A documentary chronicling the rise of art as a response to political change that defined the 1980s. A mixed media documentary incorporating art, music, animation, and spoken work Let Fury Have the Hour is told through the voices of the artists of the day.
March 1989: two respected chemists from the University of Utah stand in front of a wall of reporters. Flashbulbs pop as they announce they have solved the world's energy problems using seawater, batteries and a mysterious glass contraption. 'Cold Fusion' is born. Within days, Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann are on the cover of Time Magazine. But three short months later, their careers in tatters and their reputations ruined, they flee the US as Cold Fusion becomes synonymous with 'bad science.' Twenty-two years later, despite continued disdain from mainstream science, a group of scientists, entrepreneurs and one high school student are confident that Cold Fusion will save the world, and that we're closer than ever to the Holy Grail of civilization. They're The Believers.
What happens when a woman goes in search of her identity and discovers that the cycle of violence she's been working hard to break in the US is part of her family history and culture on another continent?
This surprisingly open and revealing documentary follows two years in the private life of a minister. Marilyn Sewell is successful and beloved in the pulpit, but behind the scenes she is lonely and yearning for change. As she considers leaving the ministry, she realizes she will be leaving her only social network. Yet when she falls in love for the first time, she realizes she does not trust intimacy. A study in contrasts, Marilyn must rely on raw faith as she questions her future, her difficult past, her God, and most importantly... her ability to love.
The project began as a way to explore, educate about, and advocate change around the overcrowding in the Philadelphia jail system. It has come to focus on mass incarceration across the nation and the intersection of race, poverty, and the criminal justice and penal systems. The documentary centers around Michelle Alexander's theory in her book, The New Jim Crow: since the rise of the drug war and explosion of prison populations, because discretion within the system allows for prosecution of people of color at disproportionately high rates, mass incarceration is a new version of Jim Crow. The movie also dissects the War on Drugs and 'tough on crime' movement, and offers possible reforms and solutions to ending mass incarceration and this new racial caste system.
Fixation is a documentary, focusing on the thrilling world of fixed gear cycling. This film captures the excitement and popularity of this growing sport from all perspectives. With the resurgence of this original form of cycling, we discover the appeal to having only one gear. Though technology has developed multiple speed bicycles, for faster and easier riding, both fixed and freewheel single speeds continue to have a strong following. The range of riders is vast, from professionals to the casual everyday rider. Their styles and motives are different, but their outcome seems to be the same: the freedom, the simplicity and the challenge of having one gear is what brings them back to the basics. We explore the full spectrum of this lifestyle: Messengers, Olympic Racing, City Riders, Bike Polo, Brakeless, Freestyle and more. "Fixation" showcases the different personalities of those involved with fixed gear cycling community, in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Jose.
Public schools don’t have to be a minefield of metal detectors, minimal expectations, and mind-numbing routine. An alternative exists right here in Chicago, at the Dixon Elementary Public School in the Chatham neighborhood, where former principal Joan Crisler and her successor Sharon Dale have implemented the idea that art should be an integral part of the learning environment, with museum-quality works openly adorning the halls. The results, in terms of student performance and morale, have been spectacular, but, as this inspiring but pragmatic documentary demonstrates, there are no miracle solutions: Crisler’s protégé Carol Briggs has an uphill battle applying the same approach at another school, and recent budget cuts have left even the most successful programs vulnerable to the axe.
"The Magic Life" chronicles the journey of three magician hopefuls: a 17-year-old from Beijing who travels to the U.S. to attend magic school, a 25-year-old trying to make rent by performing on Hollywood Blvd for tips, and a 32-year-old New York University MBA graduate who moves to Los Angeles to perform at the world famous Magic Castle. The film depicts the challenges of following an unconventional career path. Forget about parents, family, or friends who may not understand or support your choices - there's almost an invisible societal pressure in terms of what types of jobs are acceptable. "The Magic Life" is about those who are willing to risk everything to take the road not normally taken. Sometimes the risk pays off, sometimes it doesn't.
Queen Under Review 1973 - 1980 features rare live and studio performances of the band playing some of their best known hits; rare and classic Queen interview footage, and a host of other features, all interspersed with the independent review and criticism from a panel of esteemed experts.
"...in 1968, under a haze of publicity, 'The Beatles' opened their collective door to musicians, writers, artists, film-makers, inventors, designers, freaks and opportunist sharks. But despite a hefty investment, little of substance was forthcoming, except for "Apple Records". "This is the story of a record label which came to exist under extraordinary circumstances, produced extraordinary records and was operated under extraordinary guidelines..." "Strange Fruit" offers new interviews with Tony Bramwell, members of 'Badfinger', 'The Iveys', 'Elephant's Memory', Jackie Lomax, 'Brute Force' and David Peel, plus commentator Chris Ingham, author, journalist Mark Paytress and Apple biographer Stefan Granados. The film also includes Apple music, archive footage of Apple artists, interviews from the vaults, rare images and location films.
The Joffrey Ballet: Mavericks of American Dance, narrated by Mandy Patinkin, tells the full story of this groundbreaking company, from their founding in 1956 to the present.
Moto 3: The Movie is the next chapter in the most progressive motocross/off-road film series of all time. The Assignment Moving Picture Co. spared no expense during the film's production, and worked with only the biggest and baddest riders on the planet to capture what critics are calling "next level moto cinematography". Like in the first two Moto The Movie features, The Assignment traveled the globe to search for the source of what pushes our beloveed sport into the future, and the result is a film that will leave you aching to ride!
A warmly amusing look at a bus-full of American tourists on a whirlwind tour of Europe. The eclectic soundtrack includes Mozart, Bob Dylan, Sandy Denny, Jonathan Richman, others.
Yoga was brought to the west from India by a lineage of male teachers. Now there's a generation of women who are leading the way and they're radically changing people's lives. From the busy streets of Manhattan to the dusty slums of Kenya, from the golden beaches of Australia YOGAWOMAN uncovers a global phenomenon that has changed the face of yoga forever.
Despite the achievements of the women's movement over the past four decades, misogyny remains a persistent force in American culture. In this important documentary, Thomas Keith, professor of philosophy at California State University-Long Beach, looks specifically at misogyny and sexism in mainstream American media, exploring how negative definitions of femininity and hateful attitudes toward women get constructed and perpetuated at the very heart of our popular culture.
“Unsigned” is a documentary that trails three rising rock bands in Los Angeles as they chase their dreams of making it big in the music industry. We follow “Fight Friendly” ” Paul Nagi” and ” The Muddy Reds” as they learn to balance their rock ’n’ roll aspirations with the hardships and realizations of every day life in a film which dares everyone to follow their dreams.
For Nixon's first public appearance since resigning the presidency, Richard Nixon chose the small mountain community of Leslie County, Kentucky. Priceless footage of Nixon's 1978 visit introduces this incisive and sometimes hilarious look at the engines that drive American politics. The film explores the machinations of party politics in this rural and staunchly Republican county: hollow to hollow vote-hunting; family squabbles over candidates; patronage promises; speech-making on the courthouse steps; and the up-and-down career of the incumbent county Judge-Executive who sought re-election while under indictment for vote fraud conspiracy