China's Bleak House 2011 85 min

Director Zhao Liang took ten years to film Chinese workers who petition against the injustices suffered in their home districts.  Many have had their home and land confiscated, been beaten, arrested and put inside mental institutions.  Yet they continue to believe in a system that continues to smack them in the face.  They petition for a better China, a chance to be heard and to right what has been wronged.  The system ignores their cries and others move on out of fear they too will be persecuted for voicing an opinion. 

Brooklyn Bridge (1981) 58 min

This documentary chronicles the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The difficult construction process is described in interesting detail; later parts of the film interview current notables who describe the effects that the Brooklyn Bridge has had upon New York society and beyond.

We Were Here (2011) 90 min

A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis.

Wigstock - The Movie (1995) 85 min

Documentary/Concert film covering the annual Drag festival in New York City. Highlights include a performance by drag diva, Ru Paul, and the infamous Lypsinca.

Trinidad (2008) 85 minutes

Trinidad, a town in Colorado is home to the nation's largest colony of transgender folk. In the 1960's a doctor specializing in sex change ops took up residence there and one thing led to another.  This movie concentrates on the development of a post-op transgender community in Bat Masterson's old hometown. Trinidad is a revealing, surprising, and life-affirming documentary that may have some reconsidering their assumptions about sexuality and gender.

Mugabe and the White African (2009) 90 min

In 2008 Mike Campbell - one of the few remaining white farmers in Zimbabwe to have held fast in the face of the violent 'Land Reform' programme - took the unprecedented step of challenging President Robert Mugabe before the SADC International Court (SADC - South African Development Community) to defend his farm, which is also home to 500 black workers and their families, and to charge Mugabe and his government with racial discrimination and with violations of Human Rights.

I Knew It Was You (2009) 39 min

A portrait of the acting craft of John Cazale and a tour through the movies that defined a generation.  The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter are only a few of the great motion pictures on his resume.

7 Days in September (2002) 94 min

With material from almost 30 filmmakers, director Steven Rosenbaum turns the tragic events of September 11, 2001 -- the memories of which are forever jarred in our psyches -- into a moving portrait of emotion, loss and even kindness. Although the film uses footage of the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center and the resulting catastrophic loss, it also hones in on New York City's tremendous ability to rebuild, through will and compassion.

Into Great Silence (2005) Die große Stille (original title) 169 min

An examination of life inside the Grande Chartreuse, the head monastery of the reclusive Carthusian Order in France.

Into the Abyss (2011) 107 min

Director:

Werner Herzog

Conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people - and the state - kill.

The Cats of Mirikitani 2006 74 min.

2006

Eighty-year-old Jimmy Mirikitani survived the trauma of WWII internment camps, Hiroshima, and homelessness by creating art. But when 9/11 threatens his life on the New York City streets and a local filmmaker brings him to her home, the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy's painful past. An intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing powers of friendship and art, this documentary won the Audience Award at its premiere in the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.

Sex, Lies and Cigarettes (2010) 43 min

In Sex, Lies & Cigarettes, Vanguard correspondent Christof Putzel heads to Indonesia, where he exposes Big Tobacco's successful and deadly expansion into that country, and observes the stage being set for a David vs. Goliath battle, as a small, underfunded group of concerned advocates battle Big Tobacco and a government drunk on profits and denial. Produced by Alex Simmons and Jeff Plunkett.

Resurrect Dead (2011) 86 min

An urban mystery unfurls as one man pieces together the surreal meaning of hundreds of cryptic tiled messages that have been appearing in city streets across the U.S. and South America.

Steal a Pencil for Me (2007) 94 min

STEAL A PENCIL FOR ME is a compelling documentary feature film by Academy Award® nominee Michèle Ohayon about the power of love and the ability of humankind to rise above unimaginable suffering. 1943: Holland is under total Nazi occupation. In Amsterdam, Jack, an unassuming accountant, first meets Ina at a birthday party - a 20-year-old beauty from a wealthy diamond manufacturing family who instantly steals his heart. But Jack's pursuit of love will be complicated; he is poor and married to Manja, a flirtatious and mercurial spouse. When the Jews are being deported, the husband, the wife and the lover find themselves at the same concentration camp; actually living in the same barracks. When Jack's wife objects to the "girlfriend" in spite of their unhappy marriage, Jack and Ina resort to writing secret love letters, which sustain them throughout the horrible circumstances of the war.

Standard Operating Procedure (2008) 116 min

Errol Morris examines the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.

Spellbound (2002) 97 mi

Spellbound follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee.

Somethings Gonna Live (2010) 80 min

"Daniel Raim has followed his Oscar-nominated The Man on Lincoln's Nose, a warm and illuminating short documentary on renowned production designer Robert Boyle with the equally delightful and thoughtful feature-length Something's Gonna Live. Raim again focuses on Boyle but brings in Boyle's friends and fellow art directors, the late Henry Bumstead and the late Albert Nozaki, who worked together at Paramount in the early 30s. Raim follows the three on a visit to that studio, and later Boyle and storyboard artist Harold Michelson return to Bodega Bay, the site of The Birds, one of Boyle's five films with Alfred Hitchcock. (Bumstead made four with Hitchcock and designed Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, released the year of his death, 2006, at the age of 91.) Finally, Boyle discusses making In Cold Blood with the late cinematographer Conrad Hall and The Thomas Crown Affair with cinematographer Haskell Wexler. "Boyle and his colleagues admit to missing the camaraderie of the studio system, believe that films once left more to the imagination and were more personal, but all these artists are grateful for being able to leave a legacy-and an awesome one at that-and they talk about their craft rather than indulging in mere nostalgia. Like Raim's earlier documentary on Boyle, Something's Gonna Live is another reminder that not all of Hollywood's greatest stars are actors."

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008) 99 min

Marina Zenovich's new documentary examines the public scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary director Roman Polanski's sudden flight from the United States.

Reckless Indifference (2000) 94 mi

A classic American suburban nightmare of teens, drugs, parents and prison. It has become a compelling story of obfuscation, betrayal, and preferential justice. The film tells the true story of how a backyard brawl at the home of a teenaged drug dealer resulted in the death of the drug dealer's best friend, who by coincidence was the son of a Los Angeles Police Department officer. The ensuing trial sent four teenage boys to prison for life without parole, notwithstanding that only one of the four teenage boys wielded a pocket knife to protect his younger brother, and willingly confessed to his crime

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth (2011) 79 min

Destroyed in a dramatic and highly-publicized implosion, the Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex has become a widespread symbol of failure amongst architects, politicians and policy makers. The Pruitt-Igoe Myth explores the social, economic and legislative issues that led to the decline of conventional public housing in America, and the city centers in which they resided, while tracing the personal and poignant narratives of several of the project's residents. In the post-War years, the American city changed in ways that made it unrecognizable from a generation earlier, privileging some and leaving others in its wake. The next time the city changes, remember Pruitt-Igoe.

Prodigal Sons (2008) 86 min

Filmmaker Kimberly Reed returns home for her high school reunion, ready to reintroduce herself to the small town as a transgender woman and hoping for reconciliation with her long estranged adopted brother Marc. Things are complicated by the shocking revelation that Marc may be the grandson of Orson Wells and Rita Hayworth, forcing Kim and her family to explore questions of sexual orientation, identity, severe trauma and love.

Please Vote For Me (2007) 58 min

Democracy in China exists, that is, in a primary school in Wuhan where a grade 3 class can vote who they want as class monitor.

Great documentary! A nice look into the structured lives of eight year old students in modern day China. I was alarmed to see that the one eight year old boy could not even wipe his own butt, yet he was a candidate in the election. Did we cry that much as kids? Even the children who were not candidates were bawling their eyes out. A must see.......very entertaining.

Night Mail (1936) 25 min

Shows the special train on which mail is sorted, dropped and collected on the run, and delivered in Scotland overnight.

Heckler (2007) 80 min

HECKLER is a comedic feature documentary exploring the increasingly critical world we live in. After starring in a film that was critically bashed, Jamie Kennedy takes on hecklers and critics and ask some interesting questions of people such as George Lucas, Bill Maher, Mike Ditka, Rob Zombie, Howie Mandel and many more. This fast moving, hilarious documentary pulls no punches as you see an uncensored look at just how nasty and mean the fight is between those in the spotlight and those in the dark.

Herb & Dorothy (2008) 87 min

Herb and Dorothy Vogel redefine what it means to be an art collector.

Gendernauts (1999) Gendernauts - Eine Reise durch die Geschlechter (original title) 87 min

Monika Treut explores the worlds and thoughts of several trans-gendered individuals. As with Treuts first film, Jungfrauenmaschine, Gendernauts, enters a minority sector of San Fransisco culture. The individuals in this film are people whose (genetically) assigned gender does not match their social gender identity. The subject is pinpointed in the film independent of sexual orientation. Leave your conservative hats at the door, this is going to need your special attention.

How Do I Look (2006) 80 min

A peek into the NY Ballroom culture almost two decades after the public was first introduced to it in Paris is Burning".  Wolfgang Busch spotlights the "legends" that made the balls what they are today and provides explanations of the history behind the subculture. 

Triangle Fire (2011) 60min

The Triangle Fire chronicles the fire that tore through the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City killing one hundred and forty-eight young women and forever changed the relationship between labor and industry in the United States. A relationship that is still in question today as Americans re-examine the balance between the welfare of citizens and the motivations of global capitalism.  This documentary is from the PBS series American Experience.

Trained in the Ways of Men (2007) 98 min

Documentary filmmaker Shelly Prevost explores public attitudes towards gender blur by examining the murder of a transgendered California man who was brutally murdered when four men and one woman discovered his true sexual orientation. Since the age of fourteen, Eddie had been cross-dressing and going by the name of "Gwen." Forcibly examined by a suspicious woman while partying one night at a Newark, California residence, "Gwen" was subsequently bludgeoned to death by four male assailants who, while seeking manslaughter charges in court, cited the "heat of passion" as the motivating factor in their deadly assault. Though the first court session was a mistrial, the murderous quartet was convicted in a second trial under the caveat of "sexual deception as provocation." ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Time of Fear (2004) 56 minutes

As U.S. soldiers fought for freedom and democracy elsewhere in World War II, Japanese-Americans were taken from their homes and interned in camps.

The Murder of Fred Hamptom (1971) 88 mi

Fred Hampton was the leader of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. This film depicts his brutal murder by the Chicago police and its subsequent investigation, but also documents his activities in organizing the Chapter, his public speeches, and the programs he founded for children during the last eighteen months of his life

The Grace Lee Project (2005) 68 min

The Elephant in the Living Room (2010) 96 min

Praised by critics as one of the best films of the year, The Elephant in the Living Room takes viewers on a journey deep inside the controversial American subculture of raising the most dangerous animals in the world, as common household pets. Set against the backdrop of a heated national debate, director Michael Webber chronicles the extraordinary story of two men at the heart of the issue - Tim Harrison, an Ohio police officer whose friend was killed by an exotic pet; and Terry Brumfield, a big-hearted man who struggles to raise two African lions that he loves like his own family. In the first of many unexpected twists, the lives of these two men collide when Terry's male lion escapes its pen and is found attacking cars on a nearby highway. Winner of 5 Best Documentary Awards, the film courageously exposes the shocking reality behind the multi-billion dollar exotic pet industry with stunning photography, inspiring storytelling and unprecedented access into a world rarely seen, right in our own backyard.

The Sons of Tennessee Williams (2010) 75 min

THE SONS OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, tells the story of the gay men of New Orleans who created a vast and fantastic culture of wildly popular 'drag balls' starting in the late 1950s. These men worked with the traditions of Mardi Gras to bring gay culture into public settings in the early 1960s. By 1969, there were four gay Mardi Gras clubs legally chartered by the state of Louisiana, throwing yearly extravaganzas at civic venues around the city. 'Society matrons begged for ball tickets from their hairdressers'. They succeeded in bringing down the 'Jim Crow' type laws that targeted gay people during this period, staging a flamboyant, costumed revolution without politics and won freedoms during a time, as now, when laws and people fought against them.

Commune (2005) 78 min

Through interviews and archival footage, this film tells the story of an alternative-living community founded in the California wilderness in 1968.

Confessions of a Superhero (2007) 92 min

Chronicles the lives of four mortal men and women who work as characters on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard.

The Prisoner or How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair (2006) 72 min

This documentary details the long ordeal of Iraqi journalist Yunis Abbas, who was falsely jailed at Abu Ghraib for plotting to assassinate Tony Blair.

Garbage Warrior (2007) 86 min

Garbage Warrior is a feature-length documentary film telling the epic story of maverick US architect Michael Reynolds and his fight to introduce radically sustainable housing. An extraordinary tale of triumph over bureaucracy, Garbage Warrior is above all an intimate portrait of an extraordinary individual and his dream of changing the world.

Dangerous Living: Coming out in the developing world (2003) 62 min

Documentary presenting the realities of coming out in lesser developed countries.

Crossing the Line (2006) 94 min -

A British documentary about US Army defector James Dresnok currently living in North Korea after having defected during the 60s.

Dust 2007 90 minutes

This documentary examines the world of dust -- the miniscule particles that pervade our homes, dominate our air and affect our lives at every turn.

Beyond Belief (2007) 92 min

Susan Retik and Patti Quigley are two ordinary soccer moms living in the affluent suburbs of Boston until tragedy strikes. Rather than turning inwards, grief compels these women to focus on the country where the terrorists who took their husbands' lives were trained: Afghanistan. Over the course of two years, as they cope with loss and struggle to raise their families as single mothers, these extraordinary women dedicate themselves to empowering Afghan widows whose lives have been ravaged by decades of war, poverty and oppression - factors they consider to be the root causes of terrorism. As Susan and Patti make the courageous journey from their comfortable neighborhoods to the most desperate Afghan villages, they discover a powerful bond with each other, an unlikely kinship with widows halfway around the world, and a profound way to move beyond tragedy. From the ruins of the World Trade Center to those of Kabul and back, theirs is a journey of personal strength and international reconciliation, and a testament to the vision that peace can be forged - one woman at a time.

After Innocence (2005) 95 min

A gripping, emotionally charged film that follows wrongfully convicted men freed by DNA evidence after decades in prison as they struggle to transition back into society

A Jihad for Love (2007) 81 min

A documentary on gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims across the Muslim and Western worlds.

Trouble the Water (2008) 90 min

A redemptive tale of an aspiring rap artist surviving failed levees and her own troubled past and seizing a chance for a new beginning.

Cropsey (2009) 84 min

Realizing the urban legend of their youth has actually come true; two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.

Following Sean (2005) 87 min

Thirty years after he interviewed a son of drug addicts, director Ralph Arlyck returns to San Francisco to see what became of the boy and his family.

Bill Cunningham New York (2010) 84 min

"fashion....it's the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. I don't think you could do away with it... it would be like doing away with civilization. "    --- Bill Cunningham

When you think of fashion and the stereotypical "fashionista",  you may think of words like "shallow, superficial, materialistic...."   none of which describe Bill Cunningham.  Bill has been photographing fashion on the streets of New York for close to 50 years, riding around on his Schwinn bicycle wearing a blue smock jacket that street sweepers wear.  Bill lives very modestly among filing cabinets filled with photographs of his work.  He cares not for labels and names but for the fashion... the look, the cut, the fabric and general style. This documentary gives a glimpse into the daily life and work of one of the most humble human beings on either side of the cameras lens.