In 2001 a rowdy group of Austin women were determined to ressurect an old sport, but with a new spin. This is the beginning of a revolution: HELL ON WHEELS is the ass-kicking documentary film telling the story of a group of Texas women who band together to resurrect roller derby for the 21st century. Emerging from the Austin music and arts scene, these women create a rock and roll fueled version of all-girl roller derby that has spawned the derby craze that's sweeping the nation.
“Finding Hillywood” is an inspirational film about the making of the Rwandan film industry and the power of film to change and heal individuals and communities. It tells the story of how a nation, still healing from the 1994 genocide, creates a film industry as both an outlet for the pain and a way to bring entertainment and a new industry to the population. Hillywood, which is named for Rwanda’s hilly terrain, is a traveling film festival that screens films made by, about, and for Rwandans. The festival goes from town to town, setting up public, outdoor screenings, on inflatable screens, to showcase Rwandan films.
In 1995 three Puerto Rican teenagers enter an apartment where they are shot many times by plain clothes NYPD officers. Two of the teenagers die and one is wounded. The officers claim the men had come to rob the tenants of the apartment but one of the boy's mothers investigates the shooting after the Grand Jury find everything was fine. The Civilian Compliant Review Board CCRB also pick up her complaint and find proof of a shoddy investigation, over-looked facts and an attempt to cover up anything that would make the NYPD look bad that goes the whole way to Mayor Giuliani himself.
He is considered to be one of the most significant links in the history of comedy, admired by such people as Eric Bogosian and Woody Allen. His television appearances have spanned from Merv Griffin to Dick Cavett to David Letterman. His long-running Off-Broadway show was hailed as "diabolical genius". He is Brother Theodore. A former millionaire playboy in the late1930's of Germany, Theodore endured the sobering loss of his entire family, his fortune, and his own identity, as a survivor of Dachau concentration camp. Shipped to America humiliated and stunned, Theodore yearned to reclaim his high-status and wealth. Continually haunted by his loss, and hindered as a displaced foreigner, he tapped "the power of despair" to re-invent himself, capitalizing on his dark, existential humor - to become one of America's most respected humorists and monologists.
'Electoral Dysfunction' uses irreverent humor to illuminate how voting works - and doesn't work - in America. Hosted by Mo Rocca (a Correspondent for CBS News, a panelist on NPR's 'Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!' and a former Correspondent for 'The Daily Show'), the film is structured as a road trip that begins when Mo makes an eye-opening discovery: The Constitution does not guarantee the right to vote, putting America in the company of Libya, Iran and Indonesia. Mo explores the battle over voter fraud and voter I.D.; searches for the Electoral College; critiques ballot design with Todd Oldham; and encounters experts and activists across the political spectrum who offer commentary on why our voting system is broken and how it can be fixed.
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.
Holy Man is the story of Douglas White, an 88 year old Lakota Sioux medicine man from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, who spent 17 years in federal prison for a crime he did not commit. During the making of this film, filmmakers uncovered new evidence of White's innocence and brought the case back to Federal Court. Holy Man offers a rare glimpse into the mysterious world of Lakota religion, their intimate connection to the land, and a provocative expose of the systemic injustice that Native Americans face in the criminal justice system.
Ordinary Miracles: The Photo League's New York, narrated by Campbell Scott, chronicles the life and times of the Photo League, a legendary organization of amateur and professional photographers that flourished in New York between 1936 and 1951.
This gripping documentary follows the trial of Issa Sesay, a leader in Sierra Leone's civil war who stands accused of crimes against humanity. Can the trial of one man uncover the truth of a traumatic past?
Do people think you have a problem? Can you just not get enough of winter and skiing? Don’t worry you’re not alone, follow skiers and riders like Jossi Wells, Andy Mahre, JJ Thomas, and others who all have the same problem as you. From the North Pole all the way down to the South Pole watch an epic ski journey that will help you realize that the only cure to your ailment is a good Wintervention.
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!
For Seth Morrison, skiing is much more than a sport or job, it’s a way of life. It’s not a privilege he was born with; it’s a passion he discovered on his own. Through hard work and dedication, Morrison has become one of the best skiers in the world. The Ordinary Skier traces his journey from the middle class suburbs of Chicago to the Colorado Rockies and into the underground ski-bum subculture that would eventually become Freeskiing. This is the story of how a collection of misfits turned an elite sport upside down, and how an ordinary kid chased his dream and became one of skiing’s most iconic heroes.
Seabiscuit is a racehorse that has gone down as a legend in American history. Horse racing was an extremely popular sport around the time of America's Great Depression, used as an escapist form of entertainment for out-of-work laborers. This comprehensive overview of Seabiscuit's career includes many of the races for which he was most famous, as well as commentary from a number of racing enthusiasts.
For two years, filmmaker and music video director Anthony Scarpa followed the all-girl punk rock band Betty Blowtorch, documenting their ferocious sound and dangerously low-tech pyrotechnic shows, unaware of the turmoil and tragedy that he will ultimately capture. From their near rise to the top of the major labels, to their ultimate sad end, this critically-acclaimed rock n roll tragedy features the band Betty Blowtorch, as well as other rockers such as Duff McKagan (Guns N Roses, Velvet Revolver), Vanilla Ice, Dez Cadena (Black Flag), Jennifer Finch (L7), Kevin Baldes (LiT), and many others.
Just prior to the end of World War II, the German military secretly undertook a massive push to design miracle weapons - colossal tanks, the world's first guided missiles, and high-speed jets that could attack New York. Now, nearly 60 years later, a team of experts examines the original blueprints to determine if these so-called "Wunderwaffen," or "wonder weapons," could have changed the outcome of the war. One of Adolf Hitler's most top secret bombs: The Fritz X grandfather of the modern smart bomb. Prototype testing revealed that the success rate with this radio-guided bomb was over 80 times higher than with conventional free-falling bombs of the time. In every documented case the destructive power of the Fritz X proved so strong that it would completely rip through any battleship it hit. It would never explode while still inside the ship, but on exiting or in the water.
How much should you negotiate with the enemy? In Israel, the debate over that question evoked fury to the point of assassination. Such was the case of Kasztner. Dr Israel (Rezso) Kasztner, a Hungarian Jew who tried to rescue the last million Jews of Europe by negotiating face to face with Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann, was gunned down by another Jew who never set foot in Nazi Europe. After 50 years, his assassin Ze'ev Eckstein breaks his silence on the fateful night he shot and killed Kasztner. (Storyville)
MOTO The Movie was the first film of its kind to truly showcase the complete spectrum of dirt bike riding and racing. After an extraordinary response from off-‐road motorcycle enthusiasts worldwide, we had no other choice but to one-‐up ourselves as we traveled the globe to work with the best riders in the business in the most exotic locations possible.
A gritty, provocative true-life story of three friends from the 'hood, Rameck Hunt, Sampson Davis, and George Jenkins, who made a pact in high school to find a way to go to college and then medical school. They not only accomplished this, but they're now spreading the word to inspire other inner-city kids to stay off of drugs, out of gangs and to take the educational route to a better life. THE PACT captures the pathos of the men's individual journeys, the integrity of their voices and the power of their rare friendship. Their stories affirm the values that ultimately sustained and drove them: courage, tenacity, and faith. And they give tribute to the life of the mind and its power to turn dreams into reality.