Documentaries

WINNER Grand Jury Award Best Documentary Feature Slamdance

A film about Sergio Martinez's fights in and out of the boxing ring

"A STUNNING EYE-OPENER, A FILMIC ENCOUNTER" - Howard Feinstein, Filmmaker Magazine

A dynamic documentary about women in baseball and their fight for equality

	Beyond Iconic A profile of Dennis Stock, photographer of the 20th century James Dean walks down Broadway, his shoulders hunched against the drizzle. The greatest legends of jazz, from Louis Armstrong to the cool Miles Davis, are caught in some of their most passionate or private moments. Epitomizing the spirit of 1960’s counter-culture, a hippie plays a flute as he walks along, all his earthly belongings in a back-pack. Lost in her own thoughts for a moment, Audrey Hepburn sits pensive between takes. Images capture the subdued beauty of a Provence winter. Like an abstract painting, the sun appears as a point of light behind a window coated thickly with frost....more >>
	Bible Quiz WINNER Grand Jury Award Best Documentary Feature Slamdance Mikayla is just like any other normal seventeen year old girl with a crush; except unlike other girls, Mikayla has over 2,000 Bible verses memorized and that the object of her affection is her Bible Quiz team captain JP. This year JP only has eyes for the National Bible Quiz Championship. Last year he placed third nationally and now in their last year, he wants to their church to win. In order to succeed though, they must compete against thousands of other teens from across the US including their biggest rival, heavy-weight Cedar Park. Mikayla hopes that if she can lead their team to...more >>
	Empty Hand: The real Karate Kids Four Competitors, One Dream A true story of four young karate competitors who prepare to fight against their toughest rivals in the biggest tournament of the year. This film is an open window into their private lives. From the confines of the Karate dojo, to the wider outside world and beyond their comfort zone, the four struggle to balance the rigors of training with the demands of being a young person in America. This is a tale of dreams, aspirations, and the hope of taking home the title of the next Karate Kid Champion. more >>
	HARDBALL - A WOMANS BASEBALL ODYSSEY A dynamic documentary about women in baseball and their fight for equality A film about the challenges and achievements of girls and women who play baseball, and their fight for recognition and a future in the sport they love. “You must mean softball.” “No,” she replies, “I play baseball.” “But…” YOU’RE A GIRL. GIRLS DON’T PLAY BASEBALL. SOFTBALL IS FOR GIRLS. BASEBALL IS FOR BOYS. ONLY BOYS PLAY BASEBALL. Girls and women who play baseball have heard all the statements above. Despite over 100,000 girls playing baseball in Little League, only about 1,000 are still playing by the time they reach high...more >>
	Hotel Gramercy Park Director Douglas Keeve, who peeked under the skirts of the fashion industry in Seamless (which played at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2005) and Unzipped, turns his camera on another facet of New York: the Gramercy Park Hotel. In its earliest iteration, the hotel lured in those who had arrived in high society-and those who wanted to. The Kennedys rented out a floor. An up-andcoming Humphrey Bogart tied the knot there. In the '70s and '80s, it became popular with creative-types of a different sort: the musicians, artists, and junkies who appreciated the management's "anything goes" attitude...more >>
	In the Realms of the Unreal Oscar-Shortlisted Documentary This innovative feature length documentary, directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jessica YU and produced by Susan WEST, explores the parallel lives of legendary outsider artist Henry Darger. Reclusive janitor by day, visionary artist by night, Darger’s 15,000 page novel details the exploits of the Vivian Girls, seven angelic sisters who lead a rebellion against godless, child-enslaving men. Featuring the voices of Dakota FANNING (I AM SAM, CAT IN THE HAT) and Larry Pine (THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, THE ICE STORM), the music of Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal and the work of a team of...more >>
	ISABELLA ROSSELLINI'S GREEN PORNO LIVE Issabella Rossellini explains animal reproduction like you've never seen it before A hilarious documentary special following Isabella Rossellini on her international tour for her one-woman show. Based on her wildly popular short films GREEN PORNO, SEDUCE ME & MAMMAS., the special is part live performance, part behind the scenes, and fully absurd. After making 40 short films in the GREEN PORNO series, Isabella is sharing the magic of nature with live audiences with GREEN PORNO LIVE. Tackling some important issues through these quirky, hilarious, kinky, innovative films, Isabella has put a unique comedic spin on animals and marine life. Similar to her films...more >>
	KUMU HINA "A STUNNING EYE-OPENER, A FILMIC ENCOUNTER" - Howard Feinstein, Filmmaker Magazine A film about Kumu Hina, a respected teacher of traditional Hawaiian culture, practices, and arts who happens to be a Mahu, a transgender woman. The documentary intimately weaves her challenging personal life with her newly married Tongan husband; their cultural challenges and deep love for one another with her powerful impact as a respected community leader and teacher. Her impact and example is in particular palpable and empowering to Ho’onani, a sixth-grad tomboy who identifies as being “in the middle.” more >>
	The Last Flight of Petr Ginz A deep and tangible emotional investment – Sound on Sight By 14 he had written five novels and penned a diary about the Nazi occupation of Prague. By 16 he had produced more than 170 drawings and paintings, edited an underground magazine in the Theresienstadt Ghetto, written numerous short stories and had walked to the gas chamber at Auschwitz. But this is a story of celebration as well as tragedy, a testament to how a boy’s wonder and creative expression represent the best of what makes us human. more >>
	Maravilla A film about Sergio Martinez's fights in and out of the boxing ring A true underdog story, Maravilla follows Argentinian boxer Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez, as he sets out to reclaim the title of Middleweight champion that was unfairly snatched from him in 2011 by Julio Chavez, Jr. Focusing on the rise of Martinez from penniless amateur to world champion and sporting celebrity, director Juan Pablo Cadaveira offers a fascinating glimpse into today’s boxing landscape, revealing the politics of the sporting profession that often places entertainment value over the sport itself. more >>
	Men of the Cloth “A captivating tale of an art in both remission and resurgence" - A & H magazine MEN OF THE CLOTH is an inspiring portrait of three Italian master tailors who confront the decline of the apprentice system as they navigate their challenging roles in the twilight of their career. The film unravels the mystery of their artistry and reveals how their passionate devotion to their Old World craft is akin to a religion. Italians Nino Corvato, Joe Centofanti and Checchino Fonticoli are master tailors who have spent a lifetime perfecting the skills necessary to construct flawless custom-made suits for their clients in New York City, Philadelphia and Penne, Italy, a...more >>
	8: The Mormon Proposition "...sparks an informed dialogue" -Peter Debruge Variety A scorching indictment of the Mormon Church's historic involvement in the promotion & passage of California's Proposition 8 and the Mormon religion's secretive, decades-long campaign against LGBT human rights. more >>
	Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful Keiko Fukuda’s life-long journey to achieve judo's highest rank Once in a long while, the life destiny of one woman lines up to make a radical shift for women around the world. In the summer of 2011, Keiko Fukuda broke through a glass ceiling for women when she was awarded the pinnacle of judo, the 10th degree (black belt). Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful is the story of Keiko Fukuda, whose life commitment was to spread judo around the globe. The film offers a thematic exploration of profound shifts in Japanese society and the altered status of women on both sides of the Pacific, with a visual style that honors Fukuda’s motto,...more >>
	Nursery University Set in New York City, the epicenter of a phenomenon cropping up in communities across the United States, "Nursery University" reveals the oddly competitive process of nursery school admissions. The film tells the story of five families - each with different backgrounds and economic circumstances - attempting to place their toddlers in preschool classrooms that have limited spaces and, thus, high price tags. "Nursery University" follows the families' journeys, and the school directors who must determine which "applicants" to allow through their doors more >>
	Protagonist Protagonist is a riveting and provocative documentary that explores the psychological transformation of the modern character. Inspired by Greek drama, Academy Award winning director Jessica Yu weaves together the stories of four men consumed by personal odysseys - a notorious former German terrorist, an evangelical minister who comes out of the closet, a bank robber turned journalist, and a Kung Fu fanatic who becomes a stay at home dad and author. more >>
	Rio Breaks "Gentle, touching and beautifully captured, this is the best surfing documentary since Riding Giants" - Total Film RIO BREAKS is more than just a film about surfing. It follows the story of two best friends, Fabio and Naama, as they navigate their way between the pitfalls of life in the slums and the joys of surfing on their favorite beach. Their goal: to win the contest and become professional surfers. Thirteen-year-old Fabio and 12-year-old Naama live at Favela do Pavao, an enormous slum near Arpoador Beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Pavao is home to Commando Vermelho (CV), or Red Command, one of Rio's most heavily armed drug gangs. It's the Red Command who sets the rules and regulates life in the...more >>
	Theater of War In the summer of 2006, with wars raging in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon, New York's Public Theater set out to stage Tony Kushner's new translation of Bertolt Brecht's anti-war epic Mother Courage and Her Children. Meryl Streep took time out from making movies to take on the title role—which many would consider the role of a lifetime. For the first time, she allowed a camera crew to document the complete behind-the-scenes creative process from first read-throughs to dress rehearsals. THEATER OF WAR not only takes us back-stage with one of the greatest actresses of our time, it also...more >>
	Unknown White Male Oscar-Shortlisted Documentary What would it be like if you woke up tomorrow with no memory of today or any day since your birth? What would it be like to live without a history, without your experiences, relationships or past troubles? How would you feel if you could start your life over again, make a new set of friends, discover new talents, fall in love for the first time, see the world anew? This may sound like impossible fantasy, but to Doug Bruce it has been a catastrophic reality ever since he suffered a rare and profound form of amnesia. On July 3rd 2003 Doug found himself travelling on the New York subway...more >>
	Where Heaven Meets Hell Opened GLOBAL VOICES season on PBS's Doc channel In East Java, Indonesia lies Kawah Ijen, an active volcano that houses a grueling, labor-intensive sulfur mining operation. Before daybreak, five hundred independent miners begin to collect and haul loads of up to 200lbs. of pure sulfur. They trek up a treacherous four-kilometer path out of the crater, engulfed in billowing clouds of sulfur dioxide gases. They then climb down to the village at the base of the volcano and unload, only to repeat the round trip journey several times before the day ends. The miners sell the sulfur for subsistence wages equivalent to eight dollars a day...more >>
	Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell WILD COMBINATION is director Matt Wolf’s visually absorbing portrait of the seminal avant-garde composer, singer-songwriter, cellist, and disco producer Arthur Russell. Before his untimely death from AIDS in 1992, Arthur prolifically created music that spanned both pop and the transcendent possibilities of abstract art. Now, over fifteen years since his passing, Arthur's work is finally finding its audience. Wolf incorporates rare archival footage and commentary from Arthur's family, friends, and closest collaborators—including Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg—to tell this poignant and...more >>
	Zombie Girl: The Movie What happens when a 12-year-old-girl wants to make a Zombie movie? Emily Hagins is making a zombie movie. It's feature-length, it's bloody, and the zombies don't run. Just like it should be. But there's just one difference between her film and every other zombie movie you've ever seen. Emily is twelve. more >>