An eye-opening documentary with jaw-dropping revelations, HOT COFFEE exposes how corporations spend millions on propaganda campaigns to distort Americans’ view of lawsuits—forever changing the civil justice system. By examining the impact of tort reform on the lives of ordinary citizens, the film shows how Americans give up their Constitutional rights in all sorts of ways without knowing it—for example, by voting for caps on damages or signing away your rights in contracts. Through interviews with politicians, judges, lawyers and ordinary citizens, first-time filmmaker and former public-interest lawyer Susan Saladoff delves into the facts of four cases to tear apart the conventional wisdom about “jackpot justice.”

Directed and produced by Monica’s cousin, first-time filmmaker Alexandra Codina, MONICA & DAVID is a crowd-pleasing romance that “swerves around the mind and goes straight for the heartstrings.” (Newsweek)

Through candid interviews with Wavy’s family and friends, including Jackson Browne, Odetta, and Bonnie Raitt, and close encounters with Wavy himself, SAINT MISBEHAVIN’ paints a moving portrait of a surprisingly complex crusader for peace, justice and understanding. This riveting film shows how one individual can make a difference – and have fun doing it! Revealing the man behind the countercultural icon, SAINT MISBEHAVIN’ showcases the enormous humanity and intelligence of this Holy Fool and his commitment to basic human needs.

From poetry readings in Greenwich Village to an epic bus trip from England to Nepal by way of Afghanistan…from keeping the peace at Woodstock to his present-day mission raising funds for sight-saving operations in developing countries and co-directing a circus and performing arts camp… this entertaining and captivating film shines a fresh light on many of the seminal events of our time and reveals the deep determination of a truly one-of-a-kind individual.

A testament to the sheer joy of living a life of service to humankind and our planet, THE WAVY GRAVY MOVIE: SAINT MISBEHAVIN’ will entertain, enrich and inspire.

Featuring the stunning visuals of Appalachia, THE LAST MOUNTAIN is a passionate and personal tale that highlights the extraordinary power of ordinary Americans when they fight for what they believe in, showcasing a battle for the future of energy that affects us all.

Years later, Chris has become a United Nations human rights lawyer working to combat genocide and discrimination. He decides to seek out the stranger who dramatically transformed his life and is astonished to learn his benefactor, Hilde, is a Holocaust survivor. Chris replicates Hilde’s generosity by starting a foundation to sponsor Kenyan students in need, naming it the Hilde Back Education Fund.

Beautifully interweaving seemingly separate lives to illuminate the truly interconnected world in which we live, A SMALL ACT is a testament to the powerful, rippling effects that one single action can generate.

With over ten four-star reviews from the nation’s top critics, RIVERS AND TIDES serenely captures Goldsworthy in the midst of constructing his trademark ephemera on-camera creating a mesmerizing cinematic experience that helps us to appreciate nature in new and enchanting ways.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX takes a revealing look at how American attitudes toward adolescent sexuality impact today’s teenagers. Director James Houston takes us on a journey to examine trends in American society as personified by a cast of diverse characters. At a high school for pregnant teens in Los Angeles, young girls are contemplating teen parenthood. In Washington, D.C., where HIV infection rates rival several African countries, community outreach workers are trying to save lives.

The film also travels to the Netherlands, where Houston compares European attitudes with those in America, then concludes in Oregon, where the lessons learned in Western Europe are helping to create practical solutions. Real parents and youth, compelling statistics, animation and archival material all combine to paint an urgent picture of American youth in crisis, one that not enough people are talking about.

Now, with CARMELO’S WAY, Carmelo tells his story beyond the NBA hardwood. Find out what it takes to be a world-class athlete as Carmelo trains under the guidance of Nuggets strength and conditioning coach Steve Hess, ride with Carmelo as he visits China for a charity basketball game, go behind the scenes of USA basketball as Carmelo prepares for Olympic qualifying and return to Baltimore with Carmelo as he gives back to the city, neighborhoods and schools that shaped him into the person he is today.

Narrated by Carmelo through a series of in-depth interviews and on-location footage, and supplemented with commentary from those who know him best—his mother, brother, friends and coaches—CARMELO’S WAY is the unfiltered story of Carmelo Anthony, in his own words.

Directed by Jeffery Blitz (Spellbound), LUCKY offers a glimpse into the reality behind the fantasy of lottery winners. They come from an amazing range of backgrounds, but all of their lives are radically transformed by the same thing – an enormous lottery jackpot. With prize money reaching into the hundreds of millions, some lives are changed for the better, some for the worse. And together, their stories show us what happens when the fantasy turns real.

Do we become what we dreamed we would or what, deep down, we really are?

Giving voice to the stories of nations and individuals who have suffered and struggled to forgive, FORGIVENESS provides a moving and much-needed chronicle of reconciliation.

TRANSCENDENT MAN gets inside the mind of the award-winning scientist and A.I. specialist through extensive interviews with Kurzweil himself and revealing conversations with friends and colleagues. The film outlines Kurzweil’s theory of singularity—the point when change occurs so rapidly that humans will need to merge with technology to keep up—while also chronicling Kurzweil’s history, his myriad accomplishments (including 24 U.S. patents), and his unique vision of the future.

JEWS AND BASEBALL traces the Jewish involvement in the history of the sport from the game’s earliest days, through the tumultuous war years to today’s All-Star games. By bringing to life dramatic moments in this history, including how the legendary Sandy Koufax pioneered rights for players and Hank Greenberg’s support of Jackie Robinson, the film demonstrates how Jews shaped baseball, and baseball shaped them.

Narrated by two-time Academy Award^® winner Dustin Hoffman, this lively and thorough account of Jewish America’s love affair with baseball sheds new light on America’s national pastime

Includes interviews with former player Al Rosen, sports historian Maury Allen, celebrity enthusiasts Larry King and Ron Howard, and all-stars Shawn Green and Kevin Youklis, as well as a rare interview with baseball legend Sandy Koufax.

In a world fraught with hostility and violence, an altruistic group of young men endeavor to understand the true essence of the human spirit by visiting forgotten souls such as homeless New Yorkers, Peruvian orphans and isolated Ghanaian lepers. By spotlighting heartwarming stories from around the world, this uplifting documentary shows viewers that every single person, no matter his or her lot in life, is beautiful. Gorgeously filmed and masterfully narrated, THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE explores with depth and compassion what it means to be a human being.

Features insight and commentary from spiritual leaders and philosophers including: Anna Halpine, Dr. William Hurlbut, Rabbi Simon Jacobson, Dr. Alveda King, and Rev. Richard Neuhaus,

With the help of some real farmers, powerful fertilizer, government aid and genetically modified seeds, the friends manage to grow one acre of corn. Along the way, they unlock the hidden truths about America’s modern food system.

“A graceful and frequently humorous film that captures the idiosyncrasies of its characters and never hectors” (Salon), KING CORN shows how – and why – whenever you eat a hamburger or drink a soda, you’re really consuming … corn.

BIG RIVER
In this 30-minute documentary sequel, Ian and Curt return to Iowa with a new mission: to investigate the environmental impact their acre of corn has made on the people and places downstream. Making a journey that spans from the heartland to the Gulf of Mexico, the friends trade their combine for a canoe and uncover cancer clusters, a poisoned Gulf, and our food’s connection to climate change. Directed by Curt Ellis

DISC 1: BOB DYLAN DONT LOOK BACK
This digitally-remastered version of the cinema verite classic follows Dylan on his extraordinary 1965 concert tour of England–his last as an acoustic performer. With unobtrusive equipment and rare access to Dylan, legendary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker achieved an unprecedented, fly-on-the-wall glimpse of one of music’s most influential figures–and redefined filmmaking along the way.
FEATURES: Five Additional Uncut Audio Tracks; Commentary by D.A. Pennebaker and tour road manager Bob Neuwirth; Alternate Version of the Subterranean Homesick Blues Cue Card Sequence; Original Theatrical Trailer; D.A. Pennebaker Filmography; Bob Dylan Discography; Cast and Crew Biographies

DISC 2: BOB DYLAN 65 REVISITED
Forty years after the release of DONT LOOK BACK, D.A. Pennebaker ahs created this new work culled from over 20 hours of never-before-seen rare footage from his personal archive of film negatives. Raw and unassuming, ‘65 REVISITED provides a fresh perspective of the young Dylan on the road during his 1965 English tour.
FEATURES: New Commentary by D.A. Pennebaker and Tour Road Manager Bob Neuwirth

BEST WORST MOVIE, directed by Troll 2’s once-disgraced child star, Michael Paul Stephenson, unravels the improbable story of a sunny, small-town Alabama dentist-turned-cult-movie-icon and a self-deluded Italian filmmaker who struggles to come to grips with his internationally revered cinematic failure. The result is a hilarious and tender offbeat journey that pays homage to lovers of bad movies and the people who make them, while investigating a deeper story abut the strange nature of celebrity, the catharsis of redemption and the humanity that exists in making even the worst movie ever made.

Multi-award winning THEY CAME TO PLAY focuses on the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs (hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation), which gathers together 75 of the world’s best amateur pianists for one week of intense competition and camaraderie. Candid interviews offer a glimpse into the lives of the competitors, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and professions. All have struggled to balance their music and their ordinary lives—some overcoming extraordinary challenges—and now, all hope to make years of dedication pay off in the performance of a lifetime.

Overflowing with the talent and enthusiasm of the competitors and with the sound of their spectacular music, THEY CAME TO PLAY reminds us all of the passion that burns within us.

Academy Award^® nominee WHICH WAY HOME follows some of these unaccompanied children as they make the long and treacherous voyage to the U.S. border. Some, like Olga and Freddy, venture out in search of distant relatives. Others, like Kevin, hope to find work to support their families at home. Often traveling for months or even years at a time, these courageous and determined children each have stories of hope and resilience, disappointment and sorrow.

Chronicling the harrowing journey of thousands of migrant children, WHICH WAY HOME illuminates a powerfully human side of immigration.

DVD includes Two Version of the Feature-Length Film: Spanish Language and Spanish with English Subtitles & Title Cards

On these streets over the past 30 years, more than 15,000 people have been murdered in an ongoing cycle of gang violence that continues unabated. It was here, just a few miles from the gated communities and sprawling mansions of Beverly Hills, where America’s most bloody and costly outbreaks of civil unrest erupted — not once, but twice, 27 years and just three miles apart.

Acclaimed director Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z Boys, Riding Giants) examines the story of South Los Angeles and the gangs that inhabit it. Narrated by Academy Award^® winner Forest Whitaker and produced by NBA superstar Baron Davis, Crips and Bloods: Made In America blends gripping archival footage with in-depth interviews. Peralta brings his trademark dynamic visual style and story-telling ability to this often-ignored chapter of America’s history. Hard- hitting, yet ultimately hopeful, the film not only documents the emergence of the gangs but also offers insight as to how this ongoing tragedy might be resolved.

Soon, AGING OUT became the centerpiece of Risa’s murder trial, as prosecutors used the film to heighten sympathy for the victim and hatred for the defendant. Troubled that their documentary was being used to advance the prosecutor’s argument for the death penalty, filmmakers Vanessa Roth (Academy Award^® winner, Freeheld) and Roger Weisberg (Academy Award^® nominee, Sound and Fury, Why Can’t We Be a Family Again?) made a new film, NO TOMORROW, which focuses on the trial and the unexpected use of AGING OUT as evidence. In NO TOMORROW, similarities emerge between Risa and her killer, and viewers are forced to question not just whether the accused deserves to die, but whether the state deserves to kill.

Through extensive interviews with those involved in the trial and tense courtroom footage, NO TOMORROW poses a difficult question: What role did the filmmakers’ previous documentary play in this chilling death penalty trial?

The penetrating and thought-provoking documentary FALL FROM GRACE follows Phelps’ transformation from an award-winning civil rights attorney to an incendiary preacher whose extreme interpretations of Bible scriptures have reached millions around the globe. Rev. Phelps issued his first sermon 50 years ago at Westboro Baptist Church, where his congregation was–and still is–largely comprised of his own family. Since then, the group has staged over 22,000 picket demonstrations at locations ranging from college campuses to funerals for American soldiers, enraging many with slogans such as “Thank God for 9/11” and “You’re going to hell.”

Replete with shocking interviews and rare Phelps footage, FALL FROM GRACE paints a powerful portrait of hatred in America, one that forces viewers to reexamine the quintessentially American right of free speech.

Narrated by Academy Award^® winner Joan Allen, the multi-award-winning BLESSED IS THE MATCH follows the remarkable journey of this young Hungarian poet and diarist, paratrooper and resistance fighter. Told through Hannah’s letters, diaries, and poems, her mother’s memoirs, and the recollections of those who knew and loved her (including two of her fellow parachutists), the film traces her life from her childhood in Budapest to her time in British-controlled Palestine—where she was drawn by the Kibbutz Movement that sought to build an independent Jewish state—to her daring mission to rescue Jews in her native Hungary.

Both devastating and inspiring, BLESSED IS THE MATCH offers an intimate portrait of a singularly talented, courageous and complex girl who believed that one person could be a flame that burns brightly in even the darkest hours.

Animated through a dazzling collage of vintage clips and interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and intimate conversations with friends, colleagues and family members, the box-office smash-hit YOO-HOO, MRS. GOLDBERG traces Berg’s rise to stardom from her childhood in New York to her early radio days in “The Rise of the Goldbergs” (1929-46) to her enormously influential sitcom, The Goldbergs (1949-56), which brought Berg the first Best Actress Emmy^® in history. Berg’s passion and incredible productivity paved the way for a wide variety of causes—women in entertainment, Jewish-American identity and actors’ rights, to name a few—but she is most celebrated for singlehandedly proving that the American family transcends social, religious and economic divisions.

Aviva Kempner’s critically acclaimed YOO-HOO, MRS. GOLDBERG offers a humorous, captivating tribute to one of the most successful and innovative women in American broadcasting history.

Part mystery, part travelogue, and part banjo showdown, GASLAND documents Josh’s cross-country odyssey to find out if the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing—or fracking—is actually safe. As he interviews people who live on or around current fracking sites, Josh learns of things gone horribly wrong, from illness to hair loss to flammable water, and his inquiries lead him ever deeper into a web of secrets, lies, conspiracy, and contamination.

Unearthing a shocking story about a practice that is understudied and inadequately regulated, GASLAND races to find answers about fracking before it’s far too late.

IS “FRACKING” SAFE? Learn about Fracking, Get News and Take Action at gaslandthemovie

In the conservative 1950s, the Huxley home in the Hollywood Hills was the center of the artistic and intellectual avant-garde of Los Angeles. Guests to their famous Saturday luncheons included George Cukor, Igor Stravinsky, Orson Welles and Christopher Isherwood. The Huxleys’ passionate search to find higher levels of consciousness included their controversial experimentation with psychedelic drugs. Narrated by Peter Coyote and featuring interviews with such luminaries as John Densmore, Michael Murphy, Nick Nolte and Ram Dass, HUXLEY ON HUXLEY offers a compelling glimpse of Laura’s life with Aldous, as well as the revolutionary and provocative work that had a major influence on American and contemporary cultural history.

This wonderful film tells the true story of a local bohemian, Mark Bittner and his remarkable relationship with a flock of wild red and green parrots. Following the ups-and-downs of these wild birds within the green nooks of San Francsico our endearing guide befriends, feeds and names the members of the flock. Among them are Connor, the lonely blue-crowned conure; Picasso and Sophie, an affectionate couple who love to cuddle; Pushkin, a single father who raises three babies on his own; and Mingus, a cherry-headed conure who tries to join the flock, but, hobbled by a crippled leg, comes to live with Mark Bittner in his house instead.

Packed with romance, comedy and a surprise ending that “makes you feel like you could fly out of the theater” (San Jose Mercury News), this special collector’s edition includes a fully illustrated companion booklet with an excerpt from Mark Bittner’s best selling book by the same name, as well as a bonus disc loaded with over 100 minutes of new material including updates on the San Francisco flock, Mark Bittner, and Judy Irving; a music video “Ballad of the Brooklyn Parrots;” outtakes; two new films by director Judy Irving plus much, much, more.

Dirt feeds us and gives us shelter. Dirt holds and cleans our water. Dirt heals us and makes us beautiful. Dirt regulates the earth’s climate. Why do we humans ignore, abuse, and destroy our most precious living natural resource? Consider the results of such behavior: Mass starvation, drought, floods and global warming.

Narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, DIRT! THE MOVIE tells the story of humans trying to reconnect to dirt—the living skin of the earth. Traveling from the vineyards of California to the plains of Kenya, DIRT! reveals how repairing our relationship with dirt can create new possibilities for all life on earth.

From kindergarten teacher Maurice, who refuses to give up as he fights to help a boy with speech problems, to Geneviève, who “wanted to teach the kids no one else wanted to teach,” the men, women, and children profiled in this film are sure to inspire and provoke debate. Intense and emotional, THE FIRST YEAR cuts through the education rhetoric and reminds us what is real: the powerful relationship between teacher and student.

Includes Bonus Film: TEACH

Designed to inspire a new generation of American teachers, this bonus film is a powerful accompaniment to THE FIRST YEAR, created to attract talented and passionate people into the teaching profession.

A tribute to all the dogs that have made our lives richer and happier, MY DOG captures the remarkable bond between our dogs and ourselves.

In appreciation, twenty percent of every dollar earned by the film will be donated to nonprofit animal welfare charities designated by our participants.

With the help of real farmers, powerful fertilizer, government aid, and genetically modified seeds, the friends manage to grow one acre of corn. Along the way, they unlock the hidden truths about America’s modern food system.

“A graceful and frequently humorous film that captures the idiosyncrasies of its characters and never hectors” (Salon), KING CORN shows how – and why – whenever you eat a hamburger or drink a soda, you’re really consuming … corn.

Overflowing with the incredible music of Fleck and the many celebrated folk musicians who hosted him in Africa, BÉLA FLECK: THROW DOWN YOUR HEART follows the banjo virtuoso on a musical adventure that takes him from Uganda to Tanzania and from the Gambia to Mali. As he travels through the continent to research the history of the banjo and record an album with some of Africa’s finest musicians-and, in his words, “to make great music.” Fleck discovers the rich and diverse musical traditions of Africa, as well as the warmth and generosity of its people.

Through its stunning location footage, enthusiastic jam sessions, and hauntingly beautiful music, director Sascha Paladino’s multi-award-winning BÉLA FLECK: THROW DOWN YOUR HEART captures one of the world’s greatest musicians demonstrating how music transcends languages, cultures and continents.

PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI traces the tumultuous events leading up to Charleston’s first integrated prom through intimate conversations with students, families, faculty members and Freeman himself. As the film unfolds, we delve deeply into the heated race issues that tear apart this tiny community, and realize that this troubling segregation has less to do with the students than their parents. Ultimately, PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI captures a big moment in a small town, where hope finally blossoms in black, white and a whole lot of taffeta.

KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS follows über myco visionaries Gary Lincoff and Larry Evans as they lead us on a hunt for the wild mushroom and the deeper cultural experiences attached to the mysterious fungi.

Combining material filmed at the Telluride Mushroom Fest with animation and archival footage along with a neo-psychedelic soundtrack by The Flaming Lips and The Sadies, KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS opens the doors to perception and takes the audience on a longer, stranger trip.

America’s foremost humorist and commentator, Garrison Keillor takes his skits and jokes, music and monologues across the country in his traveling radio show, spinning his stories into American gold. This freeform, intimate look at the private man in the public spotlight goes behind the scenes of America’s most popular radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, and inside the imagination of the man who created it.

Over one year of filming has resulted in an unusual portrait that cannot be defined by the standard terms of chronological biography: the subject himself is an enigma, and the fictional world he has created has become a real place in America: Lake Wobegon.

A man compelled to speak for his people with humor and nostalgia, Keillor single-handedly revived the art of live radio for generations of fans by creating an onstage world that deeply resonates with his audiences. His take on America is both pungent and poignant. In the best tradition of Will Rogers and Mark Twain, Keillor mixes storytelling and humor to give us a lighthearted but deeply felt reflection of ourselves.

Note by Note follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand, #L1037, from forest floor to concert hall. Each piano’s journey is complex, spanning 12 months, 12,000 parts, 450 craftsmen, and countless hours of fine-tuned labor. Filmed in key Steinway locations — the factory, Steinway’s reserved “Bank,” and the rooms of private auditions — Note by Note is a loving celebration not just of craftsmanship, but of a dying breed of person who is deeply connected to working by hand. In the end, this is an ode to the most unexpected of unsung heroes. It reminds us how extraordinary the dialogue can be between an artist and an instrument crafted out of human hands but borne of the materials of nature.

FEATURING: B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, Norman Allen, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Gurmukh, Dharma Mitra, Cyndi Lee, Alan Finger, Rodney Yee, Beryl Bender Birch, Shyamdas, Diamond Dallas Page and many more!

Thirty years ago, with these words, a group of young American radicals announced their intention to overthrow the U.S. government. Fueled by outrage over the Vietnam War and racism in America, they went underground during the 1970s, bombing targets across the country that they felt symbolized “the real violence” that the U.S. government and capitalist power were wreaking throughout the world. From pitched battles with police on Chicago’s city streets, to bombing the U.S. Capitol building, to breaking acid-guru Timonthy Leary out of prison, this carefully organized clandestine network attempted to incite a national revolution, while successfully evading one of the largest FBI manhunts in history.

One of the top documentaries of the year, this award-winning film interweaves extensive archival material with modern-day interviews to explore the incredible story of “The Weather Underground.” As former members reflect candidly about the idealistic passion that drove them to “bring the war home,” they paint a compelling portrait of troubled and revolutionary times, with unexpected and often striking connections to the current world situation.

PARADISE LOST: THE CHILD MURDERS AT ROBIN HOOD HILLS (1996): Intimate in its access to the undercurrents triggered by the murders, PARADISE LOST focuses on the lingering uncertainty that surrounds the conviction of three local teens for the crime–a conviction backed by no physical evidence and a possibly forced confession. The film traces the proceedings leading up to the sentencing through police and courtroom footage and interviews with prosecutors, families, and the convicted teens themselves. In the end, the question remains whether the “West Memphis Three” are truly guilty, or whether they are simply scapegouts–as obvious outcasts in their community–onto which the town can direct its confusion and anger.

PARADISE LOST 2: REVELATIONS: The terrifying sequel revisits the notorious Robin Hood Hills murder case four years later, this time concentrating on an advocacy group that seeks to raise awareness about the possibly wrongful convictions of Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols, and Jessie Misskelley. Featuring new interviews with all those involved in the case–including the convicted young men–the film reveals disturbing new evidence that implicates the step-father of one of the slain boys, thereby casting further doubt not only on the life-sentences–and one death sentence–of the infamous “West Memphis Three,” but also on the efficacy of the American judicial system in a culture of suspicion, hatred, and intolerance.

*Presented in the original 16mm 4:3 aspect ratios.

VIRTUAL JFK: VIETNAM IF KENNEDY HAD LIVED takes up one of America’s controversial “what if” scenarios, examining the question: Would the U.S. have escalated the war in Vietnam if Kennedy was not assassinated in 1963? With insight and erudition, the film traces JFK’s presidency – a 1,000-day term plagued with tense political stand-offs — through rare and previously-unseen archival footage, offering nuanced accounts of the former president’s political decisions and, by extension, his probable response to the escalating conflict in Vietnam.

Featuring unprecedented access into the leadership style of one of the nation’s most important leaders, VIRTUAL JFK sheds new light on the man who helped avoid war in six crises and did not live to save America from the devastating war in Vietnam.

In BURNING THE FUTURE: COAL IN AMERICA, writer/director David Novack examines the explosive forces that have set in motion a groundswell of conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia. Faced with toxic ground water, the obliteration of 1.4 million acres of mountains, and a government that appeases industry, ordinary citizens launch a valiant fight to arouse the nation’s help in protecting their mountains, saving their families and preserving their way of life. BURNING THE FUTURE exposes the truth behind mountaintop coal extraction and offers tools for everyone to carve out a cleaner future.

Through revealing interviews with a fascinating host of characters — secrecy-adverse reporters; former CIA agents who experienced firsthand the deleterious effects of airing classified information; military attorneys defending accused terrorists; and everyday citizens whose lives have been touched by the government’s most closely guarded programs — SECRECY attempts to understand what degree of openness and transparency a democracy demands.

From the Manhattan Project to Abu Ghraib, habeas corpus to Osama bin Laden, directors Peter Galison and Robb Moss brilliantly dissect the way the power and allure of secrecy affects the course of history.

Powerful and provocative, LIONESS traces the stories of five female support soldiers who served in Iraq in various capacities — mechanic, supply clerk, engineer — and ultimately became the first women in American history to be sent into direct ground combat. The film follows the Lionesses’ rapid progression from diffusing tensions with local civilians to fierce street-level combat in Ramadi, and in doing so raises such issues as gender and warfare and the deep divide between policy and practice. Together, these women’s experiences illuminate the emotional and psychological effects of war from a uniquely female perspective.

Narrating the Lioness stories through a wide array of mediums including first-hand accounts, archival footage, journal entries, and interviews with military commanders, LIONESS gives voice to a hidden history of female combat and, more broadly, explores how human beings are forever transformed by the trauma of war.

Narrated by Emmy^® winner Peter Coyote, SOLDIERS OF CONSCIENCE profiles eight American soldiers: four who decide not to kill and become conscientious objectors, and four who believe in their duty to kill if necessary. The film reveals how everyone from West Point grads to drill sergeants, Abu Ghraib interrogators to low ranking reservist-mechanics, grapples with the morality of killing in war, not as a philosophical problem, but as soldiers experience it — a split-second decision in combat that can never be forgotten or undone. Including never-before-seen footage of basic training and the war in Iraq, SOLDIERS OF CONSCIENCE is a realistic yet optimistic look at war, peace and the power of the human conscience.

Wildly imaginative writer, flame-tongued provocateur, unholy fusion of Lenny Bruce and Mark Twain, Ellison’s remarkable personal journey is lovingly rendered by director Erik Nelson.

The film draws on over 25 years of exclusive video footage that captures Ellison at his most inspiring and irritating, curmudgeonly and lovable. See Ellison rant about the idiocies of geekdom, confess to mailing a dead gopher to an executive at a publishing house, recall his rebellious childhood, and speak about the joy (and craft) of writing. The film features candid interviews with famous and surprising friends, including actor Robin Williams, author Neil Gaiman and Ron Moore (Battlestar Galactica), who flesh out Ellison’s prodigious contributions to the worlds of literature and popular culture, as well as their very personal encounters with this unique Force Of Nature.

Whether a die-hard Ellison fan or someone tragically uninitiated, DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH will amuse, inspire, infuriate, and edify.

A veritable feast of astounding breakthroughs and heartbreaking hardship, this spellbinding film is a musical celebration of kids living with this increasingly prevalent disorder. Director Tricia Regan vividly captures the individual personalities and problems of each child, from precocious Henry who talks a mile-a-minute about dinosaurs to Neal, a sensitive and articulate boy who nonetheless struggles to speak at all. The parents, too, are fascinating studies in unconditional love, especially Elaine, the mastermind behind the musical and mother of Neal.

A consciousness-raising and empathetic portrait of children and their families living with autism, AUTISM: THE MUSICAL celebrates the spark of humanity in each of us. “Moving, dramatic, therapeutic and unburdened by reliance on talking heads” (Variety), this film will change the way you look at autism.

Drawing on an international cast of maverick energy experts and thinkers, directors Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack debunk the conventional wisdom that oil production will continue to climb, and instead stare bleakly at a planet facing economic meltdown and conflict over its most valuable resource. Featuring a haunting score by Phillip Glass and a fascinating array of rare archival footage, the film explores oil’s rocky relationship with human progress in locales ranging from ancient Baku, Azerbaijan to dusty oilpatch town McCamey, Texas.

Amidst a dark and disturbing vision of our future, A CRUDE AWAKENING hints at a humbler way of life built around sustainability and alternative energy, providing a visually stunning, boldly prophetic testament which provokes not just thought but action.

A MAN NAMED PEARL chronicles the story of Pearl’s dazzling garden as well as his extraordinary life, both of which serve as inspirations to his family, his community, and the thousands of visitors who come to experience Pearl’s world each year. The film traces Pearl’s journey from a small town sharecropper’s son to an internationally-acclaimed artist, and from his initial goal to win the Bishopville, SC, “Yard of the Month Award”—a goal instigated by a bigoted remark—to the many accolades that followed, including museum exhibitions and his status as the celebrated cultural icon of his impoverished town. Now 68, the soft-spoken Pearl has just one wish for all those who wander through his living art: they must leave feeling differently than when they arrived.

Intimate and uplifting, A MAN NAMED PEARL offers a captivating window into the life a man who turned obstacles into breathtakingly beautiful possibilities.

These three seminal films provide a captivating history of JFK — from his years as a young senator to his days in the White House to fallen hero.

THIS EXCLUSIVE DVD COLLECTION INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING GROUND-BREAKING FILMS:

PRIMARY (1960) – Selected as an historic American film for inclusion in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, PRIMARY grants audiences unprecedented access into the world of a young politician and his glamorous wife as they campaign across the Wisconsin landscape and navigate their way through throngs of ardent supporters. The film captures Kennedy’s rock-star presence and Jackie’s quiet radiance as they confront rival front-runner Hubert Humphrey in the state’s pivotal primary election.

CRISIS: BEHIND A PRESIDENTIAL COMMITMENT (1963) – A milestone in film journalism, this fly-on-the-wall chronicle of Kennedy in the White House follows Gov. George Wallace’s attempts to stonewall integration at the University of Alabama and thwart JFK’s Justice Department, which was headed by Robert Kennedy. The result is a deeply intimate study of JFK and RFK, capturing the powerful brothers as they forge a great victory for civil rights and racial equality.

FACES OF NOVEMBER (1964) – The first film to win two first prizes at the Venice Film Festival, Drew’s final film on Kennedy offers a somber view of reactions to President Kennedy’s funeral as reflected in the faces of participants and onlookers.

With subtlety and compassion, filmmakers Matthew Makar and Keith Rondinelli intimately portray the performers as they struggle daily with their learning disabilities, all the while coming to grips with their roles as The Mayor, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Wicked Witch of the West. Proving to be one of the most intricate and demanding productions the group has attempted in its decade-long existence, the cast ultimately rises to the occasion and beyond, exuding a sense of wonder, enthusiasm, and joy.

To a television audience of 300 million, Andy (posing as a Dow Chemicals spokesman) announces that Dow will finally compensate the victims of the Bhopal disaster, causing the company’s stock to instantly plunge by $2 billion. At an oil industry conference, the Yes Men introduce a wonderful new Exxon miracle fuel made from the bodies of global warming losers.

THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD “shines with a raw wit and originality” (Newsweek) as it fearlessly follows the twisted logic of corporate capitalism to its crazy conclusion, exposing the hilarious and awful absurdities of the economic system that ruthlessly rules the planet.

WONDERS ARE MANY: THE MAKING OF DOCTOR ATOMIC traces a dazzling double-helix trajectory: one thread follows composer John Adams and director Peter Sellars as they work to create Doctor Atomic, the strange and beautiful opera about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the first atomic bomb; the other recounts the actual historical events that underpin the stage drama. Masterfully interwoven with recently declassified footage of nuclear testing in the deserts of the Southwest and the frenetic backstage action of the San Francisco Opera, the film creates an explosive vortex of performers and physicists, past and present, all of which is anchored by the enigmatic figure of Oppenheimer and channeled into high art by the creative power of Adams and Sellars.

A magnificent pastiche of potent elements, WONDERS ARE MANY allows us to see history—and ourselves—in a new light: we learn the humanity in science; the regret in discovery; and, unforgettably, the law that “matter can be neither created nor destroyed,” but only transformed.

Featuring readings and appearances by Bruce Sterling, Jack Womack, Bono & The Edge.

Founding members of the Yiddish Theatre in America, the Thomashefskys owned theatres, published their own magazine, wrote columns in the popular Yiddish newspapers, sponsored and encouraged generations of young artists, brought countless Yiddish artists to America, tirelessly raised funds for progressive social causes and, through it all, were adventurous trendsetters. This story, reclaimed by Thomashefsky Project, presents a musical sound that few have heard, assimilating Eastern European klezmer and cantorial modes with American tones and rhythms. Over time, as the Jewish American music theater writers became absorbed in their new surroundings, they greatly influenced the American Songbook. All of this and more are captured in this stunning performance..

FRESH outlines the vicious cycle of our current food production methods, while also celebrating the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are reinventing our food system, from a basketball player and former-executive-turned-urban-farmer to a poetic prophet of the fields who tells us: “We can raise everything we need without any of the industrial food system.” Director Ana Joanes takes her camera coast to coast and explores the lives of amazing Americans who are redefining the way we eat and how we live. Both an enlightening documentary and a stirring call to action, FRESH transforms the way we look at food.

Offering an intimate glimpse into the exhilaration and the turmoil of both love and fame, THE SWELL SEASON follows Glen and Markéta through a three-year period of incredible intensity, pressure and passion. As the two wake up in strange towns and navigate a new realm of public exposure, they undergo intense changes that lead them to question their love, their ambitions, and their identities. Ultimately, the audience witnesses the unraveling of a romance and the reconfiguring of a beautiful musical collaboration.

A fresh, probing documentary overflowing with music, ardor, and authenticity, THE SWELL SEASON narrates a love story between two searching souls forever linked by their music.

Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER’S JOURNEY follows Kevin’s remarkable rise to Sesame Street’s Senior Puppet Coordinator and Muppet Captain, while also offering a behind-the-scenes look at both Sesame Street and the Jim Hensen Workshop. Growing up in a rough-and-tumble neighborhood outside Baltimore, Kevin fell in love with the world of fantasy at a young age and dreamed of one day working with Jim Hensen and the Muppets. After years of dedication and perseverance, he did. Soon after, the furry red love machine known as Elmo was born.

Through rare vintage footage and a wealth of interviews with friends, family, colleagues, and Kevin himself, the multi-award winning BEING ELMO narrates a heartwarming story about a boy who believed in the power of his dreams.

A profoundly insightful and wickedly provocative performer, Obie Award winner Eric Bogosian (Talk Radio) has never shied away from the disturbing truths in life. Frequently compared to comedic social commentators Lenny Bruce and Spalding Gray, Bogosian keeps his finger on the pulse of our collective fears while satirizing contemporary American values.

Based upon his critically acclaimed stage show, WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE is Bogosian at his funniest, smartest and angriest. Taking us for a ferocious ride through a cavalcade of colorful characters in his mind, Bogosian skewers pop culture, conformity, religious hypocrisy and human nature itself with a razor-sharp wit. Whether he’s playing Satan as a modern-day salesman, a Hollywood producer capitalizing on an airplane disaster, a spiritual guru with questionable motives, or mocking himself as an obsequious actor auditioning for a part, Bogosian tackles today’s relevant, post-9/11 themes with uncompromising honesty.

Meet Michael Bennett, better known as “The Slasher,” a raspy-voiced family man who exudes so much nervous energy that he smokes two cigarettes at a time and can hardly stand still. When auto dealerships are desperate to dump their stale inventory as quickly as possible, the California-based Bennett is flown all over the country to slash prices and clear entire lots within a few short days.

Director John Landis (The Blues Brothers, Animal House, An American Werewolf in London) brilliantly turns his comedic eye on one particularly off-the-wall weekend in the life of Bennett, as he’s called upon to help a struggling dealership in Memphis, home to Elvis Presely and the bankruptcy capital of the world.

Featuring a pitc-perfect Southern soul soundtrack, including forgotten favorites from Sam & Dave, Booker T. and the MG’s, and Otis Redding, SLASHER is a frenetic, fascinating and intensely funny look at one man so tightly wound, he couldn’t be anything other than a car salesman.

Like a madcap cross between Making the Band and Project Greenlight, this hip, new series offers a riveting glimpse into a world most of us only dream about, as Gershon and indie-rockers Girls Against Boys go on an erratic, multi-city tour across the U.S. WIth onnly two weeks to rehearse, and music critics waiting to tear apart the latest actor-turned-musician, will the band succeed or get laughed out of their venues?

From breast-baring fans to concert bomb threats, pre-show tequila shots and leather parades, IFC offers a backstage pass to all the madness in these six exciting episodes, featuring appearances by friends Lenny Kravitz and actress Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos). Prepare to get ROCKED WITH GINA GERSHON!

Filmed over four years, ELEVATE follows the high-stakes journey of four young men across two continents, documenting the daunting challenges that come with being a stranger in a very foreign place. From mastering English, dating and drivers’ ed to navigating the vagaries that come with being a seven-foot-tall Muslim at a Christian high school, ELEVATE challenges the conventional conceptions of Africa, America and athletes while documenting the extraordinary personal journeys of four teens with big hearts, open minds and very tall dreams.

UNDER THE BOARDWALK: THE MONOPOLY STORY presents the captivating stories about the game and those who play it, culminating with the high-stakes MONOPOLY^® world championships held every four years. Leading up to the exciting coronation of a new champion in Las Vegas, the film follows some of the most colorful players in the game. They are lawyers and math teachers, defending champions and underdogs, all brought together by a shared love of the game.

From helping WWII POWs escape to cropping up in movies and television since its inception, MONOPOLY^®’s rich history is revealed in this fascinating documentary, narrated by Zachary Levi (Chuck).

Beginning with Allen’s childhood, WOODY ALLEN: A DOCUMENTARY chronicles the trajectory and longevity of Allen’s career, from his work as a TV scribe, standup comedian and frequent TV talk show guest, to a writer-director averaging one film-per-year for more than 40 years. Director Weide covers Allen’s earliest film work in Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Sleeper, and Love and Death; frequent Oscar^® favorites such as Annie Hall, Manhattan, Zelig, Broadway Danny Rose, Purple Rose of Cairo, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Husbands & Wives, Bullets Over Broadway, and Mighty Aphrodite; and his recent globetrotting phase with Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and his latest success, Midnight in Paris.

Features interviews with: Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Penelope Cruz, John Cusack, Larry David, Mariel Hemingway, Scarlett Johansson, Julie Kavner, Diane Keaton, Martin Landau, Louise Lasser, Sean Penn, Tony Roberts, Chris Rock, Mira Sorvino, Naomi Watts, Dianne Wiest, Owen Wilson, Dick Cavett and Martin Scorsese

Retail orders ship on 2/14/12

Wholesale orders ship on 1/17/2012

As the film un-reels, two aspiring rock legends strum and strut their way towards glory and the coveted national title. C. Diddy (David Jung), a samurai warrior clad in a “Hello Kitty” breast plate and red kimono, emerges as an early favorite. But his arch nemesis from the Lower East Side, Björn Türoque (Dan Crane), is not far behind. While C. Diddy threatens to unleash his self-professed “Asian Fury” on his competitors, Björn vows to take Diddy down. As the film reaches its climax, the future of Air hangs in the balance; will Björn’s technical prowess, stage presence, and airness be enough to take him to the top, or will C. Diddy conquer all to become America’s first supreme being of air guitar?

Full of triumph and disappointment, patriotic spirit and political tension – and, of course, invisible guitars – AIR GUITAR NATION and filmmaker Alexandra Lipsitz take audiences on an inspiring, exhilarating, and ultimately hilarious journey that delves deep to find out what it truly takes to become the best in the world and find the inner meaning of the chant, “Make Air, Not War.”

Academy Award-nominated director Liz Garbus (The Farm, Angola USA) uses the narrative tension of the 1972 match between Fischer and the defending World Champion, the Russian Boris Spassky, to explore not only the politically charged period of the early 1970s but also the nature of genius, madness and the game of chess itself.

Embedded in Echo Company during the assault, photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis captures the frontline action with visceral immediacy. When Sergeant Harris returns home to North Carolina after a life-threatening injury in battle, the film evolves from stunning war reportage to the story of one man’s personal apocalypse. With the love and support of his wife, Ashley, Harris struggles to overcome the difficulties of transitioning back to civilian life. The two realities seamlessly intertwine to communicate both the extraordinary drama of war and, for a generation of soldiers, the no-less-difficult experience of returning home. An unprecedented exploration of the moving image and a film of uncommon intimacy, HELL AND BACK AGAIN comes full circle as it lays bare the true cost of war.

SUPERHEROES is an unvarnished tale of courage and compassion where fantasy and reality collide on some of the meanest streets in North America. This awe-inspiring documentary unmasks the true-life stories behind these costumed avengers as they confront not just drug dealers, muggers and slumlords but also the most dangerous offender of all – apathy.

Funny, heartwarming and at times painfully intimate, SUPERHEROES will refresh and provoke as it casts light on an unsung movement and celebrates the spirit of altruism.

Hardy took tattoo imagery from the shadowy fringes into the bright lights of the fashion world. His signature has emblazoned clothing worn by Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger and been seen on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. ED HARDY: TATTOO THE WORLD is a trip through the phantasmagorical mind of this visionary artist, his phenomenal rise to cult icon and the evolution of his vibrant personal art.

Although honey bees are some of the most resilient, efficient and industrious insects, entire colonies are dying off. Why? COLONY investigates the circumstances and the impacts of “colony collapse disorder” by focusing on beekeepers dealing with the crisis. As these families and individuals struggle to understand this lethal problem, they illuminate the devastating effects of bee extinction not just on bees, but on people.

An eye-opening account of a little-known, yet essential, subculture in America. COLONY brings to life the fascinating world of bees – and the frightening possibility of their disappearance.

Through interviews with world-class chefs such as Alice Waters and Greg Higgins and sustainability-minded farmers in Oregon, New York and Ohio, INGREDIENTS weaves an uplifting tale that is equal parts earthy rebellion and mouth-watering homage.

Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth and directed by Robert Bates, INGREDIENTS is a fun, open-minded film that will satiate both veteran slow-food fans and the uninitiated alike.

Before Oprah, and before Lucy, there was the beloved Gertrude Berg, the entertainment genius who wrote, starred in and produced the first successful American sitcom and charmed a beleaguered nation.

Animated through a dazzling collage of vintage clips and interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and intimate conversations with friends, colleagues and family members, the box-office smash-hit YOO-HOO, MRS. GOLDBERG traces Berg’s rise to stardom from her childhood in New York to her early radio days in “The Rise of the Goldbergs” (1929-46) to her enormously influential sitcom, The Goldbergs (1949-56), which brought Berg the first Best Actress Emmy^® in history. Berg’s passion and incredible productivity paved the way for a wide variety of causes—women in entertainment, Jewish-American identity and actors’ rights, to name a few—but she is most celebrated for singlehandedly proving that the American family transcends social, religious and economic divisions.

Aviva Kempner’s critically acclaimed YOO-HOO, MRS. GOLDBERG offers a humorous, captivating tribute to one of the most successful and innovative women in American broadcasting history.

In what Variety calls “half eco-docu, half art…social-action cinema with a twist,” director Brian Hill and his cinematographers create a real sense of ambience in each of the countries and communities they visit. Conversations with West Virginians are punctuated by footage of mountaintops surrounding their homes being dynamited; Papua New Guineans talk among the giant trees being decimated by commercial logging and a visit to the Global Seed Vault built in the Norwegian permafrost in Svalbard, Norway is nothing short of ethereal.

When Billy finally completes his portrait, he believes only one person can determine whether he has succeeded: Renowned contemporary artist David Hockney. WAITING FOR HOCKNEY narrates the offbeat and poignant story of Billy and the eccentric people who believe in him as they conspire in the service of one grand concept. Through Billy’s experiences with his art and with Hockney himself, the film explores the fine line between dreams and delusions, and between perseverance and obsession.

A lively tribute to art, to dreams, and to life, Julie Checkoway’s WAITING FOR HOCKNEY illuminates both the perils and payoffs of one man single-mindedly pursuing his dream to its ultimate conclusion

A powerful and rare glimpse into the lives of deaf artists, SEE WHAT I’M SAYING focuses on four deaf performers—actor Robert DeMayo, singer TL Forsberg, drummer Bob Hiltermann, and comic CJ Jones—over the course of one year as they endeavor to cross over into mainstream culture. Together, their fascinating and intertwining stories showcase the talent and the universal human appeal of their gripping journeys

Illuminating and inspirational, SEE WHAT I’M SAYING opens a door into America’s vibrant deaf culture for those who are “signing impaired.”

Film and Bonus features are open-captioned in English

With his soulful delivery and warm, heartfelt sincerity, Withers has written the songs that continue to resonate deeply within the fabric of our times.

Filmmakers Damani Baker and Alex Vlack follow Withers and offer a unique and rare look inside the world of this fascinating man. Through concert footage, journeys to his birthplace and interviews with music and sports legends, his family and closest friends, STILL BILL presents the story of an artist who has written some of the most beloved songs in our time and who truly understands the heart and soul of a man.

Through a creative combination of historical footage, deeply personal interviews and heartfelt performances, SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION makes an original, emotionally stirring contribution to the civil rights story. This stunning film is a testament to the vitality of music in the lives and times of those who strive for justice.

From an initial pool of 120, acclaimed filmmaker Peter Adair selected 11 unique individuals to share their incredible experiences with the camera. Ranging in age from seventeen to sixty, these unforgettable characters represent an extraordinary variety of lifestyles, ethnicities, geographic regions and sexual orientations–attesting to the ever-present reality that AIDS spares no one. From Johnnie, a young Asian-American man who discovered he was gay, had sex for the first time, and tested positive all in one year, to Doris, an African-American mother who found out she was positive after her 6-month-old son was diagnosed with AIDS, these stories not only allow us to get inside one of today’s most poignant issues but also provide us with an opportunity to confront important questions about our own beliefs, fears and prejudices.

BROTHER’S KEEPER tells the story of the “Ward Boys,” four eccentric brothers who shared the same dilapidated two-room shack for over 60 years. Living in isolation, without heat or running water, these elderly bachelors had virtually no contact with the outside world–until one was found dead in the bed he shared with his brother. By day’s end, Delbert Ward “confessed” to suffocating his ailing brother as an act of mercy, but Munnsville believed Delbert had been framed. Was Delbert, an uneducated hermit with a low IQ, an innocent victim of police abuse? Was it a mercy killing–or was there another motive?

Ten years after mesmerizing audiences and critics everywhere, BROTHER’S KEEPER–one of the most successful nonfiction films of all time–is back to grip the nation with this 10th Anniversary Edition. From award-winning filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (Paradise Lost), BROTHER’S KEEPER is a real-life murder mystery as suspenseful and compelling as any Hollywood whodunit.

Award-winning filmmaker Phil Bertelsen offers a rare backstage look at one of America’s oldest modern dance companies at a defining moment in its history–as it settles into its own permanent home and training facility in New York City. Set against the construction of the new dance center and the creation of a new dance, every bit of passion, talent, and hard work that goes into keeping a company running is on display. The troupe seamlessly weaves from rehearsal to a triumphant tour in Russia, back to their new dream-come-true digs in Manhattan. BEYOND THE STEPS intertwines the dancers’ individual tragedies and triumphs with breathtaking performance footage from their journey, shining a spotlight on the story of one of America’s most beloved cultural institutions. Visually stunning and emotionally poignant, the film provides a rare glimpse into the fascinating world of modern dance.

Fusing the power of music with stunning cinematorgraphy, director Nick Krasnic and narrator Alex Grey channel the raw power of Grey’s art into a potent film odyssey that captures the essence of this unique sacred space, and offers rare, personal insight from one of the most significant artists of our time.

Set against the backdrop of the turbulent sixties, the film tells the unbelievable yet true story of the “Battle of Toronto,” a legendary duel between the highly favored Ali and the unheralded Chuvalo. After fifteen of the most memorable rounds in boxing history, Chuvalo earned a place in boxing immortality when Ali deemed him “the toughest man” he had ever faced. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Joseph Blasioli, the film includes fast-paced archival footage of such famous fights as Ali vs. Sonny Liston and Chuvalo vs. Floyd Patterson, plus colorful commentary from sports writer Jimmy Breslin, boxing guru Bert Sugar, Ali’s trainer Angelo Dundee, and his brother, Rachman Ali.

In the tradition of the classic boxing documentary When We Were Kings, THE LAST ROUND looks back at one of the most passionately fought matches in the history of heavyweight boxing. A contest tht took on mythical proportions, this award-winning film reminds us that despite the odds, and no matter what the circumstances, no fight is over until the final bell rings.

Intelligently directed by former Democratic speechwriter Jesse Moss (the award-winning filmmaker behind Speedo), RATED R explores the repercussions made by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s successful political campaign as a Republican governor, Mel Gibson’s unapologetically Christian blockbuster The Passion of The Christ, and the debates over “patriotism” spawned by the war in Iraq. Do outspoken celebrity activists like Susan Sarandon, Barbara Streisand, and Martin Sheen–who rally for progressive causes and Democratic candidates–unintentionally create the illusion that La-La-Land only leans to the left?

Featuring interviews with admitted conservatives Drew Carey, Pat Sajak (“Wheel of Fortune”), Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), Ben Stein (“Win Ben Stein’s Money”), director John Milius (Red Dawn)–and rather shockingly–incendiary actor-auteur Vincent Gallo (The Brown Bunny), RATED R challenges viewers to re-think what they know about show-biz ideologies.

In the late 1990s, some 1,500 Mexican workers moved to the leafy, middle-class town of Farmingville, population 15,000. In some ways, it’s a familiar American story: an influx of illegal immigrants crossing the border from Mexico to do work the locals won’t; rising tensions with the Anglo population; charges and counter-charges of lawlessness and racism; protest marches, unity rallies and internet campaigns–then vicious hate crimes that tear the community apart. But this isn’t the story of a California, Texas or other Southwestern city. It’s the endlessly entralling tale of Farmingville, New York, on Long Island.

Sharply and intimately directed by Catherine Tambini and Carlos Sandoval, who moved to Farmingville after the tumultuous clash catapulted the town into national headlines, FARMINGVILLE is an astounding glimpse into an issue that continues to anger, frighten and confuse us.

Directors Howard Smith and Sarah Kernochan follow Marjoe as he embarks on his “farewell to the faith tour,” revealing the secrets of religious hucksterism. MARJOE is both a fiery baptism in the cynical waters of faith healing and evangelical fervor and a fascinating profile of a man who went from hellfire to hellraising.

In the Oscar^®-winning THOTH, director Sarah Kernochan turns to another wonderfully unique personality, a fantastic character who performs one-man operas in a strange language on the streets of New York to amused, befuddled, and awed audiences.

Originally an Eastern European tradition, this secret world still manages to exist as a spirited answer to today’s world of high tech spas and suburban hot tubs. As the bathers take a break from the grind of daily urban life to wash away their worries, they find conversation, rejuvenation, and unlikely friendships in the baths. THE SHVITZ points to the evolution of modern urban life, presenting a lively co-ed bathing experience that bears more than a passing resemblance to a night at the singles bar.

A rare insider look at the bathhouse from its legendary beginnings, through the gay bathhouse movement, and beyond, THE SHVITZ captures the warmth, spirit, and togetherness of an age-old ritual before it fades away.

Director Judy Irola—the collective’s only female member—catches up with her six compatriots more than three decades after the group’s eventual dissolution, weaving together their shared history through a collage of intimate interviews. The amiable and somewhat mellowed members reassess their often impossible aesthetic and political ideals and their intense internal dynamic with distanced bemusement, affectionate nostalgia, and, most importantly, a genuine desire to rethink their own complex inter-relationships. Amidst extensive footage from the collective’s many short films, wacky “birthday movies,” and two feature-length films (including Northern Lights, which took the 1979 Camera D’Or at Cannes), this award-winning documentary also chronicles coming of age in a climate of both delusive self-righteousness and corrosive self-criticism.

Set to David Schickele’s dreamy, retro soundscape, CINE MANIFEST captures a resilient group of artists reminiscing about a time when people weren’t afraid to fight for their ideals, while also creating a stirring tribute to American independent filmmaking.

This multi award-winning documentary chronicles the arduous daily realities of the children and their families through hospital meetings, counseling sessions, personal interviews, and numerous encounters between parents and doctors, offering an acutely intimate glimpse into the long-term struggles of both patients and caregivers. It captures the agonizing decision-making processes that surround experimental treatments; the challenges of reclaiming life and normalcy in the aftermaths of the disease; and, most difficult of all, the moral and emotional turmoil of determining how far one can go in fighting for a child’s life when there is little chance of survival.

Despite narrating a harrowing and often heartbreaking journey, A LION IN THE HOUSE resounds with the vitality of the children determined to keep their spirits unbroken, the inestimable strength of their families, and the incredible resilience of the human heart.

Based on the critically acclaimed book by Charles Clover, THE END OF THE LINE charts the devastating ecological impact of overfishing by interweaving both local and global stories of sharply declining fish populations, including the imminent extinction of the bluefin tuna, and illuminates how our modern fishing capacities far outstrip the survival abilities of any ocean species. Scientists explain how this depletion has slipped under the public radar and outline the catastrophic future that awaits us — an ocean without fish by 2048 — if we do not adjust our fishing and consumption practices.

An alarming call to action that is already changing the world, the film narrates an escalating global crisis that can only be avoided by recovering and sustaining the incredible vitality of the sea. Beyond detailing the issues at hand, THE END OF THE LINE outlines the solutions, motivating supermarkets, restaurants and individuals to take the necessary steps to save the ocean. Now you can join them.