'Don't build prisons, they cost too much!' In this era of Great Recession, the conservative and tough-on-crime State of Texas takes an unprecedented path by becoming a social justice leader with programs that rehabilitate offenders. Looks like rape, abuse and death are no longer parts of the solution for modern-day Bonnie and Clyde...
In a Texas military town, three teenage girls confront the dark corners of adolescence at the end of a fever dream summer.
In 1972, Moody Anderson bought a ghost town and brought it back to life. Nearly four decades later, Moody faces the heart-wrenching task of dismantling and selling his collection of Americana artifacts used in hundreds of films, from Lonesome Dove and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to the Coen Brothers' remake of True Grit.
This unique documentary dramatically re-enacts the crime scene and investigation of a police officer's murder in Dallas.
Filmmaker S.R. Bindler profiles Texas contestants trying to win a truck by keeping one hand on it longer than everyone else.
Directed by award winning filmmaker Ben Masters, Deep in the Heart is a visually stunning celebration of Texas’ diverse landscapes and remarkable wildlife found nowhere else. Told through the eyes of wildlife species ranging from the mysterious blind catfish to the elusive mountain lion, the film follows our ever-changing relationship with the natural world and how we affect it. Narrated by beloved Texan, Matthew McConaughey, the film aims to safeguard our remaining wild places and to recognize the importance of Texas’ conservation on a continental scale.
DJ Screw: Untold Story tells the story of Robert Davis before the phenomenon and before the fame from the people who were there. This DVD also contains never-before seen footage of the one man who gave Houston its sound indentity, at work and at play as well as interviews with the original members of the S.U.C., Davis' family members and others whose careers are influenced by his music.
Narratives of Modern Genocide challenges the audience to experience first-person accounts of survivors of genocide. Sichan Siv and Gilbert Tuhabonye share how they escaped the killing fields of Cambodia, and the massacre of school children in Burundi. Mixing haunting animation, and expert context the film confronts our notion that the holocaust was the last genocide.
In Texas’ state-designated BBQ capital, two legendary Lockhart families run the town’s most iconic barbecue joints. Decades of interfamily feuds split them apart, with tensions still smoldering, and one conflict burning hotter than ever. Now, these famed establishments face a new challenge: reclaiming their spots on the coveted Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ list, all while contending with a rising star shaking up the scene. This feature-length documentary explores the town’s well-seasoned culture, sizzling BBQ ecosystem, and the family rivalries that have marinated in Lockhart lore for generations. Watch Family Beef starting June 5 on the free KXAN+ app and online at KXAN.com.
Rosa is a Mexican woman who, at the age of 17, migrated illegally to Austin, Texas. Some years later, she was jailed under suspicion of murder and then taken to trial. This film demonstrates how the judicial process, the verdict, the separation from her family, and the helplessness of being imprisoned in a foreign country make Rosa’s story an example of the hard life of Mexican migrants in the United States.
In a contemporary reimagining of the American West, three young women - a snake hunter, a New York artist, and a rodeo queen - challenge the idea of who is permitted to be a cowgirl.
Filmmaker Jonathan Caouette's documentary on growing up with his schizophrenic mother -- a mixture of snapshots, Super-8, answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, and more -- culled from 19 years of his life.
Moving Together is a celebratory love letter to music and dance that brims with kinetic life and energy. This documentary explores the intricate collaboration between dancers and musicians, moving seamlessly between Flamenco, Modern, and New Orleans Second Line.
A flamboyant restaurateur, a good ol' boy and a political ingénue, walk into a small town political contest and compete head to head to head, for the non-paid mayoral seat of the Tomato Republic. What happens next is anyones guess. The only thing that could slow this race down is a freight train. Let the takeover begin. - Written by Whitney Graham Carter
This documentary explores two horrific stories. With haunting interviews with the killers, plus emotional exchanges with the daughters.
Using two separate filmmaking teams (an all-white crew filming white residents and an all-black camera crew filming black residents), TWO TOWNS OF JASPER captures very different racial views by townsfolk in Jasper, Texas, the location for a racially motivated murder of an African American man in 1998.
Underground poker player Bobby Diamonds enters the spotlight in this hallucinatory, hilarious, and heartfelt documentary. Directed, Produced, and Edited by Robert Aaron Mitchell Executive Producer Sarah Dillard Mitchell Winner of Best Short Documentary Tokyo International Short Film Festival (2022) Winner of Best Short Documentary Venice Fullshot Film Festival (2022) Official Selection Munich New Wave Short Film Festival (2022) Official Selection Toronto Smartphone Film Festival (2023)
Barbecue is a religion in Texas, and this droll documentary takes a look at some of the colorful characters who live and die for this culinary art. Narrated by former Gov. Ann Richards, the film covers everything from the Church of the Holy BBQ and the Great Texas Mosquito Festival to a zealous group of University of Texas students who lead "barbecue missions." Interviews with Dan Rather, Kinky Friedman and other famous Texans are included.
In the early 1830s Texas was about to explode. Although ruled by Mexico, the region was home to more than 20,000 U.S. settlers agitated by what they saw as restrictive Mexican policies. Mexican officials, concerned with illegal trading and immigration, were prepared to fight hard to keep the province under their control. Caught in the middle were the area's 4,000 Mexican Texans or Tejanos. With war on the horizon, the Tejanos had to pick a side. Many chose to fight with their Anglo neighbors against an army sent by Mexico City. The conflict pitted brother against brother and devastated the community. The Tejano gamble for a more prosperous future in an independent Texas proved tragic. Following the revolution, the Tejanos were overwhelmed by a surge of Anglo immigration -- leaving them foreigners in a land they had fought to defend.
“The Walkout” is a new documentary that brings to light a pivotal but often overlooked moment in Texas history: the 1968 student walkout at Edgewood High School in San Antonio’s Westside. Fed up with underfunded classrooms, uncertified teachers, and crumbling facilities, a group of young Mexican American students and their families organized a bold protest that would become a catalyst for statewide education reform. Told through the voices of the original students, community leaders, and historians, The Walkout weaves together personal testimony, historical footage, and present-day reflections to honor the legacy of resistance born in San Antonio’s Westside. This film doesn’t just revisit the past; it also draws a direct line to today’s struggles over school funding and equity in Texas.