NYC PREMIERE Together with contemporaries Diane Arbus and Robert Frank, Saul Leiter is recognized as one of the founders of The New York School of photography of the 1940s and ‘50s, but he never sought the spotlight. Instead, he’s worked steadily, amassing an archive that threatens to take over the NYC apartment he’s called home […]
NYC PREMIERE Partners Emily Pilloton and Matt Miller seek to affect change through design. When they bring their innovative curriculum to struggling Bertie County, NC, they not only teach practical problem-solving and construction skills to their high school students, but offer hope for business rebirth in the form of a final project that will benefit […]
NYC PREMIERE At the International High School at Lafayette, a Brooklyn public high school dedicated to newly arrived immigrants from all over the world, five teenagers strive to master English, adapt to families they haven’t seen in years, and create a future of their own while coming of age in a new land. Their journey […]
WORLD PREMIERE How many hot dogs could you eat in 10 minutes? Follow the jaw-dropping exploits of several competitive eaters, including the world famous Takeru Kobayashi, known for his six consecutive wins at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island. After a contract dispute with Major League Eating, the […]
US PREMIERE In a culture that has overwhelmingly embraced the dictum “sex sells,” why does the concept of virginity still hold sway? Using her own experiences, filmmaker Therese Shechter humorously explores the chimerical nature of the idea, and how it’s been used to control women’s sexuality and sense of self-worth. The result, drawing from the […]
NYC PREMIERE After Nina Leichter committed suicide, her daughter, Kathy, returned to the New York City apartment in which she was raised and found a hidden box of audiotapes. Nearly two decades later, she is finally ready to listen to the messages her mother left behind, which provide frank insight into a strong and beloved […]
WORLD PREMIERE The Reverend Gary Davis, blind since infancy, honed his music in North Carolina’s blues scene before moving to Harlem in the 1940s, preaching and performing on street corners. The 1960s folk revival saw a renewed interest in the virtuoso guitarist, culminating in a memorable performance at the Newport Folk Festival. This tribute gives […]
US PREMIERE On the streets of São Paulo, Brazil a new form of graffiti was born. Like wildfire, the works of artists like Os Gêmeos, Nunca and Nina spread through the streets of the city, and then to art galleries and museums around the world. But when a new law against visual pollution threatens to […]
In 2010, Roger Ross Williams won the Academy Award for his documentary short Music by Prudence, becoming the first African American director ever to receive an Oscar. Now he explores the evangelical campaign to change African culture with values imported from America’s Christian Right. The film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting the “sexual […]
Gideon’s Army follows Travis Williams, Brandy Alexander and June Hardwick, three young public defenders who are part of a small group of idealistic lawyers in the Deep South challenging the assumptions that drive a criminal justice system strained to the breaking point. Fifty years after the Supreme Court’s landmark Gideon vs. Wainwright ruling established the […]