WORLD PREMIERE Emmy-winning producer Wendy Lobel makes her feature debut with this side-splitting, piercingly perceptive look at anxiety through a group of contemporary comedians who channel their experiences into their acts…and their everyday lives. Part therapy, part behind-the-scenes take on stand-up acts, and all-brilliant, Lobel’s revelatory film is a rarity. – Jaie Laplante The first […]
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE This rock doc traces Steppenwolf’s journey from their Little Richard- and blues-inspired beginnings in Toronto to their rise as hard-rock pioneers. Despite initial industry skepticism, the band evolved to become top performers with hits like “Born to be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride.” The film explores their genesis and triumphs, and the […]
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Disco’s Revenge traces the evolution of disco music from its roots in the 1970s New York underground gay club scene to its commercial peak with Studio 54 and Saturday Night Fever. Through interviews with influential DJs and musicians, the story explores the genre’s rise, the eventual backlash, and its reinvention as house music. […]
WORLD PREMIERE From his harsh childhood in the burnt-out Lower East Side, musician Harley Flanagan burst onto the punk music scene at age 11 as drummer for his aunt’s band, the Stimulators. The founder of the Cro-Mags tells his inconceivable story, with interviews with hard rockers and icons like Flea, Ice-T, Henry Rollins, Michael Imperioli, […]
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Intrigued that the 1988 Sylvester Stallone war movie Rambo III was filmed in Israel’s Negev Desert, Daniel Mann begins investigating. Mann writes letters to Stallone, and also encounters self-taught artist Bashir, a Palestinian Bedouin dispossessed from his tribal land, who had been hired to work on the movie. Shifting between sharp irony […]
WORLD PREMIERE This entertaining documentary traces the evolution of Yacht Rock, a genre that rocks, but not too hard. Starting with Steely Dan in 1976 Los Angeles, the film highlights the rise of key players like Toto, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, and Christopher Cross, their sophisticated musicianship, and their collaborations with rock and R&B artists. […]
NEW YORK PREMIERE In 1998, Tomoaki Hamatsu, an aspiring Japanese comedian who became known as Nasubi, participated in a reality TV program. His Sisyphean challenge: to live alone in an apartment and subsist entirely off what he could win in magazine sweepstakes until he reaches 1 million yen in prizes. As days turn to weeks […]
WORLD PREMIERE This portrait of photographer James Hamilton, one of the great chroniclers of the cultural history of America, goes well beyond his creative and technical process. Through the stories behind his work at Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Observer, and The Village Voice about his iconic portraits and assignments —from Patti Smith, Liza Minnelli, Lou […]
WORLD PREMIERE Monty Roberts, a California horse trainer nearing 90 and showing no signs of slowing down, recounts his life with horses, starting from his earliest days working in Hollywood westerns of the 1940s. Repelled by the accepted style of “breaking a horse’s spirit,” Roberts developed his own gentle approach to human interaction with horses in […]
WORLD PREMIERE Iconic photographer Bette Marshall reminisces on her memories as photographer of Whitney Houston right before she ascended to stardom. –– Samah Ali The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmakers and special guests. All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also […]