As reproductive rights grow more embattled, award-winning filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern (Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, The Devil Came on Horseback) trace the legacy of the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision. One surprising revelation is how much abortion rights were supported by Republicans in the 1960s. The film “reminds us […]
This program presents two films appearing in our Short List: Shorts section recognizing some of the top documentary shorts films of the year. END GAME DIRS: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman A moving film about the passage from life to death, End Game is a portrait of the last days of those in palliative care in […]
This program presents two films appearing in our Short List: Shorts section recognizing some of the top documentary shorts films of the year. TAKE BACK THE HARBOR DIRS: Kristi Jacobson, Roger Ross Williams On Governor’s Island, an ambitious program works to restore once-bountiful oysters and the environmental benefits they bring to New York Harbor. Take […]
On Governor’s Island, an ambitious program works to restore once-bountiful oysters and the environmental benefits they bring to New York Harbor. Take Back the Harbor highlights students at a remarkable public high school where environmental stewardship is part of the curriculum. Courtesy of Discovery/Motto Pictures.
As the daughter of Hollywood royalty, Jane Fonda has been in the public eye from a young age. Through the decades, she has taken on many roles, both on screen and in real life—sex symbol, Academy Award winner, controversial activist, tycoon’s wife and fitness mogul. This candid and entertaining portrait explores her many facets, the […]
Life, animated. Santa Is a Psychedelic Mushroom (USA, 6 min., Matthew Salton) embraces the shamanistic side of Christmas. Music & Clowns (UK, 7 min., Alex Widdowson) are Jamie’s greatest passions. Hiroshima survivor Akiko Takakura receives the spirits of her parents and is haunted by memories during Obon (Germany, 15 min., Andre Hoermann, Anna Samo). A […]
History is made, for better or worse. The Happiness Machine (USA, 24 min., Rebecca B. Blumhagen) profiles philosopher, inventor and farmer, Carl, who grew up a sharecropper on 22 acres in rural Iowa which he now hopes to pass on to his children as a gift of place. Using entirely archival footage, In the Absence […]
Unexpected moments and unusual discoveries. The story of a fake news writer in a Macedonian town is a Fake News Fairytale (UK, 14 min., Kate Stonehill) for the post-truth era. The Traffic Separating Device (Sweden, 15 min., Johan Palmgren) is installed in downtown Stockholm to keep cars out of the path of buses. Tungrus (India, […]
Athletes, on and off the field. El Gallo (Mexico/USA, 14 min., Michael Medoway), one of Mexico’s most famous boxers, must overcome tremendous odds to regain lost glory. Climbing the Big Wall (Canada, 9 min., Jennifer Law-Smith) can be a meditative exercise of trust between climbers. Concussion Protocol (USA, 5 min. Josh Begley) tracks injuries sustained […]
The School of Visual Arts’ MFA Social Documentary Film program teaches the artistic skills and techniques needed to tell compelling true stories that stimulate meaningful dialogue. SocDoc not only teaches the fundamentals of great storytelling, but guides students toward a career in the thriving documentary industry. The award winning-faculty is helmed by producer Maro Chermayeff […]