Two amateur filmmakers attempt to make a documentary about the legendary underground "phone-work artist" Longmont Potion Castle, who, since 1988, has released sixteen albums of hilariously surreal phone pranks. Despite a semi-successful crowdfunding campaign and the involvement of celebrity fans, the filmmakers succumb to their own infighting and bad luck, abandoning the project. A year later, the unpaid camera operator liberates the raw footage and finishes the film.
This documentary explores Scientology as a young religion through the eyes of its believers. By showcasing interviews with active and inactive members of the church, the film presents broader questions about the role of religion and spirituality.
Filmmaker Christophe Espenan's tribute to The Great Escape, The Coolest Guy Movie Ever is a fascinating documentary that returns to the iconic locations where that classic film was shot, complete with rare footage and interviews.
The Pullars are the last family using traditional methods to fish for wild Atlantic salmon off the coast of Scotland. When these include killing seals, the salmon’s natural predators, conflict erupts. Animal activist groups Sea Shepherd and Hunt Saboteurs oppose the Pullars at every turn, despite the legality of the fishermen’s actions and the consequences to their livelihood. Challenging preconceptions, this ambiguous doc puts modern environmentalism under the microscope.
A documentary on the six-decades long career of a muckraking journalist, who was involved with the radical 196os magazine Ramparts, with the Los Angeles Times newspaper, and later with the Internet website Truthdig.
About five never completed films made between 1978 and 1992 before the backdrop of the various communist regimes that came to power in Afghanistan. Scenes from these films, some of which later reused in other works, are edited together with current footage of their locations and commentaries by the filmmakers and actors involved in the productions, allowing us to dive into action films and romantic dramas that revolve around local histories and conflicts.
Nothing Stays the Same celebrates the last 30 years of live music in Austin, while also examining the challenges faced by musicians and music venues in one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, all through the lens of the legendary Saxon Pub.
Akio Sakurai has dedicated his life to honoring Jimmy Page. For 30 years he recreated vintage Zeppelin concerts note-for-note in small Tokyo clubs. Moving to L.A. to pursue his tribute dream, cultures clash and Akio’s idyllic vision meets reality.
Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story chronicles the life and times of the legendary filmmaker who, through his annual ski films and national tours which began in the early 1950's, was a driving force in the development and promotion of the ski industry in America and throughout the world. Miller, who died last year at 93, sat months before his passing for his final interview. He reminisced about living off rabbit stew and sleeping in a teardrop trailer in his endless pursuit of the perfect ski run and he explained in great detail the challenges - both personal and professional - he faced over the course of his career.
Everyone knows Elvis Presley’s In the Ghetto and A Little Less Conversation. But who wrote those songs? That was Mac Davis, and almost no one has heard of him. He shares this fate with dozens of other songwriters who have been responsible for massive hits. Coincidentally, many of them live in Nashville, Tennessee – though this documentary reveals that isn’t quite as accidental as it seems.
Revolves around a mineral water pool in director Hristiana Raykova’s hometown of Varna in Bulgaria. Situated right by the sea, this thermal pool is lovingly called “the pit” by local residents. Sitting in the hot water, they lean back up against the pool’s edge and philosophise about their lives. Here personal and political convictions collide, and tell of both social change and stagnation at the periphery of Europe.
For Alyssia and Ilaria, every farewell is also a reunion. Just a while ago they were at the Italian Mediterranean coast, now here they are standing at a parking lot in front of an Esso gas station, waiting for their father’s car to appear around the corner. Affectionately, they bid their mother good-bye for now. The two sisters’ parents are separated. Just like Carleton, Sherazade and Thomas, the two girls have found their own way of dealing with the situation.
Searching for proof of a two-decade old legend, a first-time director discovers not only a gripping tale of friendship, passion and faded dreams, but one last chance to make things right.
Louisa May Alcott, author of "Little Women," leads a literary double life, writing under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard, an identity that remains until the 1940s.
Follow the evolution of Minor League Baseball over the last half-century as the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, kick off their historic 50th season.
The 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine was a massive civil demonstration for democracy and against electoral fraud. Millions of empassioned citizens braved freezing weather conditions to fight against stolen elections and to protest the poisoning of their candidate, Victor Yushchenko. From Kyiv to Donetsk, from Odessa, to Lviv, the filmmaker personally engaged with Ukrainians on all sides of the debate to compile "The Orange Chronicles", a personal account of three months spent.
In his film Fat Head, Tom Naughton demonstrated that much of the official advice about healthy eating is wrong - so wrong that it's created a record number of kids who are overweight, diabetic, and can't concentrate in school. Fat Head Kids explains what kids need to know about diet and health by taking them on a journey aboard a biological starship. By seeing how the crew members are programmed to respond to foods, kids learn what makes us fat (and no, it's not just about calories), how bad food makes 'boy boobs', why food sets our mood, and why industrial food causes health problems ranging from diabetes to ADHD. Finally, kids learn how their biological starship was programmed to thrive on the Planet of Real Foods.
Known for their aggressive nature, exuberance and strength, pit bulls often come with a warning tag. But any 'dangerous' dog owner knows that the key to taming the breed is to handle with care, or rather, with proper training, a strong lead and a muzzle in tow. Through an intimate look into the relationships between several canine lovers and their pets, Pitbull reveals that these dogs are not nearly as fearsome as they seem.