In the 1920s inventor Jacques Bolsey aimed to disrupt the early film industry with a motion picture camera for the masses: the iconic Bolex. 90 years later, filmmaker Alyssa Bolsey discovers a stash of boxes that belonged to her enigmatic great-grandfather, and over 12 years pieces together the fragments of a forgotten family archive to reveal his epic story in the documentary, Beyond the Bolex, which will World Premiere at DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, on Thursday, November 8 at 9:15 p.m at Cinepolis Chelsea.
As Alyssa delves into the treasure trove, among the items she finds is an old movie camera with the word “Bolex” embossed on its side, and a dangling tag with the date, “1927.” She also discovers reels of 16mm films inside rusty cans that are too brittle to run through a projector. Once the films are restored, she is captivated by their casual style as commonly seen today with digital cameras and smartphones.
When Alyssa finds Jacques journal she learns of the trials he faced both as an idealistic inventor and as an immigrant. In his words and films, she finds a man living stateless in Switzerland, torn from his homeland by the Russian Revolution. After many years of inventing in Switzerland and still unable to gain acceptance, Jacques finds his way to the US and settles in New York City, where he creates a new generation of military cameras for the fight against fascism.
Alyssa travels to Switzerland – the birthplace of the Bolex and Jacques’ two sons. She traces her own roots to her great-grandmother Sima’s apartment in Geneva, visits the Paillard factory where the Bolex Model H was designed and built, and makes a pilgrimage to the current headquarters of Bolex International.
Along the way, Alyssa seeks insight from camera collectors, historians and renowned filmmakers who explain how the Bolex reached the farthest corners of the globe, unleashed the imagination and became synonymous with creative freedom. Simple and functional, it became a perfect tool for a diverse range of filmmakers. Alyssa speaks to Wim Wenders, Jonas Mekas, Barbara Hammer, Bruce Brown and others, who share their stories of how this camera has inspired and nurtured their creative potential and careers. She also discovers the enthusiasm his pioneering invention continues to have with filmmakers today.
“Curiosity was the catalyst for making Beyond the Bolex,” said director Alyssa Bolsey. “But what I didn’t see coming was the emotional journey I would go on while discovering my great grandfather’s deep desire for roots; this during one of the most tumultuous times in history. His was an immigrant struggle that we see playing out yet again today. And his story shows the power and ingenuity that many immigrants bring to their new home. Along with planting seeds that have grown for generations with his Bolex camera, he also laid down roots that would contribute to the technology that has become part of our daily lives in the modern world.”
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BEYOND THE BOLEX, Epic Story of Bolex Inventor Jacques Bolsey, to World Premiere at DOC NYC
In the 1920s inventor Jacques Bolsey aimed to disrupt the early film industry with a motion picture camera for the masses: the iconic Bolex. 90 years later, filmmaker Alyssa Bolsey discovers a stash of boxes that belonged to her enigmatic great-grandfather, and over 12 years pieces together the fragments of a forgotten family archive to reveal his epic story in the documentary, Beyond the Bolex, which will World Premiere at DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, on Thursday, November 8 at 9:15 p.m at Cinepolis Chelsea.
As Alyssa delves into the treasure trove, among the items she finds is an old movie camera with the word “Bolex” embossed on its side, and a dangling tag with the date, “1927.” She also discovers reels of 16mm films inside rusty cans that are too brittle to run through a projector. Once the films are restored, she is captivated by their casual style as commonly seen today with digital cameras and smartphones.
When Alyssa finds Jacques journal she learns of the trials he faced both as an idealistic inventor and as an immigrant. In his words and films, she finds a man living stateless in Switzerland, torn from his homeland by the Russian Revolution. After many years of inventing in Switzerland and still unable to gain acceptance, Jacques finds his way to the US and settles in New York City, where he creates a new generation of military cameras for the fight against fascism.
Alyssa travels to Switzerland – the birthplace of the Bolex and Jacques’ two sons. She traces her own roots to her great-grandmother Sima’s apartment in Geneva, visits the Paillard factory where the Bolex Model H was designed and built, and makes a pilgrimage to the current headquarters of Bolex International.
Along the way, Alyssa seeks insight from camera collectors, historians and renowned filmmakers who explain how the Bolex reached the farthest corners of the globe, unleashed the imagination and became synonymous with creative freedom. Simple and functional, it became a perfect tool for a diverse range of filmmakers. Alyssa speaks to Wim Wenders, Jonas Mekas, Barbara Hammer, Bruce Brown and others, who share their stories of how this camera has inspired and nurtured their creative potential and careers. She also discovers the enthusiasm his pioneering invention continues to have with filmmakers today.
“Curiosity was the catalyst for making Beyond the Bolex,” said director Alyssa Bolsey. “But what I didn’t see coming was the emotional journey I would go on while discovering my great grandfather’s deep desire for roots; this during one of the most tumultuous times in history. His was an immigrant struggle that we see playing out yet again today. And his story shows the power and ingenuity that many immigrants bring to their new home. Along with planting seeds that have grown for generations with his Bolex camera, he also laid down roots that would contribute to the technology that has become part of our daily lives in the modern world.”
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Brainstorm Media to Release Save-Our-Shows TV Fan Documentary UNITED WE FAN
Ahead of its DOC NYC premiere, UNITED WE FAN, the documentary that chronicles the stories of passionate television fans and their unique crusades to save their beloved shows from cancellation, has been acquired by Brainstorm Media, and will hit VOD on December 4. Fans, stars, creators and more come together to explore the history and evolution of TV’s save-our-show fan campaigns in Michael Sparaga’s (The Missing Ingredient) humorous and heartfelt feature documentary that made its World Premiere earlier this year at Hot Docs and U.S. Premiere at AFI Docs. From the letter-writing and product mail-ins of yesterday to the social media and crowdfunding campaigns of today, United We Fan goes beyond the headlines to give viewers deeper insights into fandom, community and identity.
Fans in New York City will get a sneak peek of the film when it celebrates its New York premiere at DOC NYC on Monday, Nov. 12 at 7:45 p.m. at Cinepolis Chelsea followed by a Q&A with director Michael Sparaga and film subjects. In Los Angeles, fans will have the opportunity to catch a special preview screening of United We Fan at the Laemmle Ahrya Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. The filmmakers and several of the film’s subjects will be on hand for a post-screening Q&A.
For most viewers, it’s simply a disappointment when their favorite TV series is cancelled. But the fans of some series take the loss a lot harder. And they fight back. United We Fan chronicles the stories of those passionate individuals and their unique crusades to save their beloved shows.
When married sci-fi fans Bjo and John Trimble organized their unprecedented letter-writing campaign to force NBC to renew the original “Star Trek” back in 1967, they couldn’t have known that they were also planting the seeds of fan activism that would forever change the relationship between TV viewers and networks. Fast-forward to 1983, when Dorothy Swanson, a Michigan schoolteacher, besieged CBS with letters to stop them from unceremoniously cancelling her favorite series “Cagney & Lacey.” Emboldened by her success, Dorothy formed the fan advocacy group Viewers for Quality Television, whose dedicated members fought to save multiple other “quality” series over their 15-year history. Today, 26-year-old Kaily Russell has picked up the fan activism mantle in her fight for the recently axed CBS series “Person of Interest.” Kaily spends every waking hour online, rallying the troops and trying to convince a new broadcaster or streaming service to pick up the series. Kaily’s tools and targets might be vastly different, but she is taking her cue from the methods of fan activism from all those that came before her.
Declared “a joy to watch” by POV Magazine, United We Fan intertwines the remarkable stories of Kaily, Dorothy and the Trimbles while also taking time to delve into the inspiring campaigns to save “Designing Women,” “Quantum Leap,” “Chuck,” “Longmire,” “Jericho,” “Veronica Mars,” “Roswell” and others.
“United We Fan is not a movie about television’s wackiest fans,” said director Michael Sparaga, “rather, it’s a love letter to the inspiring people who have formed communities and fought tirelessly against seemingly impossible odds to give viewers everywhere more seasons of some of television’s most iconic shows.”
Interviewees include: Bjo and John Trimble (known as “the couple that saved ‘Star Trek’), Dorothy Swanson (founder of Viewers for Quality Television), and Kaily Russell (currently fighting to resurrect “Person of Interest”); series’ stars: Nichelle Nichols (“Star Trek”), Zachary Levi (“Chuck”), Scott Bakula (“Quantum Leap”), Amy Acker (“Person of Interest”), Adam Bartley (“Longmire”), Skeet Ulrich (“Jericho”), and Enrico Colantoni (“Veronica Mars”); series’ creators: Tom Fontana (“St. Elsewhere”), Barney Rosenzweig (“Cagney & Lacey”), Harry Thomason (“Designing Women”), Donald P. Bellisario (“Quantum Leap”), Rob Thomas (“Veronica Mars”), Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz (“Jericho”), Matt Miller (“Chuck”), Jason Katims (“Roswell”), and Jonah Nolan and Greg Plageman (“Person of Interest”).
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2018 Woodstock Film Festival Awards – WHEELS and THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED Win Top Awards
After opening remarks from Roger Ross Williams, the first African American director to win an Academy Award, the 19th Woodstock Film Festival Maverick Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday, October 13. Awards were presented to exceptional films and honorees in numerous categories with the Feature Narrative Award going to Paul Starkman for WHEELS, and the Best Documentary Feature was presented to Assia Boundaoui director for THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED.
Tony®, Emmy® and Grammy®-winning, and Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Julie Taymor received the Honorary Maverick Award; and Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy Award®-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman received the Filmmaker Award of Distinction. for his debut feature narrative, A PRIVATE WAR.
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
The Gigantic Pictures’ Feature Narrative Award went to Paul Starkman for WHEELS.
“We chose Wheels because it beautifully explores the powerfully precarious choices that brothers make that impact their lives and all of their relationships forever. Stunningly told and poignantly acted with depth and candor wheels stood out in a thrilling year of Woodstock film selections. It explores the fine line between constructive and instantly destructive decisions and their impact on our lives- in an instant everything changes.”
Honorable Mention went to Brendan Walter for SPELL.
A Special Award for ensemble cast went to John Stimpson for GHOST LIGHT.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
The Best Documentary Feature, sponsored by Films We Like, was presented to Assia Boundaoui director for THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED.
Honorable Mention to director Juliane Dressner and Edwin Martinez for PERSONAL STATEMENT.
Best Narrative Short sponsored by Gigantic Pictures, went to director Leonora Lonsdale for BEAST.
Honorable Mention went to Alexis Gambis for MI HERMANO.
Best Student Short sponsored by Gigantic Pictures, went to director Jisun Jamie Kim for A YEAR.
The Woodstock Film Festival Ultra Indie Award, sponsored by Gray, Krauss, Stratford, Sandler, Des Rochers, LLP and Blackmagic Design, was presented to Alex Moratto for SOCRATES.
Best Animated Short was presented to Mark C. Smith for TWO BALLOONS.
Best Short Documentary, sponsored by Markertek.com, went to Skye Fitzgerald for LIFEBOAT. Honorable mention to Lynne Sachs for CAROLEE, BARBARA & GUNVOR.
“We based our decision on what stories we felt most needed to be told, and what stories we hadn’t seen before. We put special emphasis on films that show underrepresented people (like the older women in Carolee, Barbara & Gunvor). We wanted to cite a local filmmaker for an honorable mention as a nod to the importance of our growing creative community upstate.”
The Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography, sponsored by Panavision, went to Eric Bader for SPELL.
“Choosing a single film in this category was not easy. There’s been an explosion of great cinematography this year, and all of the films considered for the cinematography award stood out.
But the cinematography in this particular film is resonant, drawn with a deft touch. It is consistent and well crafted. The color palette and the choice of shots and lenses allow us a proximity to the characters, which aptly draws us into the drama and plays on our expectations, our emotions as viewers.”
The James Lyons Editing Award For Narrative Feature, sponsored by Technicolor Postworks NY, was presented to Kristina Davies editor for UNLOVABLE.
The James Lyons Editing Award For Documentary Feature, sponsored by Technicolor Postworks NY, was presented to Rabab Haj Yahya editor for THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED. Special mention: WRESTLE.
The World Cinema Award, was presented to Laurie Colbert and Dominique Cardona for KEELY & DU. A special mention to director Roxy Toporowych for JULIA BLUE.
The Carpe Diem Andretta Award, sponsored by The Vincent J. Andretta Memorial Fund and presented to the film that best represents living life to the fullest, was awarded to director William Fichtner for COLD BROOK.
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Romantic Comedy SURPRISE ME! to LA Premiere at DTLA Film Festival [Trailer]
[caption id="attachment_32142" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Surprise Me[/caption]
Surprise Me!, the first romantic comedy written, directed and produced by Chicago native Nancy Goodman, is about a surprise party planner, Genie, (Fiona Gubelmann) who hates surprises. The film will have its Los Angeles theatrical premiere screening at the DTLA Film Festival on Wednesday, October 17, 9:00 pm at the Regal LA Live, 1000 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
In the film, featured in the Chicago Tribune, InMag.com and Now You Know Events.com, Genie is hired by an anonymous Hollywood producer to throw a surprise wedding for his girlfriend. Genie must get the bride down the aisle without knowing she’s the bride.
The movie follows event planner, Genie and the men in her life: her business partner (Steven, played by LaShawn Banks), her best friend (Danny, played by Jonathan Bennett) and her boyfriend (Jeff, played by Sean Faris).
Throughout the film, twists and turns lead to a surprise subplot that looks at Genie and her relationships as they evolve, unearthing painful triggers from her past. Cereal and cookies summon her in the night. We watch Genie learn to use cravings as a radar detector for feelings she is not aware of. They lead her to a truth but what is it? SURPRISE!
Goodman who calls the film “a romantic comedy diet” hopes it will help to start a conversation about what is behind a woman’s obsession with food and diets. Goodman sees the movie, which is based on her book of the same name, as her crusade to help women find their voice by turning their focus to their feelings, strength, joy, goals, and find happiness within.
“This year’s film festival has a theme of women’s empowerment, so Nancy Goodman’s status as a triple-threat creative force (producer, screenwriter, director) seems like an especially good fit,” said DTLA Festival Director, Greg Ptacek.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIORerKGXhU
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Shudder Acquires Punk Rock Slasher THE RANGER [Trailer]
The acclaimed punk rock slasher THE RANGER which premiered at SXSW has been acquired by Shudder, the subscription video on demand service for thriller, suspense and horror.
A wild, neon-colored romp in the spirit of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD and CLASS OF 1984, THE RANGER follows a group of young punks who are forced to flee the city to lay low, only to run into a park ranger who shares a mysterious past with one of their own. The film has been lauded for its standout performances from Chloë Levine (THE TRANSFIGURATION, THE OA) as the pink-haired punk with a secret, and Jeremy Holm (HOUSE OF CARDS, MR. ROBOT) as the maniacal ranger, ready to get his hands bloody in defense of the woods. Granit Lahu (THE SINNER), Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler (PUZZLE), Amanda Grace Benitez (SCHOOL OF ROCK), Jeté Laurence (PET SEMATARY) and horror icon Larry Fessenden (HABIT, WE ARE STILL HERE) round out the cast.
THE RANGER marks the directorial debut of Jenn Wexler, a past Shudder Labs master and producer of the SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winner, MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. A co-production of Glass Eye Pix and Hood River Entertainment, THE RANGER was written by Wexler and Giaco Furino, and produced by Andrew van den Houten (BREAKING & EXITING, THE WOMAN), Larry Fessenden (MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND, THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL), Ashleigh Snead (THE BLOCK ISLAND SOUND), Heather Buckley and Wexler (LIKE ME, DARLING).
Remarked Craig Engler, General Manager of Shudder “Jenn Wexler’s feature debut is a smart, stylish and subversive take on the ‘80s slasher, and we’re delighted to bring it to Shudder members.”
The film, which concluded a limited theatrical run in New York and Los Angeles earlier this month, was a standout hit at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, where it world-premiered in the Midnighters section. THE RANGER was selected as opening night film of this year’s FrightFest UK and has been an official selection at festivals around the world, including Fantasia International Film Festival, the Sydney Film Festival and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, among many others. This month, THE RANGER screened at the Sitges Film Festival and will play Toronto After Dark, before concluding its festival circuit ahead of its eventual Shudder premiere in 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ0BG3-fxzA
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WATERLILY JAGUAR Starring Mira Sorvino to Open 2018 DTLA Film Festival
“Waterlily Tiger,” a new psychological thriller from director-writer-actress Melora Walters will make its Los Angeles theatrical premiere screening as the Opening Night Film of the 10th annual DTLA Film Festival. The film stars Robert Le Gros, Mira Sorvino, Stacey Oristano, Christopher Backus, Steven Swadling and Dominic Monaghan.
With the addition of “Waterlily Jaguar,” the 2018 festival will screen 30 new feature films of all genres, and all making their Los Angeles theatrical premieres with 68% by women directors. As well, the festival is screening 77 short-form content films and videos, including separate programs for TV pilots and web series episodes with an emphasis on diversity. The festival also launches this year Immersive, its showcase of the latest in AR, VR and Hyper-Reality experiences.
“We’re so proud to have the opportunity to present as our Opening Night film Melora’s directorial debut. Audiences have seen her work as an actor in films like ‘Boogie Nights,’ ‘Magnolia’ and ‘Venom.’ Now we all get to delight in her work as a creative force behind the camera,“ says Karolyne Sosa, Director of Programming.
In the film Bob Price (LeGros), a famous novelist known for his “airport” best-sellers, seeks to write something more meaningful for his new book. But his quest to pen a magnum opus sends him tumbling down a spiral of obsession that may leave the relationships he has already forged in shambles, including his marriage to Helen (Sorvino).
The film will screen at 7 pm on Wed., Oct. 17th at Regal L.A. LIVE , The 10th annual DTLA Film Festival runs October 17 to 21, 2018 at Regal L.A. LIVE, Hotel Figueroa and venues throughout burgeoning downtown Los Angeles.
image via Twitter
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Award-Winning Surfing Documentary MOMENTUM GENERATION to Debut on HBO [Trailer]
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Momentum Generation[/caption]
The award-winning documentary Momentum Generation takes a deep dive into the fascinating, constantly evolving world of surfing, exploring how a group of dedicated teenagers changed the sport and its culture in the 1990s. Momentum Generation which made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York earlier this year where it won an Audience Award, debuts Tuesday, December. 11 (10:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. It has also won top awards at the Aspen Film Festival, Santa Cruz Surf Film Festival, Honolulu Surf Film Festival, Surfalorus and the Los Angeles Film Awards.
In the 1960s, surfing in America was known primarily as a California- and Hawaii-based phenomenon associated with surf instrumentals and Beach Boys songs. In films, it was a vehicle to infuse all-American romantic comedies with action or zany antics. Although equipment and skills evolved, the public’s perception of surfing as a novelty sport remained constant until the 1990s, when a group of punk rock-loving teens, many from troubled homes and backgrounds, found its way to a house on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, in the process changing their lives and the sport itself.
In Momentum Generation, the core members of that legendary crew? – ?including Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Taylor Knox, Benji Weatherley, Kalani Robb, Ross Williams, Taylor Steele and Pat O’Connell? – ?tell their story together for the first time. Filmmakers Jeff and Michael Zimbalist draw on unprecedented access to their inner circle, as well as to tens of thousands of hours of footage in private archives, to highlight the deep friendships that were formed and tested during the surfers’ careers as top athletes and cultural icons.
“We’re proud to be the home for Momentum Generation, a film that is obviously about a group of surfers at the zenith of the sport, but more subtly about their lifelong friendships,” says Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports. “The Zimbalist brothers take us on an adrenaline-fueled journey spanning three decades, and the intimacy with which they reveal the ups and downs of some of surfing’s biggest stars makes this film unlike anything else of its kind.”
After relocating to Oahu, the young surfers courageously followed each other into Mother Nature’s most dangerous waves. When some of them didn’t make it back to shore, they found a way to mourn together? – ?and adapt. Fueled by camaraderie and a deep-seated competitiveness, the tight-knit crew became known as the “Momentum Generation” after being featured in Taylor Steele’s groundbreaking films. Its members went on to win world titles, break records and redefine the world’s perception of the surfer, youth culture and what it means to be free.
Filmed over the course of two and a half years, the Momentum Generation surfers reflect on the complexity of the brotherhood and competition that have shaped their shared emotional journey, and made these pioneers both heroic and human.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlgfI6h2aW4
From Emmy(R) and Peabody winners Jeff and Michael Zimbalist of All Rise Films, the HBO Sports presentation, in association with Priority Pictures and Sundance Productions, is executive produced by Robert Redford and Laura Michalchyshyn of Sundance Productions alongside Karen Lauder and Greg Little of Priority Pictures. Justine Chiara, Lizzie Friedman, Tina Elmo and Colby Gottert produced.
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DTLA Film Festival Reveals 2018 Short Form Content Lineup incl. 77 Short Films
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AKEDA (The Binding)[/caption]
The DTLA Film Festival revealed the short form content programming at the upcoming 10th edition of the festival, consisting of 77 short films, TV pilots and web series episodes.
Anchoring the festival’s short film content programming are the short films series, curated by Robert Torres ”Emerging Artists,” “Queer Expressions,” “Our Modern World,” “Strange Encounters,” “Spotlight on Latin Shorts” and “DTLA Shorts.” Sosa curated three other series of shorts program under the banner of “L.A. Artists,” which showcases local LA talent.
Rounding out the short-form content are programs devoted to new and established web series and to TV pilots, both with a focus on women and people of color. Monica Jones curated the TV web series; Jade Jenise Dixon and Suki Ramirez curated the TV pilots series.
The 10th annual DTLA Film Festival takes place October 17 to 21 at Regal L.A. LIVE and venues throughout downtown Los Angeles.
A complete list of short-form content screening at the festival follows:
EMERGING ARTISTS
THE SUMMER OF THE ELECTRIC LION Chile| Narrative | 2018 |22 mins. Director: Diego Céspedes Hidden in a house far from the city, Alonso accompanies his sister, Daniela. She waits to become the seventh wife of El León (The Lion), a prophet who, rumors says, electrocutes you when you touch him. KILN USA| Narrative | 2018 | 5 mins. Director: Salamo Manetti-Lax A short culled from footage the director shot in high school 10 years ago in upstate New York. A remembrance, a haunted collective portrait, and a critique. AKEDA (THE BINDING) USA| Narrative | 2017 | 18 mins. Director: Dan Bronfeld An orphan boy has his humanity tested when a film director encourages him to give a violent performance that will blend fiction with reality. I CAN ONLY TALK TO YOU WHEN I STAND IN SHADOWS USA, China| Narrative | 2018 | 5 mins. Director: Yuchi Ma A girl in her late teens contemplates the conflict between family identity and self, in face of the cruelty of times. This is a brief moment of the director’s coming of age. INSOMNIA France| Narrative | 2017 | 2 mins. Director: Islena Niera Lacosta It’s night and a boy can’t fall asleep. SOÑADORA USA| Narrative | 2017 | 10 mins. Director: Maria Altamirano A hardworking high school senior faces circumstances beyond her control that may hinder her path to college. HEY, BOY! USA| Narrative | 2018 | 20 mins. Director: Nathan Mulroy St. Valentine strikes an unsuspecting teenage loverQUEER EXPRESSIONS
MOLT France, Sweden| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Nathalie Alvarez Mesen The summer sun sets in rural Appalachia as 12-year-old Cadie and her neighbor, Sarah, redefine their friendship on the eve of burgeoning sexuality. JIM USA |Animation | 2017 | 9 mins. Director: Sam Gurry Jim assembled these floppy disks in the late 1990s with images and samples sourced from online chat rooms. How do you connect with someone you can’t see? That you don’t know? One short email conversation provides his name. ASIAN GIRLS Australia| Narrative | 2017 | 6 mins. Director: Hyun Lee Chan is a Chinese factory worker who lives alone. Every night, she suffers from horrific nightmares involving the woman in the apartment next door, a Japanese office lady. MONOGAMISHUSA| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Nardeep Khurmi Sagar and Nishi and explore the dynamics and strength of two non-traditional couples, in which agreements are made and boundaries are challenged. FOR NONNA ANNA Canada| Narrative | 2017 | 14 mins. Director: Luis De Filippis A trans girl has to care for her Italian grandmother. She assumes that her Nonna disapproves of her – but instead discovers a tender bond in their shared vulnerability. WAFFLES USA| Narrative | 2017 | 4 mins. Director: Foster Wilson The morning after a casual one-nighter with an older woman, Gina scrolls through her Facebook feed, only to discover that the person in bed beside her is the epitome of everything she loathes in this world. A DOLL’S HUG Taiwan| Narrative | 2017 | 20 mins. Director: Rob Lo Domestic, school violence and societal violence continually challenge and threaten the Taiwanese teenage boy, XiangYu. He seeks to escape from the undesirable reality to take shelter in his imaginary Barbie doll world.OUR MODERN WORLD
RAPAZ Chile| Narrative | 2018 | 13 mins. Director: Felipe Gálvez Ariel gets involved in a teenager’s civil arrest, who is accused of stealing a phone. A mob surrounds the young man and some curse and beat him, some defend him. The police aren’t showing up, so Ariel must decide what side he is on. PERFECT MAN USA| Narrative | 2018 | 9 mins. Director: Nic Collins and Jake Andrews Set in the very near future, a virtual reality -addicted girl must follow a government mandate to remove her VR headset for 3 hours. When her dismal reality sets in, she goes online and orders Perfect Man: a robotic humanoid love companion. VERMINE Denmark| Animation | 2018 | 6 mins. Director: Jeremie Becquer A Rat poet, whose hopeful poetry contrasts the world in which he lives in, gets confronted with the harshness of a society biased toward Mice. CAROLINE USA| Narrative | 2018 | 10 mins. Director: Logan George and Celine Held When plans fall through, a 6-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day. THE BRINK USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Ricky Rhodes and Arnold Aldridge Pushed to the edge by abusive co-workers, an odd IT guy takes unthinkable steps to handle his grim reality. NADIA’S VISA USA, Jordan| Narrative | 2018 | 18 mins. Director: Hanadi Elyan After failing to obtain a travel visa to meet with her family, Nadia finds herself stuck in a moral dilemma. JUDGEMENT Philippines| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Raymund Ribay Gutierrez Joy, a mother of a 4-year-old girl, finally decides to file a case under domestic violence against her abusive husband, Dante. THE RIGHT CHOICE UK| Narrative | 2018 | 10 mins. Director:Tomisin Adepeju With the help of The Adviser, a husband and wife must answer three seemingly harmless questions to create their perfect designer baby.STRANGE ENCOUNTERS
BOTANICA Netherlands| Narrative | 2017 | 13 mins. Director: Noël Loozen A garden-center employee fears his possible infertility. While the pregnancy wish of the love of his life is growing, shame starts to take a hold on him. INTIMITY Netherlands| Documentary | 2017 | 5 mins. Director: Elodie Dermange As she is showering, dressing and putting on her make-up, a woman bares her soul. THE CHIRPING USA| Narrative | 2018 | 10 mins. Director: Matt McKinney A mother and her adult son work some things out while trying to rid their home of a pesky cricket. LIRA’S FOREST Canada| Narrative | 2017 | 8 mins. Director: Connor Jessup As the end of her life approaches, an old woman encounters a strange spirit from a nearby forest. TRESPASS USA| Narrative | 2018 | 6 mins. Director: Erik LeDrew The actions of a trigger-happy cop come back to bite him in the ass. A P.O.V. fright flick. PRIVATE JOY USA| Narrative | 2018 | 9 mins. Director: Owen Kaye In the final days of their relationship, a fading actress and her younger, animal lover are torn apart by lust, jealousy, anger and magic. HEART CHAKRA USA| Animation | 2017 | 7 mins. Director: Angela Stempel Mae’s life is routinely disrupted by the advice from her online crystal healer and her devotion to horoscopes. Armed with healing crystals and numerology, Mae is ready to follow the predictions on an unexpected path to find her soulmate. KIMCHI USA, South Korea| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Jason Segars As his family argues about his end-of-life care, an elderly Korean man reflects on his life with a stranger. SOLAR WALK Denmark| Narrative | 2018 | 20 mins. Director: Réka Bucsi The unreal journey of individuals and their creations through time and space.SPOTLIGHT ON LATIN STORIES
ONE OF THESE DAYS USA| Narrative | 2018 | 20 mins. Director: Rudy Lopez After unfortunate circumstances, Manny, an aspiring musician, must decide between becoming the sole guardian of his uncle’s daughter, Marisol, and pursuing his band’s tour of the U.S. CHIADO Brazil| Narrative | 2018 | 15 mins. Director: Fenando Belo A woman and her boyfriend go on a last road trip when she decides to end her own life. KEEP EM’ WHITE USA| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Sandra Lindqvist Two Hispanic teenage boys from South Central LA take a bus ride to the other side of town in search of a famed basketball player. EL GALLO USA, Mexico| Documentary | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Michael Medoway Gallo takes us on a visceral journey through the life of Juan ‘El Gallo’ Estrada, the former Flyweight champion of the world and one of Mexico’s most famous boxers. ¿FAMILIA? USA| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Kase Pena and Marlene Forte A transgender woman navigates life while dealing with a pesky teenage neighborhood boy who’s in love with her, a married lover with empty promises, and a family back home who demands her financial support at any cost, even her personal safety. CARRO USA, Brazil| Narrative | 2018 | 12 mins. Director: Gustavo Rosa An undocumented Brazilian immigrant living in the Boston area decides to buy a car in an effort to better his life before returning home.DTLA SHORTS
REDEMPTION SQUARE USA| Documentary | 2018 | 20 mins. Director:John Moody In the footsteps of many unique Angelenos, a down-on-her-luck woman finds a new identity in Pershing Square, a notoriously unloved space in downtown Los Angeles. TOKEN USA| Narrative | 2018 | 25 mins. Director: Joy Shi Two artists in different stages of life and success deal with the effects of love, ego and loss in modern-day LA. BROCCOLI USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Phil Rosanova and Will Reiland After a scare at the office, a man must decide between his compulsive diet of only broccoli and his own mortality. DECEMBER USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Luciana Faulhaber At year’s end a woman tries to move on as her past comes rushing back. In matters of the heart do we take a risk before it’s too late or hope for a second chance? This movie is about the messes we make. THE HOAXING USA| Narrative | 2018 | 25 mins. Director: Bevin McNamara A young artist couple moves into a painter’s studio where the previous tenant hacked two people to death. The couple quickly discovers the studio harbors dark secrets. THE LION AND HIS WALL USA| Narrative | 2018 | 17 mins. Director: Raphael Krigel and Austin Dalgleish The film follows one of LA’s most prolific artists as he attempts to paint the largest mural in the world by a single individual. But this artist’s aspirations extend far beyond this one wall, and he’s not afraid to prove it.LA ARTISTS SHORTS
SOMEDAY USA| Narrative | 2018 | 16 mins. Director: J.S. Mayank Two strangers meet on a 14-hour non-stop flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. Adam is a world-famous composer, but Melody doesn’t recognize her flight companion. Along the way, they laugh, flirt and pour their hearts out… a connection made more beautiful precisely because of its fleeting nature. CREATE USA| Narrative | 2018 | 3 mins. Director: Mikkel Aranas An artist finds himself in the middle of the wilderness wanting to create. After seeking guidance from the ultimate creator, he’s inspired by the elements around him and begins to create using what’s in front of him. A beautiful dance ensues between art and artist. ABUELA’S LUCK USA| Narrative | 2018 | 9 mins. Director: Ricky Rosario A young man’s relationship with his grandmother is altered forever after a chance visit to his neighborhood Dominican bodega. THE ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT USA| Documentary | 2018 | 17 mins. Director: D’Angelo McCornell and Martel McCornell A grieving mother Yvonne Pointer from Cleveland, OH and an impoverished boy from Ghana, Africa turn their pain into purpose, and their purpose into action by educating the youth and strengthening communities together. AVOWED USA| Narrative | 2017 | 13mins. Director: Summera Howell A young nun-to-be struggles to find God inside Robin, a non-responsive adult whose brain stopped developing before he was born. GRIT USA| Narrative | 2018 | 11 mins. Director: Charles Lee Wilson After a long day’s work, a young teacher returns to find his home has been burglarized. When he discovers his relation to the culprit and their motive, he resorts to rogue tactics in order to save a loved one spiraling down a deadly path. #WHERE IS BEAUTY USA| Narrative | 2017 | 11 mins. Director: Angela McCrae An introspective visual artist dealing with the pressures of social media embarks on a journey of self-discovery capturing everyday life through SnapChat, which unexpectedly transforms her perspective of beauty. PARALLAX USA | Narrative | 2018 | 4 mins. Director: Ajiri Akpolo Two lovers try and find the right words to say to each other. BLACK CHICKS USA, Canada | Narrative | 2017 | 12 mins. Director: Neil LaBute A man and a woman, one white, one black — what could possibly go wrong? LET MY PEOPLE VOTE USA| Documentary | 2018 | 18 mins. Director: Gilda Ann Brasch Filmed during the 2016 presidential election, this verité short covers a day-in-the-life of civil rights activist and former felon Desmond Meade. What begins as an upbeat day of faith in our democratic process, ends with a heartbreaking realization and a call-to-action. GLORIA’S CALL USA| Documentary | 2018 | 16 mins. Director: Cheri Gaulke From the cafes of Paris to the mountaintops of Samiland, a scholar’s life is forever changed through her friendships with the women artists of Surrealism. FOXES USA| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Tristan Taylor An African-American man struggles to unmask his depression, while admitting he’s never been his younger brothers’ hero. THE PRICE WE PAY USA| Narrative | 2018 | 8 mins. Director: Jesse Garcia A scarred soldier, suffering from PTSD, who comes home from war to find his relationship with his neighborhood, best friend and wife, not how he left it. But is what he’s seeing, real? AMERICAN NIGHTMARE USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Jesus Nebot A traffic stop due to speeding takes a turn for the worse, landing a mother and her 5-year-old daughter in jail.TV PILOT SERIES | THRILLER-CRIME
THE ONLY FLIGHT USA| Narrative | 2018 | 13 mins. Director: Royston Innes When a group of unwitting strangers wake up on an airplane in midair they must learn the true nature of why they were deemed enemies of the state. PAWG – DAY 12 “PRETTY ASS WHITE GIRL” USA| Narrative | 2018 | 20 mins. Director: John Eddins The uniqueness at the very end of this tale gives birth to a strange beginning as lovers reunite 12 days after one of them gets a whole new lease on love. THE PLURAL OF BLOOD USA| Narrative | 2017 | 20 mins. Director: Mary-Lyn Chambers Diana Santiago is an African American police wife, joyfully on the verge of adopting a black baby boy. Her world unravels when her husband, LAPD officer Alejandro Santiago, finds himself amid the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.TV PILOT SERIES 2 | COMEDY
GREENPORT USA| Narrative | 2017 | 27 mins. Director: Shannon Goldman This is a story about a struggling Hollywood filmmaker, who is determined to show the world that an autistic kid can do anything. WED-LOCKED USA| Narrative | 2018 | 23 mins. Director: Malcom Barrett and Tina Huang Recently married, Denise & Robert deal with the ups & downs of marriage in this true-to-life comedy. Laugh and cry alongside our fledgling couple as they navigate everything from sex shop shyness and pubic hair politics, to having to tell their spouse they can’t cook.WEB SERIES | DRAMA-SUSPENSE
MAKEUP AND BREAKUP SERIES – EPISODE 7 “WHEN THINGS FALL APART” OF SEASON 2 USA| Narrative | 2018 | 23 mins. Director: Eric J. Dickens When Brooke blindsides Blake and ends their two-year relationship, Blake doesn’t hesitate before jumping back into the New York dating scene. Instantly he finds a new love interest and regains his confidence. Once things begin to get serious, Brooke resurfaces and wants to claim what was once hers. Confused, Blake finds himself caught in the middle. When the dust settles, who will win him over in the end? STAGED – EPISODE “EVERYONE ISN’T WHO THEY POST TO BE” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 10 mins. Director: Abai Dunbar Staged explores the struggle to self-discovery for four social media influencers, in a world where nothing is what it seems and no one is who they claim. WHO KILLED MADAM SILVA – EPISODE 1 USA| Narrative | 2017 | 5 mins. Director: Anne Reis A maid and a driver come across the corpse of their mistress stretched out on the floor of the main living room. Both had reasons to commit the crime and both suspect one another. CHRONICLES OF JESSICA WU- EPISODE 1 – “MEET JESSICA” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 6 mins. Director: Zane Hubbard This is the story of Jessica Wu and her living with autism.WEB SERIES 2 | COMEDY
AVANT GUARDIANS THE SERIES – EPISODE 1 “THERAPY SESSION 1” & EPISODE 2 “THERAPY SESSION 2” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 6 mins. Director: Clarence Williams, IV Episode 1 – Razz tells her therapist why she has nicknamed her beloved human Creepy Charlie, exploring re-appropriating negative labels. Episode 2 – Razz dives into her past life and the open wounds of feeling the need to justify her lifestyle-a style change to be more palatable to those who misunderstand her. FML SERIES – EPISODE 2 – “BEFORE THE PARTY” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 12 mins. Director: Viktoria I.V. King We got to get tipsy before the party starts! We get an insight into the separate lives of each friend as they prepare for Jeanette’s big birthday party later tonight. DATING AND WAITING – EPISODE 3 “THE PACT” USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Lawrence Saint-Victor Sisters Chastity and Geneva face off and get real with their sex lives. What ensues is a very interesting pact. THE FOB AND I – SEASON 2 EPISODE 1- “RESIST” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 5 mins. Director: Meenakshi Ramamurthy A trip for dosas takes a turn when Sita is forced to confront her feelings about immigrants. BREEDING GROUNDS-EPISODE – “BAKE SALE PART 1” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 11 mins. Director: Susan Skoog A privileged stay at-home mother aggravates her bake sale co-chair. After the two end up on the brink of fisticuffs, Debra gets a call that her mammogram is positive. SK & J – EPISODE 2 “GOOGLE IT!” and EPISODE 3 “COMMA” USA| Narrative | 2018 | 5 mins. Director: Jenn Liu (Google it!) and Susan-Kate Heaney (Comma) Episode “Google It!” – Sue-Kate is late (as usual!) meeting Jenn for sushi, and compounds the situation by asking Jenn for directions. Jenn (as usual) tells her to Google it. Some things never change. Episode “Comma” – The simple debate over the placement of a comma reveals Sue-Kate and Jenn’s inner thoughts about writing, friendship and how much they hate working with one another. SYCAMORE VALLEY – EPISODE 1 – “INTROS”USA| Narrative | 2018 | 4 mins. Director: Marisa Luz Kayla and Curtis get prepped for the exciting journey of their televised home-buying adventure, and they meet their realtor, Cece, for the first time. Early warning signs that trouble may be brewing are quickly forgotten after a few glasses of cheap Chardonnay. WAKING UP WITH STRANGERS- EPISODE 1- “PRETTY IN PINK” AND EPISODE 7- “PANIC ROOM” USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Antoine Perry EPISODE 1 “Pretty In Pink” – Chloe wakes to find her favorite one-piece dress has been unwittingly turned into separates. EPISODE 7 “Panic Room” – After a heavy night of drinking, Xavier wakes up with more questions then condom wrappers. SHUGS & FATS: SEASON 2 EPISODE 2 -“SPEED DATING” and SEASON 3 EPISODE 5 “LOST IN CONEY ISLAND” USA| Narrative | 2015,2016 | 6 mins. Director: Alex Mallis Episode 2 “Speed Dating” – Dating in NYC is hard. There’s OK Cupid, there’s Tinder, there’s Craigslist Missed Connections, but none of these will get you married to Justin Bieber. The surefire solution? Speed Dating. Romance is negotiable. Efficiency is key. Episode 5 “Lost In Coney Island” – It’s late, it’s lonely, and Coney Island is a shitty place to be stuck. Luckily, Fats has a brilliant idea for getting picked up and brought back home.
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Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Honors 45th Student Academy Awards Winners
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented its 45th Annual Student Academy Awards® on Thursday, October 11, in Beverly Hills. Pictured (left to right): Irina Nguyen-Duc, Hanna Kim, Pierre Perveyrie, Shae Demandt, Mart Bira, Quentin Dubois, Jonatan Etzler, Maximilien Bougeois and Mathieu Faure.[/caption]
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored this year’s student winners from colleges and universities around the world at the 45th Student Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards were announced and presented by documentarian Arthur Dong, actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani and directors Catherine Hardwicke and Patricia Riggen.
2018 Student Academy Award winners
Alternative (Domestic Film Schools) Gold: Shae Demandt, “Reanimated,” Florida State University Animation (Domestic Film Schools) Gold: Hanna Kim, “Raccoon and the Light,” California Institute of the Arts Silver: Yu Yu, “Daisy,” University of Southern California Bronze: Eaza Shukla, “Re-Gifted,” Ringling College of Art and Design Animation (International Film Schools) Gold: Pierre Perveyrie, Maximilien Bougeois, Marine Goalard, Irina Nguyen-Duc and Quentin Dubois, “The Green Bird,” MOPA Documentary (Domestic Film Schools) Gold: Mathieu Faure, “An Edited Life,” New York University Silver: Yiying Li, “Love & Loss,” University of Southern California Bronze: Lauren Schwartzman, “Dust Rising,” University of California, Berkeley Documentary (International Film Schools) Gold: Mart Bira, “Nomadic Doctor,” University of Hertfordshire Narrative (Domestic Film Schools) Gold: Hua Tong, “Spring Flower,” University of Southern California Silver: Kelley Kali, “Lalo’s House,” University of Southern California Bronze: Brian Robau, “Esta Es Tu Cuba”/“This Is Your Cuba,” Chapman University Narrative (International Film Schools) Gold: Jonatan Etzler, “Get Ready with Me,” Stockholm Academy of the Arts Silver: Lisa Gertsch, “Almost Everything,” Zurich University of the Arts Bronze: István Kovács, “A Siege,” University of Theatre and Film Arts, Budapest
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5 Film Projects Selected for 4th THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program
Tribeca and CHANEL continue to provide extraordinary opportunities to propel women filmmakers forward with the fourth annual THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program. The mentorship program was created to provide a balance of industry support, artistic development, and funding for new and emerging U.S.-based female writers and directors of short-form narrative films.
Presented by Tribeca and CHANEL, in collaboration with Pulse Films, and facilitated by Tribeca Film InstituteÒ (TFI), the multi-faceted program has selected five short film projects from women storytellers to receive project support, and take part in one-on-one mentorship and master classes over a three day immersive program. On the final day, each of the five filmmaker pairs will pitch their projects to a jury of industry experts. One filmmaker will be awarded full financing to produce their short film, along with support from Tribeca Studios to make the project. The four other projects will each be awarded grant funds to continue developing their films.
From October 16-18, the filmmakers will gather in New York City with the mentor and program advisors for an in-depth intimate program concentrating on script-to-screen development, casting, finding collaborators, and working with cinematographers, music composers, costume designers, and producers. The selected program participants will attend master classes and have individual mentoring sessions with leading women in filmmaking, meet distributors, and spend concentrated time refining their pitching skills. During the summer, each filmmaker was given the opportunity to work with writing mentors to shape and refine her project.
“In the years since Tribeca launched Through Her Lens with CHANEL, the program has created invaluable opportunities for the next generation of women storytellers,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP of Tribeca Enterprises. “The program brings established women filmmakers together to mentor these emerging voices, provide hands-on guidance and feedback, as well as fund their projects. We’re proud to help expand the pipeline for great inclusive storytelling.”
“TFI’s (Tribeca Film Institute) mission is to join with filmmakers in breaking barriers to access, exposure, and sustainability in the media landscape. The Tribeca Chanel program unequivocally aligns with our nonprofit’s goals to provide this level of meaningful support to women filmmakers of all kinds,” said Amy Hobby, Executive Director, Tribeca Film Institute.
The Leadership Committee participating in the program are:
MASTER CLASS ADVISORS: Costume designer Stacey Battat (The Beguiled, Still Alice), casting director Ellen Chenoweth (The Goldfinch, No Country For Old Men), writer/director Debra Granik (Leave No Trace, Winter’s Bone), composer Laura Karpman (Paris Can Wait, Underground), and cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Black Panther, Mudbound).
JURORS: Producer Effie T. Brown (FOX’s “Star,” Dear White People, “Project Greenlight”), actor/writer/director/producer Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture, “Camping,” “Girls”), cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Black Panther, Mudbound), and producer Paula Weinstein (“Grace and Frankie,” The Perfect Storm, Recount).
MENTORS: Director/producer Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty), actor/director/producer Courteney Cox (“Cougar Town,” “Friends”), producer and TFI Executive Director Amy Hobby (What Happened, Miss Simone?, Secretary), writer/director Stella Meghie (Everything, Everything, The Weekend), writer/director/executive producer Veena Sud (“The Killing,” “Seven Seconds”), and producer Christine Vachon (Carol, Far from Heaven).
WRITING MENTORS: Producer Stephanie Allain (Beyond the Lights, Dear White People), writer/executive producer Janine Sherman Barrois (“Claws,” “Criminal Minds”), writer/director Susanna Fogel (The Spy Who Dumped Me, Life Partners), writer Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married, Untitled Monsters Franchise for Universal Studios), and writer/executive producer Marti Noxon (“Sharp Objects,” “UnREAL”).
The selected projects and filmmakers are:
H-E-A-T-H-E-R: Heather, a young, racially ambiguous artist, confronts questions of identity when she becomes a part-time babysitter for 11-year-old Jayda. Their dynamic prompts Heather to explore the limitations of her persona as she voyages into other realms of her imagination through fantasy, alternate realities, and moving collages.
Francesca Mirabella (Co-Writer, Co-Director)
Francesca Mirabella is a writer and director who received her MFA from the NYU Tisch Graduate Film program, where she attended as a Dean’s Fellow. Her shorts have screened at a range of festivals and were most recently featured at the Museum of Modern Art. In 2017, Mirabella won an NYU Wasserman Award for Best Screenplay. A 2017/18 Marcie Bloom Fellow, Mirabella is currently developing her feature Modern Love, which was awarded a Tribeca All Access® grant.
Kylah Benes-Trapp (Co-Writer, Co-Director)
Kylah Benes-Trapp is a visual artist from California currently based in New York City. She works primarily in digital illustration, photography and graphic design and has recently started writing for film. Her work explores ideas of self-expression, femininity, identity and nostalgia. Her purpose is to create a world of possibility through her work that will inspire discovery.
LIFE ON MARS: Six aspiring astronauts are sealed inside a solar-powered dome, attempting to simulate life on Mars. When Dana’s helmet malfunctions on the first spacewalk — depriving her of precious oxygen — she and her teammates have a critical decision to make.
Laramie Dennis (Writer, Director)
Laramie Dennis attended Wesleyan University and spent 10 years in New York City developing and directing new plays before earning her MFA in Film and Television Production from USC. Her short films have screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival and Short Film Corner at Cannes and have also been presented and distributed by Boyish, Shorts International and Sprint. Her short-form animated series, The Golden Rule, is currently in production.
Jenna Cedicci (Producer)
Jenna Cedicci is an international feature film and commercial producer. She has developed and produced more than 75 commercials and five features to date, three slated for distribution in 2019: the documentary Fire on the Hill, a remake of the classic German film Nosferatu, and the narrative indie feature Daddy Issues.
ROSA: While working at her aunt’s flower shop, Rosa takes her job underground when she begins a side business of shipping undocumented bodies to their home countries for burial.
Suha Araj (Writer, Director)
Suha Araj creates films that explore the displacement of immigrant communities. The Cup Reader, shot in Palestine, screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and was awarded The Next Great Filmmaker Award at the Berkshire International Film Festival and Baghdad International Film Festival. Araj followed with Pioneer High in 2015. She has received support for her work from the Sundance Film Festival, TorinoFilmLab, Independent Filmmaker Project, Berlinale Talent Project Market, Center for Asian American Media and Cine Qua Non Lab.
Maryam Keshavarz (Producer)
Maryam Keshavarz is a writer, director and producer whose short The Day I Died won the Gold Teddy and Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. Keshavarz’s first feature, Circumstance, won the Sundance Film Festival’s Audience Award and was distributed theatrically by Participant Media and Roadside Attractions. Her sophomore feature — Viper Club, starring Susan Sarandon — world premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and hits theaters this month.
EL TIMBRE DE SU VOZ: Yaneris, a Dominican teenager, plots a way to escape her hometown of Sosúa, where becoming an escort seems to be her only fate. After unexpectedly falling in love with her client’s son, she decides he may be the ticket to a new life — for both her and her disabled sister.
Gabriella Moses (Writer, Director)
Gabriella Moses is director, writer, and production designer based in Brooklyn. She is a graduate of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She has received support for her work through the New York Women in Film & Television’s 2017 From Script to Pre-Production Workshop, Sundance Institute’s 2018 Screenwriters Intensive and 2018 TFI Network. Moses believes in sharing stories with underrepresented protagonists that push viewers’ perceptions of identity and imagination.
Shruti Ganguly (Producer)
Shruti Ganguly is a filmmaker and the founder of honto88. She has directed numerous videos and is a recovering media executive, with roles at MTV, Condé Nast/Vogue and more recently at NYLON as the Vice President of TV & Video. Her films have been screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and AFI Fest. Ganguly hails from India by way of Oman.
WHAT IS YOUR SOUL PURPOSE?: A sheltered Korean American family travels to Atlanta to retrieve the body of their son after he passes away from an accidental overdose. In the depths of their grief, they find an unlikely connection and momentary solace with the African American family who owns the mortuary.
Jennifer Cho Suhr (Writer/Director)
Jennifer Cho Suhr is a Brooklyn-based writer and director. She is developing her debut feature, You and Me Both, starring Constance Wu and selected for the Tribeca All Access® and Film Independent’s Producing Lab and Fast Track programs. Suhr earned her MFA from the NYU Tisch Graduate Film program, where she was awarded the Tisch Fellowship and a grant from the Spike Lee Film Production Fund.
Carolyn Mao (Producer)
Carolyn Mao is a Los Angeles-based producer and former development executive. Nice, a pilot she produced by creator Naomi Ko and director by Andrew Ahn, premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. She is currently raising financing for You and Me Both. She is a fellow of Film Independent’s Project Involve, Producing Lab and Fast Track programs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud3__BbTr8g
CHANEL and Tribeca work year-round to support women filmmakers, not only with THROUGH HER LENS, but during the annual Tribeca Film Festival with the annual women’s filmmaking lunch and the Nora Ephron Award. The Award was created in 2013 to honor exceptional female filmmakers who embody the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker. Women who have received the award include: Meera Menon (Farah Goes Bang, Equity), Talya Lavie (Zero Motivation), Laura Bispuri (Sworn Virgin), Rachel Tunnard (Adult Life Skills), Petra Volpe (The Divine Order), and Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) from this past year.
The 2016 recipient of the THROUGH HER LENS grant, Feathers, directed by A.V. Rockwell, premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by Fox Searchlight. Last year’s main recipient, Suicide by Sunlight, by Nikyatu Jusu is currently in post-production.
Tribeca actively cultivates independent voices in storytelling and has been at the forefront of supporting women filmmakers. This past year, it led the way as the first major film festival to have near equal representation by women directors in its feature film program. THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program—the most recent iteration of Tribeca’s commitment to female artistic voices—continues to provide resources to help empower emerging women storytellers in the industry. The nonprofit affiliate of Tribeca, Tribeca Film Institute, supports female filmmakers through, among other initiatives, its cornerstone grant and mentorship program, Tribeca All AccessÒ. Currently in its 16th year, the program supports scripted, documentary and interactive storytellers from diverse communities, including those that are statistically underrepresented in the industry.
Image:
(top row: l to r) Carolyn Mao, Francesca Mirabella, Gabriella Moses, Jenna Cedicci, Shruti Ganguly
(bottom row: l to r) Maryam Keshavarz, Laramie Dennis, Kylah Benes-Trapp, Jennifer Cho Suhr, Suha Araj
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THE PROVIDERS, Documentary on Health Care Providers in Rural America to Premiere at DOC NYC [Trailer]
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The Providers[/caption]
The Providers, the award-winning documentary film directed by Laura Green and Anna Moot-Levin about health care providers in rural America will have its New York City premiere at the 2018 DOC NYC festival on Friday, November 9 at 5:30pm at Cinepolis Chelsea, and on Monday, November 12 at 12:45pm at IFC Center. The Providers had its World Premiere at the 2018 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and went on to screen at the San Francisco DocFest (where it won the Spirit of Activism Award), AFI DOCS, Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, and many other festivals.
Set against the backdrop of the physician shortage and opioid epidemic in rural America, The Providers follows three healthcare providers – a doctor, a nurse practitioner, and a physician assistant – in northern New Mexico. They work at El Centro, a group of safety-net clinics that offer care to all who walk through the doors, regardless of ability to pay. Amidst personal struggles that reflect those of their patients, the journeys of The Providers unfold as they work to reach rural Americans who would otherwise be left out of the healthcare system. With intimate access, the documentary shows the transformative power of providers’ relationships with marginalized patients.
Watch trailer on VIMEO
Directors’ Statement — Laura Green & Anna Moot-Levin
Given the political and discursive tension over the future of American health care, this film has a particular urgency at this historical juncture. New Mexico is one of the country’s poorest and most rural states and opted to expand medicaid under the ACA. However, the challenges in rural healthcare go far beyond the ameliorating effects of the ACA. The Providers reflects the ways poor health is created at the structural level by a lack of public health resources and access to care – in 2016, there were 70,000 preventable deaths in rural areas, and on average life expectancy in rural areas is two years shorter than in urban areas. Set on the frontlines of rural healthcare under the medicaid expansion, the film takes an intimate journey with those who remain marginalized and difficult to reach within traditional healthcare delivery models. We hope the film will inspire more young people to go into rural healthcare, and we are developing an outreach campaign that will target both rural high schools and medical education institutions, including medical schools, nurse practitioner prog
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2018 DOC NYC Announces Full Lineup, Closes with BRESLIN AND HAMILL
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Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists[/caption]
DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, returns for its ninth edition with 135 feature-length documentaries among over 300 films and events overall. The festival takes place November 8 to 15 at in New York at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village and Chelsea’s SVA Theatre and Cinepolis Chelsea.
Special Events include Closing Night Film, the world premiere of HBO’s Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists, about the beloved New York City journalists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill, directed by Jonathan Alter, John Block and Steve McCarthy; and the festival’s Centerpiece presentation, the world premiere of Original Cast Album: Co-op, an episode in the upcoming season of IFC’s Documentary Now! series inspired by D.A. Pennebaker’s Original Cast Album: Company, followed by a conversation with creators Seth Meyers and Rhys Thomas, director Alex Buono, writer and star John Mulaney, and star Renee Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton). The NYC premiere of John Chester’s Telluride and Toronto hit The Biggest Little Farm will open the festival.
World premieres at the festival include Lady Parts Justice in the New World Order, following The Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead on a “Vagical Mystery Tour” to fight for reproductive rights; New Homeland, the newest film from two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple, following refugee boys to a summer camp; Cracked Up, a revealing portrait of Saturday Night Live alumnus Darrell Hammond; Olympia, on Academy Award winning actress Olympia Dukakis; Buzz, about Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger; Afterward, a candid exploration of complex tensions between Germans, Jews and Palestinians; Creating a Character: The Moni Yakim Legacy, on the legendary Juilliard drama teacher who trained Meryl Streep and Viola Davis among countless other talents; Beyond the Bolex, a personal history of the iconic camera; and The Show’s the Thing: The Legendary Promoters of Rock, which reveals an untold chapter of rock history.
Among this year’s U.S. premieres are Screwball, a hilarious exposé of Alex Rodriguez’s doping scandal; The Insufferable Groo, on a prolific low-budget filmmaker who recruits Jack Black for his latest opus; Evelyn, Oscar-winner Orlando von Einsiedel’s reckoning with a family tragedy; Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records, the fascinating tale about the popularization of Jamaican music worldwide; Barbara Rubin & the Exploding NY Underground, on an influential but little-recognized member of the 1960s film and art world; and The Artist & the Pervert, on the controversial relationship between a world renowned composer and a sex educator.
The festival is curated in 21 sections that include five new strands:
Series Showcase, offering world premieres of new episodic programs, including Showtime’s Enemies: The President, Justice & the FBI, exploring the contentious relationship between U.S. presidents and the FBI; and SundanceTV’s Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Jonestown Massacre.
Photography on Film, which includes the world premiere of Last Stop Coney Island: The Life and Photography of Harold Feinstein, on the seven-decade career of the NYC photographer.
Portraits, which presents the world premieres of The Great Mother, a profile of a woman serving as the legal guardian for 2,000 children of undocumented immigrants; and Welcome to the Beyond, the surprising story of a fashion model and a cult.
In the System, offering an inside look at institutions, including sexism in the restaurant world in The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution; and the financial industry on the cusp of the economic recession in Inside Lehman Brothers.
True Love, which presents the world premiere of Dennis and Lois, about a punk rock-loving older couple; and the U.S. premiere of China Love, which explores China’s $80 billion pre-wedding photo industry.
In the festival’s two feature competition sections, nine films appear under the Viewfinders section for distinct directorial visions. They include the world premieres of Cooked: Survival by Zip Code, a radical reframing of natural disasters and their link to poverty; Out of Omaha, a coming-of-age story executive produced by musician J. Cole; The Smartest Kids in the World, an exploration of the shortcomings of the U.S. education system; and The Kleptocrats, an investigation of the Malaysian financial scandal that helped finance The Wolf of Wall Street.
In the Metropolis competition section, seven films are dedicated to stories set in New York City. They include the world premieres of Jay Myself, about acclaimed photographer Jay Maisel; Decade of Fire, on the notorious series of fires that devastated the Bronx in the 1970s; See Know Evil, about a young photographer who left an indelible mark on fashion in the 1990s; and The Candidates, which follows an elaborate mock U.S. presidential election at a Queens high school.
Other returning sections include high-profile Special Events; national and global takes inAmerican Perspectives and International Perspectives; and thematic sections Centerstage (on performance), Jock Docs (on sports), Science Nonfiction (on science and technology), Wild Life (on animals), Modern Family (on unconventional families), Behind the Scenes (on filmmaking), Fight the Power (on activism), Sonic Cinema (on music) and Docs Redux (revisiting classic nonfiction). Short-form content (92 films in total) is represented by the festival’s Shorts Competition and DOC NYC U (showcasing student work), selected by Programmer Opal H. Bennett.
These sections join the Short List: Features titles, highlighting 15 of the year’s award contender documentary features; Short List: Shorts, an inaugural list of 12 of the year’s leading nonfiction shorts; and the eight-day DOC NYC PRO conference, doubled in size from 2017, focusing on panels and masterclasses.
DOC NYC will welcome over 500 filmmakers and special guests in attendance for Q&As after most screenings and for DOC NYC PRO panels. Among the notable guests expected to appear in person are Jakob Dylan for Echo in the Canyon, Darrell Hammond for Cracked Up, Jeffrey Wright for We Are Not Done Yet, Sandra Lee for RX: Early Detection, J.Cole for Out of Omaha, Christo for Walking on Water, Alex Sharp for Creating a Character, Lizz Winstead for Lady Parts Justice in the New World Order and more to be announced in the coming weeks.
For this year’s Short List section of awards season frontrunners, filmmakers presenting their work in person at the festival include Rashida Jones and Alan Hicks (Quincy), Wim Wenders (Pope Francis: A Man of His Word), Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 11/9), Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?), Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo), Betsy West and Julie Cohen (RBG), Rudy Valdez (The Sentence), Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (Reversing Roe), Susan Lacy (Jane Fonda in Five Acts), Bing Liu (Minding the Gap), Tim Wardle (Three Identical Strangers), Sandi Tan (Shirkers), Alexandria Bombach (On Her Shoulders), RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening) and Stephen Maing (Crime + Punishment). Filmmakers will also take part in the Short List Day of panel conversations on Nov. 9 at DOC NYC PRO.
Notable documentarians will also be honored at the Visionaries Tribute Awards event on Nov. 8: Wim Wenders and Orlando Bagwell will receiveLifetime Achievement Awards while Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin will receive the Robert and Anne Drew Award for observational filmmaking. Tabitha Jackson, director of the Documentary Film Program at Sundance Institute, will receive theLeading Light Award for distinguished service to documentary in a role outside filmmaking.
The following is a breakdown of programming by section:
SPECIAL EVENTS
OPENING NIGHT THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM Dir: John Chester (NYC PREMIERE) For over eight years, John and Molly Chester struggle to work with nature to establish a biodynamic farm, like a modern-day Little House on the Prairie. CLOSING NIGHT BRESLIN AND HAMILL: DEADLINE ARTISTS Dirs: Jonathan Alter, John Block and Steve McCarthy (WORLD PREMIERE) Legendary newspaper columnists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill are profiled in this essential look at journalism in New York City. CENTERPIECE Documentary Now! Presents ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM: CO-OP Dir: Alex Buono (WORLD PREMIERE) IFC’s comedy series Documentary Now!, which pays homage to nonfiction classics, presents an episode inspired by D.A. Pennebaker’s Original Cast Album: Company.VIEWFINDERS
COOKED: SURVIVAL BY ZIP CODE Dir: Judith A. Helfand (WORLD PREMIERE) Director Judith A. Helfand (Blue Vinyl) investigates the victims and profiteers in extreme weather catastrophes like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. GHOST FLEET Dirs: Shannon Service, Jeffrey Waldron (NYC PREMIERE) This suspenseful high-seas adventure follows a team of activists who rescue modern-day slaves in Thailand’s illegal fishing industry. HEARTBOUND Dirs: Janus Metz, Sine Plambech (NYC PREMIERE) Janus Metz (Borg vs McEnroe) and Sine Plambech explore the surprising cross-cultural marriages between Danish men and Thai women over a decade. THE KLEPTOCRATS Dirs: Havana Marking, Sam Hobkinson (WORLD PREMIERE) Investigative journalists uncover how $3.5 billion was plundered from the Malaysian government for a spending spree that included funding The Wolf of Wall Street. A LITTLE WISDOM Dirs: Yuqi Kang (NYC PREMIERE) In a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, young novice monks try to balance rituals and discipline with the distractions of modern life and childhood. OUT OF OMAHA Dir: Clay Tweel (WORLD PREMIERE) A coming-of-age tale of twin African-American brothers filmed over eight years by director Clay Tweel (Gleason) and executive produced by musician J. Cole. THE SMARTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD Dir: Tracy Droz Tragos (WORLD PREMIERE) Based on Amanda Ripley’s bestselling book, four American teenagers go abroad to study in nations that outperform the US in education. UNDER THE WIRE Dir: Chris Martin (NYC PREMIERE) A gripping, first-hand account of the mortal peril faced by war correspondent Marie Colvin and photographer Paul Conroy while reporting from within Syria. WALKING ON WATER Dir: Andrey Paounov (NYC PREMIERE) After the death of his partner, Jeanne-Claude, the visionary artist Christo, known for The Gates of Central Park, realizes his dream of The Floating Piers in Italy.METROPOLIS
BARBARA RUBIN & THE EXPLODING NY UNDERGROUND Dir: Chuck Smith (U.S. PREMIERE) The untold story of an influential figure who defied sexist conventions and enabled surprising connections in the 1960s New York underground film scene. THE CANDIDATES Dirs: Alexandra Stergiou, Lexi Henigman (WORLD PREMIERE) In a Queens high school, a mock Presidential election sees a Russian-American as Donald Trump face off against a Pakistani-American as Hillary Clinton. CREATING A CHARACTER: THE MONI YAKIM LEGACY Dir: Rauzar Alexander (WORLD PREMIERE) Legendary Juilliard acting teacher Moni Yakim, who taught Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Patti LuPone and countless others, gets his time in the spotlight. DECADE OF FIRE Dirs: Vivian Vazquez, Gretchen Hildebran (WORLD PREMIERE) The true, inside story behind the burning of the Bronx in the 1970s and how the community resisted, remained and rebuilt. JAY MYSELF Dir: Stephen Wilkes (WORLD PREMIERE) For five decades, photographer Jay Maisel created an artistic wonderland in a six-story building on the Bowery, but now it’s time to move. SEE KNOW EVIL Dir: Charles Curran (WORLD PREMIERE) At a young age, photographer Davide Sorrenti took New York City by storm in the 1990s and left an indelible imprint on the fashion world. THE WORLD BEFORE YOUR FEET Dir: Jeremy Workman (NYC PREMIERE) This charming portrait captures urban explorer Matt Green on his mission to walk every block of New York City.AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES
THE BLESSING Dirs: Hunter Robert Baker, Jordan Fein (NYC PREMIERE) Deep in the Navajo Nation, one family struggles with contradictions as a coal company offers employment while destroying the community’s sacred homeland. CITY OF JOEL Dir: Jesse Sweet (NYC PREMIERE) In Monroe, NY, 50 miles north of NYC, a fast-growing Hasidic community sets off a turf war with political, economic and religious implications. THE CITY THAT SOLD AMERICA Dir: Ky Dickens (NYC PREMIERE) A playful and informative look at the key role Chicago has played in modern advertising and its impact on pop culture. Screening with Ross Kauffman’s short Still Plays with Trains: John reconstructs his idyllic 1950s childhood through one of the world’s largest model train sets. EMANUEL Dir: Brian Ivie (NYC PREMIERE) In the aftermath of the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, a community grapples with justice, faith and forgiveness. HARVEST SEASON Dir: Bernardo Ruiz (NYC PREMIERE) Set in California’s Napa and Sonoma Valley wine country, this film celebrates the unsung workers and small producers, from vine to vintage. HILLBILLY Dirs: Sally Rubin, Ashley York (NYC PREMIERE) Ashley York returns to her hometown in Appalachia where, contrary to dismissive stereotypes, she shows a diverse, complex and proud community. NORTH POLE, NY Dir: Ali Cotterill (NYC PREMIERE) Upstate New York’s Santa’s Workshop theme park struggles to overcome economic challenges and a con man who tries to steal Christmas. THE PROVIDERS Dirs: Anna Moot-Levin, Laura Green (NYC PREMIERE) In rural New Mexico, healthcare workers serve a community hard hit by the opioid crisis and still reeling from the 2008 recession. VERY SENIOR: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING Dir: Susan Gluth (WORLD PREMIERE) In Sun City, Arizona, seniors in a retirement community demonstrate the art of aging gracefully while making one’s own choices. Screening with Rachel Mills and Maya Tippett’s short Magnitudinous Illuminous: Meet Pete, a 66-year-old Brooklyn bartender and self-proclaimed philosopher. WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE Dir: Emily Harrold (NYC PREMIERE) Young, African-American and a Democrat, Bakari Sellers faces an uphill struggle as he runs for lieutenant governor in South Carolina.INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
AFTERWARD Dir: Ofra Bloch (WORLD PREMIERE) Disturbed by the resurgence of anti-Semitism worldwide, the filmmaker travels to Germany, Israel and Palestine to confront lasting tensions and contradictions. BRAVE GIRLS Dirs: Yashaswi Desai, Ellie Walton (WORLD PREMIERE) Three young Indian women in a conservative Muslim town seek to change their futures through education and self-determination. Screening with Guille Isa and Angello Faccini’s short Dulce: A mother teaches her daughter how to swim, essential to survival in their Colombian village. EXIT Dir: Karen Winther (NYC PREMIERE) What makes someone join neo-Nazis, Jihadists or other hate groups, and what makes them decide to leave? THE INTERPRETERS Dirs: Andres Caballero, Sofian Khan (NYC PREMIERE) Interpreters who worked for US military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq face retribution while they await promised but long-delayed special visas into the US. NEW HOMELAND Dir: Barbara Kopple (WORLD PREMIERE) Refugee boys from war-torn Syria and Iraq attend a Canadian summer camp where some thrive while others struggle. OF FATHERS AND SONS Dir: Talal Derki (NYC PREMIERE) In this Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, director Talal Derki (Return to Homs) gains access to a radical Syrian jihadist and his family for two years. THE OTHER RIO Dir: Émilie B. Guérette (U.S. PREMIERE) In Rio de Janeiro, squatters live in an abandoned government building under the rule of drug dealers, but exhibit a remarkable resilience. TAKUMI: A 60,000 HOUR STORY ON THE SURVIVAL OF HUMAN CRAFT Dir: Clay Jeter (WORLD PREMIERE) Profiles of devoted artisans including a chef, a traditional paper cut artist, a car factory inspector and a carpenter.SERIES SHOWCASE
ENEMIES: THE PRESIDENT, JUSTICE & THE FBI Dir: Jed Rothstein (WORLD PREMIERE) A preview of the new Showtime series, inspired by Tim Weiner’s Enemies: A History of the FBI, with an episode on the Iran-Contra affair plus an extended Q&A. JONESTOWN: TERROR IN THE JUNGLE Dir: Shan Nicholson (WORLD PREMIERE) Based on Jeff Guinn’s book The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, the first half of the new SundanceTV series is previewed, with an extended Q&A. LADY PARTS JUSTICE IN THE NEW WORLD ORDER Dir: Ruth Leitman (WORLD PREMIERE) Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show, organizes activists and comedians for a satire-infused advocacy tour for reproductive rights.PHOTOGRAPHY ON FILM
INSTANT DREAMS Dir: Willem Baptist (NYC PREMIERE) After the Polaroid company stops production, three enthusiasts are determined to keep alive the magical wonder and technology of instant cameras. THE LAST RESORT Dirs: Dennis Scholl, Kareem Tabsch (NYC PREMIERE) Photographers Andy Sweet and Gary Monroe captured Miami Beach’s aging Jewish population for a decade, even as the city transformed around them. LAST STOP CONEY ISLAND: THE LIFE AND PHOTOGRAPHY OF HAROLD FEINSTEIN Dir: Andy Dunn (WORLD PREMIERE) Photographer Harold Feinstein captured the beauty, joy and diversity of New Yorkers over seven decades. WITKIN & WITKIN Dir: Trisha Ziff (NYC PREMIERE) Gifted twin brothers—photographer Joel-Peter Witkin and painter Jerome Witkin—reunite for a joint show after decades of estrangement.PORTRAITS
BUZZ Dir: Andrew Shea (WORLD PREMIERE) While co-writing Caitlyn Jenner’s biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Buzz Bissinger (Friday Night Lights) tests his marriage with surprising revelations. COMMANDER ARIAN: A STORY OF WOMEN, WAR & FREEDOM Dir: Alba Sotorra (NYC PREMIERE) Under threat from ISIS, Commander Arian gathers her all-women Kurdish battalion to rescue enslaved civilians in northern Syria. THE FEMINIST Dir: Hampus Linder (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) This starkly intimate portrait of Sweden’s feminist trailblazer politician Gudrun Schyman serves as a rallying call in today’s political climate. THE GREAT MOTHER Dirs: Dave LaMattina, Chad Walker (WORLD PREMIERE) Nora Sandigo has more than 2,000 kids, acting as the legal guardian for US-born children of undocumented immigrants. I’M LEAVING NOW Dirs: Lindsey Cordero, Armando Croda (U.S. PREMIERE) Felipe, an undocumented immigrant in NYC who has long struggled to support his family in Mexico, faces the limits of self-sacrifice. LAILA AT THE BRIDGE Dirs: Elizabeth Mirzaei, Gulistan Mirzaei (NYC PREMIERE) Self-proclaimed badass Laila offers salvation to drug addicts in Kabul, running a clinic with her brother, himself a recovered addict. WELCOME TO THE BEYOND Dir: Brent Huff (WORLD PREMIERE) The surprising story of Hoyt Richards, the world’s first male supermodel… and secretly a member of the Eternal Values cult. WORLDS OF URSULA K. LE GUIN Dir: Arwen Curry (NYC PREMIERE) A moving and intimate profile of feminist sci-fi/fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin, featuring interviews with admirers like Neil Gaiman and David Mitchell.IN THE SYSTEM
ALICIA Dir: Maasja Ooms (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) A gem of observational cinema, Maasja Ooms’ film portrays the emotional roller coaster experienced by a girl in foster care longing for love. FALSE CONFESSIONS Dir: Katrine Philp (NYC PREMIERE) A dogged defense attorney is on a crusade to put a stop to coerced false confessions, exposing their destructive consequences. THE HEAT: A KITCHEN (R)EVOLUTION Dir: Maya Gallus (NYC PREMIERE) Seven female chefs are profiled in a no-holds-barred exploration of the struggles faced by women in the restaurant industry. INSIDE LEHMAN BROTHERS Dir: Jennifer Deschamps (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Ten years after Wall Street’s meltdown, Lehman Brothers whistleblowers look back on their efforts to sound an alarm. OWNED: A TALE OF TWO AMERICAS Dir: Giorgio Angelini (NYC PREMIERE) An investigation of how greed, flawed economics and systemic racism have distorted the American dream of homeownership. THE SCHOOL IN THE CLOUD Dir: Jerry Rothwell (NYC PREMIERE) The brainchild of TED Prize winner Sugata Mitra, a state of the art learning lab connects children in remote areas to teachers via the Internet. SEE YOU TOMORROW, GOD WILLING! Dir: Ainara Vera (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Seventeen octogenarian Franciscan nuns in Spain take care of each other in this beautifully observed and often humorous portrait. Screening with Leah Galant’s short Death Metal Grandma: A 97-year-old Holocaust survivor prepares a death metal audition for America’s Got Talent. SOMEWHERE TO BE Dir: Peter Odabashian (WORLD PREMIERE) In NYC’s Greenwich House, seniors from all walks of life share stories in this heartwarming portrait that redefines the meaning of a good life.TRUE LOVE
THE ARTIST & THE PERVERT Dirs: Beatrice Behn, René Gebhardt (U.S. PREMIERE) In this provocative exploration of sexual kinks, composer Georg Friedrich Haas and sex educator Mollena Williams redefine norms of love and ownership. CHINA LOVE Dir: Olivia Martin-McGuire (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) In modern-day Shanghai, engaged couples go on a fantasy ride of glitz, excess and glamour in search of the perfect wedding photo. DENNIS AND LOIS Dir: Chris Cassidy (WORLD PREMIERE) Forty years after meeting at CBGB, aging superfans Dennis and Lois still live life to its fullest, traveling all over to support their favorite bands. SILICONE SOUL Dir: Melody Gilbert (NYC PREMIERE) Profiling individuals who form relationships with eerily lifelike dolls, this film sensitively explores the need for companionship and emotional connection.CENTERSTAGE
CARE TO LAUGH Dir: Julie Getz (NYC PREMIERE) Jesus Trejo funnels his experiences as a caregiver to his elderly parents into disarmingly funny material for his stand-up routine. CRAFTING AN ECHO Dir: Marco Williams (WORLD PREMIERE) Choreographer Andonis Foniadakis struggles to stage an ambitious work with the Martha Graham Dance Company with no shortage of behind-the-scenes drama. Screening with Dime Davis’ short Wild Wild West: A Beautiful Rant by Mark Bradford: A provocative artist explains where artists come from. THE ICE KING Dir: James Erskine (NYC PREMIERE) A profile of 1976 Gold medal-winning figure skater John Curry, arguably the first openly gay Olympic athlete and the creator of ice dancing. OLYMPIA Dir: Harry Mavromichalis (WORLD PREMIERE) Follow Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis behind the scenes in this affectionate profile of a stalwart New Yorker and beloved stage and screen treasure. WE ARE NOT PRINCESSES Dirs: Bridgette Auger, Itab Azzam (WORLD PREMIERE) Refreshingly candid Syrian women find personal connections to Greek tragedy during a theater workshop in a Lebanese refugee camp. WHEN ARABS DANCED Dir: Jawad Rhalib (NYC PREMIERE) Jawad Rhalib profiles artists in the Muslim world—including his mother, a Moroccan dancer—who seek freedom from stereotypes and repression.JOCK DOCS
LIFE WITHOUT BASKETBALL Dirs: Tim O’Donnell, Jon Mercer (WORLD PREMIERE) Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir fights the International Basketball Federation to wear the hijab during Division I competition. MEMORY GAMES Dirs: Janet Tobias, Claus Wehlisch (WORLD PREMIERE) Inside the world championship of memory athletes, the abilities on display are unforgettable. MY PERFECT WORLD: THE AARON HERNANDEZ STORY Dir: Geno McDermott (WORLD PREMIERE) Sports journalists Dan Wetzel and Kevin Armstrong track the scandal of New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez as he spiraled from stardom to infamy. SCREWBALL Dir: Billy Corben (U.S. PREMIERE) From the makers of Cocaine Cowboys, this true crime comedy exposes baseball player Alex Rodriguez’s doping scandal with a hilarious profile of his drug supplier.SCIENCE NONFICTION
BEHIND THE CURVE Dir: Daniel J. Clark (NYC PREMIERE) A profile of passionate advocates of the Flat Earth theory reveals the deep-seated need for community and the hazards of believing in alternative facts. PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE Dir: Hao Wu (NYC PREMIERE) This SXSW Grand Jury winner goes behind the scenes of China’s live-streaming showrooms, where web stars seek fans and financial rewards. THE TRUTH ABOUT KILLER ROBOTS Dir: Maxim Pozdorovkin (NYC PREMIERE) The director of Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer investigates how robots are becoming more human and humans more robotic.WILD LIFE
THE ANCIENT WOODS Dir: Mindaugas Survila (NYC PREMIERE) Ten years in the making, a biologist-turned-filmmaker documents an old-growth forest with immersive cinematography and sound design. THE CAT RESCUERS Dirs: Rob Fruchtman, Steven Lawrence (NYC PREMIERE) A profile of street-smart volunteers working tirelessly in Brooklyn to help save as many street cats in need as possible. ELEPHANT PATH/NJAIA NJOKU Dir: Todd McGrain (NYC PREMIERE) In the forests of the Central African Republic, one of the last wild herds of elephants struggles for survival. FIRE ON THE HILL: THE COWBOYS OF SOUTH CENTRAL LA Dir: Brett Fallentine (NYC PREMIERE) Three black cowboys seek to preserve a unique culture of horse-riding in the last public stable in South Central LA. FOR THE BIRDS Dir: Richard Miron (NYC PREMIERE) Kathy, an obsessive bird lover in upstate New York, struggles to maintain over 200 chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys. OF FISH AND FOE Dirs: Heike Bachelier, Andy Heathcote (U.S. PREMIERE) Wildlife preservation clashes with family tradition when one of Scotland’s last salmon fishing families is accused of animal rights violations. STARS IN THE SKY: A HUNTING STORY Dir: Steven Rinella (WORLD PREMIERE) Set in the Alaskan wilderness, this thought-provoking film explores controversies over the sport of hunting. Screening with Orlando Mora Cabrera’s short Olga: After years of taking in street cats, Olga has more than she can handle.MODERN FAMILY
COLOSSUS Dir: Jonathan Schienberg (WORLD PREMIERE) Born in the US, 15-year-old Jamil copes with the deportation to Honduras of his undocumented parents and older sister. EVELYN Dir: Orlando von Einsiedel (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) Oscar-winning filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel (The White Helmets) turns the camera on his family as they cope with a tragic loss. FAMILY IN TRANSITION Dir: Ofir Trainin (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) In a small Israeli town, a husband and father of four undergoes a gender transition that has rippling effects on the family. GLOBAL FAMILY Dirs: Melanie Andernach, Andreas Köhler (U.S. PREMIERE) A family, scattered across the globe in their escape from Somalia’s civil war, faces challenges when they must find a caregiver for their matriarch. LITTLE MISS WESTIE Dir: Joy E. Reed, Dan Hunt (WORLD PREMIERE) In Connecticut, Ren is the first out transgirl to compete in the Little Miss Westie Pageant, coached by her transgender brother. REFUGEE Dir: Alexander J. Farrell (WORLD PREMIERE) Syrian refugee Raf’aa seeks to be reunited with her family who are blocked by closed borders in this poignant story about today’s migration crisis. A SISTER’S SONG Dir: Danae Elon (NYC PREMIERE) In this real-life psychological thriller, an Israeli woman tries to convince her sister to leave the religious order which has kept them separated for 20 years. TO KID OR NOT TO KID Dir: Maxine Trump (WORLD PREMIERE) Filmmaker Maxine Trump (no relation) explores women like herself who face societal stigma for choosing not to have children. TRE MAISON DASAN Dir: Denali Tiller (NYC PREMIERE) This profile of three boys cut off from parents who are in prison poses meaningful questions about the effects of mass incarceration. WRESTLING GHOSTS Dir: Ana Joanes (NYC PREMIERE) A young mother tries to unravel her conflicted feelings around parenthood, inviting the viewer into her counseling sessions to heal past trauma.BEHIND THE SCENES
BEYOND THE BOLEX Dir: Alyssa Bolsey (WORLD PREMIERE) Alyssa Bolsey explores the iconic Bolex camera, invented by her great-grandfather, Jacques Bolsey, who was a Russian refugee during World War I. CRACKED UP Dir: Michelle Esrick (WORLD PREMIERE) With courage and humor, comedian and Saturday Night Live alumnus Darrell Hammond reveals his dark history of child abuse. THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES Dir: Mark Cousins (NYC PREMIERE) Mark Cousins (The Story of Film) takes a novel approach to Orson Welles by studying the legendary filmmaker’s paintings, drawings and doodles. THE GHOST OF PETER SELLERS Dir: Peter Medak (NYC PREMIERE) Director Peter Medak (The Ruling Class) revisits his ill-fated 1973 pirate film with Peter Sellers in a classic insider’s tale of movie-making madness and folly. THE GREENAWAY ALPHABET Dir: Saskia Boddeke (NYC PREMIERE) Peter Greenaway (The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover) is profiled with an alphabetical word association, directed by his multimedia artist wife. Screening with Chuck Workman’s short Moments of Truth: A masterful montage of moments from 100 documentary films. THE INSUFFERABLE GROO Dir: Scott Christopherson (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Stephen Groo, a Utah-based filmmaker of outlandish low-budget genre films with admirers like Jack Black, attempts an opus that may be his undoing. THE ORANGE YEARS: THE NICKELODEON STORY Dir: Scott Barber, Adam Sweeney (WORLD PREMIERE) A nostalgic and entertaining look back at the early years of Nickelodeon, the TV network that let kids enjoy being kids. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING Dir: Tom Donahue (NYC PREMIERE) Meryl Streep, Jessica Chastain, Shonda Rhimes and Geena Davis join a who’s who of Hollywood in this investigation of the entertainment industry’s systemic sexism. UNITED WE FAN Dir: Michael Sparaga (NYC PREMIERE) Looking at fandom culture that rallied around shows like Star Trek or Cagney and Lacey,this film reflects on the meaning of pop culture devotion. WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL Dir: Rob Garver (NYC PREMIERE) A nuanced portrait of controversial and influential film critic Pauline Kael revisits late-twentieth-century cinema through her words, followed by an extended Q&A.FIGHT THE POWER
BEI BEI Dirs: Rose Rosenblatt, Marion Lipschutz (NYC PREMIERE) In Indiana, the murder trial of Chinese immigrant Bei Bei Shuai poses a disturbing legal precedent for terminating a pregnancy. BLEED OUT Dir: Steve Burrows (WORLD PREMIERE) In this legal drama meets medical mystery, Steve Burrows seeks justice for his mother, who suffers catastrophic complications after routine surgery. BOYS WHO LIKE GIRLS Dir: Inka Achté (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) In the aftermath of the infamous Delhi gang rape, a man works to change the way Indian boys view females. Screening with Thomas Winston’s short Casting in Jagüey Grande: Cuban kids attempt to master the art of fly fishing with their mentor and father figure. GRIT Dirs: Cynthia Wade, Sasha Friedlander (NYC PREMIERE) In East Java, Indonesia, a mother and daughter battle a corporation over a man-made catastrophe that’s displaced more than 60,000 people. I AM THE REVOLUTION Dir: Benedetta Argentieri (WORLD PREMIERE) Three women in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria lead the fight for gender equality and freedom in this empowering portrait. PATRIMONIO Dirs: Lisa F. Jackson, Sarah Teale (NYC PREMIERE) In Baja, Mexico, local fishermen face off against the development of a luxury resort, which will have a radical impact on the environment and on their livelihood. THE RESCUE LIST Dirs: Alyssa Fedele, Zachary Fink (NYC PREMIERE) On Ghana’s Lake Volta, activists work to rescue victims of a child-slavery industry and help them transition back to normal life. Screening with Nicholas Brennan’s short Mama: Gertrude has dedicated her life to delivering children in her rural Ugandan village.SONIC CINEMA
THE 5 BROWNS: DIGGING THROUGH THE DARKNESS Dir: Ben Niles (NYC PREMIERE) Siblings and Juilliard-trained piano virtuosos, the 5 Browns confront a disturbing secret and use music to recover from its impact on their family. 16 BARS Dir: Samuel Bathrick (NYC PREMIERE) Grammy winner Todd Thomas—aka “Speech” of Arrested Development—leads a unique collaborative music workshop in a Virginia state penitentiary. ECHO IN THE CANYON Dir: Andrew Slater (NYC PREMIERE) Musician Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers explores the 1960s musicians who fostered folk rock tradition in the community of Laurel Canyon. I USED TO BE NORMAL: A BOYBAND FANGIRL STORY Dir: Jessica Leski (NYC PREMIERE) Profiling the ardent fans who find joy in their devotion of boy bands such as New Kids on the Block, N*Sync, One Direction and The Beatles. IT MUST SCHWING! THE BLUE NOTE STORY Dir: Eric Friedler (NYC PREMIERE) Executive produced by Wim Wenders and featuring a swinging jazz soundtrack, this history of Blue Note Records profiles the company’s two Jewish German refugee founders. RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS Dir: Nicolas Jack Davies (U.S. PREMIERE) Set to great Jamaican music, a creative exploration of the pioneering 1960s label behind “Rudy, A Message to You,” “You Can Get if You Really Want” and more. THE SHOW’S THE THING: THE LEGENDARY PROMOTERS OF ROCK Dir: Molly Bernstein, Philip Dolin (WORLD PREMIERE) This untold chapter of rock history reveals the influential live music promoters behind the rise of the Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, David Bowie and more. TEDDY PENDERGRASS: IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME Dir: Olivia Lichtenstein (NYC PREMIERE) This definitive bio, set to a soulful soundtrack, tells the story of Teddy Pendergrass, poised to be the biggest R&B artist ever—until tragedy struck.DOCS REDUX
A HYMN FOR ALVIN AILEY (1999) Dir: Orlando Bagwell A classic film by DOC NYC Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Orlando Bagwell, celebrating the legacy of pioneering choreographer Alvin Ailey.SHORTS PROGRAMS
SHORTS: THE BIG APPLE New York, NY. It’s a helluva town. Seven films explore the city, from the lives of immigrant cabbies to the World Trade Center memorial. The Accidental Activist (Samia Khan) Footprint (Sara Newens) The Sheriff of Goodtimes (Brad Hinkle) A Sharper Sword (Olivier Bernier) I’ve Never Been a Fisherman (Joe Stankus) King of the Night (Molly Brass, Stephen Tyler) Vilaayat (Ansh Vohra) SHORTS: THE CREATIVE SPARK On artists, performers and designers. Eight films profile graffiti to woodworking, architecture to art in Havana. Painting the Town (William Higbie) Barbara Kruger: Part of the Discourse (Ian Forster) Perspective. (Allyssa Agro) Thomas Fire Architect (Nicholas Weissman) Cuban Canvas (Kavery Kaul) Don’t Define Me (Don Casper) Tapume (Hugo Faraco) My Paintbrush Bites (Joel Pincosy, Joe Egender) SHORTS: DRAWN TOGETHER Life, animated. Nine films offer a creative use of animation to tell stories about Christmas, clowns, film pioneers and more. Santa Is a Psychedelic Mushroom (Matthew Salton) Music & Clowns (Alex Widdowson) Obon (Andre Hoermann, Anna Samo) Tightly Wound (Shelby Hadden) For A Better Life (Yasmin Mistry) Carlotta’s Face (Valentin Riedl, Frédéric Schuld) Lon (Nina Landau) Lotte That Silhouette Girl (Elizabeth Beecherl, Carla Patullo) The Likes and Dislikes of Marj Bagley (Taylor Stanton) SHORTS: GENERATION Z The hopes and dreams of the youngest generation. Seven films detail young love, youth activism, refugee life and more. True Love in Pueblo Textil (Horatio Baltz) Station 15 (Kira Akerman, Sophie Tintori) Share (Barna Szász, Ellie Wen) Listen (Astrid Bussink) Osama and Ayman (Sam Price-Waldman, Ben Mullinkosson, Chris Cresci) We Became Fragments ( Luisa Conlon, Hanna Miller, Lacy Jane Roberts) Hallo Salaam (Kim Brand) SHORTS: I’M A SURVIVOR Contemplating life and death and finding grace. Six films offer hope in the face of life’s curveballs, from illness to accident. Grace (Rachel Pikelny) Sister Hearts (Mohammad Gorjestani) Crannog (Isa Rao) I Was Here (Julian Dalrymple) Prince’s Tale (Jamie Miller) The Pull (Paul Szynol) SHORTS: LEGACY History is made, for better or worse. Three films explore the legacy of both private and public actions. The Happiness Machine (Rebecca B. Blumhagen) In the Absence (Yi Seung-Jun) Father K (Judd Ehrlich) SHORTS: QUEERLY BELOVED Life, loud and proud. Four films detail the diversity of LGBTQ experience. The Journey: Gay Officers Action League (Det. John Giretti, Andrew Sklar) Landline (Matt Houghton) Almost Liam (Sapir Rokach) Transformations (Alonso Mayo) SHORTS: SPACES UNKNOWN Unexpected moments and unusual discoveries. Six surprising stories about fake news, rhino guardians and more. Fake News Fairytale (Kate Stonehill) The Traffic Separating Device (Johan Palmgren) Tungrus (Rishi Chandna) The Mauritania Railway: Backbone of the Sahara (MacGregor) Black Line (Mark Olexa, Francesca Scalisi) The Black Mambas (Bruce Donnelly) SHORTS: THIS IS AMERICA, 2018 The states of the nation. Seven stories offer seven stories about Alabama quilters, a Texas pastor, New Orleans politicians and more. Lonesome Willcox (Ryan Maxey, Zack Wright) Sole Doctor (Paula Bernstein) While I Yet Live (Maris Curran) Cats Cradle (Jonathan Napolitano) LA Stories (Sara Newens, Josh Polon) Last Sermon at George’s Creek (Spencer Creigh, Bobby Moser) All Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk (Angela Tucker) SHORTS: THIS SPORTING LIFE Athletes, on and off the field. Six portraits of boxing, climbing, football and more. El Gallo (Michael Medoway) Big Wall (Jennifer Law-Smith) Concussion Protocol (Josh Begley) This Is Yarra (Lydia Rui) Black 14 (Darius Clark Monroe) Junction (Brendan Young)DOC NYC U
The festival’s long-running section offers showcases of some of the city’s top student documentary filmmaking programs. Five programs reveal the nonfiction filmmakers of tomorrow, with work from Columbia University, Hunter College, New York Film Academy, New York University and School of Visual Arts. Columbia Journalism School’s Documentary Project showcase includes: The Lifehouse (Heba Elorbany, Kimberly Flores Guzmàn) Love, Mommy (Tala Hadavi, Yeong-Ung Yang) Hunter’s MFA Program in Integrated Media Arts showcase includes: After… After… (Access) (Jordan Lord) Dick’s Decoys (Sean Hanley) Cranberry Lake (Zoya Baker) Gentrification Express: Breaking Down the BQX (Samantha Farinella, Amanda Katz) Postcards from Miss Universe (CG Foisy) NYFA’s Documentary Department showcase includes: Cricket Liu (Julia Cheng) I Love You, Wally (Simona Kubasova Prakash) Keliling Bali (Gary Bencheghib, Aitor Mendilibar) The Trolls & I (Charlotte Madvig Schmidt) NYU’s NewsDoc showcase includes: An Edited Life (Mathieu Faure) Trafficked In Paradise (Olivia Wilson) SVA’s MFA Social Documentary Film showcase includes: Bird (Kate Fisher) Bob Man (Olivia Garzon) The Calling (Padcha Ithijarukul) Dressed to Fight (Naijie Wang) In the Right Frame of Mind (Veronique Engel) Noodle Soul (Hong Shanjia) On Track (Yunhong Pu)SHORT LIST: SHORTS
’63 BOYCOTT Dir: Gordon Quinn In 1963, more than 250,000 students boycotted Chicago’s public schools to protest racial segregation. Combining period footage with reflections from participants, ‘63 Boycott links the past with present-day concerns around inequality in the education system. Courtesy of Kartemquin. EARTHRISE Dir: Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee In 1968, the first image of the Earth was captured from space, an iconic photograph that had an immediate and transformative impact around the globe. Earthrise explores the memories of the Apollo 8 astronauts responsible for the image, and their experience of awe in viewing the Earth framed against the void of space. Courtesy of New York Times Op-Docs/POV. END GAME Dirs: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman A moving film about the passage from life to death, End Game is a portrait of the last days of those in palliative care in two San Francisco Bay Area medical facilities pioneering new paradigms for end-of-life decisions. Courtesy of Netflix. THE GIRL AND THE PICTURE Dir: Vanessa Roth 80 years ago, Xia Shuqin witnessed the murder of her family during the Nanjing Massacre.The Girl and the Picture uncovers how an American missionary’s camera serendipitously captured Xia and her sister, binding his family and theirs forever. Courtesy of USC Shoah Foundation/Cause & Affect Media. THE HEAD & THE HAND Dir: Marc Serpa Francoeur A meditative portrait of two women who confronted great adversity with a profound bond and remarkable positivity, The Head & The Hand presents a rich exploration of disability, independence and sisterhood. Courtesy of Lost Time Media. LESSONS FROM A SCHOOL SHOOTING: NOTES FROM DUNBLANE Dir: Kim A. Snyder In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting, local priest Father Bob Weiss connects with Father Basil O’Sullivan of Dunblane, Scotland, from a community which could uniquely relate to Newtown’s trauma. Kim A. Snyder’s film explores the power of resilience through the bond forged between these two priests. Courtesy of Netflix. MY DEAD DAD’S PORNO TAPES Dir: Charlie Tyrell Following the death of his emotionally distant father, filmmaker Charlie Tyrell seeks to better understand him through the personal belongings he left behind… including a stack of dirty VHS tapes. Courtesy of New York Times Op-Docs. RX: EARLY DETECTION, A CANCER JOURNEY WITH SANDRA LEE Dir: Cathy Chermol Schrijver After an annual mammogram results in a diagnosis of breast cancer, Emmy-winning TV host and lifestyle expert Sandra Lee sets out to discover the best options for treatment and recovery, opening up her private journey to share the importance of early detection with other women. Courtesy of HBO Documentary Films. SIDELINED Dir: Galen Summer In 1978, inspired by the popularity of NFL cheerleaders, Playboy organized a pictorial feature approved by team management happy for the media exposure. But when the resulting pictures set off a critical backlash, cheerleaders were fired, exposing society’s hypocrisy around female sexuality. Courtesy of A&E IndieFilms/Lifetime Films. TAKE BACK THE HARBOR Dirs: Kristi Jacobson, Roger Ross Williams On Governor’s Island, an ambitious program works to restore once-bountiful oysters and the environmental benefits they bring to New York Harbor. Take Back the Harbor highlights students at a remarkable public high school where environmental stewardship is part of the curriculum. Courtesy of Discovery/Motto Pictures. WE ARE NOT DONE YET Dir: Sareen Hairabedian US veterans and active-duty service members come together through a workshop led by poet Seema Reza to combat their traumatic military pasts via the written word. Sharing fears, vulnerabilities and victories, their writing becomes a tool for empowerment and healing culminating in the live performance of a collaborative poem under the direction of Jeffrey Wright. Courtesy of HBO Documentary Films. ZION Dir: Floyd Russ Born without legs and growing up in the foster care system, Zion Clark moved from one home to another as he grew up. Floyd Russ’ inspiring portrait reveals how his discovery of wrestling in the second grade provided not only a therapeutic outlet, but a sense of family.Courtesy of Netflix.SHORT LIST: FEATURES
CRIME + PUNISHMENT Dir: Stephen Maing With unparalleled access to the whistle-blowing NYPD 12, this compelling Sundance prize-winner exposes systemic police corruption. Courtesy of IFC Films/Hulu. FAHRENHEIT 11/9 Dir: Michael Moore “One of Moore’s best and most incisively funny films” (Rolling Stone) seeks to understand the rise of Donald Trump and the resistance against him. Courtesy of State Run Films/Briarcliff Entertainment. FREE SOLO Dirs: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin Alex Honnold aims to be the first climber to ascend free solo–without safety ropes–the 3,000-foot cliff of El Capitan in California’s Yosemite Park. Courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films. HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING Dir: RaMell Ross In this lyrical portrait of two young African-American men in the American South, “you witness a new cinematic language being born” (Village Voice). Courtesy of Cinema Guild. JANE FONDA IN FIVE ACTS Dir: Susan Lacy This candid and entertaining portrait explores Jane Fonda’s many facets: sex symbol, Academy Award winner, controversial activist, tycoon’s wife and fitness mogul. Courtesy of HBO Documentary Films. MINDING THE GAP Dir: Bing Liu Bing Liu films his skateboarding friends Zack and Keire over a decade, capturing the legacy of troubled relationships with their fathers. Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures/Hulu. ON HER SHOULDERS Dir: Alexandria Bombach Before Nadia Murad was awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, this portrait captures the young Yazidi activist as she advocates for her minority community. Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories/RYOT. POPE FRANCIS: A MAN OF HIS WORD Dir: Wim Wenders The Oscar-nominated director of Pina and Buena Vista Social Club now trains his camera on the Argentine pontiff who leads the Catholic Church. Courtesy of Focus Features. QUINCY Dirs: Rashida Jones, Alan Hicks Following the now 85-year-old producer Quincy Jones over three years on the road as he reflects on collaborators, from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson. Courtesy of Netflix. RBG Dirs: Betsy West, Julie Cohen In this vivid history, we watch Ruth Bader Ginsburg go from trailblazing ACLU lawyer to the key liberal voice on the conservative Supreme Court. Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures/Participant Media/CNN Films. REVERSING ROE Dirs: Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg Acclaimed filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern trace the legacy of Roe v. Wade as reproductive rights are increasingly at risk. Courtesy of Netflix. THE SENTENCE Dir: Rudy Valdez For ten years, Rudy Valdez captures the lives of his nieces while their mother serves a harsh prison term due to mandatory minimum sentencing. Courtesy of HBO Documentary Films. SHIRKERS Dir: Sandi Tan Sundance Directing Award winner Sandi Tan solves a mystery from her youth in Singapore, when her mysterious older mentor stole her first film. Courtesy of Netflix. THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS Dir: Tim Wardle When triplets separated at birth discovered each other in 1980, it was a media sensation, but the truth behind their past proves both surprising and disturbing. Courtesy of NEON/CNN Films. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? Dir: Morgan Neville Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom) tells the story of Fred Rogers, who influenced generations of children through his pioneering TV program.Courtesy of Focus Features.