2017 Movies : Documentary

With Joe Simko • Jeff Zapata

In the 1980s a bunch of underground cartoonists parodied a popular doll (whose name can’t be spoken). The resulting commercial trading cards/stickers tapped into an international zeitgeist that was brewing in a young generation who felt that this product spoke to the revulsion they had for the corporate pop culture that was being fed to them. Learn the truth behind the myth of The Garbage Pail Kids.

With Brian Benson

Raising 11 children while wrestling with gender bias, union defeat and victory, and nearly dying after a San Francisco Police beating, Dolores Huerta bucks 1950s gender conventions to co-found the country's first farmworkers union.

With Kirk Cameron • Karen Abercrombie • Leland Klassen • Shari Rigby

Based on a true marriage journey, the film tells the story of ultra-marathon runner and college professor David Horton, his wife, Nancy, and their attempt to finish their marriage race well.

With Gwyneth Paltrow • Tom DeNucci • Joshua Sason • Chad Verdi • Nick Koskoff • Michele Verdi • Emma Tillinger • Neal Cortell • Matthew Weiss

This is a story of sacrifice, selflessness and how the actions of one man have touched and inspired others. Our film is about Welles Crowther, a 9/11 hero. Welles was tragically killed in the lobby of the South Tower when it collapsed. He stayed to help others and his heroics only became known 8 months after the tragedy due to an ordinary object ... a red bandana. The film re-traces the unique manner in which his heroics became known, as well as his last inspirational hour (his finest hour) saving others from the upper reaches of the South Tower. The film, then, depicts Welles’ folklore stature throughout the United States including songs, artwork and babies that have been named in his honor. This legacy section leads up to the revelation of a remarkable secret about Welles that provides the perfect, inspirational ending.

With Thomas Marchese

Every 53 hours in the United States, a police officer is killed in the line of duty. However these losses go mostly unnoticed, overshadowed by sensational, politically charged headlines of the day. Fallen takes a deeply personal look at the stories behind these statistics. More than five years in the making, the film follows the stories of eight fallen officers from across the country. Told through the eyes of those closest to them, as well as the communities they served, these stories offer a sobering glimpse into a routinely overlooked and misunderstood reality

With Neasa Ní Chianáin • David Rane

This observational documentary follows a year in the lives of two inspirational teachers at Headfort, the only primary-age boarding school in Ireland. Housed in an 18th century estate, school life embraces tradition and modernity. For John, rock music is just another subject alongside Maths, Scripture and Latin, taught in a collaborative and often hilarious fashion. For his wife Amanda, the key to connecting with children is the book, and she uses all means to snare the young minds. For nearly half a century these two have shaped thousands of minds, but now the unthinkable looms: what would retirement mean? What will keep them young if they leave?

With Shaul Schwarz • Christina Clusiau

Endangered African species like elephants, rhinos and lions march closer to extinction each year. Their devastating decline is fueled in part by a global desire to consume these majestic animals. TROPHY investigates the powerhouse industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation. Through the eyes of impassioned individuals who drive these industries—from a Texas-based trophy hunter to the world’s largest private rhino breeder in South Africa—the film grapples with the consequences of imposing economic value on animals. What are the implications of treating animals as commodities? Do breeding, farming and hunting offer some of the few remaining options to conserve our endangered animals?

With Eric Esau • Jason Pamer • Serena Karnagy ...Siren • Justin Torrence • Robert Fleet

The Heart of Man is a cinematic retelling of the parable of the Prodigal Son, interwoven with true testimonials of personal and sexual brokenness. Narrative storytelling and documentary filmmaking are combined like never before to reveal the compassionate heart of God the Father for His sons and daughters, illuminating an age-old truth: shame is not a barrier to God’s love, but a bridge to absolute transformation, victory, freedom, and hope.

American dancer Bobbi Jene, who after a decade of stardom in Israel decides to leave behind her prominent position at the renowned Batsheva Dance Company, as well as the love of her life, to return to the U.S.

With Greg Laurie

Steve McQueen: American Icon tells the story of one of America's most enduring and intriguing movie stars. This redemption story chronicles McQueen's exodus from wealth and excess to his little-known search for faith and meaning toward the end of his life. The story is hosted by American pastor Greg Laurie, who is not only an avid fan of "The King of Cool,” but also experienced a similarly troubled childhood as McQueen. In his mint replica "Bullitt" Mustang, Greg travels the country in search of the untold story of McQueen's final chapter and the redemption McQueen found in the skies above Santa Paula. The documentary features interviews with Steve's wife Barbara Minty McQueen who, as a New York model and amateur photographer, took hundreds of never-before-seen candid photographs of Steve in his last years.