today that the world premiere of SNOWMAN, a documentary by Mike Douglas, has been selected as as the Closing Night Gala presentation on Sunday, December 7.
SNOWMAN is the story of Kevin Fogolin, who from an early age wished to live and work in the mountains. His fantasy world is realized when he finds work as an avalanche consultant specializing in mitigating the threat of avalanches by preemptively triggering them with bags of explosives deployed from a helicopter. Kevin’s dream world, however, comes crashing down when one of these missions goes horribly wrong. Set in British Columbia's rugged Coast Mountain Range, SNOWMAN is a tale of passion, risk, and redemption. It is the story of a friendship forged in the mountains, and a life where the greatest risk is not daring to dream at all.
