The Worm Hunters (2011)

"Anything that comes out of the South is going to be called grotesque by the northern reader, unless it is grotesque, in which case it is going to be called realistic..." Flannery O'Connor, 1958. Shy, funny, devout, disabled--words that describe one of the most acclaimed American short story writers of all time. Flannery O'Connor's stories about the southern U.S. have inspired writers, artists and musicians for decades with their dark humor and "gothic" sensibilities. "Flannery" tells the life story of a brilliant, young woman who died before she was forty through the eyes of contemporary writers and artists with cartoons, animations, never-before-seen archival footage and great music. Tommy Lee Jones, Alice Walker, Mary Karr, Tobias Wolff, Hilton Als, Alice McDermott, Bill T. Jones, Lucinda Williams--all share their opinions, their art and their music in this feature-length, NEH-funded documentary. How can people go to church AND commit murder, she wonders...?

Conservationists Jim and Jean Thomas braved the steamy jungles of Papua New Guinea to save a tree kangaroo from extinction and ended up providing water and sanitation to ten thousand people in one of the most remote places on earth.

Was it genocide? Epidemics? Climate change? Interbreeding? Competitive replacement? In order to find out, this ambitious team examines the evidence as it would a criminal investigation. They take us around the world to forensic labs and explore the main regions Neanderthals inhabited.

Carefully remastered, colorized visual archives uncover a wider view of the private and public man. Contrasting chapters of his existence reveal a new perspective on Churchill's colorful, puzzling, paradoxical and captivating personality.

Over the last ten years, a series of leaks of financial data have made politicians and public opinion in many Western democracies increasingly concerned about the tax optimisation practices of the wealthiest members of their society. In the shadow of the financial crisis, public opinion has been calling for reform of banking privacy and international tax agreements. The subject has created diplomatic crises between nations and tensions in financial markets. One of the figures at the centre of the debate is the Franco-Italian banking IT technician Hervé Falciani. In 2008, Hervé Falciani left his job at the Swiss branch of HSBC, taking with him - without authorisation - a hard-drive containing a database of 130,000 named bank accounts, held by citizens from 180 countries. This database found its way into the hands of many world governments. The purpose of this film is to examine the tax debate in a critical and engaging but also a balanced way.

Biology is undergoing a revolution that is radically changing our conception of evolution. Our genes don't control everything: they can be influenced by fascinating mechanisms recently brought to light by international research teams.

Winner of Grand Prix Award at 2014 Life Sciences Film Festival. A documentary on the latest research on the origins of the microbiome; how microscopic events during childbirth have lifelong consequences for the health of our children.

Saving Mes Aynak follows Afghan archaeologist Qadir Temori as he races against time to save a 5,000-year-old archaeological site in Afghanistan from imminent demolition. A Chinese state-owned mining company is closing in on the ancient site, eager to harvest $100 billion dollars worth of copper buried directly beneath the archaeological ruins. Only 10% of Mes Aynak has been excavated, though, and some believe future discoveries at the site have the potential to redefine the history of Afghanistan and the history of Buddhism itself. Qadir Temori and his fellow Afghan archaeologists face what seems an impossible battle against the Chinese, the Taliban and local politics to save their cultural heritage from likely erasure.

After losing his job in 2009, Coite Manuel sets off to build his dream business with the help of two unlikely women: Deane, his harp-playing aunt, and Siyone, an East African hotdog vendor and single mother of four. Staking his meager life savings on a vision to revive Washington, D.C.'s dwindling hotdog vending community, Coite faces bewildering challenges.

Excellent one hour documentary narrated by Professor Simon Schaffer which explores the fascinating and rarely told story of automata, those intricate clockwork devices built hundreds of years ago with the intent to mimic and recreate life. Of particular interest are Jaquet-Droz's 'The Writer' (1774) and Merlin's 'The Silver Swan' (1773) which beautifully illustrate the degree of technical mechanical sophistication achieved by artisans over 240 years ago. There is also a funny aside: the record Prof. Schaffer places on the turntable at the end (columbia LX466, 1935 impression) is the Beethoven String Sonata Opus 132 and not the Symphony 7 so BBC used any old record and overlaid the sound track.

Follow the spectacular journey of a Viking Age group (texas Jomsborg Elag), as they make their way across Europe, where they participate in massive-scale Viking reenactments and a series of epic competitive battles, including full contact fighting. Their adventure culminates in Poland, where swords clash at the 17th International Slavs and Vikings Festival at Wolin in the historic birthplace of the 10th Century Jomsborg Army.

Acclaimed director Charlie Minn brings attention to the victims of the infamous massacre that occurred on February 14th, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Conclusion to In Search of Darkness trilogy. This chapter involves straight into video horror classics populated the bottom shelves rental store. Imaginative, gory, experimental and entertaining. These hidden gems are ripe for rediscovery.

One of the greatest comebacks of all time. Kyle Busch confronts his physical limits when he sustains what could be a career ending wreck in 2015 only to find a path back to the first of many Cup Series Championships.

A documentary of Extraordinary Journey of Pioneer Activist and Basketball Prodigy Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf

Charlotte Gainsbourg looks at her mother Jane Birkin in a way she never did, overcoming a sense of reserve. Using a camera lens, they expose themselves to each other, begin to step back, leaving space for a mother-daughter relationship.

Want to know how to steal half a million euros from thirty-nine different banks to fund social causes? Robin Bank - the story of a man who did this and how.

Honoring the life and legacy of the remarkable storyteller, activist and philanthropist Norman Lear; featuring an impressive lineup of celebrity guests and musical performances to celebrate his 100th birthday.

Volcanoes are responsible for creating the conditions for life to flourish on Earth, but they unpredictably still create through destruction. An adventurous photographer attempts a descent into a fiery crater.

An Aboriginal Women's Choir travels to Germany to perform German hymns in their traditional language.

A half-century into their marriage, two Chicago artists look back at their life together as they contend with the deterioration of their bodies and beloved home.

Patricio Guzmán left Chile more than 40 years ago when the military dictatorship took over the government. However, he never stopped thinking about a country, a culture and a place on the map.

MAKING THE GRADE invites us into the world of the piano lesson. Every year teachers and students throughout Ireland prepare for graded musical exams. These exams can be pleasing for some but daunting for others. Each student has their own particular goal but reaching Grade Eight is considered a pinnacle. This endearing and uplifting documentary explores the bond between piano teachers and their pupils as they struggle through these grades. This is a story of the trans-formative power of music and the pride and happiness it provides both the students and teachers. It may inspire us all to keep making the grade.—Nell Roddy

In a quest to discover new insights into Fryderyk Chopin, the man and his musical genius, Grabsky traveled the globe over four years recording performances by world-class musicians and interviewing respected historians and musicologists.

The Invaders is a feature-length, documentary film, which tells the story of a group of young black militants in late 1960's Memphis, Tennessee.

The start of career, rise to fame, and death of the legendary TV painter Bob Ross.

A heartwarming comedy about six piano players striving to win the World Championship of Old-Time Piano (mostly ragtime). With brilliant showmanship and skill these competitors vie for the glow of victory, for escape from the trials of their everyday lives, and for the revival of the first distinctly American popular music.—Anonymous

Featuring stunning footage from seven winters in the Arctic, People of a Feather takes you through time into the world of the Inuit on the Belcher Islands in Canada's Hudson Bay. Connecting past, present and future is a unique relationship with the eider duck. Eider down, the warmest feather in the world, allows both Inuit and bird to survive harsh Arctic winters. Traditional life is juxtaposed with modern challenges as both Inuit and eiders confront changing sea ice and ocean currents disrupted by the massive hydroelectric dams powering New York and eastern North America. Inspired by Inuit ingenuity and the technology of a simple feather, the film is a call to action to implement energy solutions that work with nature.—First Run Features

A brand new making-of documentary featuring interviews with actors Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton and Ken Foree; screenwriter Dennis Paoli; producer Brian Yuzna; film editor Lee Percy; composer Richard and; foley artist Vanessa Ament; effects supervisors Michael Deak and Anthony Doublin; effects artists William Butler, Gabriel Bartalos, John Naulin and Robert Kurtzman.

Illusions and reality merge, where authenticity and imagination overlap, and questions arise about the value we place on the goods around us.

SILENCE OF THE TIDES is a cinematic portrait for international cinema about the Unesco World Heritage Site, the Wadden Sea, one of the largest wetlands, tidal and coastal systems in the world.

Two surfers seek refuge in the vastness of the ocean, away from the deafening clamour of humankind. Unchained and dangerously close to freedom.

Showcasing breathtaking footage of mountains and waves around the world, Shaka follows snowboarding world champion and renowned athlete Mathieu Crepel as he faces the biggest challenge of his life: to surf the legendary waves of Jaws Beach, Hawaii.—Visit Films

Documentary about Willie O'Ree who was the first black hockey player who played in National Hockey League for Boston Bruins in 1957-58 and 1960-61 seasons.