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 […]
NYC PREMIERE A love letter to a musical genre and an intimate portrait of working artists in America, Sara Terry’s film explores the understated but thriving subculture of folk music. While its mass appeal peaked in the 1960s, musicians like Raina Rose, Hilary Claire Adamson, and Dirk Hamilton—ranging in age from 30 to 60—are still […]
US PREMIERE A mysterious nanny, who secretly took over 100,000 photographs that were hidden in storage lockers and discovered decades later, is now considered among the 20th century’s greatest photographers. Maier’s strange and riveting life and art are revealed through never before seen photographs, films, and interviews with dozens who thought they knew her. An […]
US PREMIERE The World Famous *BOB*, Dirty Martini, Tigger!, Mat Fraser, Julie Atlas Muz, Bunny Love, Bambi the Mermaid, James Habacker and Rose Wood use satire and their own bodies to send up conventional notions of body image, gender, and sexuality in their modern burlesque performances. New York underground filmmaking legend Beth B enters their […]
NYC PREMIERE Sonia runs the Okutiuka orphanage in Huambo, Angola’s second largest city, nearly decimated by decades of civil war. Her boyfriend, Wilker, is a death metal guitarist. To raise awareness and funds for the orphanage, the industrious couple organizes the country’s first-ever national rock concert, tapping into the unexpected healing power hardcore music can […]
Millions know their voices, but no one knows their names. Award-winning director Morgan Neville shines a spotlight on the untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 20th century. Triumphant and heartbreaking in equal measure, the film is both a tribute to the unsung voices who brought […]
Stan Lee has played a role in creating an astounding number of legendary pop culture characters, including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk. Now in his late 80s, he remains a vibrant personality. This film contains extensive interviews with Lee and his colleagues, combined with rare illustrations and photographs that trace his […]
CENTERPIECE GALA Introduced by Russell Simmons US PREMIERE Three-time felon, one-time Tony Award winner, Lemon Andersen is an acclaimed poet who broke out on Broadway in Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam. But Lemon has landed back in the projects, living with thirteen family members and desperate for a way out. He turns to the only things he has […]
WORLD PREMIERE Whatever happened to The Sugarhill Gang? After scoring a mega-hit with “Rapper’s Delight,” the band’s creative leaders Master Gee and Wonder Mike became the victims of nightmare contracts. They lost their income and even their names. Twenty-five years later, they set out to reclaim their identities and place in hip-hop history, going up against ruthless adversaries […]