October 19, 2021

DMX: DON’T TRY TO UNDERSTAND

WORLD PREMIERE With rare access, this film takes us through the final years in the life of Earl “DMX” Simmons. Documenting his many sides— from the charismatic performer on Simmons’s “It’s Dark as Hell and Hot” tour and raucous bad-boy behavior, to the doting father who takes time to reach out to young men in […]

October 19, 2021

DEAN MARTIN: KING OF COOL

WORLD PREMIERE Dean Martin had a laid-back charm that made him successful in everything from big-screen comedies to television variety shows to live acts in Las Vegas. Filmmaker Tom Donahue (This Changes Everything) explores Martin’s varied career, including his complicated relationships with Jerry Lewis, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, and others. We hear from admirers […]

October 19, 2021

A SONG FOR CESAR: BEWARE A MOVEMENT THAT SINGS

NYC PREMIERE A unique and stimulating view of the life and legacy of American labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez and the farmworker movement. Through stunning archival photographs, footage, performances, and interviews with icons that include Carlos Santana, Joan Baez, Cheech Marin, Edward James Olmos, Maya Angelou, and Chavez’s United Farm Workers co-founder […]

October 15, 2021

LISTENING TO KENNY G

OPENING NIGHT FILM NYC PREMIERE Smooth-jazz artist Kenny G is beloved by millions for songs like “Songbird” and “Silhouette,” but the curly-haired performer also came to symbolize what people hate about elevator music, making him the butt of jokes from The Simpsons to South Park. Filmmaker Penny Lane (Hail Satan?) takes a witty and provocative approach to tell Kenny G’s story while asking a […]

October 14, 2021

DIONNE WARWICK: DON’T MAKE ME OVER

CENTERPIECE SCREENING  NYC PREMIERE Dionne Warwick emerged from New Jersey gospel groups, launched her career at the Apollo Theater and has been dazzling audiences for decades—both musically and, more recently, on Twitter. In this career-spanning biography, richly illustrated with vintage musical performances, she’s a marvelous raconteur sharing candid stories behind her hit songs. We hear […]

November 8, 2020

ON THE RECORD

What does it mean to bring a rape accusation against one of the most powerful figures in the entertainment industry? Examining the complex factors that make it difficult for Black women to speak out and be heard, Oscar-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (The Hunting Ground, DOC NYC 2015) follow several women, including Drew […]

October 7, 2020

TINY TIM: KING FOR A DAY

US PREMIERE | For a brief but wondrous time in the late 1960s, Tiny Tim was, improbably, a household name. Generating attention for his distinctive falsetto vocal stylings and unusual appearance, the performer began appearing on various television programs, culminating in his wedding on The Tonight Show, which was watched by more than 40 million people. […]

October 7, 2020

WHEN I WRITE IT

Two Oakland teens explore what it means to be young, Black, and committed to making art in their rapidly changing city. Included with the screening ticket is an exclusive pre-recorded Q&A with Shannon St. Aubin (Filmmaker), immediately following the film. This film is part of the the shorts program SHORTS: ART TIME

October 7, 2020

SHORTS: ROOTS

An exploration of who we are and where we come from. (TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 79 MIN) Motherland | Director: Ellen Evans Two young men are forcibly returned to Jamaica after a lifetime in Britain, as part of a controversial government policy on national identity.  (UK, 13 MIN) Crescendo! | Director: Alex Mallis Acclaimed operatic tenor Michael Fabiano […]

October 7, 2020

SHORTS: ART TIME

Visual creatives and the perspectives they imagine.  (TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 81 MIN)  Her New York | Director: David Gross An intimate portrait of artist Jill Gill, whose paintings, dating back to the 1950s, capture the never-ending cycle of change New Yorkers have come to accept as a part of daily living.   (USA, 8 MIN) The Incredulity […]