WORLD PREMIERE Hunting is a divisive issue, raising a host of moral and ethical concerns for some, and celebrated as a primal and pragmatic activity by others. Following hunters in the Alaskan wilderness, Steven Rinella’s eloquent exploration of the sport doesn’t shy away from its inherent controversies or contradictions. Diving into the history, psychology and […]
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.
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, […]
High in the Andes, a frog with an unusual appearance is threatened with extinction. (Screening with Samantha’s Amazing Acrocats)
The New School’s Documentary Media Studies program provides an opportunity to study documentary filmmaking in a small, tightly focused program. The program culminates in a student documentary festival, Truth Be Told, at the end of each school year, at which certificate students’ films are publicly screened and discussed by the filmmakers and faculty. Certificate holders […]
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 […]
On fulfilling dreams and reimagining the world. In a Cuban cigar factories, La Lectora (Bulgaria, 10 min., Yulia Piskuliyska) entertains workers by reading to them. Argentine Raul (USA, 17 min., Kristin Sztyk) achieves, and then loses, his American dream. South Asian men are Searching for Wives (Singapore, 12 min., Zuki Juno Tobgye), but can only […]
Protecting the planet. Standing Rock (USA, 15 min., Markus Hoeckner) chronicles the resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Person of the Forest (USA, 16 min., Melissa Lesh, Tim Laman) profiles the orangutans native to threatened areas of Borneo. One noble fir, The Tree (USA, 15 min., Keith Wilson), illustrates modern cycles of use and waste. […]
Fix and Release explores a small turtle trauma centre in Peterborough Ontario Canada as it fights to even the odds for survival that freshwater turtles face in a modern world. This visually beautiful film shows turtles in a way that few have seen before.
In the vanishing lowland rainforests of Borneo, research is underway to uncover and understand the unique cultural behaviors in wild orangutans. There, photographer Tim Laman, researcher Cheryl Knott, and young explorer Robert Suro shed new light on the similarities between ourselves and our ancient ancestors, before it’s too late.