The ostensibly simple story of a sympathetic veteran teacher giving Italian lessons to a weekly class of diverse immigrants is given infinitely more depth and complexity by the manner in which director Daniele Gaglianone renders his story. Blurring the lines between fact and fiction, truth and artifice, and between documentary and drama, Gaglianone has created a film within a film. You see the apparent artifice of Gaglianone’s crew using professionals, including the noted film actor Valerio Mastandrea as the teacher, interlinked with ‘real’ immigrant protagonists, studying the language to improve their chances of employment and of gaining a permanent residence permit. Thus in the course of the lessons there is simultaneously the painful and upsetting relation of the students’ personal stories but also humour, as they interact and share their humanity, bridging cultural differences, united in their striving to make a better life for themselves. (Source: LFF programme)

Through archival footage Nicholson tells the story of the real Warriors that walked the streets of New York City in the 1970s and the harsh reality of gang life in a city that seemed to be falling apart.

Across the Bay from the NBA champion Golden State Warriors is another Warriors team, one that plays only home games. Felony convictions derailed the lives of the San Quentin Prison squad, some of them promising players. The rocky road to rehabilitation is the point of the game in this eye-opening, inspirational documentary. Q Ball‘s focus is on determined men grappling indelibly with the gravity of their crimes and reaching for redemption. The film zeroes in on about-to-be-paroled star player Harry “ATL” Smith, who has not surrendered his NBA dreams; Anthony “Ant” Ammons, a lifer who has become a mentor to younger inmates; and head coach Rafael Cuevas, a convicted murderer who understands his role in preparing his players for life on the outside. For all three men, the team is not just a means of recreation, but a form of family.

A documentary film about the life of pianist and jazz great Thelonious Monk. Features live performances by Monk and his band, and interviews with friends and family about the offbeat genius.

The film tells the story of the BMW team facing its big target: winning the 24 Hours on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife, one of the biggest racing events in the world.

Free Burma Rangers is a documentary film exploring the extraordinary 20-year journey of missionaries Dave and Karen Eubank. The film follows Dave, Karen, and their three young children, as they venture into war zones where they are fighting to bring hope.

In the Philippines, the journalist Maria Ressa fights a battle for democracy against president Duterte and his ‘war on drugs’, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Shot below the radar, this film follows the journey of Chinese factory migrant worker-turned-activist Yi Yeting, who takes his fight against the global electronic industry from his hospital bed to the international stage.

“I was visiting Jerome Hill. Jerome loved France, especially Provence. He spent all his summers in Cassis. My window overlooked the sea. I sat in my little room, reading or writing, and looked at the sea. I decided to place my Bolex exactly at the angle of light as what Signac saw from his studio which was just behind where I was staying, and film the view from morning till after sunset, frame by frame. One day of the Cassis port filmed in one shot.” -JM

Some of the world’s most majestic birds display delightfully captivating mating rituals, from flashy dancing to flaunting their colorful feathers.

An all-star global music event live from London’s Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert featuring the biggest names in music joining together in celebration of the life, music and love of Taylor Hawkins, one of modern music’s most beloved figures.

A band struggles to reconcile for a reunion tour a decade after a contentious break-up and a fatal accident.