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A simple can of ravioli propels this spectacular 30,000-kilometre, eight-country journey through all phases of food production and the far flung sources of international ingredients. A dream-like voyage with glimpses of disconcerting realities, the story begins with a single mother toiling in one of the biggest open pit mines in Brazil and ends on the shelf of a grocery store in Finland. Along the way, the workers whose calloused hands mine, raise and harvest each ingredient reveal their dreams and hopes, like the Danish pig farmer who loves his sows but longs for a girlfriend, and the Portuguese tomato picker who wants to stay healthy long enough to pay her daughters way through university. Sumptuous photography and impressive sound design make an eloquent statement about our modern, globalized world, making us aware of the hundreds of invisible people who prepare the food we eat every day. -Gisèle Gordon (HotDocs.ca)
Having abandoned modern civilization, Ryoichi lives an isolated, self-sufficient life on a snow-covered mountain and sends mail bombs to the CEOs of corporations and TV networks. One day, he encounters a mysterious creature in the forest. That night, his older brother, who had committed suicide, appears before him at his cabin. The apparition takes Ryoichi beyond a door, where Ryoichi learns the truth about his family.
Raised in the Tennessee mountains, Wayne White started his career as a cartoonist in NYC. He quickly found success as one of the creators of the Pee-wee’s Playhouse TV show which soon led to more work designing some of the most arresting and iconic images in pop culture. Recently his word paintings featuring pithy and and often sarcastic text statements finely crafted onto vintage landscape paintings have made him a darling of the fine art world. The movie chronicles the vaulted highs and crushing lows of an artist struggling to find peace and balance between his professional work and his personal art. This is especially complicated for a man who struggles with the virtues he most often mocks in his art…Vanity, ego and fame.
The middle-aged titular heroine (Masiero) of this bare-bones, Dardenne-esque debut has certainly fallen on hard times: Living between her car and a storage shed, working a part-time job as a hotel chambermaid, and trying against all odds to obtain public housing, Louise scrapes by on a day-to-day subsistence that’s only a few Euros away from skid row.
‘Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp’, examines the tumultuous life of legendary Chicago pimp Iceberg Slim (1918-1992) and how he reinvented himself from pimp to author of 7 groundbreaking books. These books were the birth of Street Lit and explored the world of the ghetto in gritty and poetic detail and have made him a cultural icon. Interviews with Iceberg Slim, Chris Rock, Henry Rollins, Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, and Quincy Jones.
Filmed over a decade, Brief Encounters follows internationally renowned photographer Gregory Crewdsons quest to create his unique, surreal, and incredibly elaborate portraits of suburban life. He sets a house on fire, builds 90 foot sets with crews of sixty, shuts down city streets…all in the service of his haunted image of American life, and his own anxieties, dreams and inner desires. Brief Encounters is an intimate portrait of one of the most heralded image-makers of our time.
The documentary intersperses archival footage with first-person interviews with disability rights activists who fought discrimination such as Fred Fay, I. King Jordan, Judi Chamberlin and Judith Heumann, and with legislators who helped draft and secure the passage of the ADA, including Tony Coelho and Tom Harkin. From the beginnings of the disability rights movement, when veterans with disabilities returning home from World War II began to demand an end to discrimination and for better access to employment and other social opportunities, Lives Worth Living traces the history of the movement in the United States in roughly chronological order. The film documents how, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, activists with disabilities began to adopt the some of the tactics and strategies used by civil rights activists a decade earlier, including marches, protests, and civil disobedience.
He Has Seen War is a documentary featuring surviving veterans of Easy Company and the 1st Marine Division, whose stories are told in Band of Brothers and The Pacific. From their initial steps at reintegrating into civilian life to the lasting impact the war had on each of their lives, He Has Seen War features veterans and their families relaying their own unique stories. Complemented by renowned historian and author Donald L. Miller, as well as rarely seen archival and documentary footage, it captures the struggle and ultimate triumph of a generation who, after helping rescue the world from unprecedented calamity, reclaimed their lives and re-forged a country
The Banjo Project is a cross-media cultural odyssey: a major television documentary, a live stage/multi-media performance, and a website that chronicle the journey of America’s quintessential instrument—the banjo—from its African roots to the 21st century. It’s a collaboration between Emmy-winning writer-producer Marc Fields and banjo virtuoso Tony Trischka (the Project’s Music Director), one of the most acclaimed acoustic musicians of his generation.
James and Carl were only 10 years old when they kidnapped and murdered 3 year old David McClendon. They were caught, tried, convicted and placed in separate juvenile facilities. At 18-years old, both are given new names and released back into society – much to the horror of the nation. They can have no contact with each other or with their past friends or relatives. The story follows the lives of these two boys as they try to start over, escape the past and survive the growing outcry following their release.
Despite a lack of obvious similarities between Siberia and Tokyo, a thriving model industry connects these distant regions. GIRL MODEL follows two protagonists involved in this industry: Ashley, a deeply ambivalent model scout who scours the Siberian countryside looking for fresh faces to send to the Japanese market, and one of her discoveries, Nadya, a thirteen year-old plucked from the Siberian countryside and dropped into the center of Tokyo with promises of a profitable career. After Ashley’s initial discovery of Nadya, the two rarely meet again, but their stories are inextricably bound. As Nadya’s optimism about rescuing her family from their financial difficulties grows, her dreams contrast against Ashley’s more jaded outlook about the industry’s corrosive influence.
A documentary that captures the greatest world record Tetris players as they prepare for the Classic Tetris World Championship. From the days of Thor Aackerlund and his historic victory at the 1990 Nintendo World Championships, right up to the present and Harry Hong’s perfect “Max-Out” score, this documentary expertly chronicles over two decades of Tetris Mastery.
Dole Food Company wages a campaign to prevent a pair of Swedish filmmakers from showing their documentary about a lawsuit against the company.
Set amid arrests and subsequent trials surrounding the 2008 Republican National Convention, this portrait of two young activists caught in the web of an opportunistic mentor and a desperate justice system poignantly describes both the problems of power and the power of forgiveness and love.
Bermuda Triangle Exposed’ explores the most deadly and unexplained marine graveyard on Earth. It spans from Bermuda to Miami to Puerto Rico; from 8,500 metres below the surface of the sea to 8,500 metres into the sky. For decades it has held us baffled as it defies explanation. Some 2000 boats and 75 planes have disappeared without a trace here. Freak waves, magnetic anomalies, giant whirlpools and strange fireballs have all been blamed for the unusual disappearances. See whether we will ever determine truth behind the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle as this programme investigates what is beneath the infamous stretch of ocean.
The story is set 70 million years ago, when dinosaurs ruled the Korean Peninsula the same way they ruled the rest of the earth. Spotty is a curious and playful Tarbosaurus child, and along with his mother and siblings, he lives happily in the forest. One day the cunning One-eye, an older Tyrannosaur looking for a new home, attacks Spotty’s herd and separates Spotty from his family. Alone, he befriends another lost girl Tarbosaur who becomes his friend and constant companion for two decades and the mother of his own children. But Spotty’s troubles with One-eye are not over, and revenge, death, fear, and sadness are all in Spotty’s future―as is happiness and hope.
More and more UFO sightings occur every day. Across the globe people are losing time, friends and loved ones disappear, while the Men in Black are perpetually lurking in the background. In a sleepy seaside village, three women search the skies for a sighting of a UFO that is repeatedly haunting the area. Every day they venture out until one day they return having completely lost 4 hours from their lives. Their need to understand the UFO’s and why they are here opens a world they could never have imagined and takes them into the heart of a dark and secretive universe populated by the Men in Black. Coming face to face with the unknown, they begin to realize that they have been profoundly affected by their encounter. To make matters worse, they begin to evolve into something amazing, yet horrifying – something beyond their worst nightmares. Beware the Dark Watchers. Written by Philip Gardiner
José Henrique Fonseca crafts an ambitious and long overdue homage to a central icon in Brazil’s 20th century history. Reminiscent of film noir classics, the biopic tells the glorious and tragic story of the legendary football striker Heleno de Freitas. The sumptuous black and white cinematography reflects the chic life of Rio de Janeiro in the 1940s as it fell under the spell of sports royalty. Heleno was no doubt one of the most popular players of his time for his bravura in the field and magnificent goal-scoring that lead the Botafogo team to the top and himself into a vicious downward spiral.
A tabloid reporter makes a shocking cryptozoological discovery while investigating a recent rash of Bigfoot sightings in this comedy featuring beer, bikinis, and the wildest party animal you’ve ever met. Harlan James (Chase Carter) doesn’t believe in Bigfoot. He’s determined to disprove his existence when he heads into the woods, and starts to interview witnesses. Much to Harlan’s surprise, he finds that Bigfoot is no forest-dwelling menace, but a mischievous Sasquatch with a taste for beer, and a love of beautiful women. Unfortunately for the fun-loving creature, vengeful redneck Chester Scroggins (Ron Blackwell) and some villainous bounty hunters are more interested in capturing Bigfoot than sharing a brew with him. Now, with the clock ticking, Harlan enlists the aid of the local sheriff (David Novak) and a pretty television reporter (Nicole Parsneau) in getting the story of a lifetime, and protecting the beast who only wants to party.
Puss in Boots is on a mission to recover the Princess’ stolen ruby from the notorious French thief, Whisperer. Reluctantly accompanied by three little kittens, Three Diablos, Puss must tame them before they endanger the mission.
The story of the battle to free Debbie Peagler, an incarcerated survivor of brutal domestic violence. Over 26 years in prison cannot crush the spirit of this determined African-American woman, despite the injustices she has experienced, first at the hands of a duplicitous boyfriend who beat her and forced her into prostitution, and later by prosecutors who cornered her into a life behind bars for her connection to the murder of her abuser. Her story takes an unexpected turn two decades later when a pair of rookie land-use attorneys cut their teeth on her case — and attract global attention to the troubled intersection of domestic violence and criminal justice.
A troubled group of children living on the same block are haunted by a talking dog named Labby who brings them on surreal hell-rides between different dimensions and time periods.
Lonely pensioner, Harold Gimble, has become the first man to suffer from a new neurological disease that is slowly turning him into a zombie-like state. Harold’s hermit-like existence is shaken up when a vivacious nurse, Penny Rudge, is sent along to alleviate his stiffness. Her ‘special’ massage techniques work a treat on Harold and they become close friends. Harold agrees to trial a possible cure for the disease at a private institute, and the initial results are excellent. But the following day he’s in an even worse state than before, and after Penny accidentally overhears the doctor’s dire prognosis for Harold she decides to sneak him away the next morning. Word soon gets out, and before long a small group of bloodthirsty thugs are pursuing Harold and Penny across dramatic moorlands in the hope of a kill.
Spinning Plates is a documentary about three extraordinary restaurants and the incredible people who make them what they are. A cutting-edge restaurant named the seventh-best in the world whose chef must battle a life-threatening obstacle to pursue his passion. A 150-year-old family restaurant still standing only because of the unbreakable bond with its community. A fledgling Mexican restaurant whose owners are risking everything just to survive and provide for their young daughter. Their unforgettable stories of family, legacy, passion and survival come together to reveal how meaningful food can be, and the power it has to connect us to one another.
Zombie A-Hole takes place in a world that’s a bit different from our own. A realm that teeters on the edge of sleaze and comic book stylized awesomeness. It’s Planet Terror meets Sin City meets The Good The Bad and The Ugly. All the men are hard-asses, and all the women are bombshells. Just because vengeance is your way of life doesn’t mean you can’t look damn sexy while you dole out hearty doses of whoop-ass. Everything is just a bit bigger and more interesting than their real life counterparts. This is a an exploitation flick with a southern gothic flair. Written by Dustin Mills
Confirmation of extraterrestrial life appears on television screens across the world as a massive spacecraft breaks through the atmosphere on a crash course into the Atlantic Ocean. A young paramedic, Greg Baker, signs up to fight for his planet against the invaders. Baker joins Special Forces members as the squad medic as they escort a classified package by chopper over enemy territory. When their chopper is shot down they find themselves surrounded and outnumbered. Desperate to return to his wife’s side and haunted by nightmares, Baker find that his role in the war has quickly become much larger than he could have ever imagined. The mysterious package may be the key to turning the tide of the war, and possibly to saving all of humanity, but Baker must decide whether to protect it or sacrifice it to ensure his own survival.
After a lifetime of hiding, Chely Wright becomes the first commercial country music singer to come out as gay, shattering cultural stereotypes within Nashville, per conservative heartland family and, most importantly, within herself. With unprecedented access over a two-year period, including her private video diaries, the film layers Chely’s rise to fame while hiding in the late 90’s with the execution of her coming out plan, culminating in the exciting moment when she steps into the media glare to reveal she is gay. The film shows both the devastation of internalized homophobia and the transformational power of living an authentic life. The film also documents the conflicting responses from Nashville, the heartland and the LGBT community as Chely Wright prepares for an unknown future.
Alex’s dreary life is reignited when he meets Rachel, the woman of his dreams. The only thing that stands in the way of their perfect, serendipitous relationship is that Rachel has recently passed away.
Will is an 2012 British sports drama directed by Ellen Perry and starring Damian Lewis, Jane March and Bob Hoskins. .At the start of the film, eleven year-old Liverpool fan Will Brennan is at a boarding school in the south of England, due to his father Gareth’s (Lewis) inability to look after him following the death of his mother. Gareth arrives one day out of the blue, with two tickets to see Liverpool play AC Milan in the 2005 Champions’ League Final in Istanbul. Unfortunately, before they can go, Gareth dies suddenly. Will is determined to go and honour his father’s memory. He runs away and makes it as far as France. He then meets Alek, a former Yugoslavian footballer who stopped playing during his country’s civil war. Despite Alek’s initial reluctance to get involved, he is inspired by Will’s determination and tries to help him to fulfil his dream. After many trials and tribulations, Will gets his wish and has a better experience at the match than he could ever have imagined.
Catherine and Blake just tied the knot. Samuel and Catherine have a long and intimate history which is significant to the fact that Samuel and Blake are best friends. When Samuel decides not to attend their wedding under some pretense that no one believes, he invites the newlyweds to Nadi Vineyards for a week-long party in paradise to make up for his absence. Records spin, wine flows, and bottles pile up. What unfolds over the course of this week will rearrange the geometry of Samuel, Catherine, and Blake’s relationships and test the boundaries of their complicated, revolving love for one another.
The Loveable Polar Bear with no hair takes another adventure with his friends.Sam is a shy boy whos afraid of almost everything: those strange shadows in his room at night, that noisy street he has to cross on the way to the school, or even worse- to meet this small fierce…
The world fell in love with Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová when their songwriting collaboration in the film Once (2006) culminated in a jubilant Oscar win. But behind the scenes, where Glen and Mar’s on-screen romance became reality, a grueling two-year world tour threatens to fracture their fated bond. Filmed in black and white, this music-filled documentary is an intimate look at the exhilaration and turmoil created by both love and fame.
Negotiations with the Far East have failed, and the unthinkable has happened: all-out nuclear war. With civilization as we know it at an end, the United States President is whisked away to safety in an underground bunker. Along with him is a team of scientists and advisors, as well as an elite fighting force of the best assassins and soldiers in the country. This Presidential Security team is hand-selected to protect and preserve the government in this time of crisis.
They say the darkest hour is just before dawn, and at the Sunrise diner it’s very late indeed. Four couples find themselves at an out-of-the-way 24-hour diner, but they are not all that they seem. Intertwined throughout the night are a middle age couple who are at a crisis in their lives, a cook who thinks he is finally finding his way forward, a waitress in a bad relationship and a young punk and his girlfriend who think this is the last stop before the new world of imagined ease. But the strangest of all are the dark stranger and young girl who don’t seem to be part of this world. A film about dreams gone bad, missed opportunities, love, fear and death.
In the year 2310, a new sport, GENE-FUSION is all the rage! In this exciting game, specially-trainer athletes, called Fusers, design their own super-creature by combining three forms of animal DNA… Four teens, seemingly plucked from obscurity, are trained to be Fusers. They become instant celebrities they perform before sold out crowds. But what hey don’t know is that each of them has a role to play in an alien conspiracy to take over the world. Only through learning to work together as a team can these four young heroes take on this alien threat and save the planet from destruction
When Emma meets Cassandra, they initiate a relationship filled with physical and psychological challenges. Emma does whatever it takes to master the rules of the game. Lines are crossed and the stakes get higher and higher. Despite this, Emma can’t resist the intoxicating feeling of total control.
A psychological horror/thriller depicting a backwoods family with a dark secret.
