"Sax Maniac: The Life and Times of James Chance" delves into the groundbreaking career of James Siegfried, better known as James Chance or James White, a seminal figure in the late 1970s and early 1980s New York City "No Wave" music scene. Produced and directed by his brother, David Siegfried, the documentary chronicles James's journey from his early days in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he first explored jazz and protopunk.
A young man, Peter, returns to Austria in search of his heritage. There he visits the castle of an ancestor, a sadistic Baron who was cursed to a violent death by a witch whom the Baron had burned at the stake. Peter reads aloud the incantation that causes Baron Blood to return and continue his murderous tortures.
In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found.
Cautio Criminalis
Set to a classic Duke Ellington recording "Daybreak Express", this is a five-minute short of the soon-to-be-demolished Third Avenue elevated subway station in New York City.
During a decade rife with paranoia, in the middle of the McCarthy era, Music Inn was a bold experiment. Halfway between the Second World War and The Civil Rights Movement, Phil and Stephanie Barber created an oasis in the Berkshire Hills in Western Massachusetts where aspiring musicians came to learn from the very best. Students and faculty, young and old, rich and poor, white, black, and brown convened together and learned from each other. Defying the surrounding environment, Music Inn harbored a racial and cultural harmony where music was all that mattered.
As her life spirals out of control, a rebellious undergrad begins practicing a forbidden witchcraft to help her grades; but when she unknowingly unleashes a deadly curse that threatens her father's life, she will be forced to pass her biggest test yet.
An ambitious chef opens a restaurant on a remote estate where she battles kitchen chaos, crushing self doubts… and a haunting presence who threatens to sabotage her at every turn.
An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing 'Mister' Albert Johnson, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa.
"Hope You Like It" is a heartwarming short documentary that delves into the life of Ken “K-Brick” Cooper, a talented jazz musician whose music carries the weight of a cherished family legacy. Set against the backdrop of an isolated mall in Laughlin, Nevada, this short film captures Ken's poignant journey as he serenades the empty hallways with original jazz compositions. His saxophone, a precious gift from his late father just before his passing, serves as a powerful connection to the past.
A biographical film featuring the music and times of Bill Evans with interviews from Tony Bennett, Jack Dejohnette, Billy Taylor, Paul Motian, Jon Hendricks, Orin Keepnews, Bobby Brookmeyer, Pat Evans and more, including family and friends who knew Bill Evans well.
Timo Novotny labels his new project an experimental music documentary film, in a remix of the celebrated film Megacities (1997), a visually refined essay on the hidden faces of several world "megacities" by leading Austrian documentarist Michael Glawogger. Novotny complements 30 % of material taken straight from the film (and re-edited) with 70 % as yet unseen footage in which he blends original shots unused by Glawogger with his own sequences (shot by Megacities cameraman Wolfgang Thaler) from Tokyo. Alongside the Japanese metropolis, Life in Loops takes us right into the atmosphere of Mexico City, New York, Moscow and Bombay. This electrifying combination of fascinating film images and an equally compelling soundtrack from Sofa Surfers sets us off on a stunning audiovisual adventure across the continents. The film also makes an original contribution to the discussion on new trends in documentary filmmaking.
A dream-like version of the Sabbath in the Middle Ages: one night at full moon, the women leave home to meet with the devil in the woods. Several orgiastic ceremonies later, they all return home at cockcrow. All except for one, the youngest, who is under an evil spell.
Did you look at the sun for too long, until the shapes of the surrounding world stretched and the colors became distorted? In this music documentary, the band Mikko Sarvanne Garden performscompositions set to contemporary poetry: Heräämisen valkea myrsky, Valo jota pöly juo, and Hiljainen kuin metsä.
After trashing a pumpkin patch with a group of old friends, skeptic college student Ruben meets a bloodthirsty pumpkin demon forced to roam the Earth as a punishment for its sins against its master- a witch who wants to make a change.
A woman earns a living by smuggling exotic animals and illegal goods, developing a mobile app that links users with mystical marabout healers, but one of the user's consultations takes a tragic turn facing a violent backlash.
The brilliant self-taught pianist Erroll Garner left his mark on jazz forever. His song Misty, which he allegedly composed between two concerts on an aeroplane, immediately became one of the great jazz standards and is still one of the most covered ballads in the world today. Who was the man behind the ever-friendly smile from the ghettos of Pittsburgh, whose talent brought him to the biggest international stages?
Mirah, a woman shunned by her village after the mysterious deaths of men connected to her, seeks refuge in a Padang restaurant owned by Bana, who falls in love with her. As more men die, Mirah discovers she’s cursed by her stepsister Puti with the deadly “Bahu Laweyan” curse, which kills any man who becomes intimately involved with her. Fueled by revenge, Mirah plans to destroy Puti’s happiness by targeting her husband. Despite the deadly curse, Mirah and Bana craft their own tragic love story, choosing to be together no matter the consequences.
Documentary short showcasing the genius of jazz greats Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Cozy Cole, and Milt Hinton, among others.
The young American Pablo Menéndez came to Cuba to study Music at the National School of Art. Here he formed a family and became one more Cuban. Member of the Sound Experimentation Group of ICAIC and promoter of the teaching of the electric guitar in Cuba, he is, together with his group Mezcla, one of our most original musicians.