James Baldwin left behind notes for an unfinished book about three martyrs of civil rights: Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and Medgar Evers. Now filmmaker Raoul Peck (Lumumba) draws upon Baldwin’s unseen text and his other writings to craft this stunning film essay that connects their crusades to today. The poetry and precision of […]
More than 20 years after the media spectacle of the “trial of the century,” O.J. Simpson continues to fascinate the public. In this expansive, ambitious and provocative project, Ezra Edelman revisits not only the murder of Simpson’s ex-wife and its infamous aftermath, but the story of O.J.’s entire life, before and after. Encompassing America’s complicated […]
The 2007 murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy is a case study in the vagaries of crime and punishment. Seattle native Amanda Knox was convicted for the crime and spent four years in prison before being exonerated. This gripping, atmospheric film revisits the story with unprecedented access to its key players […]
Enigmas, innovations and histories. Explore a deepsea mystery surrounding unexplained ocean sounds in The Bloop (USA, 7 min., Cara Cusumano). Bad Dog: A Penitentiary Tale (USA, 12 min., Sean McCoy) tells the true-crime story of a black lab accused of murder. Go behind the counter of Crown Candy (USA, 10 min., David Wilson, Kamau Bilal), […]
NYC PREMIERE In 1924, a black Labrador retriever named Pep was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison at Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary. Through dramatic re-enactments and newly discovered footage, this short documentary explores the facts and folklore surrounding Pep’s incarceration.
Seeking justice. Grassroots organizations and activists ignored by national news take center stage in From Flint: Voices of a Poisoned City (USA, 23 min., Elise Conklin). Andy Goes In (USA, 16 min., Josh Polon) to uncover animal abuse at America’s top farms. Mass Swell (USA, 12 min., Patricia Silva) lends a powerful counterpoint to media […]
WORLD PREMIERE The US is one of the only non-authoritarian governments to still carry out the death penalty, sentences that disproportionately target the poor and disenfranchised. Civil Rights advocate and lawyer Bryan Stevenson is working to combat this reality one wrongful conviction at a time by giving inmates the quality defense they never had. Murder […]
NYC PREMIERE The Boxer is an intimate portrait of Chordale Booker, a gifted USA boxer and National Champion with a storied past. Following a court ruling that afforded Chordale a second chance at life, he vowed to make right and fight his battles in the place he knew best, the ring. Follow his tumultuous journey […]
The sporting life. A 19-year-old Olympic fighter has the bout of his life in 86-32 (USA, 13 min., Randy Wilkins). Kid Yamaka (USA, 14 min., Matt Ogens) walks a path to personal redemption through boxing, Judaism and sobriety. A second chance allows a street-corner drug dealer to become a champion in The Boxer (USA, 15 […]
NYC PREMIERE On April 15, 2013, two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring hundreds of others. Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg’s powerful film reveals the immediate impact of the terrorist attack on Boston as the city goes on lockdown and a manhunt ensues for the bombers, […]