Documentary
The compelling feature-length documentary film, by director Barry Ptolemy, chronicles the life and controversial ideas of luminary Ray Kurzweil. For more than three decades, inventor, futures, and New York Times best-selling author Ray Kurzweil has been one of the most respected and provocative advocates of the role of technology in our future.
Standup comedian Aziz Ansari (“Parks and Recreation”) headlines his third standup special, where he shares his uniquely hilarious perspective on fears of adulthood, babies, marriage, and more. Ansari’s look at life on the cusp of 30 years old is smart, unfiltered, and hysterical.
The murals of Northern Ireland are an expression of the region’s violent Troubles. ‘The Art of Conflict’ examines these murals through their painters and the people who live there, exploring this unique street art’s impact, purpose, and future.
A behind-the-scenes look at San Diego Comic-Con, the world’s largest comic book convention, and the fans who attend every year.
THE SPIRIT MOLECULE weaves an account of Dr. Rick Strassman’s groundbreaking DMT research through a multifaceted approach to this intriguing hallucinogen found in the human brain and hundreds of plants, including the sacred Amazonian brew, ayahuasca. Utilizing interviews with a variety of experts to explain their thoughts and experiences with DMT, and ayahuasca, within their respective fields, and discussions with Strassman’s research volunteers, brings to life the awesome effects of this compound, and introduces us to far-reaching theories regarding its role in human consciousness.
On a quest for emotional healing and spiritual awakening, a naturopathic doctor and an accountant join others in the Peruvian Amazon to drink a psychedelic brew called ayahuasca.
Tells several stories of prostitution around the world. The documentary revolves around the lives and individual hopes, needs and experiences of the women.
Documentary telling the compelling story of the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships.
The third and most successful of four stand-up act movies release by Richard Pryor on film. The stand-up act includes Pryor’s frank discussion about his freebasing addiction, as well as the infamous night on June 9, 1980 that he caught on fire.
A Dutch family left Holland to transform a 400 year old monastery into a home, artist’s workshop, and nature preserve. Filmed entirely in remote village in Portugal, Convento bends the rigid structure of documentary filmmaking, blurring the lines of information and surrealism Featuring the renowned kinetic artist Christiaan Zwanikken and his family.
With the rapid emergence of digital devices, an unstoppable, invisible force is changing human lives in ways from the microscopic to the gargantuan: Big Data, a word that was barely used a few years ago but now governs the day for many of us from the moment we awaken to the extinguishing of the final late-evening light bulb. This massive gathering and analyzing of data in real time is allowing us to not only address some of humanity biggest challenges but is also helping create a new kind of planetary nervous system. Yet as Edward Snowden and the release of the Prism documents have shown, the accessibility of all these data comes at a steep price. The Human Face of Big Data captures the promise and peril of this extraordinary knowledge revolution.
Launched in 1982 by three friends in a Houston diner, Compaq Computer set out to build a portable PC to take on IBM, the world’s most powerful tech company. Many had tried cloning the industry leader’s code, only to be trounced by IBM and its high-priced lawyers. Explore the remarkable David vs. Goliath story, and eventual demise, of Compaq, an unlikely upstart who altered the future of computing and helped shape the world as we know it today.
A behind the scenes look at the sport of rugby with the 2015 Rugby World Cup as a backdrop, featuring interviews from players, coaches, referees and fans.
Portrait of the singer and her year-long battle with cancer.
September 18, 1980, 6:25 p.m., Titan II base in Damascus, Arkansas. On this fateful night an explosion kills an Air Force member and transforms the lives of everyone on the base. Honing in on a single case of so-called “human error”, Command and Control juxtaposes precision on a minute scale against the gargantuan risks inherent in the United States’ aggressive nuclear proliferation policy during the Cold War.
The story of artist Edith Lake Wilkinson, a painter who was committed to an asylum in 1924 and never heard from again. All her worldly possessions were packed into trunks and shipped to a relative in West Virginia where they sat in an attic for 40 years. Edith’s great-niece, Emmy Award winning writer and director Jane Anderson, grew up surrounded by Edith’s paintings, thanks to her mother who had gone poking through that dusty attic and rescued Edith’s work. The film follows Jane in her decades-long journey to find the answers to the mystery of Edith’s buried life, return the work to Provincetown and have Edith’s contributions recognized by the larger art world.
Louis Theroux spends time with a small and very committed subculture of ultra-nationalist Jewish settlers. He discovers a group of people who consider it their religious and political obligation to populate some of the most sensitive areas of the West Bank, especially those with a spiritual significance dating back to the Bible. Throughout his journey, Louis gets close to the people most involved with driving the extreme end of the Jewish settler movement – finding them warm, friendly, humorous, and deeply troubling.
Louis spends time at King’s College Hospital in London where he immerses himself in the lives of patients in the grips of alcohol addiction and the medical staff trying to make them better.
Plastic Galaxy explores the ground breaking and breathtaking world of ‘Star Wars’ toys. Through interviews with former Kenner employees, experts, authors, and collectors, the documentary looks at the toys’ history, influence, and the passions they elicit today.
From Adolphe Sax’s workshop to the legendary times of jazz and bebop, conquering the classical music stages, forbidden by Nazis and Communists and banned by the Pope: in its 170-year history the saxophone has always been the most seductive as well as the most feared musical instrument. Award-winning Canadian filmmaker Larry Weinstein illuminates and mythologizes the story of the saxophone, its most legendary players and its allegedly longstanding curse about saxophonists falling prey to the instrument’s dark powers.
Africa the Serengeti takes you on an extraordinary journey to view a spectacle few humans have ever witnessed: The Great Migration. Journey with more than two million wildebeests, zebras and antelopes as in their annual 500 mile trek across the Serengeti plains.
An original stand-up comedy special written and performed by comedian Tom Segura.
Comedian Bonnie McFarlane dons her investigative journalist’s hat to find out once and for all if women are funny and report her unbiased findings in what some are calling the most important documentary of our generation.
Overfed and Undernourished examines a global epidemic and our modern lifestyles through one boy’s inspiring and personal journey to regain his health from the inside out.
In this second Q&A with Kevin Smith he now enters the homes of some of his fans in Toronto and London.
Feature-length documentary about the greatest diver of all time. Four-time Olympic champion Greg Louganis has faced more than his share of challenges. In 2011, he is far from the public eye and struggling to pay his mortgage. Now, the openly gay, HIV+ world-class athlete returns to diving to mentor the USA Olympic hopefuls. This may be his best chance to regain the notoriety — and financial stability — he enjoyed at the height of his career.
A documentary about Caroll Spinney who has been Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969. At 78-years-old, he has no intention of stopping.
Riveting look at the politics, big business and the medical industry that has made America the most prescription-addicted society in the world. America is less than 5% of the World’s population but consumes 80% of the World’s prescription narcotics. We have gone from being the land of the free to the land of the addicted.
Doctors, nutritionists, authors and entrepreneurs from 4 countries share why they choose to go against conventional health wisdom to promote Paleo. The film also reflects on how they were profoundly transformed by the lifestyle beforehand.
Recounts the dramatic story of the April 2013 terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon through the experiences of individuals whose lives were affected. Ranging from the events of the day to the death-penalty sentencing of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the film features surveillance footage, news clips, home movies and exclusive interviews with survivors and their families, as well as first responders, investigators, government officials and reporters from the Boston Globe, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the bombing. In the wake of terrorism, a newlywed couple, a mother and daughter, and two brothers – all gravely injured by the blast – face the challenges of physical and emotional recovery as they and their families strive to reclaim their lives and communities.
With her unique blend of honesty and unapologetic humor, Amy Schumer is one of the funniest, freshest faces in the industry today. This October, Schumer’s provocative and hilariously wicked mind will be on full display as she headlines her first HBO stand-up comedy special: ‘Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo.’ Directed by Chris Rock, the one-hour special features the comedian talking about her life and was taped before a live audience at New York’s iconic Apollo Theater.
From a young age Magnus Carlsen had aspirations of becoming a champion chess player. While many players seek out an intensely rigid environment to hone their skills, Magnus’ brilliance shines brightest when surrounded by his loving and supportive family. Through an extensive amount of archival footage and home movies, director Benjamin Ree reveals this young man’s unusual and rapid trajectory to the pinnacle of the chess world. This film allows the audience to not only peek inside this isolated community but also witness the maturation of a modern genius.
Mister Jim’ is how the employees respectfully addressed their boss Jim Hardy, the last Hardy to work in the family business and now retired. It was Jim’s Grandfather and Greatuncle, who in 1873 opened a small shop in the far north of England. Both passionate fisherman, they invented fishing tackle and began to sell it. Their skill, devotion, and innovative marketing strategies allowed them to conquer the world. The name Hardy’s has now been synonymous with fishing for 130 years. Vintage Hardy’s handmade tackle stirs the heart of many a fisherman with Prince Charles amongst the enthusiasts, these are now prized collectors items. Today the skills involved in hand made fishing tackle are dying although the company does survive.
This feature length documentary explores the queer side of gaming culture and the game industry’s LGBTQ presence. The GaymerX convention that took place in 2013 was a huge step forward for the queer geek community being recognized on a worldwide industry scale. In the same year, more popular mainstream and indie games featured a greater amount of gay and lesbian characters than ever before, helping with visibility and acceptance. The video games universe will only continue to improve and diversify both in its community and industry if we elevate the conversation about inclusion and respecting one another – not in spite of our gay geekiness, but because of it!
Determined to find out the true effects of marijuana on the human body, stand-up comedian and former Stoner of the Year Doug Benson documents his experience avoiding pot for 30 days and then consuming massive amounts of the drug for 30 days. More than just an amusing story of one man’s quest to get superhigh, this documentary also examines the hotly contested debate over medical marijuana use.
Recorded live at Hammersmith Apollo, Russell questions the values of heroes and leaders. ‘Messiah Complex’ is a disorder where sufferers think they might be the messiah. Did Jesus have it? What about Che Guevara, Gandhi, Malcolm X and Hitler? All these men have shaped our lives and influenced the way we think. Their images are used to represent ideas that often do not relate to them at all. Would Gandhi be into Apple? Would Che Guevara endorse Madonna? Would Jesus be into Christianity? He concludes it’s all a load of rubbish and encourages the audience to stop voting, ignore advertising, look to the transcendent within themselves and others…and kick over some bins on their way home. Plus there’s sex. Obviously.
Is there such a thing as a “gay voice”? Why do some people sound gay but not others? Why is sounding gay beloved in pop culture, from Liberace to Modern Family, but also a trigger for bullying and harassment? The feature documentary Do I Sound Gay?
What it’s like to drive the once vandalized now famous, ‘Fagbug’ to all 50 states in the USA.
A documentary focused on former Vogue Paris editor-in-chief and fashion stylist Carine Roitfeld.
California, the king of craft beer. In the most epic of road trips, follow along as we learn about California’s amazing beer culture, history and influence from many of the leaders in the industry, including Sierra Nevada, Stone, Lagunitas, Ballast Point and Anchor Steam. 80 breweries. 1 month. This is Craft: The California Beer Documentary.