6/30/20 | Welcome to Chechnya
6/3/20 | Spelling the Bee
4/22/20 | The Willoughbys
WELCOME TO CHECHNYA
Directed by David France
Activists risk their lives to confront Russian leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his government-directed campaign to detain, torture and execute LGBTQ Chechens.
SPELLING THE DREAM
Directed by Sam Rega
Following four hopeful competitors’ journeys, this documentary explores the trend of Indian Americans ruling the Scripps National Spelling Bee since 1999.
THE WILLOUGHBYS
Directed by Kris Pearn
Convinced they’d be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on vacation. The siblings then embark on their own high-flying adventure to find the true meaning of family.
CIRCUS OF BOOKS
Directed by Rachel Mason
In 1976, Karen and Barry Mason had fallen on hard times and were looking for a way to support their young family when they answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times. Larry Flynt was seeking distributors for Hustler Magazine. What was expected to be a brief sideline led to their becoming fully immersed in the LGBT community as they took over a local store, Circus of Books. A decade later, they had become the biggest distributors of gay porn in the US. The film focuses on the double life they led, trying to maintain the balance of being parents at a time when LGBT culture was not yet accepted. Their many challenges included facing jail time for a federal obscenity prosecution and enabling their store to be a place of refuge at the height of the AIDS crisis. Circus of Books offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of queer history, and it is told through the lense of the owners’ own daughter, Rachel Mason, an artist, filmmaker and musician.
THE LAST DANCE
Directed by Jason Hehir
Charting the rise of the 1990’s Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.
WATCH SUNDAYS ON ESPN
SLAY THE DRAGON
Directed by Barak Goodman & Chris Durrance
It influences elections and sways outcomes-gerrymandering has become a hot-button political topic and symbol for everything broken about the American electoral process. But there are those on the front lines fighting to change the system.
CLICK HERE TO FIND WHERE YOU CAN WATCH
LA ORIGINALS
Directed by Estevan Oriol
An exploration of the culture and landmarks of the chicano and street art movement that cemented Mister Cartoon and Estevan Oriol’s status as behind-the-scenes hip hop legends.
CRIP CAMP: A DISABILITY REVOLUTION
Directed by Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht
In the early 1970s, teenagers with disabilities faced a future shaped by isolation, discrimination and institutionalization. Camp Jened, a ramshackle camp “for the handicapped” in the Catskills, exploded those confines. Jened was their freewheeling Utopia, a place with summertime sports, smoking and makeout sessions awaiting everyone, and campers who felt fulfilled as human beings. Their bonds endured as they migrated West to Berkeley, California – a promised land for a growing and diverse disability community – where friends from Camp Jened realized that disruption and unity might secure life-changing accessibility for millions. Co-directed by Emmy®-winning filmmaker Nicole Newnham and film mixer and former camper Jim LeBrecht, this joyous and exuberant documentary arrives the same year as the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, at a time when the country’s largest minority group still battles daily for the freedom to exist. CRIP CAMP: A DISABILITY REVOLUTION is executive produced by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama; Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminathan; Oscar® nominee Howard Gertler and Ray Lifchez, Jonathan Logan and Patty Quillin; LeBrecht, Newnham and Sara Bolder produce.
TIGER KING: MURDER, MAYHEM AND MADNESS
Directed by Rebecca Chaiklin and Eric Goode
Among the eccentrics and cult personalities in the stranger-than-fiction world of big cat owners, few stand out more than Joe Exotic, a mulleted, gun-toting polygamist and country western singer who presides over an Oklahoma roadside zoo. Charismatic but misguided, Joe and an unbelievable cast of characters including drug kingpins, conmen, and cult leaders all share a passion for big cats and the status and attention their dangerous menageries garner. But things take a dark turn when Carole Baskin, an animal activist and owner of a big cat sanctuary, threatens to put them out of business, stoking a rivalry that eventually leads to Joe’s arrest for a murder-for-hire plot, and reveals a twisted tale where the only thing more dangerous than a big cat is its owner.
MCMILLIONS
Directed by James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte
This documentary series chronicles the stranger-than-fiction story of an ex-cop turned security auditor who rigged the McDonald’s Monopoly game promotion for a decade, stealing millions of dollars and building a vast network of co-conspirators across the U.S. The series draws on exclusive firsthand accounts and archival footage, featuring: the FBI agents who brought down the gaming scam; McDonald’s corporate executives, who were themselves defrauded; the lawyers who tried the case; and the culprits and prizewinners who profited from the complicated scheme, as well as the individuals who were often unwittingly duped into being a part of the ruse. The series comes from Unrealistic Ideas, the non-scripted production company launched by Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Archie Gips. Directed by James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte.
Watch it on HBO on February 3, 2020.
MISS AMERICANA
Directed by Lana Wilson
Pop singer Taylor Swift reveals intimate details of her life while showcasing backstage and onstage concert footage.
THE ASSISTANT
Directed by Kitty Green
Jane, a recent college graduate and aspiring film producer, just landed her dream job as a junior assistant to a powerful entertainment mogul. Her day is much like any other assistant — making coffee, ordering lunch, arranging travel accommodations and taking phone messages. But as Jane follows her daily routine, she grows increasingly aware of the abuse that insidiously colors every aspect of her workday, an accumulation of degradations against which she decides to take a stand.
MAKING WAVES: THE ART OF CINEMATIC SOUND
Directed by Midge Costin
An exploration of the history and emotional power of cinema sound, as revealed by legendary sound designers and visionary directors, via interviews, clips from movies, and a look at their actual process of creation and discovery.
BOMBSHELL
Directed by Jay Roach
When Gretchen Carlson slaps Fox News founder Roger Ailes with a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, not a soul could predict what would happen next. Her decision leads to Fox News correspondent Megyn Kelly coming forward with her own story, as well as multiple other women, inciting a movement that reverberates around the world.
UNCUT GEMS
Directed by Josh Safdie & Benny Safdie
From acclaimed filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie comes an electrifying crime thriller about Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score. When he makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime, Howard must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides, in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.
DREAM/KILLER
Directed by Andrew Jenks
Our client’s project, DREAM/KILLER now on Netflix! It is based on the true story of a father, Bill Ferguson, who along with power attorney Kathleen Zellner (MAKING A MURDERER), take on the American judicial system after his son Ryan was sentenced to 40 years in prison for murder.
In 2005, 20-year-old Ryan Ferguson was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, causing his father, Bill, to embark on a 10-year campaign to prove Ryan’s innocence.
TO KID OR NOT TO KID
Directed by Maxine Trump
From the award-winning director of the New York Times Critics’ Pick Musicwood, To Kid Or Not To Kid is a new film that aims to dispel the myth that living childfree is weird, selfish or somehow wrong. In a world where you’re threatened for speaking openly about living childfree, two women, from different decades, search for ways to support each other in making the decision to live without kids.
To Kid Or Not To Kid will be premiering on Monday, the 18th of November at the Noho 7 Laemelle Theater in Los Angeles.
WHEN LAMBS BECOME LIONS
Directed by Jon Kasbe
Set in the Kenyan bush, a small-time ivory dealer fights to stay on top while forces mobilize to destroy his trade. When he turns to his younger cousin, a conflicted wildlife ranger who hasn’t been paid in months, they both see a possible lifeline.
Over the last year, LAMBS has shown at festivals around the world and we’ve been inspired by the passionate response from audiences. We are simply beyond excited for its official theatrical release. These opening weekends are critical to a film’s success and will determine its entire life cycle — it would mean the world if you showed up for opening weekend.
THE NEED TO GROW
Directed by Rob Herring & Ryan Wirick
With an estimated 60 years of farmable soil left on Earth, The Need To GROW follows the personal journeys of solution innovators as they fight to heal our broken food system and regenerate our planet’s dying soils.
Narrated and Executive Produced by Rosario Dawson, you can watch this award-winning, inspiring documentary at no cost. The world desperately needs to shift the conversation towards SOLUTIONS.
This film’s free world wide premiere will be October 10th at www.TheNeedToGrow.com
Where’s My Roy Cohn? Is now in theaters in New York and Los Angeles and will be expanding to the following cities this Friday. Please join me for my Q&A’s this Saturday at The Landmark in Los Angeles at 10850 W Pico Blvd.
Regency South Coast Village Cinema – Costa Mesa, CA Town Center 5 – Encino, CA Laemmle’s Playhouse 7 – Pasadena, CA E-Street Cinema – Washington, DC Century Centre Cinema and River East 21 – Chicago, IL Century Evanston 18 – Evanston, IL Bethesda Row Cinema – Bethesda, MD Shirlington 7 Theatres – Arlington, VA Angelika Film Center & Cafe Mosaic – Fairfax, VAWith many more to come!
WHERE’S MY ROY COHN?
Directed by Matt Tyrnauer
Roy Cohn personified the dark arts of American politics, turning empty vessels into dangerous demagogues – from Joseph McCarthy to his final project, Donald J. Trump. This thriller-like exposé connects the dots, revealing how a deeply troubled master manipulator shaped our current American nightmare. This film is a political thriller and expose – explaining the origins of Donald Trump’s career and foundational elements of our current political crisis.
Friday, September 20th, is the theatrical premiere of “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” in New York and Los Angeles.
Dir. Matt Tyrnauer will be doing Q&As in New York this weekend at the following theaters:
9/20/19: Film Forum – 7:00pm EST
9/20/19: The Landmark at 57 West – 7:45pm EST
9/21/19: The Landmark at 57 West – 7:00pm EST
9/21/19: Film Forum – 4:50pm EST
With more to come in other cities!
INSIDE BILL’S BRAIN: DECODING BILL GATES
Directed by Davis Guggenheim
The three-part series, Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates explores the mind and motivations of the tech visionary, business leader and philanthropist. The series, premiere was directed by Academy Award-winner Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth,” “He Named Me Malala”).
The series “offers unprecedented access to Gates as he pursues unique solutions to some of the world’s most complex problems with the same level of optimism, curiosity, and fervor that inspired his original vision for Microsoft,” according to Netflix’s release. The series includes interviews with Bill and Melinda Gates, as well as their friends, family and partners in philanthropy and business. Inside Bill’s Brain is created, directed and executive produced by Guggenheim; co-executive producers are Beth Osisek and Steven Leckart; executive producers are Shannon Dill, Jonathan Silberberg and Nicole Scott.
The docuseries Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates is set to premiere September 20th on Netflix.
THE AMAZING JOHNATHAN
Directed by Benjamin Berman
The Amazing Johnathan and his irreverent magic act rose, to popularity landing one of the longest residencies in Las Vegas. However, in 2014 Johnathan was unfortunately diagnosed with a terminal heart condition and given only one year to live, forcing him to retire his act. Now, fast forward to three years later, Johnathan is still alive and chooses to return to the stage. Filmmaker Ben Berman sets out to capture The Amazing Johnathan’s comeback tour while peeling back the curtain on his unique, meth-fueled life.
But the seemingly straightforward profile of this eccentric illusionist starts careening off the rails as Johnathan drops a bombshell that sends the film spiraling into uncertainty. As we delve deeper to determine what’s real and what’s illusion, hard questions are raised, uncovering deeper truths about the ethics of filmmaking and human nature.
THE AMAZING JOHNATHAN DOCUMENTARY Q&A’s with director Ben Berman and the amazing Johnathan himself following the 7:40 pm shows on Friday, 8/16 and Sunday, 8/18 at the Playhouse. Nathan Fielder will moderate on Friday and Emo Phillips on Sunday.
The Amazing Johnathan is now streaming on Hulu!
ONE CHILD NATION
Directed by Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang
China’s One Child Policy, the extreme population control measure that made it illegal for couples to have more than one child, may have ended in 2015, but the process of dealing with the trauma of its brutal enforcement is only just beginning. From award-winning documentarian Nanfu Wang (Hooligan Sparrow, I Am Another You) and Jialing Zhang, the sweeping One Child Nation explores the ripple effect of this devastating social experiment, uncovering one shocking human rights violation after another – from abandoned newborns, to forced sterilizations and abortions, and government abductions. Wang digs fearlessly into her own personal life, weaving her experience as a new mother and the firsthand accounts of her family members into archival propaganda material and testimony from victims and perpetrators alike, yielding a revelatory and essential record of this chilling, unprecedented moment in human civilization. One Child Nation is a stunning, nuanced indictment of the mindset that prioritizes national agenda over human life, and serves as a first-of-its-kind oral history of this collective tragedy – bearing witness to the truth as China has already begun to erase the horrors of its “population war” from public record and memory.
Director Nanfu Wang will participate in a Q&A moderated by Alissa Wilkinson following the 7:30 pm show on Friday, August 9th at the Royal in Santa Monica.
Purchase tickets here!
AMERICAN FACTORY
Directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand blue-collar Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.
LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE
Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
In LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, Ronstadt is our guide through her early years of singing Mexican canciones with her family; her folk days with the Stone Poneys; and her reign as the “rock queen” of the ‘70s and early ’80s. She was a pioneer for women in the male-dominated music industry; a passionate advocate for human rights, and had a high-profile romance with California Governor Jerry Brown. Ultimately, her singing voice was stilled by illness and forced her into retirement but her music and influence remain as timeless as ever. With moving performance footage and appearances by friends and collaborators including Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE celebrates an artist whose desire to share the music she loved made generations of fans fall in love with her — and the sound of her voice.
SISTER AIMEE
Directed by Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann
The sensational evangelist Sister Aimee Semple McPherson has pulled off her latest marvel: vanishing in plain sight of a devout disciple! Except that this disappearance was a cleverly orchestrated ploy to run away with her lover, a married writer named Kenny. Outfitted with new identities and a courageous guide named Rey, Aimee and Kenny head for Mexico, searching for inspiration and adventure. When Aimee tires of Kenny’s literary ineptitude, she enlists Rey’s help to ditch him in the desert. Yet getting Aimee back to Los Angeles—where the news, the police, and her devotees are anxiously searching for her—will take a real miracle.
Playing in September at the Village East Cinema in NYC and Lammle Glendale in LA!
THE RED SEA DIVING RESORT
Directed by Gideon Raff
Inspired by remarkable true life rescue missions, THE RED SEA DIVING RESORT is the incredible story of a group of international agents and brave Ethiopians who in the early 80s used a deserted holiday retreat in Sudan as a front to smuggle thousands of refugees to Israel. The undercover team carrying out this mission is led by the charismatic Ari Levinson (Chris Evans) and courageous local Kabede Bimro (Michael Kenneth Williams). The prestigious cast also includes Haley Bennett, Alessandro Nivola, Michiel Huisman, Chris Chalk, Greg Kinnear and Ben Kingsley.
LOVE, ANTOSHA
Directed Garett Price
From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton’s impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man. Born in the former Soviet Union to a family of artists, Anton and his parents came to the U.S. when he was six months old. He started acting at nine. He had a genuine curiosity and love for people, for art, and for family. And a willingness to explore, and be open with, the darker parts of himself. Love, Antosha explores his successes and his struggles, and lets viewers get to know this extraordinary person the world was cheated from seeing grow old.
THE FAREWELL
Directed by Lulu Wang
In this funny, uplifting tale based on an actual lie, Chinese-born, U.S.-raised Billi (Awkwafina) reluctantly returns to Changchun to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, Nai-Nai, has been given mere weeks to live, everyone has decided not to tell Nai Nai herself. To assure her happiness, they gather under the joyful guise of an expedited wedding, uniting family members scattered among new homes abroad. As Billi navigates a minefield of family expectations and proprieties, she finds there’s a lot to celebrate: a chance to rediscover the country she left as a child, her grandmother’s wondrous spirit, and the ties that keep on binding even when so much goes unspoken.
In theaters July 12th – Buy tickets here!
DAVID CROSBY: REMEMBER MY NAME
Directed by A.J. Eaton
A revealing and deeply personal documentary exploring the life and creative renaissance of music icon David Crosby. A cultural force for over fifty years, Crosby faced uncertain future after the 2015 dissolution of Crosby, Stills and Nash. Racked with health issues and personal obstacles, Crosby forged a new path at the age of 77. Seeking out younger musicians and recording a pair of critically-praised new albums, Crosby now sets out to make a mark in a world now so different from the generation he came to define in the 60’s. With unflinching honesty, self-examination, regret, fear, exuberance and an unshakable belief in family and the transformative nature of music, Crosby shares his often-challenging journey with humor and bite. You thought you knew him. Meet David Crosby now in this portrait of a man still tilting against every windmill, with everything but an easy retirement on his mind. This inspirational story, filled with music, will speak to loyal fans, and legions of new ones.
THE CONFESSION TAPES: SEASON 2
Produced by Netflix
They confessed to horrible crimes they claim they never really committed. But why? Four more stories tackle the tricky question.
TRUE JUSTICE: BRYAN STEVENSON’S FIGHT FOR EQUALITY
Directed by Peter Kunhardt, George Kunhardt and Teddy Kunhardt
For more than three decades, Alabama public interest attorney Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, has advocated on behalf of the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned, seeking to eradicate racial discrimination in the criminal justice system. An intimate portrait of this remarkable man, True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality follows his struggle to create greater fairness in the system and shows how racial injustice emerged, evolved and continues to threaten the country, challenging viewers to confront it.
Premieres June 26th on HBO
EXHIBIT A
Directed by Kelly Loudenberg
This true crime series shows how innocent people have been convicted with dubious forensic techniques and tools such as touch DNA and cadaver dogs.
HALSTON
Directed by Frederic Tcheng
HALSTON captures the epic sweep of the life and times of the legendary designer Roy Halston Frowick, the man who set women free with his unstructured designs and strove to “dress all of America.” Framing the story as an investigation featuring actress and writer Tavi Gevinson as a young archivist diving into the Halston company records, Tcheng expertly weaves rare archival footage and intimate interviews with Halston’s family, friends and collaborators including Jacqueline Kennedy, Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol and Iman. What results is a behind-the-headlines look into the thrilling struggle between Halston’s artistic legacy and the pressures of big business.
Early screening on May 31st – National release on June 7th! Purchase tickets here!
ONE CHILD NATION
Directed by Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang
From Academy Award-nominated documentarian Nanfu Wang, Hooligan Sparrow (HRWFF, 2017) and Jialing Zhang, One Child Nation explores China’s One Child Policy, which made it illegal in most circumstances for couples to have more than one child. Nanfu digs fearlessly into her own life, using her experience as a new mother and first-hand accounts of her family members, along with archival propaganda material and testimony from victims and law-enforcers alike, composing a revelatory record of China’s drastic approach to population-control. The severe law that led to forced sterilizations and abortions, abandoned newborns, and government abductions may have ended in 2015, but the process of dealing with the impact of its enforcement is only just beginning.
Special screening at the 2019 Human Rights Watch Film Festival
June 14th & 15th – Purchase tickets here!
THE DEAD DON’T DIE
Directed by Jim Jarmusch
The Dead Don’t Die – the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane and Tom Waits. Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch.
In theaters June 14th!
LETTERS FROM HOLLYWOOD: INSIDE THE PRIVATE WORLD OF CLASS MOVIEMAKING
Written by Rocky Lang, Barbara Hall, and Peter Bogdanovich
Letters from Hollywood reproduces in full color scores of entertaining and insightful pieces of correspondence from some of the most notable and talented film industry names of all time—from the silent era to the golden age, and up through the pre-email days of the 1970s. Culled from libraries, archives, and personal collections, the 135 letters, memos, and telegrams are organized chronologically and are annotated by the authors to provide backstories and further context. While each piece reveals a specific moment in time, taken together, the letters convey a bigger picture of Hollywood history. Contributors include celebrities like Greta Garbo, Alfred Hitchcock, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Elia Kazan, Cary Grant, Francis Ford Coppola, Tom Hanks, and Jane Fonda. This is the gift book of the season for fans of classic Hollywood.
Pre-order on Amazon here!
ASK DR.RUTH
Directed by Ryan White
Ask Dr. Ruth chronicles the incredible life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who became America’s most famous sex therapist. With her diminutive frame, thick German accent, and uninhibited approach to sex therapy and education, Dr. Ruth transformed the conversation around sexuality. As she approaches her 90th birthday and shows no signs of slowing down, Dr. Ruth revisits her painful past and unlikely path to a career at the forefront of the sexual revolution.
Stream on Hulu now!
CHASING HAPPINESS
Directed by John Taylor
Chasing Happiness is a story of brotherhood. From humble roots as Pastor’s sons in New Jersey, through their meteoric rise to fame, the Jonas Brothers’ bond was unshakable- until a surprising and painful breakup led Joe, Kevin and Nick down very different paths. With deeply personal interviews, previously unreleased footage and exclusive music, this is the Jonas Brothers as never seen before.
Stream on Amazon Prime!
THE GREAT EASTERN
Written by Howard Rodman
A sprawling adventure pitting two of literature’s most iconic anti-heroes against each other: Captain Nemo and Captain Ahab. Caught between them: real-life British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, builder of the century’s greatest ship, The Great Eastern. But when he’s kidnapped by Nemo to help design a submarine with which to fight the laying of the Translatlantic cable – linking the two colonialist forces Nemo hates, England and the US – Brunel finds himself going up against his own ship, and the strange man hired to protect it, Captain Ahab, in a battle for the soul of the 19th century.
Pre-order your copy at your local book store or online here!
ASBURY PARK: RIOT, REDEMPTION, AND ROCK N’ ROLL
Directed by Tom Jones
Asbury Park: Riot, Redemption, Rock ‘N Roll – Trailer from California Film Institute on Vimeo.
Asbury Park: Riot, Redemption, Rock & Roll is the story of the long-troubled town of Asbury Park and how the power of music to unite a people divided. A once storied seaside resort, Asbury Park suffered a race riot on Independence Day, 1970, crippling the town for the next 45 years and reducing it to a state of urban blight. A town literally divided by a set of railroad tracks, the riot destroyed the fabled Westside jazz and blues scene but from the flames of the burning city emerged Bruce Springsteen and the fabled Jersey sound.
Special Screening in Los Angeles on May 22nd – Purchase tickets here!
ECHO IN THE CANYON
Directed by Andrew Slater
A look at the roots of the historic music scene in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon featuring the music of iconic music groups such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas and the Papas.
FOSTER
Directed by Mark Jonathan Harris
Drawing on unprecedented access, FOSTER explores the often-misunderstood world of foster care through compelling stories from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, the largest county child welfare agency in the country. The documentary mixes firsthand accounts of people navigating the system with insights from social workers, advocates and others, offering a realistic but hopeful perspective on a community that needs society’s support.
Producer Deborah Oppenheimer and writer-director Mark Jonathan Harris (Oscar-winning Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport) reunite to upend some of the most enduring myths about foster care, going beyond the stereotypes.
Airing on HBO May 7th – Watch here!
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM
Directed by John Chester
The Biggest Little Farm follows two dreamers and their beloved dog when they make a choice that takes them out of their tiny L.A. apartment and into the countryside to build one of the most diverse farms of its kind in complete coexistence with nature.
Now screening across U.S. theaters – purchase your tickets here!
KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE
Directed by Rachel Lears
Four exceptional women mount grassroots campaigns against powerful incumbents in Knock Down the House, an inspiring look at the 2018 midterm elections that tipped the balance of power. When tragedy struck her family in the middle of the financial crisis, Bronx-born Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had to work double shifts as a bartender to save her home from foreclosure. After losing a loved one to a preventable medical condition, Amy Vilela didn’t know what to do with the anger she felt about America’s broken health care system. Cori Bush, a registered nurse and pastor, was drawn to the streets when the police shooting of an unarmed black man brought protests and tanks into her neighborhood. A coal miner’s daughter, Paula Jean Swearengin was fed up with watching her friends and family suffer from the environmental effects of the coal industry.
Stream it now on Netflix!
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
Directed by Randy Feldman
A Middle Eastern man invades the home of a young, affluent couple as a result of a road rage incident, and the results are a tense exploration of their preconceptions and misconceptions.
At Arena Cinelounge April 26th – Purchase Tickets Here!
RAMY
Directed by Cherien Dabis, Christopher Storer, Harry Bradbeer, and Ramy Youssef
Ramy is a first generation Egyptian-American who is on a spiritual journey in his politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. RAMY will bring a new perspective to the screen as it explores the challenges of what it’s like being caught between a Muslim community that thinks life is a moral test and a millennial generation that thinks life has no consequences.
Watch on Hulu
BE NATURAL: THE UNTOLD STORY OF ALICE GUY-BLACHÉ
Directed by Pamela B. Green
Narrated by Jodie Foster, Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché is a documentary about the first female filmmaker, exploring the heights of fame and financial success she achieved before she was shut out from the very industry she helped create. Guy-Blaché started her career as a secretary to Léon Gaumont and in 1896, at 23, was inspired to make her own film called La Fée aux Choux (The Cabbage Fairy), one of the first narrative films ever made.
Premiere at the Laemmle Santa Monica Center with Q&A featuring filmmakers Pamela B. Green (director) and Joan Simon (co-writer) with Kathy Bates, Kiernan Shipka and Catherine Hardwicke. Moderated by Evan Kleiman.
Purchase Tickets HERE!
HAIL SATAN?
Directed by Penny Lane
With unprecedented access, HAIL SATAN traces the rise of The Satanic Temple: only six years old and already one of the most controversial religious movements in American history. The Temple and its enigmatic leader Lucien Greaves are calling for a Satanic revolution to save the nation’s soul. But are they for real?
In Los Angeles theaters Friday April 19th at the Arclight and Landmark!
LETTERS FROM A NUT
Directed by Pierre Balloón
Produced by Jerry Seinfeld, Letters From A Nut details Ted L. Nancy as a customer in need of service. He writes to a city council requesting a permit for operating his Electronic Nose Blowing Machine, invites a Czechoslovakian President to become Treasurer of Ted’s Vacuum Club, asks a retail store about buying a mannequin that looks like his deceased neighbor to present to the grieving widow, and more. Time after time, well meaning representatives offer earnest replies to his letters.
Based on his bestselling series of books Letters from a Nut and filmed on stage at LA’s Geffen Playhouse, Mr. Nancy brings his madcap collection of correspondences to the screen for a one of a kind show that is both outlandish and uproarious.
Watch on iTunes, Amazon, or Vimeo!
30 FOR 30: SEAU
Directed by Kirby Bradley
Long before Junior Seau finally hung up his NFL spikes for good, he was a legend. Seau had everything an athlete could ever want: the adoration of millions, the admiration of his peers, the love of a beautiful family, and a sense of purpose beyond the playing field. And yet, on May 2nd, 2012, at the age of 43, Seau, alone in his bedroom at his home in Oceanside, California, shot himself in the heart. He left no suicide note, offering no clear answers to why he’d take his own life. Now, Seau, a searing, revealing portrait of the Hall of Famer’s life and death, seeks those answers, exploring his remarkable path out of an immigrant Samoan family to NFL stardom, and the many complications that ensued through two decades spent at the heart of a brutal and unforgiving game.
Directed by Kirby Bradley, Junior Seau’s tale of one of modern football’s great icons, with a tragic end still reverberating through the sports world all these years later.
On ESPN Tuesday, April 16, at 9pm EST, 8 CST, 6pm PST
Premieres Thursday, September 20th on ESPN+
THEY FIGHT
Directed by Andrew Renzi
THEY FIGHT is a part of Fox Sport’s new documentary series, Magnify.
“In the wake of a long prison term and the tragic murder of his teenage son, Walter Manigan looks to steer the youth of his Southeast D.C. neighborhood in a positive direction through an after school boxing program.”
Based on an article in the Washington Post written by Mike Minahan.
NATIVE SON
Directed by Rashid Johnson
A young Black man’s dalliance with a wealthy white family takes a disastrous turn in this modern reimagining of Richard Wright’s haunting novel. Directed by renowned visual artist Rashid Johnson and starring Ashton Sanders, Native Son retells a quintessentially American parable about race, class and the illusion of opportunity.
Available Sat, Apr 6 at 7:00pm PT on HBO Go and HBO Now
RIGGED: The Voter Suppression Playbook
Directed by Michael Kasino
Narrated by Emmy & Tony Award-winning actor, Jeffrey Wright, the film exposes the anti-democratic practices of the voter suppression movement – from its re-birth after Obama’s 2008 election up to the present. In addition to iTunes, Amazon and Google Play, the film is touring the country at selected screenings including ones sponsored by the Lawyers Committee in DC, the ACLU in Nashville, the Brennan Center in NYC and the Jesse Unruh Institute of Politics in LA.
Pre-order Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook on iTunes today!
SCREWBALL
Directed by Billy Corben
Recounting the high-profile doping scandal that rocked Major League Baseball, director Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys) takes us into the surreal Miami underworld that provided performance-enhancing drugs to Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and other star players.
Limited U.S. release on Friday March 29th – Purchase tickets here!
THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIG FOOT
Directed by Robert E. Kryzkowski
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot follows a legendary American war hero named Calvin Barr (Sam Elliott and Aiden Turner) who, decades after serving in World War II and assassinating Adolf Hitler, must now hunt down the fabled Bigfoot. Living a peaceful life in New England, the veteran is contacted by the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to lead the charge to stop the creature that is carrying a plague and is hidden deep inside the Canadian wilderness.
Get tickets for the Laemmle Monica Film Center screening here!
PEN15
Directed by Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, and Sam Zvibleman
PEN15 is middle school as it really happened. Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle star in this adult comedy, playing versions of themselves as thirteen-year-old outcasts in the year 2000, surrounded by actual thirteen-year-olds, where the best day of your life can turn into your worst with the stroke of a gel pen.
Stream on Hulu!
LORENA
Directed by Joshua Rofe
From Executive Producer Jordan Peele, this four-part docuseries re-investigates the events of 1993, where Lorena Bobbitt sliced off her husband’s penis after years of abuse.
MADONNA & THE BREAKFAST CLUB
Directed by Guy Gudio
The documentary story of Madonna’s struggling days in New York with her first band “Breakfast Club,” leading up to her first solo record deal.
FYRE: THE GREATEST PARTY THAT NEVER HAPPENED
Directed by Chris Smith
The Fyre Festival was billed as a luxury music experience on a posh private island, but it failed spectacularly in the hands of a cocky entrepreneur.
Available for streaming on NETFLIX January 18th!
WILDLAND
Directed by Alex Jablonski and Kahlil Hudson
Filmed over one fire season, Wildland is a sweeping yet deeply personal account of a single wildland firefighting crew as they struggle with fear, loyalty, dreams, and demons. What emerges is a rich story of working-class men — their exterior world, their interior lives and the fire that lies between. A film by Alex Jablonski and Kahlil Hudson.
Purchase tickets for the LA Live screening here, or find your local screening!
SIDELINED
Directed by Galen Summer
In the 1970s, NFL cheerleaders became a sensation on the sidelines. But when Playboy magazine got the teams’ blessing to photograph their squads, several of the women posed nude and were abruptly fired. Through firsthand accounts from the women, Sidelined uncovers the hypocrisy behind this forgotten controversy.
Premieres on Lifetime Monday January 14th at 10pm/7pm EST/PST
NARCISSISTER ORGAN PLAYER
Directed by Narcissister
Directed by the enigmatic artist herself, the film deconstructs her celebrated stage shows which combine dance, elaborate costumes, pop music hits, unabashed eroticism and heavy doses of humor. From public outings with Marilyn Manson, collaborations with Marina Abramovic to a stint on AMERICA’S GOT TALENT – Narcissister is no stranger to the spotlight. This doc goes behind her iconic mask – revealing her experience growing up and feeling ostracized in blonde-haired, blue-eyed Southern California as the child of a Sephardic Jewish mother and an African-American father.
LIMITED SCREENINGS IN LOS ANGELES – PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
THEY FIGHT
Directed by Andrew Renzi
THEY FIGHT is a part of Fox Sport’s new documentary series, Magnify.
“In the wake of a long prison term and the tragic murder of his teenage son, Walter Manigan looks to steer the youth of his Southeast D.C. neighborhood in a positive direction through an after school boxing program.”
Based on an article in the Washington Post written by Mike Minahan.
Official Theatrical Release: Friday November 9th – Purchase tickets here!
Official Air Date, following the NFL Broadcast: Sunday November 11th
SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE
Directed by Gotham Chopra
This three-part documentary series chronicles the modern history of the NBA. By taking control of their own destinies, basketball players have helped to bring about social change and make their own political statements.
Narrated by acclaimed sports journalist Jemele Hill, SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE will premiere Saturday, November 3 at 9PM ET/6PM PT on SHOWTIME.
Episode 2 on 11/10 (9pm EST/PST)
Episode 3 on 11/17 (9pm EST/PST)
IN SEARCH OF GREATNESS
Directed by Gabe Polsky
Through the eyes of the greatest athletes of all time, IN SEARCH OF GREATNESS is a cinematic journey into the secrets of genius. From award-winning filmmaker Gabe Polsky (Red Army, Genuis) this groundbreaking feature documentary includes original interviews with Wayne Gretzky, Pele? & Jerry Rice, and features Muhammad Ali, Einstein, David Bowie, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan among others.
In theaters November 2nd, 2018 – Purchase Tickets Here!
WATERGATE
Directed by Charles Ferguson
“Watergate” is a special six-hour, three-night event series from Academy Award®-winning director Charles Ferguson that chronicles one of the biggest criminal conspiracies in modern politics and features a roster of some of the most important media, legal and political figures from the scandal, including Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward, John Dean, Jill Wine-Banks, Richard Ben-Veniste, and many others.
Purchase tickets for the Los Angeles premiere here!
History Channel premiere November 2nd at 9/8c
DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION
Directed by Dana Adam Shapiro
The behind-the-scenes story of how the original Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders became a controversial pop culture phenomenon at the height of the Sexual Revolution. With unprecedented access to Director Suzanne Mitchell, the fiercely-loyal “Godmother of modern cheerleading,” this documentary complicates the legend of the most iconic squad of cheerleaders in the world. Gravitas Ventures has now acquired North American rights to the film.
Limited theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles on Friday November 2nd, purchase LA tickets here
THE PANAMA PAPERS
Directed by Alex Winter
A documentary feature film about the biggest global corruption scandal in history, and the hundreds of journalists who risked their lives to break the story.
THE PANAMA PAPERS director Alex Winter will participate in Q&A’s at the Playhouse
Friday 11/2 at 7:10pm – Saturday | 11/3 at 1:20pm and 7:10pm – Sunday 11/4 at 1:20pm and 4:10pm
Purchase tickets here!
RIGGED
Directed by Jesse Moore and Sam Pollard
Narrated by Robert Redford, RIGGED reveals how our most important right, the right to vote, is being jeopardized by a decade of dirty tricks and political shenanigans: restrictive new voting laws, voter purges, gerrymandering, and the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act. Shot during the 2016 election, Rigged sounds the alarm about the campaign to undermine our democracy, and empowers viewers to fight back.
Premiere screening on November 2nd will be followed by a Q&A with the New York School of Law – Brennan Center for Justice voting experts.
ON HER SHOULDERS
Directed by Alexandria Bombach
ON HER SHOULDERS is award-winning filmmaker Alexandria Bombach’s thoughtful chronicling of Yazidi activist Nadia Murad’s global awareness campaign. Twenty-three-year-old Murad’s life is a dizzying array of exhausting undertakings—from giving testimony before the U.N. to visiting refugee camps to soul-bearing media interviews and one-on-one meetings with top government officials. With deep compassion and a formal precision and elegance that matches Nadia’s calm and steely demeanor, filmmaker Alexandria Bombach (FRAME BY FRAME) follows this strong-willed young woman, who survived the 2014 genocide of the Yazidis in Northern Iraq and escaped ISIS to become a relentless beacon of hope for her people, even when at times she longs to lay aside this monumental burden and simply have an ordinary life.
Purchase tickets for the Los Angeles screenings here!
F(L)AG FOOTBALL
Directed by Seth Greenleaf
F(l)ag Football follows a group of competitive gay athletes on their journey to the National Gay Flag Football Championships. What emerges is a portrait of stereotype-breaking athletes wrestling with complex identities and team dynamics, all while competing in 90-plus degree heat for the chance to be crowned – Champions.
Now available on iTunes and Amazon!
MAKING A MURDERER 2
Directed by Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi
Filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos return to the Midwest where they have exclusive access to Steven Avery and his co-defendant and nephew Brendan Dassey, their families and the legal teams fighting for justice on their behalf. Premieres on Netflix October 19, 2018.
MID 90s
Directed by Jonah Hill
Written and directed by Jonah Hill, Mid90s follows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 90s-era LA who spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of new friends that he meets at a Motor Avenue skate shop.
Mid 90s opens in theaters in LA and NY on October 19, 2018.
THE ROMANOFFS
Directed by Matthew Weiner
From the creator of Mad Men, The Romanoffs is a contemporary anthology series set around the globe featuring eight separate stories about people who believe themselves to be descendants of the Russian royal family.
D+C client Mary Sweeney wrote the third episode, set to air on Friday October 19th (Cast: Christina Hendricks, Isabelle Huppert, Jack Huston, Mike Doyle and Paul Reiser).
THE EUGENICS CRUSADE
Directed by Michelle Ferrari
A hybrid derived from the Greek words meaning “well” and “born,” the term eugenics was coined in 1883 by Sir Francis Galton, a British cousin to Charles Darwin, to name a new “science” through which human beings might take charge of their own evolution. The Eugenics Crusade tells the story of the unlikely –– and largely unknown –– movement that turned the fledgling scientific theory of heredity into a powerful instrument of social control.
Tune in on October 16th, 9/8c – PBS
Watch part one of the series here!
BASKETBALL: A LOVE STORY
Directed by Dan Klores
Basketball: A Love Story is a series of more than 60 interconnected “short stories” that creates a vibrant mosaic of the game, featuring 165 exclusive interviews. The cast encompasses basketball’s most prominent figures and explores the complex nature of love as it relates to the game. Basketball: A Love Story opens the window to insights and perspectives about race, politics, media, art, business, style and entertainment. Available on ESPN and VOD starting October 9th, 2018.
STUDIO 54
Directed by Matt Tyrnauer
Studio 54 was the epicenter of 70s hedonism–a place that not only redefined the nightclub, but also came to symbolize an entire era. Its co-owners, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell, two friends from Brooklyn, seemed to come out of nowhere to suddenly preside over a new kind of New York society. Now, 39 years after the velvet rope was first slung across the club’s hallowed threshold, a feature documentary tells the real story behind the greatest club of all time.
Studio 54 opens in theaters October 5, 2018
ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA’S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW
Directed by Rory Kennedy
As NASA celebrates its 60th anniversary, Discovery once again shines a spotlight on the historic institution taking us to the moon, to the surface of Mars, to the outer edge of our solar system and beyond. But more than a moving portrait of NASA’s many accomplishments in space, ABOVE AND BEYOND also sheds light on the agency’s lesser-known area of focus— the vital role NASA has played in measuring the health of our home planet. Directed, produced, and narrated by Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy®-winning Rory Kennedy (“Last Days of Vietnam,”) the film examines the extraordinary ways NASA has changed not only our vision of the universe, but also our planet, and ourselves. Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow will be in movie theaters nationwide with two special cinematic screenings on September 29 and October 3.
MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A.
Directed by Steve Loveridge
Drawn from a cache of personal video recordings from the past 22 years, director Steve Loveridge’s Sundance award winning MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. is a startlingly personal profile of the critically acclaimed artist, chronicling her remarkable journey from refugee immigrant to pop star. MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. is in theaters September 28th.
JANE FONDA IN FIVE ACTS
Directed by Susan Lacy
Girl next door, sex kitten, activist, fitness tycoon: Oscar-winner Jane Fonda has lived a life marked by controversy, tragedy and transformation, and she’s done it all in the public eye. Directed and produced by award-winning documentarian Susan Lacy, Jane Fonda in Five Acts, is an intimate look at her singular journey. Premieres September 24th on HBO.
HAL
Directed by Amy Scott
Hal Ashby’s obsessive genius led to an unprecedented string of Oscar®-winning classics, including Harold and Maude, Shampoo and Being There. But as contemporaries Coppola, Scorsese and Spielberg rose to blockbuster stardom in the 1980s, Ashby’s uncompromising nature played out as a cautionary tale of art versus commerce. Hal is in theaters September 7th.
A WHALE OF A TALE
Directed by Megumi Sasaki
The camera delves into the lives of local whalers, global activists and an American journalist in the “whale and dolphin killing town” of Taiji, Japan, revealing not everything is as black and white as it seems.
A Whale of a Tale will be screening in New York on Wednesday, August 8th and Los Angeles on Tuesday, August 14th.
RANDOM ACTS OF FLYNESS
Created by Terence Nance
A fluid, stream-of-conscious response to the contemporary American mediascape, each episode of Random Acts of Flyness features a handful of interconnected vignettes, showcasing an ensemble cast of emerging and established talent. The show is a mix of verité documentary, musical performances, surrealist melodrama and humorous animation. Nance and his collaborators weave together such themes as ancestral trauma, history, death, the singularity, romance and more, creating a television show like nothing seen before.
Random Acts of Flyness premieres on HBO Friday, August 3rd at midnight ET/PT.
93QUEEN
Directed by Paula Eiselt
93QUEEN follows RACHEL “RUCHIE” FREIER, a no-nonsense Hasidic lawyer and mother of six who is determined to shake up the “boys club” in her Hasidic community by creating Ezras Nashim, the first all-female ambulance corps in NYC.
93Queen opens on 7/25 at NYC’s IFC Center and in LA on August 14th! Check out theaters and dates HERE.
GENERATION WEALTH
Directed by Lauren Greenfield
A documentary that investigates the pathologies that have created the richest society the world has ever seen.
Generation Wealth opens in NY and LA Friday, July 20th with special screenings including a Q&A from director Lauren Greenfield.
EIGHTH GRADE
Directed by Bo Burnham
A teenager tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth-grade year before leaving to start high school.
Eighth Grade opens Friday, July 13th.
THE 2000s
Executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog
The 2000s premieres Sunday, July 8th at 9 PM ET/PT on CNN.
LEAVE NO TRACE
Directed by Debra Granik
Will (Ben Foster) and his teenage daughter, Tom (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie), have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are put into social services. After clashing with their new surroundings, Will and Tom set off on a harrowing journey back to their wild homeland.
LEAVE NO TRACE opens Friday, June 29th in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Phoenix, London, and throughout the UK.
NOSSA CHAPE
Directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist
NOSSA CHAPE tracks the rebuilding of the Chapecoense football club in Brazil after an airplane carrying the team crashed on November 28th, 2016, leaving all but three of the players dead. With exclusive access to the new team, families of the deceased, and three surviving players, this documentary shows a team and a city divided about how to handle tragedy – should they focus on keeping the memory of the dead alive or moving on with their own lives? As the team flies the same fated route to play the final championship game that last year’s team would have played, they must unite around a common identity.
Watch on Saturday, June 23rd at 4:15 pm ET on FOX Sports, immediately following the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ coverage.
LOVE MEANS ZERO
Directed by Jason Kohn
At 85 years old, Nick Bollettieri is a living legend. At his tennis academy in Florida, he raised a generation of champions. Courier. Seles. Agassi. No other coach has matched his success, his dominance or his fame. His greatness, though, came at a terrible price – broken marriages, financial ruin and a fractured relationship with his surrogate son and most cherished student, Andre Agassi. This documentary tells his story and explores the cost of his all-consuming drive for greatness. Directed and produced by Jason Kohn.
Watch on SHOWTIME and On Demand starting June 23rd.
HALF THE PICTURE
Directed by Amy Adrion
HALF THE PICTURE is a documentary about the dismal number of women directors working in Hollywood, using the current EEOC investigation into discriminatory hiring practices as a framework to talk to successful women directors about their career paths, struggles, inspiration and hopes for the future.
Opening in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Monica Film Center on June 22nd!
Available OnDemand, DVD and Blu-Ray on July 24th. Pre-order on iTunes.
ALONE IN THE GAME
Directed by Natalie Metzger and Michael Rohrbaugh
ALONE IN THE GAME exposes the outdated ideas and outright prejudices that make competitive sports one of the gay rights movement’s final frontiers.
JOHN MCCAIN: FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS
Directed by Peter Kunhardt
Produced and directed by six-time Emmy winner Peter Kunhardt (HBO’s Jim: The James Foley Story, King in the Wilderness), along with Emmy winners George Kunhardt and Teddy Kunhardt, upcoming documentary about Senator John McCain is an illuminating, exclusive profile of one of the most influential forces in modern American politics. Serving 31 years, the six-term senior Arizona senator agreed to participate in the film shortly after being diagnosed with brain cancer, providing unprecedented access to his daily life in Washington, D.C. and Sedona, Arizona.
Learn more about the documentary here, and stream on HBO!
THE TALE
Directed by Jennifer Fox
An unforgettable meditation on elusive nature of memory, The Tale is the first narrative feature from Sundance Grand Prize Winner and Emmy nominated writer-director Jennifer Fox, whose documentary films have earned international acclaim for their groundbreaking artistry and unflinching honesty. Based on Fox’s own life story, The Tale sees the filmmaker bravely pushing forward the boundaries of conventional storytelling, creating a dialogue between past and present to illustrate the interplay between memory and trauma.
BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY
Directed by Alexandra Dean
Produced by Reframed Pictures in association with American Masters, the new documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story explores how Lamarr’s true legacy is that of a technological trailblazer.
The film premieres nationwide May 18, 2018, at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/americanmasters and PBS apps.
ALWAYS AT THE CARLYLE
Directed by Matthew Miele
In the works for more than three years, ALWAYS AT THE CARLYLE offers an exclusive and provocative peek into the pop culture history of the renowned hotel, all from the mouths of The Carlyle’s own guests and employees. George Clooney, Anjelica Huston, Tommy Lee Jones, Vera Wang, Anthony Bourdain, Roger Federer, Wes Anderson, Sofia Coppola, Jon Hamm, Lenny Kravitz, Naomi Campbell and Elaine Stritch join the more than 100 personalities sharing their favorite stories and unique insights in this exposé of New York City’s legendary hotel.
Q&A with director Matthew Miele at the Monica Film Center on Friday and Saturday, May 18 and 19, after the 7:10 PM shows. Get tickets here!
LOVE AND BANANAS
Directed by Ashley Bell
LOVE & BANANAS: AN ELEPHANT STORY is a heartwarming and hopeful story about a team of elephant rescuers, led by world renowned Asian elephant conservationist Lek Chailert, as they embark on a daring 48-hour mission 500 miles across Thailand to rescue a 70-year old captive blind Asian elephant and bring her to freedom.
Find your local screenings here!
THE DEVIL AND FATHER AMORTH
Directed by William Friedkin
Years after he changed the landscape of American filmmaking with 1973’s The Exorcist, director, co-writer and legendary storyteller William Friedkin moves from fiction to fact with his new documentary, The Devil and Father Amorth. Combining Friedkin’s past memories and present observations with archival footage and new interviews – as well as also presenting what may be the only real exorcism ceremony captured on film – The Devil and Father Amorth is a startling and surprising story of the religion, the ritual and the real-world victims involved in possession and exorcism.
Check out the Los Angeles and New York City screenings!
KING IN THE WILDERNESS
Directed by Peter W. Kunhardt
King in the Wilderness chronicles the final chapters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, revealing a conflicted leader who faced an onslaught of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. While the Black Power movement saw his nonviolence as weakness, and President Lyndon B. Johnson saw his anti-Vietnam War speeches as irresponsible, Dr. King’s unyielding belief in peaceful protest became a testing point for a nation on the brink of chaos.
Watch on HBO
RAPTURE
Directed by Sacha Jenkins, Ben Selkow, Geeta Gandbhir, Steven Caple Jr., Marcus A. Clarke, & Gabriel Noble
Groundbreaking artists share their life stories in this vibrant documentary series that captures hip-hop’s impact on global culture.
Stream on NETFLIX
IN SEARCH OF FELLINI
Directed by Taron Lexton
In this coming-of-age adventure, Lucy, a small-town girl from Ohio, discovers the delightfully bizarre films of the legendary Italian filmmaker, Federico Fellini and sets off on a journey across Italy to find him.
Stream on NETFLIX March 19, 2018
TAKE EVERY WAVE
Directed by Rory Kennedy
TAKE EVERY WAVE: The Life of Laird Hamilton tracks the remarkable life and legendary career of big wave surfer Laird Hamilton. Much admired by the public, though often disdained or ignored by the surf industry itself, Laird is a unique sports icon—an athlete who has refused to compete professionally yet has dominated big wave surfing as no other figure in history has ever done.
Now Available on iTunes!
WHEN WE FIRST MET
Directed by Ari Sandel
Using a magical photo booth that sends him back in time, Noah relives the night he met Avery over and over, trying to persuade her to fall for him.
Watch on Netflix!
SURVIVORS GUIDE TO PRISON
Directed by Matthew Cooke
You’re more likely to go to prison in the United States than any other country in the world, so in the unfortunate case it happens to you, this is the SURVIVORS GUIDE TO PRISON. Narrated by Academy Award® winner Susan Sarandon, the nonstop film chronicles the stories of two men who spent decades behind bars for murders they did not commit. With additional narration by activist celebrities like Patricia Arquette, Jesse Williams, Ice T, RZA, Busta Rhymes, Tom Morello, Macklemore, B-Real, Deepak Chopra, Warren G and more joining forces to change this broken system, the “Survivors Guide” exposes a failed “punishment model.”
Gripping testimony from inmates, guards, staff, police, analysts, lawyers and reformers lend further credibility as documentarian Matthew Cooke examines the system cell by cell and by contrast, the dramatic programs proven to work.
Pre-Order on iTunes
THOM PAIN
Directed by Oliver Butler
Thom Pain is just like you, except worse. One night, he finds himself on a stage, in the dark, in a theatre. In the audience are people who, just like him, were born and will die. Thom is going to try to make sense of it all. He’s going to try to save his life, to save their life, to save your life – in that order. A camera crew captures the night, as various forces align to produce a reckless and accidentally profound event.
Watch on BROADWAY HD!
THE TOYS THAT MADE US
Directed by Tom Stern
The minds behind history’s most iconic toy franchises discuss the rise — and sometimes fall — of their billion-dollar creations.
Watch Season 1 on NETFLIX!
DIFFERENT FLOWERS
Directed by Morgan Dameron
Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere.
On the day of her big Midwestern wedding, Millie, a persnickety bride, jilts her fiance at the altar with the help of her spunky younger sister, Emma, and embarks on an unexpected journey.
Starring and produced by Shelley Long, and first feature from writer and director Morgan Dameron, DIFFERENT FLOWERS is a love letter to the heartland.
Filmed entirely on location in Dameron’s hometown of Kansas City, DIFFERENT FLOWERS is about learning to follow your heart.
Now available on SHOWTIME!
HAPPENING
Directed by James Redford
Filmmaker James Redford embarks on a colorful personal journey into the dawn of the clean energy era as it creates jobs, turns profits, and makes communities stronger and healthier across the US. Unlikely entrepreneurs in communities from Georgetown, TX to Buffalo, NY reveal pioneering clean energy solutions while James’ discovery of how clean energy works, and what it means at a personal level, becomes the audiences’ discovery too. Reaching well beyond a great story of technology and innovation, “Happening” explores issues of human resilience, social justice, embracing the future, and finding hope for our survival.
AVAILABLE MON, DEC 11 AT 5:00PM PT
ON HBO
THE PROBLEM WITH APU
Directed by Michael Melamedoff
Comedian Hari Kondabolu, the creator and star of this feature-length documentary, confronts his long standing “nemesis” Apu Nahasapeemapetilon – better known as the Indian convenience store owner on The Simpsons. Through this comedic cultural exposé, Kondabolu questions how this controversial caricature was created, burrowed its way into the hearts and minds of Americans and continues to exist – intact – twenty-eight years later.
Sunday, November 19 at 10PM ET/PT on truTV.
JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND
Directed by Chris Smith
In 1999, Jim Carrey portrayed his idol Andy Kaufman in “Man on the Moon.” For twenty years, the behind-the-scenes footage has been withheld…until now. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond – With a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton premieres November 17th, only on Netflix©.
OBEY GIANT
Directed by James Moll
Obey Giant is a documentary profiling the life and work of artist Shepard Fairey, following his roots in punk rock and skateboarding to his creation of the iconic Obama HOPE poster and the controversy that surrounds it. From Director James Moll and Executive Producers James Franco and Elysium Bandini Studios.
Stream on Hulu©!
HOT GREASE
Directed by Sam Wainwright Douglas
World Premiere – DOC NYC November 12th, 2017
Over the past decade, biodiesel has developed from a curiosity to a growing industry with the potential to undercut the dominance of Big Oil and fuel America’s transportation needs — and it all starts with recycled cooking oil. Once considered waste, fast- food grease is now a hot commodity, supporting a cottage industry of grease collectors and even grease thieves. HOT GREASE profiles biodiesel’s innovators, entrepreneurs and influential supporters like Senator Al Franken, working to ensure the future of this green energy source.
Purchase tickets here!
DEALT
Directed By Luke Korem
Winner of the SXSW Audience Award for Documentary Feature, DEALT is the inspiring story of sixty-two year old Richard Turner who is renowned as one of the world’s greatest card magicians, yet he is completely blind. In this documentary, Richard traces his journey from his troubled childhood, when he began losing his vision, to present day as he relentlessly pursues perfection while struggling with the reality that his biggest weakness might also be his greatest strength.
Special Q&A with Subject Richard Turner and Director Luke Korem at Arena Cinema October 27th and October 28th 2017 – Purchase Tickets Here!
32 PILLS: MY SISTER’S SUICIDE
Directed by Hope Littoff
She’s beautiful, artistic, loved, and can’t stand to be alive. 32 PILLS is a feature length documentary that traces director Hope Litoff’s efforts to piece together the life, mental illness, and suicide of her sister, New York artist and photographer Ruth Litoff.
Woodstock Film Festival (Woodstock, NY) on October 12th and 14th
Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival (Glasgow, Scotland) on October 15th
Au Contraire Film Festival (Montreal, Canada) on October 26th
Limited Theatre Release in Los Angeles 10/20/17, purchase your tickets here!
PROFESSOR MARSTON & THE WONDER WOMEN
Directed by Angela Robinson
In a superhero origin tale unlike any other, PROFESSOR MARSTON & THE WONDER WOMEN is the incredible true story of what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston to create the iconic Wonder Woman character in the 1940’s. While Marston’s feminist superhero was criticized by censors for her ‘sexual perversity’, he was keeping a secret that could have destroyed him. Marston’s muses for the Wonder Woman character were his wife Elizabeth Marston and their lover Olive Byrne, two empowered women who defied convention: working with Marston on human behavior research — while building a hidden life with him that rivaled the greatest of superhero disguises.
Check out the Deadline review!
In Theaters October 13th, 2017 | Purchase Tickets Here!
HUMAN FLOW
Directed by Ai Weiwei
Over 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war in the greatest human displacement since World War II. Human Flow, an epic film journey led by the internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei, gives a powerful visual expression to this massive human migration. The documentary elucidates both the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact.
U.S. Release October 13th, 2017
Purchase tickets here!
SPIELBERG
Directed by Susan Lacy
One of the most famous filmmakers in the world, Steven Spielberg pulls back the curtain on his remarkable career more than ever before in the exclusive HBO presentation Spielberg. Directed and produced by award-winning documentarian Susan Lacy, this unprecedented feature-length documentary examines the filmmaker’s filmography in depth, revealing how his experiences fed his work and changed it over time.
Available October 8th, 2017 on HBO Now, HBO Go, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals. More info on the documentary here!
ON YOUR MARC
Directed by Matthew Klickstein
Find out just what it meant to be the messiest man in show business, the challenges Marc faced along the way, the triumphs he achieved to get to where he is today with supportive family, friends and at least two generations of fans.
Featuring interviews with Neil Patrick Harris, Ryan Seacrest, Guy Fieri, Seth Green, Robin and Harvey from Double Dare and plenty more special guests and surprises throughout, you’ll finally get a taste of the sometimes slimey but always sweet life of one of television’s favorite friendly faces, both in front of and behind the camera … with ON YOUR MARC. Now with 23% more pie fights!
Learn more about the film here, and get your tickets to the live-event Los Angeles premiere on October 8th, 2017 here!
CLIVE DAVIS: THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES
Directed by Chris Perkel
Documentarian Chris Perkel catalogues the life and successes of iconic music executive Clive Davis, from his miraculous start at Columbia Records through his trailblazing work at Arista Records and J Records, with a heavy dose of outstanding music sprinkled in between.
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives will be available exclusively via Apple Music starting on October 3rd, 2017.
TAKE EVERY WAVE
Directed by Rory Kennedy
National Premiere Friday September 29th, 2017 | Los Angeles Nuart Theatre
TAKE EVERY WAVE: The Life of Laird Hamilton tracks the remarkable life and legendary career of big wave surfer Laird Hamilton. Much admired by the public, though often disdained or ignored by the surf industry itself, Laird is a unique sports icon—an athlete who has refused to compete professionally yet has dominated big wave surfing as no other figure in history has ever done.
Learn more about the film and check out tickets for local screenings here!
THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN
Directed by Jennifer Kroot
THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN examines the life and work of one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, following his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer whose novels have inspired millions to claim their own truth. Jennifer Kroot’s documentary about the creator of TALES OF THE CITY moves nimbly between playful and poignant and laugh-out-loud funny. Read the SF Review here!
Click below for information on upcoming screenings:
The Roxie in SF 9/22
The Rafael in Marin 9/28
Metrograph in NYC 9/29
ArcLight in Santa Monica 10/1
TEACH US ALL
Directed by Sonia Lowman
Teach Us All is a documentary and social justice campaign on educational inequality set against the backdrop of the 1957 Little Rock school crisis. Sixty years after the Little Rock Nine faced violent resistance when desegregating Central High in Arkansas, America’s schools continue to represent the key battleground of the Civil Rights Movement. Teach Us All demonstrates powerful lessons from history within a timely context, emphasizing the need for unity and collective action to rectify the disparities among America’s children.
Netflix Premiere on September 25th, 2017
Teach Us All will be shown in Seattle, Philadelphia, Gary and Bloomington, Indiana, Memphis and L.A, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the barrier shattering actions of the Little Rock Nine.
The California African American Museum will host a FREE screening of the film on 9/25/17, RSVP here!
IN SEARCH OF FELLINI
Directed by Taron Lexton
A sheltered, small-town Ohio girl, is suddenly faced by harsh reality. Desperate for answers, she discovers hope in the delightfully bizarre films of Federico Fellini, and sets off on a strange, beautiful journey across Italy to find him. Along the way she discovers far more than she ever expected.
Read The New York Times review here!
The film will be in limited release in New York and Los Angeles on September 15th, 2017. Filmed on location in cities across Italy, this coming-of-age adventure cannot be missed. Learn more about In Search of Fellini here!
RAT FILM
Directed by Theo Anthony
Across walls, fences, and alleys, rats not only expose our boundaries of separation but make homes in them. “Rat Film” is a feature-length documentary that uses the rat—as well as the humans that love them, live with them, and kill them–to explore the history of Baltimore. “There’s never been a rat problem in Baltimore, it’s always been a people problem”.
For more information on Rat Film, click here! Limited release across the U.S., including New York, Baltimore, and San Francisco!
GAGA: FIVE FOOT TWO
Directed by Chris Moukarbel
Emmy-nominated filmmaker Chris Moukarbel (Banksy Does New York) pulls back the curtain to introduce the woman behind the performer, the costumes, the glitz and the glamour. Off-stage, in the studio, unplugged and at home, audiences get an unguarded glimpse at Gaga through a series of personal highs and lows and the culmination of a year’s emotional journey. From struggles with relationships to health issues, from finding solace in her inner circle to conquering her insecurities, “Gaga: Five Foot Two” navigates the divide between life as a superstar and life as an everyday woman.
The documentary was selected to premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival on Friday September 8th, 2017 and will launch simultaneously in all 190 countries in which Netflix is available on September 22nd, 2017.
AMERICAN MASTERS: TYRUS
Directed by Pamela Tom
TYRUS is the first in-depth portrait of the art, life and enduring impact of Tyrus Wong. The film takes the audience on a remarkable journey – from his birthplace of Guangzhou, China in 1910 to the boarding houses of LA’s old Chinatown and the studios of the Golden Age of Hollywood. The film explores his formative years as a young WPA artist and the influence of Sung Dynasty art on his work. At 105, Tyrus continues to live the life of an artist. We see him today, still vibrant, flying his magnificent creations high above the Pacific Ocean – the same waters he crossed as a young boy over 95 years ago.
Nationwide Premiere September 8th, 2017 on PBS – Check your local listings here.
The documentary will be available to stream the following day via PBS and PBS OTT apps.
BORG/MCENROE
Directed by Janus Metz
Gala Presentation Premiere – Toronto International Film Festival
September 7th, 2017
Nordic major SF Studios´ feature film Borg/McEnroe will officially open the Toronto Film Festival on September 7th, the first Swedish film ever to open TIFF.
Borg/McEnroe is a film about one of the world’s greatest icons Björn Borg and his biggest rival, the young and talented John McEnroe and their legendary duel during the 1980’s Wimbledon tournament. It’s a story about two men who changed the face of tennis and who became legends and the price they had to pay.
Read more about the sports drama here.
GOOD TIME
Directed by Josh and Ben Safdie
In Theaters Nation Wide August 25th, 2017
Anchored by a career-defining performance from Robert Pattinson, GOOD TIME is a psychotic symphony of propulsive intensity crafted by two of the most exciting young directors working today. Josh and Ben Safdie’s transcendent vision is an intoxicating portrait of desperation and destruction that will not be soon forgotten.
Learn more about the film here.
Now in theaters, buy tickets here!
BEACH RATS
Directed by Eliza Hittman
In Select Theaters August 25th, 2017
On the outskirts of Brooklyn, Frankie, an aimless teenager, suffocates under the oppressive glare cast by his family and a toxic group of delinquent friends. Struggling with his own identity, Frankie begins to scour hookup sites for older men. When his chatting and webcamming intensify, he begins meeting men at a nearby cruising beach while simultaneously entering into a cautious relationship with a young woman. As Frankie struggles to reconcile his competing desires, his decisions leave him hurtling toward irreparable consequences.
Eliza Hittman’s award-winning Sundance hit is a powerful character study that is as visually stunning as it is evocative.
Learn more about the film here, and purchase tickets here!
INGRID GOES WEST
Directed by Matt Spicer
U.S. Release on Friday, August 11th, 2017
Ingrid Thorburn (Aubrey Plaza) is an unhinged social media stalker with a history of confusing “likes” for meaningful relationships. Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen) is an Instagram-famous “influencer” whose perfectly curated, boho-chic lifestyle becomes Ingrid’s latest obsession. When Ingrid moves to LA and manages to insinuate herself into the social media star’s life, their relationship quickly goes from #BFF to #WTF. Built around a brilliantly disarming performance from Aubrey Plaza, Ingrid Goes West (winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance) is a savagely hilarious dark comedy that satirizes the modern world of social media and proves that being #perfect isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
The great reviews are in, and this festival favorite is now screening across the U.S. so buy tickets here!
ICARUS
A Film by Bryan Fogel – Now Streaming on Netflix
A chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms filmmaker Bryan Fogel’s personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller involving dirty urine, unexplained death, and Olympic gold…exposing the biggest scandal in sports history.
For more info, click here! Stream on Netflix here!
CHASING CORAL
Now Streaming on Netflix
CHASING CORAL: AN EXPOSURE LABS PRODUCTION
Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world.
For more info, click here! For tickets to the Los Angeles screenings, click here!
THE DEFIANT ONES
Now Exclusively on HBO
Set amid many of the defining events of the past four decades, The Defiant Ones tells the stories of Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre — one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton — and their improbable partnership and surprising leading roles in a series of transformative events in contemporary culture. From director Allen Hughes (Menace II Society) this revealing, compelling and often-gritty story takes place in recording studios, in humble homes and massive mansions, in criminal courts and in the highest corridors of corporate power.
For more info on the four part documentary series, click here!
GOOD FORTUNE
Showing at the Santa Monica Laemmle 6/30/17 – 7/6/17
GOOD FORTUNE reveals the success secret of one of America’s most celebrated entrepreneurs: giving back. A modern day Robin Hood (without the stealing), JP spends his life creating back-to-work programs for the homeless, fighting whale poachers in the Arctic and working on over 100 other philanthropic ventures. His motto is “Success unshared is failure.” The son of Greek immigrants, JP is a pioneer of “conscious capitalism” (also known as “the triple bottom line” – people, planet and profit). GOOD FORTUNE tells his inspiring life story and shows how he uses business to make the world a better place.
CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP: A BAD BOY STORY
Exclusively on Apple Music Sunday June 25th, 2017
A behind-the-scenes look at the prolific label’s legacy and an in-depth look at the two-night anniversary extravaganza that took place last May at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in honor of the late rap great, The Notorious B.I.G.
Buy tickets for the Los Angeles limited-engagement showing here!
F(L)AG FOOTBALL, THE MOVIE
F(L)AG FOOTBALL is a feature length documentary that follows a group of competitive gay athletes on their journey to the National Gay Flag Football Championships. With everything on the line, some teams will come together and others will show their cracks, but everyone will have a chance to play out, play proud, and show the world that being gay is not a limitation in any arena, and certainly not in sports.
F(L)AG FOOTBALL will run June 16th through the 22nd at the Cinépolis – Chelsea, located at 260 West 23rd Street in Chelsea. To purchase tickets in advance, CLICK HERE!
TICKLING GIANTS
June 13, 2017 | Online Release
Tickling Giants tells the story of Dr. Bassem Youssef, the “Egyptian Jon Stewart”, who decides to leave his job as a heart surgeon and become a late-night comedian. The movie is about how he finds creative, non-violent ways to protect free speech and fight a president who abuses his power.
Directed by Sara Taksler
Now available online world-wide here!
FROZEN AMBROSIA
Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
Sunday June 11, 2017
When people think of Greece, few realize that the country has high mountains and a winter season, with skiing and snowboarding. Determined to change this perception, Greek-American filmmaker Constantine Papanicolaou sets out on an adventure to make a ski film that will show the magic of winter in Greece.
HELL ON EARTH: THE FALL OF SYRIA AND THE RISE OF ISIS
Sunday June 11, 2017
Airing on National Geographic at 9/8C
Academy-Award nominated filmmaker Sebastian Junger and Emmy winner Nick Quested chronicle Syria’s descent into the unbridled chaos that allowed the rise of the Islamic State. Pulling from nearly 1,000 hours of visceral footage, they capture the Syrian war’s harrowing carnage, political and social consequences, and human toll, while painting an alarming picture of the west’s role in the creation of ISIS.
Learn more here!
A NETFLIX ORIGINAL – SHIMMER LAKE
Friday June 9, 2017
Streaming on Netflix
An inventive crime thriller told backwards — reversing day by day through a week — following a local sheriff’s quest to unlock the mystery of three small town criminals and a bank heist gone wrong.
Written and Directed by Oren Uziel. Starring: Benjamin Walker, Rainn Wilson, Stephanie Sigman, Wyatt Russell, Rob Corddry, and Ron Livingston. Produced by Footprint Features and Writ Large.
Learn more here!
WELCOME TO MY LIFE
June 8, 2017 | Select Theaters
Chris Brown – Welcome to My Life – Trailer from Riveting Entertainment
This compelling one-night event moves beyond the spotlight and past the attention-grabbing headlines to give the pop superstar a chance to tell his own story. New interviews with international phenomenon reveal long-awaited answers about his passion for making music, his tumultuous and much publicized relationships, and the pitfalls of coming of age in the public eye. Also included is new concert footage, behind-the-scenes access, and special interviews from Usher, Jennifer Lopez, DJ Khaled, Mary J Blige, Mike Tyson, Rita Ora, Jamie Foxx, Terrence Jenkins and more.
Buy tickets here!
CITIZEN JANE: BATTLE FOR THE CITY
Friday, April 21st, 2017 | IFC Center, 323 6th avenue, New York, NY 10014 and
Lincoln Plaza Cinema, 1886 Broadway New York, NY 10023
Friday, April 28th, 2017 | Newart Theater, 11272 California Route 2, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Citizen Jane is a timely tale of what can happen when engaged citizens fight the power for the sake of a better world. Arguably no one did more to shape our understanding of the modern American city than Jane Jacobs, the visionary activist and writer who fought to preserve urban communities in the face of destructive development projects. Director Matt Tyranuer (Valentino: The Last Emperor) vividly brings to life Jacobs’ 1960s showdown with ruthless construction kingpin Robert Moses over his plan to raze lower Manhattan to make way for a highway, a dramatic struggle over the very soul of the neighborhood.
Learn more here!
Buy tickets for the Los Angeles screenings here!
Buy tickets for the New York screenings here and here!
BURN MOTHERF*CKER, BURN!
Friday, April 21st and Saturday, April 29th
Airing on SHOWTIME
On April 29, 1992, Los Angeles exploded when four police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King. But the city had been smoldering for years. This provocative documentary looks at how decades of racial tensions, injustice and a troubled relationship between the LAPD and the African-American community led to the uprising. Local residents, artists and community organizers share firsthand accounts of police brutality, the ‘65 Watts riots, the rise of LA street gangs and the ‘92 incident.
Learn more here!
TONY CONRAD: COMPLETELY IN THE PRESENT
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Co-presented by The Theatre at Ace Hotel
933 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90015
The Broad is pleased to present the West Coast premiere of Tyler Hubby’s documentary film, Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present. The film examines the pioneering life and work of artist, musician, and educator, Tony Conrad, and this special iteration of The Un-Private Collection series highlights both his extraordinary career and his influence on the work of Broad collection artists including Mike Kelley, Robert Longo, and Tony Oursler. Since the early 1960s, Conrad’s vast, inter-disciplinary repertoire has created and influenced major film and compositional movements. He performed in and recorded the soundtrack to Jack Smith’s legendary Flaming Creatures; he defied conventions of cinema with The Flicker, an experimental structuralist film composed of a precise pattern of alternating black and white frames; he developed and practiced Just Intonation and Minimalism with Stockhausen and La Monte Young; and he even played a part in the formation of The Velvet Underground. (Still from Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present, 2016, dir. Tyler Hubby. DCP, color, stereo surround, 96 min.)
A post-screening conversation with Tyler Hubby and Tony Oursler (whose work is on view in the collection installation, Creature, at The Broad through March 19) will be moderated by Henry Rollins. Iconic artist and musician, Kim Gordon, who collaborated with Tony Conrad, will perform to close out the night.
Learn more here!
Buy tickets here!
SPEED SISTERS
FEBRUARY 10TH – 16TH
Cinema Village 22 East 12th street
New York, 10003
The Speed Sisters are the first all-woman race car driving team in the Middle East. Grabbing headlines and turning heads at improvised tracks across the West Bank, these five women have sped their way into the heart of the gritty, male-dominated Palestinian street car-racing scene. Weaving together their lives on and off the track, SPEED SISTERS takes you on a surprising journey into the drive to go further and faster than anyone thought you could.
Learn more here!
Buy tickets here!
KEDI Playing at the Laemmle Royal Theatre FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH
Kedi is a documentary about the impact cats have on the city of Instanbul.
Learn more here !
SOPHIE AND THE RISING SUN Playing at the Laemmle Music Hall TONIGHT JAN. 27TH
Sophie and the Rising Sun tells the story of an interracial couple and their struggle to stay together during World War II.
Learn more here !
Check out the Brillo Box 3 Cents Off film about filmmaker Lisanne Skyler’s personal history with one of Andy Warhol’s famous works!
Additional screening of: Brillo Box 3 Cents Off Washington, D.C. Saturday, January 7, 2017, 4:00 p.m. The National Gallery 6th & Constitution Ave NW Washington, D.C. Free and open to the public!
Documentary SWIFT CURRENT is now available on iTunes
On average, one out of four people will be sexually abused/assaulted in their lifetime. Even fewer will ever disclose and get the help they need. SWIFT CURRENT tells the story of the long term effects and recovery from sexual abuse trauma, and shares the life experience of former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy.
To buy the film on iTunes, click here
To learn more about the documentary, click here
Loving
Loving is a feature film based on the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving whose interracial marriage in the 1950s was declared illegal. Their case led to the Supreme Court’s declaration of all anti-miscegenation laws as unconstitutional. Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, featuring Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton
Client Film Kicks Opens in LA tomorrow
Brandon is a 15 year old whose dream is a pair of fresh Air Jordans. Soon after he gets his hands on them, they’re stolen by a local hood, causing Brandon and his two friends go on a dangerous mission through Oakland to retrieve them.
Purchase NY tickets here, LA tickets here, and East Bay tickets here!
Our client’s film WHITE GIRL opens this weekend in Los Angeles.
Friday, Sept. 9th and Saturday, Sept. 10th, 2016 | Laemmle Santa Monica, | at 7:20pm PT (both nights)
Friday, Sept. 9th and Saturday, Sept. 10th, 2016 | Laemmle NoHo7, | at 7:20pm PT (Friday) and 7:40pm (Saturday)
Director Elizabeth Wood will be present after the shows in Santa Monica. Stars Morgan Saylor and Brian Marc will be present after the shows in Noho.
Purchase tickets at: http://www.whitegirl.nyc/
HOLY HELL Premieres on CNN
Our client, Director Will Allen filmed Buddhafield for more than 20 years and turned it into the documentary known as Holy Hell. Our very own Michael Donaldson, an Executive Producer on the film, had the pleasure of attending the world premiere at Sundance this year. You can see it too on CNN on September 1st, 2016 at 9pm ET and repeat at 11pm ET.
See the trailer below:
Tune in this Friday night June 10th at 10pm EST/PST for the premiere of Matt Ogens’ new documentary “Meet the Hitlers,” presented by Morgan Spurlock.
More info at: MEET THE HITLERS
WEINER
Weiner, co-directed by Josh Kreigman and Elyse Steinberg, is a documentary about New York Congressman Anthony Weiner’s mayoral campaign and the landscape of today’s political environment. The film was awarded the US Grand Jury Prize: Documentary by the Sundance Institute. Weiner premieres on May 20th 2016 in New York and Los Angeles.
Come see the film!
Date: Friday, May 19th Time: 7:45pm Location: Landmark Theatre (on Pico)
Actors of Sound Extended Trailer from Gustavo Bernal on Vimeo.
ACTORS OF SOUND
Premieres at 2016 LA Film Festival
Come see the film!
Date: Saturday, June 4th Time: 5:40 pm Location: ArcLight cinema, Culver City
Check out the LA Film Festival line-up here
MAKING A MURDERER
Making A Murderer, co-directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, is a docuseries about Steven Avery, Wisconsin’s first DNA exoneree. It premieres on NETFLIX on December 18, 2015.
Read “Netflix’s ‘Making a Murderer’ is the Documentary Event of the Fall” by Eric Kohn, Indiewire
Straight Talk MD is a podcast that examines current hot-button healthcare issues from the informative and unconventional point of view of Dr. Frank Sweeny. With over twenty-five years of experience as a medical doctor, he approaches the latest and greatest topics with a skeptical mind, presenting all the information, so you can decide for yourself.
Listen here
A COURTSHIP
A documentary by Amy Kohn
A Courtship, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, tells the story of Kelly who is following Christian Courtship. Kelly is saving herself for marriage and relying on her parents and God to find her husband, but Kelly’s own parents think Courtship is crazy, so she finds “spiritual parents” who will search for her spouse. What could go wrong?
View the trailer here: A Courtship
Purchase the film here
Morgan Spurlock presents
BECOMING BULLETPROOF
Friendship and creativity is exhibited when a group of diverse actors gather in Los Angeles to film a comedy Western complete with saloon brawls, vintage Hollywood sets, and scheming villains. Shot on-set, the film incorporates set-piece interviews and film clips that bring us into a dynamic, humorous and inclusive world of filmmaking, addressing the question why do we rarely see actors with disabilities on the big screen?
View the trailer here: Becoming Bulletproof
Pre-order: QUIET RIOT: WELL NOW YOU’RE HERE, THERE’S NO WAY BACK
Focusing on a man whose ambition, adaptability, principle, and relentless determination help him navigate successfully through a series of daunting obstacles, the alternately tragic and hilarious Quiet Riot: Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back proves far more compelling than just another story of getting the band back together.
#likeagirl
WINNER OF THE TITANIUM, GOLD, AND SILVER AWARD AT CANNES LIONS
Titanium – Titanium & Integrated
Gold – Viral Film
Silver – Original Branded Digital or Social Media
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me Airing on CNN and HLN
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me will premiere on CNN on Sunday, June 28th at 9pm and 10:48pm ET/6pm and 7:48pm PT. It will also air on HLN on Monday, June 29th and Friday, July 3rd at 9pm.
WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE Takes Audience Award at AFI Docs ’15
The film also premieres on Netflix on June 26, 2015
What Happened, Miss Simone? Liz Garbus’ portrait of the iconic American singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone – has picked up the best feature audience award at AFI Docs…Garbus’ doc traces the jazz musician’s life from her early days in North Carolina to becoming a leading voice in the U.S. civil rights movement, and going on to live a secluded life in Liberia and France. Finish reading the Reelscreen article written by Manori Ravindran by clicking here.
