In 1985, former oil rig worker Richard Linklater began a film screening society in Austin, Texas, that aimed to show classic art-house and experimental films to a budding community of cinephiles. Eventually incorporating as a nonprofit, the newly branded Austin Film Society raised enough money to fly in their first out-of-town filmmaker: James Benning. Accepting the invitation, Benning met Linklater and the two began to develop a personal and intellectual bond, leading to many future encounters. Starting in the 1960s, Benning had been creating low budget films mostly on his own, while Linklater had just begun to craft his first shorts. The filmmakers have remained close even as their careers have diverged. After the cult success of Slacker, Linklater went on to make films with Hollywood support. Benning, meanwhile, has stayed close to his roots and is mainly an unknown figure in mainstream film culture.
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History exists beyond what is written. The Africatown residents in Mobile, Alabama, have shared stories about their origins for generations. Their community was founded by enslaved ancestors who were transported in 1860 aboard the last known and illegal slave ship, Clotilda. Though the ship was intentionally destroyed upon arrival, its memory and legacy weren’t. Now, the long-awaited discovery of the Clotilda’s remains offers this community a tangible link to their ancestors and validation of a history so many tried to bury.
Honor Flight chronicles a community coming together to honor World War II veterans. The film follows a team of Midwest volunteers as they race against the clock to send every local WWII veterans to see the memorials built in their honor.
“Hardball: The Girls of Summer” follows the top female baseball players in the USA, all members of the globally ranked US Women’s National Baseball Team. They play BASEBALL – not softball – and fight for equality, recognition, and acceptance in a sport that continues to exclude women and girls. These trailblazers chase their dream of winning a Gold Medal at the Women’s Baseball World Cup, playing professional ball, and creating opportunities for the girls coming up behind them. This is their quest to prove that women and girls belong on the baseball diamond and have a place in America’s Pastime. This is the world of women’s baseball. Narrated by Jessica Mendoza. Written by Jewel Greenberg
Guilty pleasure or genius, misfits or mavericks, noble or naff – how do we really feel about the Bee Gees? Are the brothers Gibb a cacophony of falsettos or songwriting maestros, the soundtrack to every office party or masters of melancholy and existential rage? Are they comedy or Tragedy? How deep is our love and how deep are the Bee Gees? With a back catalogue that includes hits like How Do You Mend a Broken Heart, Massachusetts, Islands in the Stream, Stayin’ Alive, Chain Reaction, How Deep Is Your Love, Gotta Get a Message to You, Words, To Love Somebody and Night Fever, the Bee Gees are second only to the Beatles in the 20th-century songwriting pantheon, but while their pop success spans several decades, there are different Bee Gees in different eras. Is there a central glue that unites the brothers and their music and, if so, what is it? The Joy of the Bee Gees features a rare interview with the last remaining Bee Gee brother, Barry Gibb, many of those musicians and industry …
Talan Skeels-Piggins was paralysed in 2003 when a car side-swiped him and he ploughed his motorbike head-on into oncoming traffic. He was told he had just a 30 percent chance of survival and would never walk again if he lived. Today, Talan and a team of three additional disabled riders continue to strap themselves to motorbikes and race against able bodied competitors in one of the most dangerous sports on the planet. In a 90 minute documentary, DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE captures four unique and inspiring stories in a life-affirming message to never give up. The film follows the remarkable journey of the team Talan Racing as they embark on their first season together and make history as the world’s first disabled motorcycle race team.
In an epic snow year, five friends leave their daily lives behind to hike California’s historic John Muir Trail, a 211-mile stretch from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney (the highest peak in the contiguous U.S.). Their goal – complete the journey in 25 days while capturing the amazing sights & sounds they encounter along the way. Inspired by their bond, humor, artistry & dedication, the group continues to grow: to include other artists, musicians & adventure seekers. Before they all reach the summit, hikers and viewers alike affirm the old adage – it’s about the journey, not the destination. Mile… Mile & A Half is the feature-length documentary of that journey…
Modern farms are struggling to keep a secret. Most of the animals used for food in the United States are raised in giant, bizarre factories, hidden deep in remote areas of the countryside. Speciesism: The Movie director Mark Devries set out to investigate. The documentary takes viewers on a sometimes funny, sometimes frightening adventure, crawling through the bushes that hide these factories, flying in airplanes above their toxic manure lagoons, and coming face-to-face with their owners.
We Gotta Get Out Of Here is a feature length documentary that chronicles the journeys of five youth struggling to beat the odds as they navigate their way out of the foster care system in Los Angeles, California.
Towering over the infamous Hamilton Street of Old Town Saginaw, Michigan, the former mortuary casts an ominous shadow on the residents below. Shrouded in urban legend and folklore, the macabre, three-story structure becomes the focal point in one of the most thorough and intense paranormal investigations ever conducted. Broken equipment, personal injury and terrifying encounters with the unseen become all too common as the investigators attempt to communicate with the dead.
Veteran suicide is a national tragedy on an epic scale.A remarkable treatment is proving more powerful than ever imagined: Pairing veterans with wild mustangs taken straight off the range; miraculously turning despair into enduring hope.
Regular opening times do not apply as we accompany Sir David Attenborough on an after-hours journey around London’s Natural History Museum, one of his favourite haunts. The museum’s various exhibits coming to life, including dinosaurs, reptiles and creatures from the ice age. Shot by the same 3D team that worked on Gravity, examines how the animals and creatures at the London museum once roamed the earth.
If you ever find yourself traveling down Interstate 49 through Missouri, try not to blink—you may miss Rich Hill, population 1,396. Rich Hill is easy to overlook, but its inhabitants are as woven into the fabric of America as those living in any small town in the country. This movie intimately chronicles the turbulent lives of three boys living in said Midwestern town and the fragile family bonds that sustain them.