November 18, 2015

The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of a Pro-Ball Legend

  Written by Tomas Salazar   The Legend of Swee’ Pea follows former NBA player Lloyd “Swee’ Pea” Daniels from the beginning of his career until today. He began at the top and constantly fought between a great talent and a profound drug addiction, which made Lloyd move from the top to rock bottom several […]

November 18, 2015

The Grueling Path to NYC’s Top High Schools

  Written by Laura Dattaro   For New York City middle schoolers, high school is a looming presence. The students must not only choose which schools they’d like to attend, but take tests, go on interviews, write essays, and audition to land a seat at a desk. In the documentary Tested, which had its world […]

November 18, 2015

A Moment of Redemption for Man’s Best Friend

  Written by Megan Scanlon   In 2007, NFL quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced to prison for his horrific operation of a dog fighting ring. Twenty-two pit bulls were rescued as living evidence following a debate surrounding their euthanization, a stance PETA was cemented to. The NYC premiere of The Champions tells the story of […]

November 17, 2015

Exploring Mars to Appreciate Earth

  Written by Laura Dattaro   In less than a century, humans could turn Mars into a liveable planet. According to a NASA astrobiologist interviewed in Ian Cheney’s documentary Bluespace, we could pump Mars’ atmosphere full of greenhouse gases until it warmed up and liquid water flowed. Any life capable of living with that much […]

November 17, 2015

Young, Wild and Free: The story of Orry-Kelly

  Written by Megan Scanlon   The New York City premiere of Women He’s Undressed treated its audience to the world of Oscar-winning costume designer Orry-Kelly. Director Gillian Armstrong, who couldn’t be there in person, sent a message to the audience, “I do hope you enjoy our little story of his big life.” Fantastically stylized, […]

November 17, 2015

A Triumphant Tale of A Man and His Dogs

  Written by Eugene Rosenberg   The Great Alone focuses on the greatest champion of one of America’s most unique sporting institutions – Alaska’s Iditarod sled dog race. The film follows four-time champion Lance Mackey and his team of dogs over some of Alaska’s most ruggedly beautiful terrain as he competes in the 2013 event. […]

November 17, 2015

Taking a Hard Look at the True Cost of National Security

  Written by Laura Dattaro   A Good American is a difficult film to watch in New York City. A chronicle of a revoluationary security program that may have been able to prevent the September 11 terrorist attacks, the documentary is rife with emotional footage, from the audio of a voicemail left by a passenger […]

November 16, 2015

‘Raiders!’ – The Story of An Epic Remake

  Written by Eugene Rosenberg   While seemingly well-worn territory, Raiders! takes the familiar “making of a movie” documentary topic into a bold new dimension of meta-reference while fusing several contemporary popular cultural phenomena: homemade remakes of famous movies, the proliferation of viral videos, and growing dedication of genre fan bases. The film itself details […]

November 16, 2015

Legal Dream Team Tackles Tough Issues in Cameroon

  Written by Susan Keyloun   Shot over a three-month period, Sisters in Law, a Cannes award-winning documentary which marks its 10th anniversary as part of the DOC Redux line-up, follows two feisty, no-nonsense women in the small village of Kumba, Cameroon as they fight against injustice and inhumanity.  Prosecutor Vera Ngassa and Judge Beatrice […]

November 16, 2015

‘The Lost Arcade’ Revisits the Golden Age of Gaming

  Written by Eugene Rosenberg   Saturday night’s sold out screening of The Lost Arcade proved something of a homecoming for a lost tribe -Manhattan’s diehard arcade video gamers. For the last two decades the film’s subject, the “lost arcade” known as Chinatown Fair, provided the last refuge and a sense of place for NYC’s coin […]