NYC PREMIERE Elliott Smith was unexpectedly thrust into the mainstream spotlight when his song “Miss Misery” was nominated for an Oscar in 1998. He died just five years later, at the age of 34. Structured as both an expansive overview of the singer/songwriter’s life and as an elegiac city symphony focused on the influence of […]
WORLD PREMIERE A resonant work of modern Americana, Andrea B. Scott’s film paints a rich and often humorous portrait of a cowboy town set in the heart of Arizona’s prison industry. Florence’s civilian population is outnumbered two to one by its inmates, who are spread out over nine correctional facilities. Economically dependent on this local […]
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Confronting a bankrupt, decaying city and the dashed hopes of the civil rights generation, African-American and Latino teenagers violently took over the streets of 1970s New York. The South Bronx became a war zone ruled by gangs like the Savage Skulls and the Ghetto Brothers. Hypnotic archival footage and present-day interviews with […]
NYC PREMIERE In her heyday, Swedish bombshell Agneta ruled the world from her fabulous Central Park West apartment. Though she once appeared on the covers of Playboy and Cosmo, the former model/actress now struggles to pay the rent, taking in roommates and international guests to make ends meet. Faced with eviction, will she finally face […]
2014 METROPOLIS COMPETITION WINNER NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE From all outside appearances, Mark seems to have the glamorous New York City life that many would envy. Handsome and always impeccably dressed, the charismatic former male model works as a fashion photographer, appears in movies and attends the best parties. When he leaves those events, however, he […]
2014 AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER NYC PREMIERE An Upper East Side Hot & Crusty bakery serves as the unlikely setting for an old-fashioned David vs. Goliath story in Rachel Lears and Robin Blotnick’s rousing film. After years of exploitation, Mahoma López, an unassuming sandwich maker, leads his fellow service workers as they demand better working conditions […]
NYC PREMIERE Drawn to the Central African Republic to study the songs of the Bayaka pygmies 25 years ago, American musicologist Louis Sarno abandoned modern civilization to join the tribe and start a family. Fulfilling a long-standing promise to show his teenager, Samedi, the world, father and son trade the rainforest for the concrete jungle […]
2014 VIEWFINDERS COMPETITION WINNER NYC PREMIERE Cairo Drive expertly balances humor, frustration and a distinctive sense of fatalistic irony to offer a view of Egypt unseen in recent documentaries about the Arab Spring. Shot before, during and after the revolution, Sherief Elkatsha’s entertaining film explores Cairo from the street level through the perspectives of its […]
NYC PREMIERE Last October, when infamous street artist Banksy revealed his New York City residency, he set off a daily scavenger hunt among curious fans, would-be art collectors and, of course, the police. With camera phones at the ready, everyone wanted a piece of his ephemeral works before they were destroyed—or removed for profit. Chris […]
Nostalgia and changing times. The Photo Man (USA, 7 min., Ben Kitnick) trades in old photographs. An antique store owner welcomes visitors in Not for Sale (USA, 10 min., Matthew C. Levy). The Final Note (USA, 16 min., Mayeta Clark) profiles a South Bronx piano warehouse. A young couple takes over The Mercantile (USA, 16 […]