NYC PREMIERE Between 1957 and 1965, former LIFE Magazine photojournalist W. Eugene Smith obsessively photographed and taped the goings-on at the dilapidated Sixth Avenue loft he called home. As revealed in this astonishing WNYC-produced time capsule, what he captured is a treasure trove of NYC jazz of that period, including a three-week rehearsal by the […]
2015 AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER NYC PREMIERE Left on Purpose began as a portrait of the life of Mayer Vishner, an antiwar Yippie activist. In the midst of filming, the aging radical informs director Justin Schein that, having had his fill of solitude and depression, he intends instead to make the project about his death – […]
WORLD PREMIERE Chinatown Fair opened as a penny arcade on Mott Street in 1944. Over the decades, the dimly lit gathering place, known for its tic-tac-toe playing chicken, became an institution, surviving turf wars between rival gangs, changing tastes and the explosive growth of home gaming systems like Xbox and Playstation that shuttered most other […]
WORLD PREMIERE The United Nations’ International Court of Justice resolves international disputes through dialogue rather than warfare. Modeled on the ICJ, the Jessup is a prestigious simulated court competition that offers a sneak peek at the international leaders of the future. All Rise profiles seven passionate international law students, representing Jamaica, India, Palestine, Russia, Israel, Uganda […]
NYC PREMIERE For the past three decades a community of wise, elderly women enjoy a simple life in Chernobyl’s radioactive exclusion zone, subsisting on their beloved but toxic land, while radiation experts and soldiers marvel at their resilience. The three protagonists, more fearful of starvation than radiation, defied Ukrainian authorities to join a sisterhood of […]
NYC PREMIERE If you’re looking to understand Russia, the Bolshoi Ballet is a good place to start. This visually stunning work, backed by HBO Documentary Films, takes us inside the Bolshoi’s world of great artistry and intense rivalry in the dramatic year after an acid attack on its leader. While one of the company members […]
Bernardo Ruiz’s compelling investigation into the human costs of the Mexican drug war, on both sides of the border, reveals the links between the lives and experiences of an activist nun in northern Mexico, a rancher in Texas who used to smuggle marijuana and a US drug enforcement agent on the border. A raw history […]
US PREMIERE Located on the edge of a cliff in China’s Sichuan province, the village of Gulu has been isolated from the outside world for centuries. Everything changes when Bao, an idealistic young revolutionary, arrives with plans to modernize the village, beginning with its only school. This doesn’t sit well with Shen, who, despite the […]
NYC PREMIERE Havana, Cuba. An up-and-coming singer searches for confidence, a young woman in love longs for motherhood and a veteran of the Revolution comes to terms with the death of her husband. Three women, united by blindness and a desire for independence, guide us through Cuba’s current economic and social landscape while pursuing their […]
NYC PREMIERE Pete Weber: Bowling’s first rock star, or it’s greatest embarrassment? This film is followed by BOUNCE: HOW THE BALL TAUGHT THE WORLD TO PLAY