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Filmed for over a decade, MAGICAL UNIVERSE is a portrait of Al Carbee, an 88 year old strange and reclusive outsider artist who spends his days alone in a massive house in Maine creating art — mostly featuring Barbie Dolls in elaborate dioramas. The documentary profiles Carbee’s amazing body of work and his relentlessly creative lifestyle. Carbee’s story is explored through the prism of his unlikely friendship with New York filmmaker Jeremy Workman, who unexpectedly becomes Carbee’s closest friend and only link to the outside world. Far beyond just a portrait of an eccentric, MAGICAL UNIVERSE is about wonder, friendship, and the transcendent power of creativity. Its story culminates with Al Carbee’s greatest triumph as an artist and a man.
Under the direction of founder and world-renowned DJ Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw Records has consistently released critically acclaimed, left-of-center albums since its founding in 1996. Drawing on live concert footage, never-before-seen archival material, inner-circle home video and photographs and in-depth interviews with the folks who put Stones Throw on the map, this documentary will delve deeper into the label’s enigmatic artists, history, culture and global following.
Harris Glenn Milstead, aka Divine (1945-1988) was the ultimate outsider turned underground hero. Spitting in the face of the status quos of body image, gender identity, sexuality, and preconceived notions of beauty, Divine succeeded in becoming an internationally recognized icon, recording artist, and character actor of stage and screen. Glenn went from the often-mocked, schoolyard fat kid to underdog royalty, standing up for millions of gay men and women, drag queens and punk rockers, and countless other socially ostracized misfits and freaks. With a completely committed in-your-face style, he blurred the line between performer and personality, and revolutionized pop culture.
A naive drifter runs away from his army father in hopes of making it on the car racing circuit. In Las Vegas, he meets a young scam artist, who develops a crush on him. He is then introduced to a whole gang led by a young hustler. The racer-to-be then gets a lesson in the wild side, getting involved in one situation after another. Patsy Kensit makes a cameo as another hustler and Daryl Hannah appears as the scam artist’s surrogate mom.
Gravity & Grace may be writer and critic Chris Kraus’ final and exuberant attempt at an artists’ career. Kraus is best known for her novels, (I Love Dick, Aliens & Anorexia, Torpor and most recently Summer of Hate), her art criticism (Video Green, Where Art Belongs), and her work in publishing subjective narratives through Semiotext(e)’s Native Agents Series, which she founded. Prior to writing, Kraus was an artist, actress and filmmaker. She made short, experimental, low-budget films, and one feature, Gravity & Grace; its failure on the market is chronicled in detail in her book Aliens & Anorexia.
Black comedy about an obsessive street graffiti artist, who falls obsessively in love with a frustrated artist he meets. Unfortunately, rather than trying to meet with her in a conventional way, he decides to mail himself to her with the help of a pet shop owner. Unfortunately, when he arrives, she is with another man, who immediately makes love to her against the box.
One of the most enigmatic artists of the 20th century, writer, composer and wanderer Paul Bowles (1910-1999) is profiled by a filmmaker who has been obsessed with his genius since age nineteen. Set against the dramatic landscape of North Africa, the mystery of Bowles (famed author of The Sheltering Sky) begins to unravel in Jennifer Baichwal’s poetic and moving Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles. Rare, candid interviews with the reclusive Bowles–at home in Tangier, as well as in New York during an extraordinary final reunion with Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs–are intercut with conflicting views of his supporters and detractors. At the time in his mid-eighties, Bowles speaks with unprecedented candor about his work, his controversial private life and his relationships with Gertrude Stein, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, the Beats, and his wife and fellow author Jane Bowles.
Link is torn between the two loves of his life: surfing, and his girlfriend Sunny. He’s also got to deal with an angry landlady who’s threatening to evict him if he doesn’t start paying his rent. When three rich but clueless newcomers move into town and immediately start striking out with the dozens of bikini-clad beauties on the local beach, Link sees a possible solution to his cash problems: offer the trio lessons in how to become pick-up artists.
This documentary feature pulls back the curtain on the world of ‘working class’ rappers. The film spotlights independent artists struggling to find a balance between making a living and pursuing their art alongside the never-ending saga of age and relevance. Weaved together through a series of 30 plus interviews that are devoid of the ego so common in the business of music, especially hip-hop, the film traverses the country (USA) to explore the myths and misconceptions of life as a full-time rapper.
Jan Saudek, Czechoslovakia’s most famous living photographer, is the subject of this often-shocking kaleidoscopic biopic by friend and colleague Adolf Zika. With an unblinking eye, Zika chronicles the drama-filled life and work of a controversial artist who, though little-known in the United States, has enjoyed international acclaim throughout his fifty-year career
A young boy helps the rebellious Johann Sebastian Bach fight for his artistic freedom.
Artist Ryan Gander explores Japan’s highly sophisticated visual culture, expressed through images and symbols. He makes unexpected connections between everything from geisha to tattoo art.
Andi is contemplative and artistic and sheltered by overprotective parents. But on the eve of her 13th birthday, Andi’s free-spirited older sister Bex returns home with a revelation that changes everything and sends Andi on an uncharted course of self-discovery.
Seth is a youth with artistic leanings, a fascination with Black pop culture, and a dead-end life in an Adirondack village. He’s alternatively sensitive and brutal with Kristen, who wants a sexual relationship that he explosively rejects. Late one night, as he’s closing the cafe where he works, a young Black man attempts to rob him at gun point but faints from illness. Seth takes the man, Knowledge, an escapee from a nearby prison, to a family cabin where he nurses him and they begin a tentative friendship. When the sheriff learns of Seth’s harboring a fugitive, a confrontation looms. Relationships between fathers and their children dominate the subplots.
Imagine this: you go dancing at a parade, there you will be filmed and suddenly this movie appears on the net. An artist makes art out of these images. From that moment on, your face buzzes out into the digital world. This case actually exists. The dancer is called Technoviking. He has become a famous figure on the Internet. However, it also raises a lot of questions: What are the boundaries between personality rights and the freedom of art? Can such a phenomenon be curbed at all by legal means? A feature length documentary on the popular Technoviking-Meme, one of the early big video memes on YouTube that ended up in court.
Savannah Delongpre is a wealthy fashion model living in New York City who returns to her small town in Georgia to visit her wealthy grandmother Belle as well as walk down memory lane to remember her childhood with some of her friends still living there. During that time, Savannah meets Jake Gilbert a rugged drifter/artist living on the property called Two Moon Junction owned by Belle and whose family has a feud with Savannah’s for decades. Desperate to forget her stressful life, Savannah eventually begins a sordid affair with Jake, despite opposition from Belle claiming the man is not right for her or anyone. But Savannah’s strongest opposition comes from her possessive boyfriend Robert Lee who later arrives and plans to break Savannah and Jake up by buying the Two Moon Junction property to evict Jake from the area.
Paranoia forces small-time scam artist Marty to flee his hometown and hide out in a dangerous Detroit. With nothing but a pocket full of bogus checks, his Power Glove, and a bad temper, the horror metal slacker lashes out.
The story follows Abby, a thirty-something artist living in Rhode Island caring for her husband William after he’s tragically injured in a bar fight. As she attempts to coax him back to health, James, her childhood sweetheart and unrequited love, attempts to coax her back into living life again herself. The complicated love triangle that ensues is touching, poignant, and concludes with a realization that’s as profound as it is beautiful.
Six strangers meet in Hong Kong for a three week no-budget film shoot, full of enthusiasm for the project. But as time wears on cracks begin to show as tight schedules, cramped conditions, location problems, personality clashes and the stress of shooting on the fly combine to put strain on the entire cast and crew. And it doesn’t help that nobody’s getting paid. As time passes they struggle to remember why they signed up in the first place, leading to reflections on the value of being a ‘starving artist’ and the limits of artistic integrity – and explosive confrontations that jeopardize the whole project.
Broadway legend Elaine Stritch remains in the spotlight at eighty-seven years old. Join the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winner both on and off stage in this revealing documentary. With interviews from Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Hal Prince and others, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me blends rare archival footage and intimate cinema vérité to reach beyond Stritch’s brassy exterior, revealing a multi-dimensional portrait of a complex woman and an inspiring artist.
The series follows the “untold” story of Leonardo Da Vinci: the genius during his early years in Renaissance Florence. As a 25-year old artist, inventor, swordsman, lover, dreamer and idealist, he struggles to live within the confines of his own reality and time as he begins to not only see the future, but invent it.
Unhinged by his girlfriend’s sudden departure, artist Angus begins slipping into a dark layer of reality ruled by a powerful demon. Believing that the key to finding her lies within, Angus plunges deeper into the infernal netherworld.
This is the Night of the Tentacles! In this obscene Faustian tale a young artists sells his soul to Satan for the new heart he so desperately needs…
Katia (Kostrzewa), a young Polish woman adrift in London, meets Bob (Brake), an American tattoo artist. Katia is drawn to his mysterious aura and the taboo culture of body modification, but Bob has a dark, secret desire to leave his mark on the world and little does Katia know that her fascination with him will put her life in danger.
Adapted from the lauded feminist novel and set in a colorful academic community in Marfa, Texas, this is the story of a struggling married couple, Chris and Sylvere, and their obsession with a charismatic professor named Dick. Told in Rashomon-style shifts of POV, the series charts the unraveling of a marriage, the awakening of an artist and the deification of a reluctant messiah.
A documentary on funk and P-funk and the bands and artists that made it all happen: James Brown, Sly Stone, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Maurice White and his Earth Wind & Fire, Average White Band, Kool & The Gang and lots more. It tells the story of black American music and how it evolved from funk to more main stream to disco to hiphop to contemporary R ‘n B and its impact on society. Music and live footage from the bands, interviews with artists and band members of Kool & The Gang, Earth Wind & Fire, George Clinton and lots more.
To overcome his creative block and pull off an impossible deadline, fledgling comic artist Neil must enter the world of his leading character: the mysterious Mistress Of The Forest.
A narcissistic artist’s world turns upside down after his wife’s affair and a disastrous exhibition of his work.
In the summer of 1969, Bernard, a Gaspesian fisherman’s son, arrive in Perce to fin work. He meets Paul, Jacques and Francis, Quebec Independence activists who have come to open the ‘Fisherman’s House’. They aim to organize public conferences and offer lodgings to young travelers. A motley crowd of Quebecers from all over the province soon flocks to Perce: artists, hippies, rockers, hitchhikers and the like shake local authorities. Bernard is won over by the trio’s ideas and gets increasingly involved in their project. The following year, the will join the Front de liberation du Quebec (FLQ) and play a pivotal role in the Summer Crisis 1969.
BEFORE AND AFTER DINNER is an exploration of the life and work of Andre Gregory, groundbreaking director, actor, artist, and raconteur, filmed by prize-winning documentarian Cindy Kleine, his wife. Through her close-up lens, Cindy introduces us to this cultural icon and master storyteller, and tells the unusual story of a good marriage that thrives in collaboration, art, and humor, celebrating the great vitality of the later years in life. The film touches on universal questions. Where does art come from? What experiences shape the life, the preoccupations, and the work of an artist? Drawing on the work Andre has created over a lifetime, and exploring the nature of the life that underlies the work, BEFORE AND AFTER DINNER is about how and why artists create.
In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey is a documentary film about the legendary American guitarist, composer and provocateur John Fahey, 1939-2001. Fahey is often considered the godfather of ‘American primitive guitar’. This cinematic exploration features Pete Townshend, Chris Funk of The Decemberists and Joey Burns of Calexico. These stellar musicians, along with Fahey associates and friends such as the famous ‘Dr. Demento’, radio broadcaster Barry Hansen, explore the legacy of this profoundly influential artist. The film was recorded in the Washington D.C. area where John Fahey was born, along the Mississippi Delta from Memphis to New Orleans, in Los Angeles, Toronto, Austin, New York and in Oregon where Fahey spent his last two decades.
Mistaken for Strangers follows The National on its biggest tour to date. Newbie roadie Tom (lead singer Matt Berninger’s younger brother) is a heavy metal and horror movie enthusiast, and can’t help but put his own spin on the experience. Inevitably, Tom’s moonlighting as an irreverent documentarian creates some drama for the band on the road. The film is a hilarious and touching look at two very different brothers, and an entertaining story of artistic aspiration.
During World War II, a hand-picked group of American GI’s undertook a bizarre mission: create a traveling road show of deception on the battlefields of Europe, with the German Army as their audience. The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops used inflatable rubber tanks, sound trucks, and dazzling performance art to bluff the enemy again and again, often right along the front lines. Many of the men picked to carry out these dangerous deception missions were artists. Some went on to become famous, including fashion designer Bill Blass. In their spare time, they painted and sketched their way across Europe, creating a unique and moving visual record of their war. Their secret mission was kept hushed up for nearly 50 years after the war’s end.
Meet nine-year old Saige, a talented artist with a passion for horses, in this modern-day story about finding your voice! Saige is excited about the new school year, until she discovers that art-her favorite class-has been cut. On top of that, her best friend, Tessa, seems to be spending more and more time with another girl. For help, Saige turns to her grandma Mimi, a well-known artist and horse-woman, who inspires her to take action. Can Saige find the courage to overcome her fears and save the art program-and her friendship with Tessa? Heart-warming, empowering, and fun, it’s a movie for every girl who has ever dreamed big. Written by Anonymous (IMDB.com)
Singer Stan Walker makes his acting debut playing the lead role in feature film Mt Zion, shot in Pukekohe, Auckland. Walker stars as Turei, a talented young musician with a dream – for his band to win the audition to be the support act for Bob Marley’s 1979 concert in Auckland. Set amongst a Maori family of contract potato pickers in Pukekohe, in which Turei’s desperate ambition clashes with traditional whanau values, leading to an emotional showdown and powerful change. Temuera Morrison (Once Were Warriors), plays Turei’s father, the hard-working head contractor who has some lost ambitions of his own. Mt Zion is written and directed by Tearepa Kahi, who made the international award-winning short film Taua. Stan Walker won the 2009 Australian Idol singing contest and is now signed to Sony Music as a recording artist and EMI publishing as song writer.
On the way home from an art gallery featuring her work, a talented artist, Ali, her husband and their young child get into a car accident. The woman’s husband and child die on impact, while the woman survives, but loses her eyesight. At her doctor’s suggestion, Ali hires a caretaker named Jeff to help her adjust to life as a blind woman, and upon returning home, Jeff’s aid proves to be indispensable in helping her acclimate; Ali even meets and quickly befriends her new neighbor, Linda. It is soon apparent, however, that Jeff is becoming increasingly possessive and jealous of Ali, and his obsession rapidly turns violent when Ali decides she needs less of his assistance because she is ready to resume living independently. Unsurprisingly, Jeff does not take the request well, and Ali is soon forced to use her remaining senses to fight for her life.
Petey Wheatstraw (Rudy Ray Moore) is a candidate to become the devil’s son-in-law. The storyline is a scaffolding on which Rudy Ray Moore’s standup humor can be unfolded. Beginning life as the afterbirth to a watermelon, the young Wheatstraw becomes a martial artist, but is unable to best the evil comedy team of Leroy and Skillet, who also indulge in wholesale murder. Satan restores the comedians’ victims to life, and charges Petey with the task of marrying his clock-stoppingly ugly daughter to giving him a grandchild. When Petey attempts to default on the deal, he is pursued by the devil’s henchmen.
At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao’s cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he fell in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet.
