Genius

The sites and sounds at the 800-year-old Horenji Temple in Kyoto — electro music, English, takoyaki, a kaleidoscopic elephant — would seem to belie its long history. But in order for the family-run temple to thrive in the 21st century, it must continue to reinvent itself. Intimately following future head priest Scion (30) along with his fiancée Haruka and firstborn sister Ariya, critically-acclaimed director Ema Ryan Yamazaki captures one unexpected corner of Japanese society's struggle to balance tradition with progress.

By inviting viewers to take a closer look at the birds that serve as one of this country’s hardiest symbols, Karsten Wall’s stunning documentary invites a deeper consideration of the conditions we humans have created for them.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of the foundational albums of rock & roll music. Its release in 1967 ushered in a new era of musical experimentation and performance that resonated perfectly with the tumultuous and vibrant social changes of the time. It lands near the top of every list of the greatest or most important albums of all time. But even if you’re a fan, how much do you actually know about its creation? Musician, composer, software company CEO and Beatles expert (he taught a class about the Beatles at Yale!) Scott Freiman leads the viewer through an educational journey into the creative process of the Beatles’ performances and recording sessions, their studio innovations and the history behind their music. Lifetime listeners will come away with a fresh realization of the singular genius of the four lads from Liverpool, and even new fans might find a novel way to engage with a fulfilling but extremely complex set of songs.

In recent years, more than 2,500 books have been removed from school districts around the US, labeled as banned, restricted, or challenged, and made unavailable to millions of students. By no accident, the themes targeted are the usual scapegoats of the American Right—LGBTQ+ issues, Black History, and women’s empowerment—impeding the power of future generations to develop their own thoughts and opinions on critical social issues. By weaving together a lyrical montage of young readers and authors, THE ABCs OF BOOK BANNING reveals the voices of the impacted parties, and inspires hope for the future through the profound insights of inquisitive youthful minds.

A remote and wild island on the west coast of Scotland is home to a small group of people that live in deep connection with the land, the sea and the weather. For different reasons, they left their city life to escape their inner demons and to live as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible.

"Twin Peaks: The Phenomenon" is a three-part short documentary briefly chronicling the history of Twin Peaks. Produced and released on YouTube as part of the build-up to the premiere of the 2017 series, it was released on home video as part of Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series and Twin Peaks: From Z to A.

This one hour documentary, presented by former Olympian Jonathan Edwards, dissects the story of St Paul, and aimed to reveal the background to the story of Paul.

“Symphonic Sketches” tells the story of one classical music concert performed by the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. Musicians from diverse racial backgrounds connect to the repertoire in unique ways and stage an unforgettable performance.

Abbey Road is a masterpiece filled with such classic Beatles songs as “Come Together,” “Something,” and “Here Comes the Sun.” Deconstructing the Beatles’ Abbey Road: Side Two takes a track-by-track journey into their inspiration and evolution in the studio with the man who’s been presenting his beloved, exhilarating multimedia deep dives into the band’s work here for years. Because of the depth of the Abbey Road songwriting, he created two separate presentations for this album.

Bogart was interested in this project because it offered a chance to work with his new bride. The studio wasn't convinced, but the result speaks for itself.

Made refugees by the war in Ukraine, Olga and her granddaughter Milana travel to a summer camp in the Austrian Alps to test the limits of their own bravery, and to strengthen their growing bond.

William Hart McNichols is a world renowned artist, heralded by Time magazine as "among the most famous creators of Christian iconic images in the world". As a young Catholic priest from 1983-1990 he was immersed in a life-altering journey working as a chaplain at St. Vincent's AIDS hospice in New York city. It was during this time that he became an early pioneer for LGBT rights within the Catholic church. "The Boy Who Found Gold" is a cinematic journey into the art and spirit of William Hart McNichols. The film follows his colorful life as he crosses paths with presidents, popes, martyrs, and parishioners, finding an insightful lesson with each encounter. McNichols' message as a priest, artist and man speaks to the most powerful element of the human spirit: Mercy.

Family and friends pay tribute to the funnyman, who was one of Britain's best-loved stars of stage, TV and film for more than 50 years - and also became a cult figure in Albania, where his films were ruled to be acceptable entertainment during the country's long years of isolation during the Cold War. Including contributions by Norman's son Nick, singer Vera Lynn and actress Honor Blackman.

A short documentary illustrating how art can influence public perception towards environmental issues. Green Patriot Posters is a highly acclaimed multimedia design campaign that challenges artists to deepen public understanding and ignite collective action in the fight against climate change. So far, it has reached five million people through print media, public space and digital culture. The film features interviews with key Green Patriot Posters contributors (Shepard Fairey, Michael Bierut, DJ Spooky, Mathilde Fallot) and its founders (The Canary Project, Dmitri Siegel).

An intimate portrayal of the everyday lives of Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse, high in the French Alps (Chartreuse Mountains). The idea for the film was proposed to the monks in 1984, but the Carthusians said they wanted time to think about it. The Carthusians finally contacted Gröning 16 years later to say they were now willing to permit Gröning to shoot the movie, if he was still interested.

Documentary on the recording of the Album Una vez iniciado el fuego by Sakatumba

In interviews, various actors and directors discuss their careers and their involvement in the making of what has come to be known as "cult" films. Included are such well-known genre figures as Russ Meyer, Curtis Harrington, Cameron Mitchell and James Karen.

A group of filmmakers shadow some glamour photographers in order to discover the skill involved in getting 'magic' to appear on the photos.

Director James Nguyen will release his short documentary film, CLIMATE FIX which suggests how carbon removal technology can be used to fix climate change-global warming.

Curses examines historical hexes. Learn the fate of those who had contact with the Hope diamond after it was stolen from an idol in India. In ancient Egypt, people protected the deceased from thieves by placing curses on tombs. Discover the events and peculiar deaths which occurred following the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb. See how voodoo worshipers cast spells of harm.