Lot Lizard (2016)

IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE explores identity and legacy in the African-American family, as Grammy award-winning rapper Che 'Rhymefest' Smith and his long-lost father reconnect and try to build a new future in Chicago's turbulent South Side. Himself a child of a broken home, Che hasn't seen his father, Brian, in over 20 years, and presumes him dead. But after buying his father's childhood home, Che sets out to find him, and learns that his is now a homeless alcoholic living only several blocks away/ The film offers a probing take on memory and identity in a family two generations removed from slavery as it tracks Che and Brian's shared journey to create a new legacy for themselves, their community and the next generation of family.

The film is submerging in the world of YouTube and internet amateur-made-films posting through the eyes of Bahoi, one of Romania's most viewed filmmakers. The first part of the movie deeply analysis his films by going to his hometown village in Romania, Peninsula, and meeting Bahoi's most famous characters. Also through Bahoi's own words we are trying to find out why is he filming so much brilliant material, why is he posting it on the internet and how he took this passion with him to the West. In the second part we are traveling along with Bahoi throughout Europe to discover more talented people and make some sense of this huge boom in filmmaking.—DaKINO Production

Licu, a Romanian Story is a metaphor on the human condition and our ephemerality, a lesson on life and also a century of survival. Now 92-years-old, Licu has suffered, loved, laughed and cried. Here is Romania's last century seen by Licu.

Explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations.

A portrait of recently retired Congressman Barney Frank, one of America's most well-known and least understood political figures.

Florence Foster Jenkins is known as "the worst singer of all times" and yet she is a cult figure whose recordings still outsell many contemporary singers. Opera superstar Joyce DiDonato interprets the flamboyant "queen of dissonance". The involvement of the celebrated virtuoso makes it possible to contrast two different musical perspectives and gives viewers a vivid impression of the film's key conflict between inner delusion and external reality.

42 Grams is an intimate portrait of how chef Jake Bickelhaupt evolved from running an illegal restaurant out of his home to being a culinary celebrity in less than a year and the toll it takes on his personal life.

El Sistema, Venezuela's phenomenal youth orchestra program, now a global movement, brings social transformation to disadvantaged children. Our film is an in-depth, verite-based look at three kids as they participate in a pair of Sistema-inspired programs in the US. In Stanford Thompson's Play On, Philly! program, Raven is a violin natural whose rambunctious spirit gets her in trouble. We also meet quiet, quirky Zebadiah, whose viola brings him out of his loneliness. Meanwhile, in Harlem, Anne Fitzgibbon's Harmony Program nurtures troubled Mohammed, their trombone star, whose African-born father is far more concerned with his son's failing grades. Heartbreak and joy come in big doses as we watch our three young people discovering themselves through the mysterious power of music.—Anonymous

Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Nicholas Zarrillo fights back from severe vision and memory loss to take on an impossible endeavor....professional boxing. While training with World Boxing champions and UFC Stars, Nicholas searches for his "Apollo Creed". He decides to challenge the Charismatic UFC Star "Platinum" Mike Perry in this dig down deep story of redemption.

Drama led documentary follows the life of Signe, an orphaned Chief's daughter, who driven by revenge becomes an explorer and trader in the lands of the Rus Vikings.

A longtime sex advice columnist gains popularity against the backdrop of a ban on comprehensive sex-education in schools in several Indian states.

A homeless orphan in Kenya becomes a lucrative businessman, only to give it all up and open an orphanage that today serves over 2000 Kenyan children.

A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.

Where the Trail Ends is a film following the worlds top freeride mountain bikers as they search for unridden terrain around the globe, ultimately shaping the future of big mountain freeriding.

A daughter helps her father prepare for the end of his life.

James gives himself 12 months before he has 'a license to kill himself', he sets off to the amazon rainforest with hopes of finding a shaman who can save his life.

A new era is coming, and Warsaw stands uncomfortably at its edge. Art school classmates Christopher and Michal, on the precipice of their own coming of age, restlessly roam their city's streets in search of living forever inside the beautiful moment. Never content with answers, they push each experience to its breaking point, testing what it might mean to be truly awake in a world that seems satisfied to be asleep.

Six young black men from Akron, Ohio, enter college, determined to redefine society's images and low expectations. Despite their confidence, the stark reality of being away from home brings a series of crises. Well trained in critical and metaphorical thinking, and unusually articulate about their inner lives, each of the protagonists guides us to his core. Since sixth grade, they have been part of an innovative mentoring program called 'Alchemy, Inc.' that uses mythological stories, drumming and writing. In the twice-yearly reunion workshops everyone speaks of his trials and his triumphs with authenticity, intelligence, honesty and heart. In turns quiet, thoughtful and exuberant, the six protagonists grow before our eyes, whether navigating racial provocations, or seeking support with new friends, estranged fathers and wise grandmothers.

When 15 year-old Kara Robinson is abducted in broad daylight, she plots her escape from a serial killer.

In the summer of 1983, just days before the birth of his first son, writer and theologian John Hull went blind. In order to make sense of the upheaval in his life, he began keeping a diary on audiocassette. Upon their publication in 1990, Oliver Sacks described the work as 'the most extraordinary, precise, deep and beautiful account of blindness I have ever read. It is to my mind a masterpiece.' With exclusive access to these original recordings, NOTES ON BLINDNESS encompasses dreams, memory and imaginative life, excavating the interior world of blindness.

Honest Man: the Life of R. Budd Dwyer is a movie about politics and corruption, suicide and survival. Four years in the making, it explores the scandal that led an honest, hard-working man to take his own life. This independently produced feature-length documentary follows Budd Dwyer, a Pennsylvania politician who infamously committed suicide at a televised press conference. The film chronicles Dwyer's meteoric rise to political power and examines the bribery scandal and subsequent trial that pushed him to his breaking point. Honest Man also delves into the controversy and consequences of the uncensored airing of Dwyer's death on television stations worldwide. Honest Man reveals a story that has remained untold for over 24 years. The film features exclusive new interviews, including William Smith, the man whose testimony convicted Dwyer, and Dwyer's widow Joanne--her last interview before her death in 2009. Was Dwyer venal, or a victim? Did he kill himself because he couldn't live with being guilty, or because he couldn't live with being innocent? Honest Man allows audiences to judge for themselves.

Takes us into a hidden world of prostitution and sexual trafficking through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell.

Intertwining stories of inmates and ex-inmates through the complex labyrinths of freedom. Wretched, desolate and doomed men, who try to expiate their sins and piece together the lives they used to lead.

Evidence of Harm follows the lives of three health advocates as they struggle to inform the federal government and public that large amounts of toxic mercury vapors are released from "silver" amalgam dental fillings during routine dental procedures. The film presents a haunting portrait of a dental industry all too willing to turn a blind eye to science while placing profits and politics ahead of dental patient's health.

The story of Regina Jonas found me. The world's first woman Rabbi lived in Berlin of the 1930s, and her greatest dream was to become a Rabbi. She felt that she was born to be a Rabbi, but women were barred from becoming a Rabbi according to the Jewish laws. I was deeply impressed by her short life story, which was full of struggles. But how can I tell her story, when there is one surviving photo of her and only a few letters? That was the challenge. Rachel Weisz as the inspiring figure Regina, makes this story complete. The use of archive and experimental editing technique adds a magical layer which pulls the audience into this unique story.—Anonymous

In the shadow of a De Beers diamond mine, a remote indigenous community lurches from crisis to crisis, as their homeland transforms into a modern frontier. Rosie Koostachin delivers donations to families who live in uninsulated sheds, overgrown with toxic mold. She is determined to raise awareness, believing that if only Canadians knew, her hometown's dire situation would improve. Over five years, filmmaker Victoria Lean follows Attawapiskat's journey from obscurity and into the international spotlight twice - first when the Red Cross intervenes and again during the protest movement, Idle No More. Weaving together great distances, intimate scenes and archive images, the documentary chronicles the First Nation's fight for justice in the face of hardened indifference.

In a villa housing transgender women, residents try to fulfill the last wish of their late friend, buried in male clothing against her will.

The story of three American teenage girls-each adopted from China-who discover they are blood-related cousins on 23andMe. Their online meeting inspires the young women to confront the burning questions they have about their lost history.

Autism in Love follows the story of four adults with autism spectrum disorders as they search for and manage romantic relationships.

Meet the Hitlers is a feature documentary that examines the relationship between names and identity, by exploring the lives of people who are linked by the name 'Hitler.' The film raises important questions about the meaning of names, and explores complex issues like immigration, racism, and tolerance. Yet it's ultimately a character-driven story, offering an intimate portrait of its subjects, whose reactions to their name span the spectrum of human experience, from tragedy to comedy, and heartbreak to hope.

Heaven Adores You is an intimate, meditative inquiry into the life and music of Elliott Smith. By threading the music of Elliott Smith through the dense, yet often isolating landscapes of the three major cities he lived in -- Portland, New York City, Los Angeles -- Heaven Adores You presents a visual journey and an earnest review of the singer's prolific songwriting and the impact it continues to have on fans, friends, and fellow musicians.—Heaven Adores You

An intimate look at the lives of modern circus performers in and out of Cirque Du Soleil. The film follows the stories of several different performers and gives viewers an unprecedented look into their lives and art. A testament to the human spirit and the power of following your dreams it is also and homage to the grace and power of artists who use their bodies as their instruments. Filmed on location in 11 countries and in three languages by a Cirque Du Soleil "insider" this film transcends a "behind the scenes" look and creates a powerful and moving work of art.

Shored Up is the story of our coasts where life on the edge of a rising sea has placed our towns and cities on the front lines of climate change. Following frustrated scientists, confused politicians and level-headed surfers, Shored Up follows the conflicts that are erupting from New Jersey to North Carolina as the ocean rises and we challenge nature to an unwinnable duel.—Anonymous

Unearthing the terrible secrets hidden in the tomb of China's first emperor. The Terracotta warriors are just the tip of the iceberg in a mausoleum the size of Manhattan, which has gone largely unexcavated.

A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old.

Khodorkovsky, the richest Russian, challenges President Putin. A fight of the titans begins. Putin warns him. But Khodorkovsky comes back to Russia knowing that he will be imprisoned, once he returns. When I heard about it, I asked myself: why didn't he stay in exile with a couple of billions? Why did he do that? A personal journey to Khodorkovsky.