Vito

This 1978 documentary classic is an inside look at the old-style Chicago Machine politics of the Richard J. Daley era, where Alderman Vito Marzullo ran his West Side 25th Ward virtually unchallenged from 1953-1985.

Collision Rescue

When two parties get in a head-on collision, it's up to emergency services to free them from the wreckage. What follows is a demonstration of what their job and duties entail.

In Pictures Did You Get It Right?

A love letter to the first three months of the Coronavirus pandemic.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

Firefighters Chuck Ford and Larry Valentine are guy's guys, loyal to the core—which is why when widower Larry asks Chuck to pose as his lover so that he can get domestic partner benefits for his kids, his buddy agrees. However, things get dicey when a bureaucrat comes calling, and the boys are forced to present a picture of domestic bliss.

Vernon's Volunteers

A small American town provides the setting for a look at the antics of a group of volunteers who comprise the area's only fire department.

Fireman Save My Child

Comedy about the members of an early 1900s fire company.

La regla de Gala

Gala is preparing for the firefighter exam when she gets her period accompanied by severe menstrual pain. Together with her father Alfonso, they must figure out how to manage the situation.

The Madison

Walter Schmitt, a once-prominent Chicago hotel developer, fights to revive his stalled legacy through an ambitious international expansion. When the pressure mounts, a chance encounter with a mysterious, powerful investor sparks a high-stakes new chapter that tests the limits of his ambition.

A Tight Squeeze

A desperate actor's callback spirals when an embarrassing mishap with the group's intimidating captain forces them into a secret pact.

Blue Aura

ca. 1980-81, 4 min, Super-8mm. "In Blue Aura, a man and woman are asleep in bed. The dream begins with a crudely made, whirling paper spiral and the woman is twirled out of bed to her strange mission. The man remains in his own unconscious ritual, looking like a Byzantine saint in face and form. The sheets rise to either side of him in stylized drapes and fall across his body in curving pleats. The dream continues and the man joins the woman, but as if in a separate dream of his own. The film ends but the dream does not seem to; the man and woman are trapped in this half-life and dream on." — Barbara Sharres, "Trance Occurrences," Chicago Reader, January 15 1982.

Bible

The story of Adam and Eve is told through stop-motion paper cut-outs.

Piano Dance

"Piano Dance shows the viewer a shadowy piano accompanied by the sound of piano music. The piano is then seen to be a toy, the headdress of a woman with hollow eyes and a pasty face who moves like a marionette in a weird dance. She is dressed as if she were a cabaret performer in black tie and tails and white gloves. The images whirl and the piano is both large and small as the camera sees it in varying scale. The protagonist does not appear to move of her own volition but by the will of another. Her dance fades, not because it is over but because we are no longer privileged to see it. One feels that it continues eternally." — Barbara Sharres, "Trance Occurrences," Chicago Reader, January 15 1982.

God Versus Aliens

God Vs Aliens is a controversial documentary by filmmaker/musician Mark Christopher Lee that delves into the potential impact of first contact with extraterrestrials on global religions and the role of AI. Featuring exclusive interviews with renowned UFO experts, including Nick Pope (UK's Ministry of Defense) and Professor Avi Loeb (Harvard University), the film explores evidence from ancient texts and the Bible regarding previous visitations. Addressing recent revelations by DOD whistleblowers, the documentary highlights interviews with UFO abductee Tony Topping, who claims a variety of alien types exist and Avi Loeb claiming that extraterrestrials may send AI drones rather than 'manned' vehicles, to make 'first contact' with AI systems on Earth.

Lex Barker - Westernheld und Playboy

He is the most sought-after man in Europe in the 1960s. Lex Barker embodies the flawless hero in his films and, as Old Shatterhand, becomes a role model for generations of fans. Revered in Europe, misunderstood and almost forgotten in his native America. But who was this American who rode through Yugoslavia in a leather costume for the European audience? In 1973, Lex Barker died of a heart attack on the streets of Manhattan in New York. But no one recognizes the man who was Tarzan in Hollywood. Nobody knows him or cares about that he, as Winnetou's friend, is revered as an icon in Europe. Lex Barker's European western adventures are just a footnote in American film history. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his death, the documentary tells the story of one of the most beautiful men who ever flickered across Europe's cinema screens, for whom European cinema proved to be a stroke of luck and for whom a failed Hollywood career took him via Italy to Germany.

The ABCs of Book Banning

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.

VistaVision Visits Norway

This short travelogue, visiting Norway, was shot in VistaVision.

Loriot 100

Documentary about German comedian Loriot alias Vicco von Bülow, who would have been 100 years old in 2023.

The Barber of Little Rock

Explores the racial wealth gap in America through the story of People Trust, a homegrown community bank in Little Rock, Arkansas, working to uplift a community that has been largely excluded from the financial engines that create wealth.

Two on K2

Follow Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and her husband Ralf Dujmovits as they try to summit the K2, Gerlinde's last remaining peak for completion of the "Crown of the Himalayas".

Maki-e by Kazumi Murose - Beauty Beyond Time

Kazumi Murose was designated a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property for his maki-e art by the Japanese government in 2008. He followed in the footsteps of his father, urushi artist Shunji Murose, and studied under such modern urushi masters as Gonroku Matsuda and Yoshikuni Taguchi. They taught him to “learn from people,” “learn from objects,” and “learn from nature.” This advice became the basis of the processes Murose employs in the quest to produce works in new materials. In addition, he learns from traditional Japanese lacquerwork by conserving cultural works and incorporating their materials and techniques into his contemporary pieces. This film presents how Murose achieves this, his views on creating works, and how he shares and passes on the values of Japanese urushi work, both at home and abroad. It is a meticulous record of the method and spirit behind the creative endeavors of Kazumi Murose, an urushi artist living in the present day.

Life of a Mutt

Through seven scenes, the film follows the life and destinies of stray dogs from the margins of our society, leading us to reconsider our attitude towards them. Through the seven “wandering” characters that we follow at different ages, from birth to old age, we witness their dignified struggle for survival. At the cemetery, in an abandoned factory, in an asylum, in a landfill, in places full of sorrow, our heroes search for love and togetherness. By combining documentary material, animation and acting interpretation of the thoughts of our heroes, we get to know lives between disappointment and hope, quite similar to ours.

Gasping for Air

When his sister disappears after leaving their home in hopes of singing stardom, Luis tracks her down and discovers the grim reality of her whereabouts.

NULL

A hitman is tasked to take out ex-mobsters when he suddenly hears a voice that questions his morality.

Mantovani, the King of Strings

Known for his unmistakable cascading strings and recordings such as Charmaine, Mantovani enthralled the world with his sublime arrangements. This is the story of the man and his music.

1-2-3

Megazone 23 III - Part 1 - The Awakening of Eve

Years after the events of Megazone 23 II, the only city on Earth is the supposedly idyllic Eden. There lives Eiji Takanaka, a B Level hacker who has just been accepted into EX, the organization that controls Eden. However, before his first day on the job, he becomes embroiled in a network war, a legendary figure named EVE, and a plot to re-inhabit the Earth.

Hello

The film tells the story of three best friends named Ako, Aki and Awang, who are well-known in their village for their mischievous and humourous pranks. The trio work for Pak Man. One day, they are assigned to pick up his daughter Misha, who has just returned from overseas and dreams of becoming a doctor. The trio have been in love with her for a long time but she does not pay them any heed. When Misha is robbed by a snatch thief one day, she is rescued by a doctor named Shafiq. Her face reminds the doctor of his late wife, and he begins to pursue her, which annoys the trio.

Do-Re-Me

Hong Kong movie

Captain Nulle

Valdis Nulle is a young and ambitious captain of fishing ship 'Dzintars'. He has his views on fishing methods but the sea makes its own rules. Kolkhoz authorities are forced to include dubious characters in his crew, for example, former captain Bauze and silent alcoholic Juhans. The young captain lacks experience in working with so many fishermen on board. Unexpectedly, pretty engineer Sabīne is ordered to test a new construction fishing net on Nulle's ship and 'production conflict' between her and the captain arises...

HG's Shadow

A gay teenager is haunted by a shadowy presence while his parents are getting a divorce, he can't seem to convey his emotions to his best friend or make his family listen. His world is turned upside down when the shadow reveals to him a darker secret his family keeps to him.

Linkin Park: Live In Moscow

Linkin Park have taken their expansive rock show to seemingly every corner of the globe, but they've never played Moscow's Red Square (to be fair, very few acts ever have). But now, thanks to the power of Michael Bay and "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," they can finally cross it off their list.

Read Aloud

Justin is a film editor surrounded by performances. Sick of sitting in a dark room watching others, he starts to envision ‘70s cabaret style performances of his own. When a new relationship starts to develop, Justin has to decide how badly he wants to come out from behind the camera.

Nullarbor

An animated road-movie set across the vast and barren landscape of Australia's Nullarbor Plain.

Flow

The Island 2

Following the events of the first part, Mansour Al-Hefni escapes from prison and reunites with his son Ali and brother to return to the island to recover what they have lost. Mansour must stand against his old love Karima while the leader of the travelers tribe Sheikh Jaafar enters the conflict for rulership

Hello

During one of their night stays, three college teens play a silly prank where they randomly call people and tell them that they know who that person is and what they have done. What will happen when things take a dangerous turn?

Piccadilly Zero Hour 12

Mike Hilton served eight years in prison for being innocent. When he is released from prison early, he wants revenge on the men who were responsible. But the ex-commissioner in charge at the time, Jack Bellamy, has given in to drunkenness. And Mike's lawyer Cunningham continues to make crooked deals. He holds the key to solving the case. When Bellamy picks himself up again, he and Hilton are able to bring Cunningham and the gangster Whity to justice.

War

A 1920s bootlegger evades two skilled U.S. Marshals in this hit APUSH classic.