2020 Movies : Documentary

With Abel Ferrara • Nicolas Nicolaou

This documentary portrait of theater operator Nicolas “Nick” Nicolaou moves from 1970s Times Square adult film houses through decades of city regulation, chain takeovers, and cultural shifts, charting a charming odyssey through the history of film exhibition and New York City. Abel Ferrara traces the life and work of friend and fellow cinephile Nicolas “Nick” Nicolaou, a Cypriot immigrant who began working as a teenager in small neighborhood movie theaters around Manhattan, defying gentrification, changing viewing habits and corporate dominance in the 1980s, only to emerge decades later as one of New York City's last independent theater owners. A moving tribute to friendship, tenacity and the love of cinema, The Projectionist is also a timely paean to what going to the movies is all about.

With Zach Norris • Saru Jayaraman • Ruby De Tie • Scott Seitz • Jennifer Siebel Newsom • Jessica Congdon

The Great American Lie examines the roots of systemic inequalities through a unique gender lens. With America facing widening economic inequality and stagnant social mobility, this film takes audiences on an empathy journey, inspiring a path forward.

With Kirsten Johnson

In this inventive portrait, director Kirsten Johnson seeks a way to keep her 86-year-old father alive forever by staging fantasies of death and beyond. Together, dad and daughter confront the great inevitability awaiting us all.

With Alexandra Kotcheff • Pepe Serna • Hannah Leder • Phil Parolisi • Austen Eleanore Rachlis

No one was prepared for the success of Fifty Shades of Grey. Originally written in 2010 as a piece of Twilight fan fiction and posted online, it eventually sold over 100 million copies, taking erotica mainstream. But women didn't only read erotica in large numbers; they also wrote it. In the aftermath of Fifty Shades a cottage industry emerged around self-published romance novels. Once women who worked forty-hour-a-week jobs, living paycheck-to-paycheck, many of them are now New York Times bestselling authors with their own merchandise lines and die-hard fans.

With Zachary Capp • Molly Dworsky • Dave Newberg • Julian Williams

Upon his grandfather’s death, a recovering gambling addict (ZACHARY CAPP) used his inheritance to make a documentary about well-known onion rings from his childhood and the beloved Minnesotan chef (LARRY LANG) who makes them. His project changes drastically when the fledging filmmaker becomes hellbent on improving the humble fry cook’s life, despite discovering his subject wants nothing to do with the film. The movie becomes something else entirely when the crew members secretly turn the cameras on the filmmaker, documenting his efforts and failures over a three-year journey.

With John Waters • Ava DuVernay • Catherine Gund • Agnes Gund • Rajendra Roy • Abigail Disney

Aggie' is a feature-length documentary that explores the nexus of art, race, and justice through the story of art collector and philanthropist Agnes "Aggie" Gund's life. Emmy-nominated director Catherine Gund focuses on her mother's journey to give viewers an understanding of the power of art to transform consciousness and inspire social change.

With Father David L. Guffey C.S.C. • Dorothy Halloran • Father Willy Raymond C.S.C. • Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle • Dennis Roverato • Mother Marguerite McCarthy L.S.P. • Jonathan Cipiti

The inspiring true story of a poor Irish immigrant who sets sail for America in 1928 with dreams of becoming a millionaire but, with the help of the most iconic celebrities of Hollywood, ends up spending his life championing the message, "The family that prays together stays together."

With John Waters • Ava DuVernay • Catherine Gund • Agnes Gund • Rajendra Roy • Abigail Disney

Aggie' is a feature-length documentary that explores the nexus of art, race, and justice through the story of art collector and philanthropist Agnes "Aggie" Gund's life. Emmy-nominated director Catherine Gund focuses on her mother's journey to give viewers an understanding of the power of art to transform consciousness and inspire social change.

With Bruce Schooley • Dinesh D’Souza

Written and directed by filmmaker, scholar, and New York Times best selling author Dinesh D’Souza, Trump Card is an exposé of the socialism, corruption and gangsterization that now define the Democratic Party. Whether it is the creeping socialism of Joe Biden or the overt socialism of Bernie Sanders, the film reveals what is unique about modern socialism, who is behind it, why it’s evil, and how we can work together with President Trump to stop it.

With Patty Wagstaff • Taylor Richardson • Afton Kinkade • Abigail Harrison • Tammy Duckworth • Nicole Stott • Shaesta Waiz • Jessica Ortega • Katie McEntire Wiatt

FLY LIKE A GIRL is more than just a film. It’s a movement of young girls and women relentlessly pursuing their passion for aviation, a field currently dominated by men. Hearing first-hand stories from girls and women who dared to aim higher. From a lego-loving young girl who includes female pilots in her toy airplanes, to a courageous woman who helped lead shuttle missions to space, Fly Like A Girl shows us that women are in charge of their own destiny.

With Alex Gibney • Ophelia Harutyunyan • Suzanne Hillinger

On January 20th, 2020 the US and South Korea both discovered their first cases of COVID-19. However, 9 months later, the novel Coronavirus has claimed the lives of almost 200,000 Americans and caused staggering economic damage, while in South Korea, there were no significant lockdowns and, in an urbanized population of 51 million, only 344 lives have been lost. Where did we go wrong? Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, directing with Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillinger, interrogates this question and its devastating implications in Totally Under Control. With damning testimony from public health officials and hard investigative reporting, Gibney exposes a system-wide collapse caused by a profound dereliction of Presidential leadership.

With Sarah Colt • Josh Gleason

What do a farmer in Kansas, a laid-off factory worker in Ohio, and an Uber driver in Florida have in common? All three are resourceful, positive thinkers who strive to adapt and thrive despite dehumanizing forces at play in the American economy. As the film’s heroes face these roadblocks with courage, certain ideals remain sacred: family, love, and staying strong in the face of adversity. Lush cinematography galvanizes a sense of place and, as the narrative unfolds, the intimacy with the characters results in an emotionally rich observational drama. Ultimately, THE DISRUPTED reveals a collective American experience of financial challenge, family resilience, and the quest for the purpose and dignity of work.

With Cinta Hansel • Coco Ho • Rose Molina • Andrea Moller • Inna Blokhina • Keala Kennelly • Ocean Ramsey • Anna Bader • Jeannie Chesser • Sylvia Earle

A woman is like the ocean: a true force of nature. SHE IS THE OCEAN follows nine extraordinary women, scattered across all corners of the globe. But they are united by the same sea, and their love for these waters is matched only by their dedication to preserve and protect them. A journey of both natural beauty and human empathy, SHE IS THE OCEAN is the story of powerful women with depths unknown.

With Julie Sokolow • Kevin Powell • Anna Hayward • Jim Baumer • Mary Baumer • Sherrie Anne Andre • Nick Katkevich

Portrait of Mark Baumer, an environmental activist, avant-garde writer, and vegan, who hiked barefoot for over 100 days across America to draw attention to climate change. In a voice The New Yorker praised as “reminiscent of Andy Kaufman”, Baumer narrates his offbeat take on life and how we all can make a difference.