In early 2011, Rich Teachout quit his lucrative job to focus on creating a one-of-a-kind haunted attraction. He and his partner Janel dedicated every moment, ounce of energy, and dollar to making their “Scream Park” a reality. “Monsters Wanted” is the story of their self-proclaimed madness and the industry, culture, and people who share it. We followed Rich and Janel’s efforts from the first day of building beyond the last day of the season. The result is a one-of-a-kind peek into an industry known for its macabre antics and well guarded secrets.
The rugged coast of our biggest state harbors the most incredible wildlife in America. When winter breaks, animals make the most of the endless sunshine before this world closes again in darkness. This is the story of the creatures that endure this harsh reality along the shoreline—Alaska's life on the edge.
EQUALITY U is a feature-length documentary following 34 young activists on the Soulforce Equality Ride. At some stops they're welcomed with open arms, at others they're arrested for trespassing or for simply attempting to open up a dialog. At every stop though, they're connecting with young people who've often never met an openly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person who is comfortable with who they are. Written by Dave O'Brien
'Smiling Through the Apocalypse' chronicles a man whose editorial instincts produced one of the greatest magazines ever: Harold Hayes, the swinging editor and cultural provocateur of the iconic Esquire Magazine of the Sixties. Through the narrative of his son Tom, a journey ensues opening unprecedented access to some of the Esquire magazine's most compelling talents, from Nora Ephron to George Lois, and Tom Wolfe to Gore Vidal. The film is a story of risk, triumph, and challenge told by the people that helped make the magazine great, and a son who only come to understand his father's editorial greatness 23 years after his passing.
Pablo needs to stop smoking. Why? Because his wife, family and doctor say he should. But Pablo is a stubborn man. He has worked in the mercury mines of Almadén, Spain, risking his life daily. He has had five severe heart attacks and smoked 20 Winston's a day since he was 12. Now in his seventies, Pablo spends most of his day in front of the TV, surrounded by a cloud of smoke, with his back turned firmly towards a village that has lived through better times. Pablo represents the last generation of Almadén mercury miners, an age-old profession with over 2,000 years of history. Through a straightforward depiction of life's everyday moments, Pablo's Winter explores the decay of the local mining culture, but above all, pays homage to its real protagonists: the miners and their families.
This film follows several independent game developers (Jason Rohrer, thatgamecompany, Douglas Wilson, Zach Gage, Aledander Bruce) examining why they make digital games. The film delves into their creativity and explores some of their thinking and design strategies. Game developers operate in terrain that demands both programming logic and aesthetic quality. The work is hard, however that's what they want to do. The film explores how the developers go deeper into the notion of entertainment and discovery.
One day filmmaker Andres Pardo stumbles across 2,000 feet of Super 8 family footage at a flea market. Featured in all these 1970's home movies is a lovely young blond-haired girl, Larisa. Teaming up with a photographer friend, Pardon decides to investigate, uncovering the fascinating story behind the footage.
What is it like to witness a virtuosic riding performance by rising stars Eli Tomac or Ken Roczen? When Ricky Carmichael or Andrew Short rip apart their private tracks, what are the rest of us missing? What continues to feed the competitive fires inside multi-time champions like Chad Reed or Ryan Dungey? How is it that Kurt Caselli is comfortable going over 100mph on two wheels through the unchartered desert? Is it competitive drive or pure natural talent that allows Taddy Blazusiak to decimate his competition? How does Taylor Robert navigate his way through a dream-like, Jurrasic-sized motocross track built within a vineyard? This year we dug deep to find what pushes the top riders to keep elevating this amazing sport we love. Welcome to the next level of evolution of the most progressive motocross film series of all time, Moto 4: The Movie.
Melvin Van Peebles was one of the first black directors to challenge the white establishment in his films, which include "Watermelon Man" and "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." In this documentary, the life of Van Peebles is discussed, including his work not only in film, but also as a novelist, actor, musician, stock trader and even Air Force pilot. Interview subjects include Gil Scott-Heron, Spike lee and Melvin's son and fellow filmmaker, Mario Van Peebles.
An intimate portrait of a Chinese-European couple in New Zealand, and their journey to get a blessing for marriage from traditional Chinese parents. The story that led to the film, My Wedding and Other Secrets.
Over the past two years, Chimerica Media have been given exclusive and unparalleled access to conduct a series of interviews with Henry Kissinger and to film him on a series of foreign trips to China, Israel and Russia. This feature documentary will combine excerpts from the extensive interviews with extraordinary contemporary archive. The result will be a unique insight into the mind and personality of the man who, more than any other single individual, shaped the foreign policy of the United States - not only during his time in office, but afterwards, when he continued to act as consigliere to successive presidents as well as to governments around the world.
Exploitation film-maker Bud Pollard appears on screen to tell us of Bing Crosby's rise to fame, using scenes from four early Crosby shorts to illustrate his fictional biography.
Vincent P. Falk is Fashion Man. Clad in brightly colored suits; Vincent twirls on Chicago's many bridges, performing fashion shows for passing tour boats. As he spins his way through the city, tourists and locals alike are left to wonder just who is this strange man. Over the course of one boat season, we follow Vincent and begin to unravel the mystery that surrounds him. We discover that the man behind the fashion, having come through the travails of life, has decided to do what makes him happy. And so, he spins on.
At a prison in the high desert foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, hard-core criminals are given 90 days to tame wild mustang horses. Most of the inmates who volunteer for the program have never trained a horse before, or even ridden one.
On the evening of September 11, 1985, before a sellout crowd at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Pete Rose stood on the edge of history. With one swing he would collect more hits than anyone in the history of the game he loved. 4192: The Crowning of the Hit King is a love letter to baseball that highlights the playing career of one of the game s most honored and controversial stars. It is a story that began in 1963 when Rose ran to first base on a walk. It spanned more than two decades and brought numerous individual awards as well as three World Series titles. But there is more to this story than just awards. It is about baseball and what drove this man to chase what many thought was an unbreakable record and become The Hit King.
For fans of comedy, Sam Kinison needs no introduction. His scathing comedy tackled tough topics no other comedian dared to touch. Fed up and disenfranchised with his career as a Pentacostal preacher, Sam left the ministry to try his hand at comedy. Almost immediately, and thanks in part to the foresight of Rodney Dangerfield who showcased Sam on an HBO special, his piercing scream, extreme humor and irreverent take on life attracted attention. Containing rare, early footage of Sam preaching and performing stand up at the world famous Comedy Store, the Award Winning "Why Did We Laugh" tells the story of a comedic genius who touched a deeper chord in people than most entertainers. Sadly, Sam was taken from us far too early, yet leaving us with a lasting and unique legacy.