Documentary Movies 2021 List

With Kristine Stolakis

In the 1970s, five men struggling with being gay in their Evangelical church started a Bible study to help each other leave the “homosexual lifestyle.” They quickly received over 25,000 letters from people asking for help and formalized as Exodus International, the largest and most controversial conversion therapy organization in the world. But leaders struggled with a secret: their own “same-sex attractions” never went away. After years as superstars in the religious right, many of these men and women have come out as LGBTQ, disavowing the very movement they helped start. Focusing on the dramatic journeys of former conversion therapy leaders, current members, and a survivor, PRAY AWAY chronicles the “ex gay” movement’s rise to power, its unscientific influence, and its legacy of profound harm.

With Mariam Ghani

30 years after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent civil war, during a new era of political uncertainty for the embattled nation, the film looks closely at the era of state-funded Afghan filmmaking during the country’s Communist era, bringing together writers, actors, and filmmakers to discuss five unfinished, unedited projects produced from 1978-1991.

With Marika Gerrard • Zoey Tur • Katy Tur • Matt Yoka

Flying high above Los Angeles in a whirling news helicopter, husband-and-wife team Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (then known as Bob) covered some of the city’s most dramatic events and changed breaking news forever. An entirely unique view of Los Angeles presented through stunning aerial footage and remarkable home videos, WHIRLYBIRD reframes many of the city’s pivotal moments, including the L.A. riots and the O.J. Simpson pursuit.

With Jamila Wignot • Lauren DeFilippo

Many know the name Alvin Ailey, but how many know the man? Ailey’s commitment to searching for truth in movement resulted in pioneering and enduring choreography that centers on African American experiences. Director Jamila Wignot’s resonant biography grants artful access to the elusive visionary who founded one of the world’s most renowned dance companies, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

With Val Kilmer • Jordan Wynn • Dane Lillegard • Leo Scott • Ting Poo • Andrew Fried • Ali Alborzi • Brad Koepenick

For over 40 years Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors has been documenting his own life and craft through film and video. He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, to time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever. This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man.

With Ryan Coogler • Davis Guggenheim • Peter Nicks • Nicole Stott • Laurene Powell Jobs • Jonathan Silberberg • Jen Rainin • Tony Hsieh • Bryn Mooser • Kathryn Everett.

Homeroom follows Oakland High School’s class of 2020 as they confront an unprecedented year. Anxiety over test scores and college applications gives way to uncertainty springing from a rapidly developing pandemic. Efforts to eliminate the school district’s police force unfold against the backdrop of growing nationwide demands for systemic change.

With Bradley Whitford • Nicholas Bruckman • Amanda Roddy

A rising star in progressive politics and a new father, 32-year-old Ady Barkan’s life is upended when he is diagnosed with ALS. But after a confrontation with powerful Senator Jeff Flake on an airplane goes viral, catapulting him to national fame, Ady and a motley crew of activists ignite a once-in-a-generation political movement called “Be a Hero.” Together, they barnstorm across the country and empower people to confront their elected officials with emotional, personal stories to demand healthcare justice and Ady holds groundbreaking interviews with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Through his journey, Ady discovers that collective action and speaking truth to power offers hope for his family and millions of others.

With Frank Mannion

A glamorous love letter to the joys and pleasures of champagne that explores the theory that the English actually invented champagne decades before the French monk Dom Perignon and how climate change is affecting the champagne region

With Martin Kemp • Robert K. Wittman • Andreas Koefoed • Alexandra Bregman • Doug Patteson

Tells the inside story behind the Salvator Mundi, the most expensive painting ever sold at $450 million, claimed to be a long-lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci. From the moment it is purchased from a shady New Orleans auction house, and its buyers discover masterful brushstrokes beneath its cheap restoration, the fate of the Salvator Mundi is driven by an insatiable quest for fame, money and power. But as its price soars, so do questions about its authenticity. Is this multi-million dollar painting actually by Leonardo – or do certain power players simply want it to be?

With Nick Broomfield

Suge Knight, the former CEO of legendary rap music label Death Row Records was recently sentenced to 28 years imprisonment. This film takes a look at Death Row and how L.A.’s street gang culture had come to dominate its business workings.

With Ian McKellen • Helen Mirren • Alec Baldwin • John Lithgow • Alexandra Billings • Christine Baranski • George C. Wolfe • August Wilson • James Corde • Hugh Jackma • Oren Jacoby

For anyone who loves theater, this contemporary history of Broadway is a pure joy! As audiences prepare for the return of live theater after an unprecedented absence of 18 months, an all-star cast tells the inside story of the last time Broadway came back from the brink. On Broadway shows how this revival helped save New York City, thanks to innovative work, a new attention to inclusion, and the sometimes uneasy balance between art and commerce.

With Will Smith • Jimmy Fallon • Katy Perry • Jeremy Workman • Lily Hevesh • Casey Neistat

Lily Topples The World follows 20-year-old sensation Lily Hevesh as she rises as an artist, role model, and young woman. Filmed for over 3 years across countless cities and featuring appearances by Jimmy Fallon, Katy Perry, Will Smith, YouTuber Casey Neistat, and a steady stream of Gen-Z creators, Lily Topples The World is a coming-of-age story cloaked within a unique portrait of an artist, a story of how passion and artistry can make dreams come true, and an unlikely American tale of a quiet Chinese adoptee who transforms into a global artistic force with over 1 billion YouTube views.