Director, Producer, Cinematographer and Writer Mstyslav Chernov drop by to talk about the harrowing, heroic and profoundly moving experience that is his remarkable documentary film, 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA. 

2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA follows a Ukrainian battalion as they try to recapture the small town of Andriivka just after it had been overtaken by Russian soldiers. The Ukrainian soldiers equipped with body cams on their person and Go-Pro cameras on their helmets takes the viewers on this journey and brings us into the middle of the conflict and the struggle to take back the land from the Russians. With incredible footage coupled with precise editing and a powerful musical score, Oscar® winning director Mstyslav Chernov (20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL) focuses on the harrowing experience of these young soldiers and the intensity of the daily battle for their country and their lives.

IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg (DELIVER US FROM EVIL, JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE, WEST OF MEMPHIS), covers the life of the rising young star with an otherworldly voice and boundary-pushing artistry, who left the '90s music world reeling when he died suddenly, at age 30, after the release of his critically acclaimed debut album “Grace.” Told through never-before-seen footage from Buckley’s archives and intimate accounts from his mother Mary Guibert, former partners Rebecca Moore and Joan Wasser, Jeff’s former bandmates, including Michael Tighe and Parker Kindred, and luminaries like Ben Harper and Aimee Mann, IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY illuminates one of modern music’s most influential and enigmatic figures. Director Amy Berg joins us for a enlightening conversation about the short, but brilliant AND the “what-if” career of singer / songwriter / musician Jeff Buckley.

Producer Christopher Walter’s ARTFULLY UNITED, the first feature-length documentary from his own productions company, is a celebration of the power of positivity and a reminder that hope can sometimes grow in the most unlikely of places. ARTFULLY UNITED springs from the imagination and artistry of Mike Norice who’s simple, but brilliant idea to paint striking images and messages, designed to engage and inspire, on walls and storefronts strategically located in and around distressed Los Angeles area communities. The project brought together dozens of artists and activists with a clear mandate to heal and uplift the city they call home. As the murals are unveiled, the film explores the forces that shape the streets of L.A. and those that shape Mike as an artist, delving into his past to create a rich tapestry of family and faith, love and loss, music, hope, and life. Director David Benner follows artist Mike Norice as he creates a series of inspirational murals in underserved neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles. Join us for a conversation with the producer of Artfully United Christopher Walters.

After a series of plagues and wars leaves society in ruins, the Freemans are surviving — even thriving — on a farm in the middle of nowhere... so long as they repel the occasional raiding party. Former soldier Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler) and her partner Galen (Michael Greyeyes) fled the collapse along with their children, training them to fight (and, yes, kill). But now Hailey’s eldest Emanuel (Kataem O’Connor) is a young man, and when he meets a young woman (Milcania Diaz-Rojas) in the forest beyond the fence, his need for human contact could place the whole family in jeopardy. Director, Co-writer and Executive Producer R.T. Thorne joins us for a conversation on a working with a superb cast of actors led by Danielle Deadwyler, the responsibility that comes with wearing multiple production level “hats” and the historic context of the film’s title.

On the fringes of the Oregon wilderness, two strangers are brought together when a reclusive Woodsman (Ivan Martin) discovers a teenage runaway, Dani (Maddison Brown) hypothermic and barely conscious in the woods. After saving Dani from the elements, The Woodsman begrudgingly agrees to return the teen to her grandmother. As they make their way across the state, they forge an unexpected bond, delving into their pasts and testing their willingness to trust one another. Ultimately, with each other’s help, they find the courage to face the demons that haunt them and discover a way to start anew. Join us fora conversation with the director, producer and writer Kelsey Taylor. (ALONE IN TOMBSTONE)

In Oscar®-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s life-affirming documentary, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway where they must rely on only themselves, one another, and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions. Exhausted by loneliness, social anxiety, and all the crushing barrage of pressures felt by their generation, three teenagers leave the comforts of home to enroll in a traditional “folk high school” in the wilds of northernmost Norway. Dropped in the arctic wilderness for one year, Hege, Romain, and Bjørn Tore must rely only on themselves and a pack of loyal sled dogs as they take the daunting step from childhood to adulthood. Freed from technology, social media, and the noise of modern life, this brave trio learns to face themselves for the first time, and experience an unexpected transformation. We're joined by the co-directors Rachel Grady & Heidi Ewing "Jesus Camp", (Academy Award nominee), and "12th & Delaware" (Peabody Award winner).

Strap up for Director Rex Miller’s head first dive into the turmoil and chaos that has been the life of Harley Flanagan! WIRED FOR CHAOS looks back on the founder of the pioneering band Cro-Mags and a legend of the NYC Hardcore scene, Harley Flanagan is a punk rock icon who has battled chaos, defied the odds, and come out the other side. Friends like Flea, Henry Rollins, Roger Miret, Keith Morris, Michael Imperioli, Matt Sera, Jocko Willink, and the late Anthony Bourdain reveal the man behind the legend – confronting demons, raising a family, and sharing the knowledge of his experience to help others. Harley Flanagan didn’t just live hardcore – he is hardcore. Wired for Chaos is his story – loud, unfiltered, and real as hell. 

PRIME MINISTER begins in August 2017 with the dramatic the lead-up to national elections. Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly became New Zealand’s opposition party leader. She had just turned 37. Two frenetic months later, she becomes Prime Minister. Co-directors Michelle Walshe (CHASING GREAT) and Lindsay Utz (BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY) to talk to us about the treasure trove of footage shot by Jacinda’s husband Clarke Gayford, gaining access to Jacinda and the people in her life and what leadership looks like in a world where women are in charge. 

Co-director Fax Bahr and Film Archivist / Restoration Supervisor for American Zoetrope, James T. Mockoski join us for a spirited conversation on the harrowing and rewarding ride that has been the story of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse. 

Renown filmmaker Viktor Kossakovsky (Gunda, Aquarela) presents his spectacular new documentary, ARCHITECTON, as  a poetic meditation on architecture and how the design and construction of buildings from the ancient past may reveal much about our looming destruction – as well as offer hope for survival and a way forward. He reflects on the rise and fall of civilizations while focusing on a landscape project by the Italian architect Michele De Lucchi, using imagery from the temple ruins of Baalbek in Lebanon, dating back to AD 60, to the recent destruction of cities in Turkey following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in early 2023.

Director Viktor Kossakovsky joins us to talk about the age of sugar and concrete, working with Michele De Lucchi and what this experience has taught him about the potential fate of humanity.

Before Fred Rogers and Jim Henson, there was Shari Lewis, a children’s television pioneer whose whimsical characters and ebullient spirit have guided generations of children as they came of age. Raised in the Bronx by a proud feminist mother and a professor father who moonlighted as Peter Pan the Magic Man, Shari became a multitalented dancer, singer, and magician. But when an injury sidelined her dance aspirations, she channeled her creativity into a passion for ventriloquism, creating the now beloved sock puppet characters Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy and, of course, Lamb Chop. From her early years of TV success to the crush of her show’s cancellation to her 1990s comeback in her 60s.

Director Lisa D’Apolito joins us for a conversation about Shari’s early days, and the connection that her characters had on children, her bounce back after her show’s cancellation and Lisa's own memories in front of a TV set watching the gentile lives Lamb Chop and Hush Puppy. 

Disabled film Director Reid Davenport (I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE) and Producer Colleen Cassingham trenchantly probes the legacy of Elizabeth Bouvia — a disabled California woman who, at the age of 26, sought “the right to die.” Her 1983 case provoked a national debate about the value of disabled lives, and Davenport sees echoes in chilling contemporary cases of disabled people dying prematurely — at their own hands and from a broken health care system. Through moving interviews and rich archival material, LIFE AFTER looks critically at where progressive values of bodily autonomy collide with the devaluing and fear of disabled lives. Director Reid Davenport & Producer Colleen Cassingham join us to talk about the wide-ranging and complex conversations taking place within the disability, medical communities and law-makers responsible for public policies that address a slew of complex considerations.

About the filmmaker - Reid Davenport (Director) makes documentaries about disability from an overtly political perspective. Reid’s first feature film, I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE, won the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and the McBaine Bay Area Documentary Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

About the filmmaker - Colleen Cassingham (Producer) is a producer at Multitude Films focused on politically committed artful nonfiction. Most recently, she produced the IDA Awards-nominated shorts collection QUEER FUTURES, which premiered at CPH:DOX 2023 and is streaming on the Criterion Channel. Her past credits include Co-Producer on IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL (Sundance 2023), and Associate Producer on PRAY AWAY (Tribeca 2020), CALL CENTER BLUES (SXSW 2020), ALWAYS IN SEASON (Sundance 2019), THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED (Tribeca 2018), and LOVE THE SINNER (Tribeca 2017).

Fearless civil rights lawyer Chase Strangio battles at the Supreme Court for transgender adolescents' access to gender-affirming healthcare, confronting not only the legal system but also a media landscape that distorts public perception and threatens the struggle for trans rights. With the dangerous SCOTUS decision upholding the ban on life-saving healthcare, HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY is an urgent call to action against bigotry and injustice. The Supreme Court recently delivered a significant setback for transgender rights by upholding a Tennessee law that restricts access to gender-affirming care for minors. In U.S. v. Skrmetti, the court, in a 6-3 decision, sided with the state, allowing it to ban hormone therapy and other treatments for transgender youth with gender dysphoria. This ruling effectively allows other states to implement similar restrictions on transgender healthcare for minors. Director Sam Feder & Producer Amy Scholder stop by to talk about the harrowing times these are for the trans community, their families and the people who love them.

DEATH and TAXES is a feature documentary about wealth, inequality, and the American Dream, viewed through the lens of the estate tax. It is also the very personal story of a father and son at odds over what kind of inheritance we want to leave our kids and our country. Filmmaker Justin Schein's father, Harvey Schein, liked to say he lived the so-called "American Dream": rising from poverty in Depression-era Brooklyn to great financial success as one of America's top CEOs of the 1970s. But Harvey Schein also spent the last 20 years of his life fixated on trying to keep his hard-earned wealth from the taxman-an obsession that almost broke the Schein family apart. More broadly, inherited wealth and the tax system that shields it have badly distorted American democracy, perpetuating racial and economic inequity in the country. Filmed over more than 20 years, and weaving intimate family footage with interviews with prominent experts from all sides of the debate, DEATH AND TAXES tells this crucial story through the tale of one American family. Director and son of Harvey Shein, Justin Schein joins us for a conversation on the impact his father had on him and his family.

It starts with a kick to the head. Mixed martial arts competitor Lukas has just handily defeated his opponent and celebrates with his wife, child, and friends backstage, setting the scene for a nimble combination of communal bonding and looming horrors. 

Writer-director Laurynas Bareiša, an ND/NF veteran for his debut feature Pilgrims, takes us on a non-linear journey through the experiences and recollections of those who survived tragedy (and those who didn’t), shot with unceasing patience and formal rigor. 

DROWNING DRY was the second of Bareiša’s films selected as Lithuania’s entry for the Best International Feature Academy Award. Winner of Locarno’s Best Director and, in recognition of its indispensable ensemble of four, Best Performance awards. A Dekanalog release. –New Directors/New Films 2025

Meredith Monk — composer, performer, and interdisciplinary artist — is one of the great artistic pioneers of our time, yet her profound cultural influence is largely unrecognized. With Monk’s music at its center, and featuring interviews with Björk and David Byrne, MONK IN PIECES is a mosaic that mirrors the structure of Monk’s own work, and illuminates her wildly original vocabulary of sound and imagery. As a female artist in the male-dominated downtown arts scene of the 1960s and ‘70s, Monk had to fight for recognition and resources. Early reviews in the mainstream press were vicious and sexist: “A disgrace to the name of dancing” wrote Clive Barnes, and “so earnestly strange in a talented little-girl way,” wrote John Rockwell. Yet as her celebrated contemporary, Philip Glass, says, "she, among all of us, was — and still is — the uniquely gifted one. MONK IN PIECES made its world premiere at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival and will be released theatrically on Friday, July 25 at New York’s IFC Center followed by LA’s Laemmle Royal on Friday, August 1. A wider national rollout will follow.

A KING LIKE ME follows members of the Zulu Club, New Orleans’ first Black Mardi Gras krewe, as they work to bring the Zulu parade back to the streets for Mardi Gras Day 2022, in the face of a global pandemic, hurricane Ida and the loss of members due to COVID and gun violence. A KING LIKE ME benefits from the unprecedented access to a stalwart community and cultural institution as it documents a modern portrait of Black brotherhood, leadership and community.

About the filmmaker - Director / Producer Matthew O. Henderson, is a native New Yorker who has worked in the Film & Television Industry for over fifteen years. As a producer, he’s worked on a number of films including Fragments of Paradise, which had its World Premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, winning Best Documentary on Cinema; True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality, which won a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary; The Soul of America; Gordon Parks: A Choice of Weapon; and Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. Matthew bridges the technical and creative hemispheres having worked for over ten years as a Camera Assistant and Camera Operator. Matthew’s passion for storytelling coupled with his ability to conceptualize and create compelling, and soulful visuals has allowed him to film all around the world. Whether it’s a remote aboriginal village in Eastern Australia, floating along the Venice like canals of Makoko, Nigeria in Africa, or filming at depths of five-hundred feet below the Atlantic Ocean, his approach to filmmaking is always the same – tell the story you find, not the one you expect to find.

Ebs Burnough made his directorial debut with the documentary “The Capote Tapes". He is back with KEROUAC’S ROAD: THE BEAT OF A NATION - Through the lens of Kerouac’s novel On The Road, the documentary follows a few different Americans of various backgrounds on their own personal life journeys traveling across the country, while also looking at the impact and legacy the book has had on generations of people. In addition, the documentary features actors Matt Dillon, Josh Brolin, Michael Imperioli, and W. Kamau Bell as they discuss their personal connection to Kerouac’s On The Road novel and how it formed their relationship with their outlook on life. Director Ebs Burnough joins us for a conversation on the relevancy and controversy that swirls around Jack Kerouac’s masterpiece, the cultural impact the book had on the cultural zeitgeist of the 1960’s and why being on the road still matters to people everywhere. 

Ebs Burnough is a filmmaker and producer. He is a former Senior Advisor to Michelle Obama and served as Deputy White House Social Secretary overseeing major events like the G-20 Summit and curating arts and culture at The White House. With nearly two decades of experience in politics, public policy, and the arts, Burnough is CEO of Hatch House Media, a production company focused on film, TV, theater, and gaming. In 2019, he made his directorial debut with The Capote Tapes, a documentary that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released globally in 2021. Burnough is a graduate of Northwestern University and serves as the Board Chair of The Sundance Institute, Burnough is also a visiting scholar at Oxford University.

It's the day after Christmas in suburban Florida and Billy 5000 (Jack Corbett) and his friends pass the seemingly endless days by slacking, shoplifting, and beatboxing. In between lounging on the beach and sneaking into pools, Billy spends his time hustling on the food-on-demand app Grubster, desperate to make $5,000 before New Year's Eve. As he darts around the city delivering to a series of oddball characters, a routine stop at the mysterious Dolphin Groves Juice Company leads to a run-in with his former classmate—and crush—Rozebud (Miya Folick) and a surprise backpack stowaway in Donut, a bizarre creature from another world. But Dr. Dolphin (Janeane Garofalo), the powerful orange juice CEO, will do anything to get Donut back, and Billy is forced to make hard choices about love, friendship, and how far he'll go for financial security in a world ruled by capitalism in this absurdist and musical take on a coming-of-age comedy. Director and writer Julian Glander stops by to talk about the joy of working with a bevy of great comedic actors in the telling of this skewed version of life in the era of gig economy.

A screw-turning psychological thriller made for the moment, LURKER is the razor-sharp directorial debut from The Bear and Beef writer-producer Alex Russell. When twenty-something Los Angeles retail clerk and loner Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) encounters rising pop star Oliver (Saltburn’s Archie Madekwe), he takes the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. But staying there isn’t easy. With an entire entourage (Bottoms’ Havana Rose Liu, Abbott Elementary’s Zack Fox, Y2K’s Daniel Zolghadri, mid90s’ Sunny Suljic) vying for attention, Matthew must prove himself to Oliver as more than just a follower. Director Alex Russell, Executive Producer of Beef and Supervising Producer on The Bear, joins us to talk about striking the right tone for a film that allows the characters / actors to explore the dark corners of a story focused on who has existent power in this precarious bubble of fame. 

POOLS dives into the chaotic life of Kennedy, a rebellious college student who has one day to get her life together or face expulsion. Rather than conform, she recruits a misfit crew for a spontaneous night of pool hopping through the lavish backyards of her college town. What starts as an adrenaline-fueled escape turns into something deeper as Kennedy confronts grief, identity, and the lingering impact of her father's death. It's messy, it's emotional, and it's the ride of her life. It’s funny, heartfelt, and full of energy. Director Sam Hayes talks with us about his walking a fine line between broad comedy and perceptive drama, as well as, recruiting a supremely talented ensemble of talented young actors, headed up by Odessa A'zion, Mason Gooding, Michael Vlamis, Ariel Winter, Tyler Alvarez and Francesca Noel.

A surprisingly comic in-depth expose of the massive deforestation required to deliver the nation’s most popular bath tissue brand, CHARMIN WIPES OUT A FOREST is delivering a shocking, yet hopeful message directly to the consumers who can take action: this is a big problem and you can do something about it. Filmed on location in the boreal forest of Canada and featuring an array of scientists, experts and members of the descendants of the family that founded the company that manufactures Charmin, the film presents a tight, entertaining story designed to reach mainstream consumers with a story that can easily have a happy ending. Director Steve Mims and Producer Brian Rodgers joins us for a spirited conversation on the ways we can do better for our planet and for ourselves. 

Director Joshua Zeman’s intense documentary, CHECKPOINT ZOO focuses on the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian war Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city, as it becomes a warzone. On one side of the battlefield was the invading Russian army, on the other side, the defending Ukrainians, and caught in between them, was a zoo called Feldman Ecopark.  Checkpoint Zoo showcases a story of human compassion, bravery, and sacrifice during Ukraine’s darkest hours. shining a light on the best of humanity when it is all too easy to focus on the worst. Director Joshua Zeman (The Killing Season, Cropsey, The Station Agent) stops by to talk about the people and the horrific war-time conditions in Kharkiv that somehow inspired them to stay behind and work together to do the seemingly impossible. 

GRIFFIN IN SUMMER, revolves around Griffin Nafly, played by break-out star Everett Blunck, who is the most ambitious playwright of his generation. He's also fourteen-years-old, still living with his exhausted mother in the bland suburb of Borwood and desperately attempting to self-produce his new divorce drama Regrets of Autumn starring his unenthusiastic friends. But when Griffin forms a surprise summer friendship with handsome twenty-five-year-old failed performance artist turned handyman Brad, played by Owen Teague, his life (and play) will never be the same. GRIFFIN IN SUMMER, premiered out of Tribeca Festival where it topped the festival awards winning Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature as well as Special Jury Mention for Director Nicholas Colia. The film also received a Someone to Watch Award nomination form Film Independent Spirit Awards. Director & writer Nicholas Colia stops by to talk about the making of his stars young break-out Everett Blunck as well as Owen Teague (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Melanie Lynskey (“Yellowjackets”), Abby Ryder Fortson (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.) and Kathryn Newton (Lisa Frankenstein).

With a mixture of humor, outrage and passion, MAKE A CIRCLE follows a groupof child care providers determined to change how society values the education of its youngest citizens and their own profession. The film confronts a broken system that provides early care and education to over 14 million American children, but where “Parents can’t afford to pay, and teachers can’t afford to stay.” Immersing viewers in both the imaginative, whimsical world of young children and the passionate, hopeful, but imperfect world of the adults who teach and care for them, the film gives voice to the educators and their ideas on how to improve the system. Directed by Jen Bradwell and Todd Boekelheide, MAKE A CIRCLE premieres on PBS.org and the PBS app on Monday, September 1, 2025, and on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings). Jen Bradwell and Todd Boekelheide join us for a conversation on a subject near and dear to their hearts, why ALL the research around the early education of children points to a more is better approach.

Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect, a new one-hour documentary, explores the life and legacy of Thurgood Marshall, the visionary lawyer and civil rights leader who became the first Black justice on the United States Supreme Court. Drawing from rare archival recordings, personal photographs, and exclusive interviews, the film offers an intimate and timely portrait of a man who reshaped American democracy. With a combination of oral history, animation, and evocative sound design, BECOMING THURGOOD brings Marshall’s story to life not as myth, but as a man of action — strategic, courageous, and deeply committed to justice. Through his work, Marshall held the nation accountable to its founding promises, redefined what was possible through the law, and helped move America closer to its highest ideals. Peabody and Emmy award winning director Alexis Aggrey joins us for a conversation on the significance of Thurgood Marshall’s pre-Supreme Court work in ushering in an era of real civil and equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their race, creed or color, as well as the equal rights advocates he inspired.  

*A testament to Marshall’s extraordinary influence, BECOMING THURGOOD: AMERICA’S SOCIAL ARCHITECT premieres Tuesday, September 9, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS app. 

In this follow-up to her award-winning film THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY, Film Independent Spirit Awards nominee filmmaker Morrisa Maltz's latest project, JAZZY, is an intimate portrait of Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux, a young Oglala Lakota girl growing up in Spearfish, South Dakota, from the ages of six to twelve. When Jazzy finds out her best friend Syriah (Syriah Fool Head Means) is moving, she is confronted with the pains of growing up and the realities of the adult world. JAZZY was shot over 6 years and overall, is a portrait of growing up, from a young girl into teenage-hood. The film is fictional but also written by Jazzy and her friend Syriah as they developed over the years and shared their experiences with us — as life happened to them. Jazzy and her peer group have dazzled us with the poetry of growing up and their ability to story tell as collaborators and actors in this film. The film explores the lives and ever-changing relationships of their peer group as they leave the dreamlike world of childhood behind. Director and co-writer Morrisa Maltz joins us for a conversation on how the idea for JAZZY fell into place during the filming of THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY, seeing the natural ability of Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux blossom, trusting that the chemistry between Jasmine and Syriah Fool Head Means would come across on the screen and knowing that she had a terrific production team that includes Lily Gladstone, Mark Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Jay Duplass, Jason Beck, and Bill Way to carry her across the finish line. 

From Miguel Gomes, the award winning director of Tabu and Arabian Nights, comes a globe-trotting tale of unrequited love. Earning Gomes the Best Director prize at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, Grand Tour blends melodrama and screwball comedy in this cat-and-mouse chase between lovers. 1917, colonial Burma. Edward, a civil servant for the British Empire, jilts his lovestruck fiancée Molly the day she arrives to be married. As he escapes into an unexpected odyssey across Asia, she quickly follows suit amused by his moves.  Rendered in stunning black-and-white period visuals interspersed with modern-day documentary footage, Grand Tour–Portugal’s Best International Feature entry to the 97th Academy Awards®–is a dazzling multi-city symphony that will leave audiences reeling with wonder. Winner of Best Director for Grand Tour at Cannes in 2024 joins us to talk about his wildly imaginative take on love, colonialism, courtship, integrity and filmmaking. 

In this emotionally wrenching feature documentary, Between the Mountain and the Sky, director Jeremy Power Regimbal explores the life a Maggie Doyne, a selfless young woman who has radically change the lives of hundreds of orphaned children in a land she barely knew. After graduating high school in 2005, Maggie Doyne embarked on a gap year from her university studies, to visit Nepal, While there she met Tope, a now grown Nepalese orphan, caring for orphaned children. United in purpose, Maggie and Tope pooled resources to establish a children’s home, women's empowerment program, and school in Nepal. Years later, their relentless efforts led to being honored as the 2015 CNN HERO OF THE YEAR. But days after the award ceremony, Maggie, by then guardian to over fifty Nepalese children, faces an unimaginable loss, plunging the family into disbelief and despair. After a chance encounter amidst her grief, Maggie allows a filmmaker into her life to document herself, her family, and soon enough, their falling in love. "Between the Mountain and the Sky" explores resilience, love's impact in loss, and a family's enduring strength to find hope in the darkest times. Director Jeremy Power Regimbal (In Their Skin) joins us for a conversation on how he came to know about the work Maggie Doyne was doing, the power of love, and the many different ways his own life has changed since meeting Maggie and Tope. 

Director Ethan Silverman’s ANGELHEADED HIPSTER: THE SONGS OF MARC BOLAN & T-REX is a visually rich and musically daring documentary that fluidly moves between 1970s glam-rock stages and 21st-century recording studios. The film chronicles the creation of the late Hal Willner’s star-studded tribute album—featuring U2, Nick Cave, Joan Jett, Macy Gray, Father John Misty, and more—while weaving in rare archival performances and interviews with Marc Bolan, Elton John, Ringo Starr, and David Bowie. Structured “like a musical, ” the film uses Bolan’s lyrics to guide a semi-linear journey through his life—from his early friendship with Bowie and his chart-topping glam era, to his untimely death at age 29. Shot across New York, London, Paris, Berlin, New Orleans, and Los Angeles, the film blends vérité rehearsal footage, stylized dream sequences, Super-8 home movies, and glittering Top of the Pops clips into an immersive celebration of Bolan’s gender-fluid swagger, poetic wordplay, and rhythm-driven songwriting—cementing his legacy as one of rock’s most visionary figures. Director Ethan Silverman joins us for a conversation on pulling together the all-star roster of musicians for the film AND the album tribute to one of the rock and roll era’s true music innovators and visionaries.  

The Fantastic Golem Affairs begins with Juan and David playing a movie guessing game on a rooftop. During an animated round, David strips naked, mimics a monkey and accidentally falls to his death. However, instead of a conventional fatal impact, his body inexplicably shatters into ceramic-like fragments. Juan, devastated and confused, attends David’s funeral, where his remains are treated with eerie indifference. Determined to uncover the truth behind his friend’s bizarre demise, Juan embarks on an investigation. From acclaimed Spanish filmmaking duo Burnin’ Percebes (Fernando Martínez and Juan González), don't miss this one-of-a-kind comedy full of unconventional storytelling, absurdist humor and genre-blending narratives, entirely inspired by one hilarious moment from Top Secret!, the 1984 comedy by Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker. Co-directors Juan González and Fernando Martínez also known as the Burnin' Percebes stop by for a conversation flying pianos and how on they turned The Fantastic Golem Affairs into one of the year’s mind-blowing cinematic experiences. 

In her provocative and gripping debut film, FORASTERA Director Lucia Aleñar Iglesias hones in on young woman, Cata, (Zoe Stein) has to deal with the trauma of the sudden death of her grandmother, which only she witnesses. Her grief shifts when she casually turns to play pretend, transforming into the deceased. What begins with a game of dress-up will blur the lines of reality and family roles. Time stops in this house that, strangely, already felt stuck in time. Unable to process her grief, Cata turns to her grandmother’s belongings. Suddenly, objects and clothes she’d never seen now mean something to her, giving her purpose. She begins playing dress-up with her grandfather, who is unable and unwilling to move on from this shocking loss. Cata takes on a new role at home, or rather, this new role takes over Cata. Director and screenwriter Lucia Aleñar Iglesias joins us to talk the challenge of taking the short film version on FORASTERA  and expanding in into a feature film, using the same actor to play Cata, Zoe Stein, in both versions of the film, and what it means to her to have FORASTERA premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. 

RIVER OF GRASS is a present-day reimagining of Marjory Stoneman Douglas’s groundbreaking book, “The Everglades: River of Grass,” (1947), which transformed the public’s understanding of the area from worthless swamps to an essential source of freshwater, enabling the ecosystem to endure, just barely, today. In the wake of a hurricane, Douglas visits filmmaker Sasha Wortzel in a dream and catalyzes a prismatic study of a wilderness that is home to a rich history and a site of resistance in the face of climate collapse. Seeking a way forward, Wortzel reads Douglas's book and embarks on a deep listening walk through the Everglades with Miccosukee educator Betty Osceola. The intertwined voices of the narrator, Betty, and Marjory transport the audience across the Everglades, past and present. Along the way, we meet a mother taking on the polluting sugar industry; a family of crab fishermen who have fished in the Everglades for six generations; a mother-daughter team who venture out nightly to remove invasive snakes wreaking havoc on the ecosystem; and a two-spirit Miccosukee environmentalist and poet, among others. Interweaving Douglas's writing, personal narration, stunning present-day verité, and haunting archival footage, RIVER OF GRASS reveals how this country’s origin story haunts and inextricably shapes contemporary American life, while asking how we might weather coming storms better together. Director Sasha Wortzel joins us for a conversation on all the remarkably dedicated people in the making of this foreboding and essential documentary.

River of Grass website: https://www.riverofgrassfilm.com

Alexis Bloom’s blistering documentary THE BIBI FILES is an urgent journalistic exposé based on unseen leaked footage of police interrogations of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,  as well as his wife Sara and son Yair. The film explores the corruption cases that resulted in Netanyahu’s indictment on breach of trust, bribery, and fraud in 2019.. Many Israelis believe that Netanyahu’s attempts to delay his trial are key to understanding his current policies regarding war and the return of Israeli hostages. Working with Oscar-winning Producer Alex Gibney, Bloom uses never-seen-before interrogation footage of Netanyahu and his inner circle that provides an unflinching gaze into the private world behind the headlines. In Netanyahu’s corruption, Israel’s far right senses unprecedented political opportunity. Bibi’s embrace of their extremism results in deadly consequences. The Bibi Files has secured distribution in multiple international territories, while the Jerusalem courts rejected the Israeli prime minister's attempts to block the film. Director Alexis Bloom (Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes, We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks)  joins us for a frank and informative conversation on the impact and consequences of Netanyahu’s rise to power and his desperate tactics to remain there, at all costs

SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED is a wildly entertaining and fittingly unconventional documentary about convention-defying singer, songwriter and record producer Jerry Williams, aka Swamp Dogg, one of the great cult figures of 20th-century American music whose singular voice and ideas have shaped the history not merely of soul music, but of country, hip-hop and a dozen other genres. In SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED, the titular artist and his “bachelor pad of aging musicians”, including the charming Guitar Shorty and lovably quirky Moogstar, navigate the tumultuous music industry, transform their home into an artistic playground and invite fellow musicians like Jenny Lewis and John Prine and superfans Mike Judge, Johnny Knoxville and Tom Kenny to play in their unique musical sandbox…and paint Swamp Dogg’s pool. Bursting with infectious personality and stoner energy, SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED is a music documentary unlike any other. Co-director Isaac Gale (Ryan Olson) joins us for a lively conversation on the sublime world that Swamp Dogg (Jerry Williams) has created and sustained over the last several decades, getting to know Moogstar and Guitar Shorty and where Swamp’s completely “chilled” vibe comes from in one of the most entertaining documentaries you will experience this year. 

Amidst the brazen rise of 21st century authoritarianism, few politicians have proven as corrupt and adept at undermining democracy as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. A hero to his country’s Christian conservative population and a role model to the right-wing political movement in Europe and to Donald Trump and the Republicans in United States - Orbán takes carefully crafted, methodical steps to chip away at Hungarian democratic institutions while maintaining popularity with a majority of citizens. With chilling detail, Democracy Noir follows three courageous women - opposition politician Timea, journalist Babett, and nurse Nikoletta (Niko) - who fight relentlessly to expose the lies and corruption embedded in Orbán's government. And Maria Antalne Deak - (Nikoletta’s mom). But amid this dark, new form of authoritarianism, there is still vital resistance. Through the testimonies and actions of Timea, Babett and Niko, we see first-hand what it takes to try and win back democracy and precious freedoms. Director Connie Field joins us for a conversation on the crippling impact that Orban's rule is having on Hungary, the European Union and the the future of Western -style democracy.

Little, Big, and Far hones in on the life and work of Karl, an Austrian astronomer, professor and museum consultant, is at a crossroads in life and work. At 70, he finds his jobs at risk and his physicist wife drifting away. At the same time, environmental instability begins to unsettle the astronomical field itself. His younger colleague Sarah, a specialist in citizen science, begins a relationship with Mateo, a passionate Ecuadorian astronomer. Together, they uncover a remarkable cosmic revelation at a forgotten telescope in New Jersey. As the group contends with personal and planetary tremors, Karl reflects on the Rosetta Mission, his wife’s odyssey through the American South in search of the eclipse, and the disorienting inheritance of a rapidly changing planet. It is in this quiet, expansive terrain—of solitude, wonder, and resistance—that director Jem Cohen has long made his cinematic home. For over 30 years, he has created truly independent, hybrid films, made possible via unorthodox low-budget production strategies. Cohen’s combination of guerrilla filmmaking with a wide-eyed, open-minded appreciation of science has led to a highly unusual film that is at once down-to-earth, deeply political and aesthetically bold. He joins us to talk about his latest stunningly beautiful masterwork, Little, Big, and Far.

In her feature film debut AMOEBA, writer and director Siyou Tan follows 16-year-old Choo as she befriends three rebellious classmates in their elite all-girls Chinese school. Their urge to resist authoritarian teachers and school doctrines drives them to discover the erased stories of mythical gangsters that ruled the streets of colonial Singapore. They decide to form their own gang. But how do you form a gang in modern Singapore, where even chewing gum is illegal? Loosely based on her previous short films, COLD CUT (2024), STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE (2021), Tan masterfully explores the dissonance of Eastern and Western culture in a sixty year-old country and the importance of Singapore’s societal expectations. Director Siyou Tan stops by to talk AMOEBA’s World Premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), assembling her superb cast of actors, and seeing AMOEBA as a story about four young women’s quest to find community and self-determination in a society where the prevailing narratives of subservience are imposed on young women. 

Director Rachael Cain's SOMNIUM follows the harrowing story of a young woman trying to figure things out. After a painful breakup, Gemma moves to Los Angeles with the hopes of making it big. To get on her feet, she takes a job working the overnight shift at SOMNIUM - a mysterious, experimental sleep clinic where dreams are made real. Meanwhile, Gemma throws herself into the cutthroat world of Hollywood auditions. But as the pressure to succeed mounts, she begins to experience strange and unsettling phenomena, and soon finds herself trapped in a nightmarish spiral as she discovers a darkness lurking within the clinic walls. Director Racheal Cain stops by to talk about her feature film debut, SOMNIUM, and the thirteen year long and winding road of production, completion and now, it's theatrical release, as well as the inspiration for her sharply observed tale of a woman in distress.

Cities and their dwellers evolve and grow in ways that are both richly intertwined and beautifully complex. In her gentle, timeless and quietly absorbing debut feature, Love, Brooklyn, director Rachael Abigail Holder wisely portrays such winds of change in her beloved Brooklyn, through the lived-in stories of three unique Brooklynites, as imagined by screenwriter Paul Zimmerman. A writer (André Holland, Moonlight) navigates complicated relationships with his ex, an art gallery owner (Nicole Beharie, The Morning Show), and his current lover, a newly-single mother (DeWanda Wise, She’s Gotta Have It), with the supportof his best friend (Roy Wood Jr., The Daily Show). A modern romance set against the rapidly changing landscape of Brooklyn, New York. Director Racheal Abigail Holder joins us for a conversation on why Love, Brooklyn is both a tender ode to the cities we hold dear, and a fresh addition to the great tradition of compulsively re-watchable New York movies to luxuriate in.

Patrick Oliphant was a giant slayer. In addition to being a fearless stunt pilot, executing dangerous maneuvers just to blow off a little steam, he bravely took on presidents, popes and the American corporate class with his mighty pen. An Australian transplant, Oliphant was America’s most renowned and feared political cartoonist for five decades. With his biting wit and masterful drawing skills he attacked individual and institutional corruption, collusion, greed, hypocrisy and arrogance, no matter the size or status of his enemies. We sit down with director Bill Banowsky to talk about why impactful political cartoonists have been throughout the ages and how, in our current climate of political partisanship and corporate control of the media, political cartoonists like Oliphant are critical to checking the powers that be.

It’s January 2021. The United Kingdom has just entered its 3rd lockdown and all theatres remain closed. For actors Sam Crane and Mark Osterveen, the future looks bleak. As the pandemic drags on Mark who lives alone is increasingly socially isolated, while Sam is panicking about how he is going to support his family. They channel their midlife frustrations by immersing their avatars in the horrifically violent yet beautifully rendered virtual world of Grand Theft Auto Online. In one gaming session they stumble across a theatre and have an idea. Why not stage Hamlet inside the game? Well, there are several reasons why not, chiefly that most people in the game are intent on ruthless annihilation, not polite appreciation of a theatrical production. But wasn’t theatre just as dangerous and rowdy a business in Shakespeare’s time, and isn’t Hamlet, a play about revenge the perfect choice for this place? GRAND THEFT HAMLET is shot entirely inside the world of Grand Theft Auto. By using the in-game phone camera we were able to get intimate close ups and cinematic pans across landscapes – enabling a more cinematic visual language and moments of pathos, emotion and lyricism to exist within the chaos and violence of this undiscovered country. Co-directors Sam Crane & Pinny Grylls join us for a conversation on the arc of their own journey into this virtual world, casting on-line netizens to play these iconic characters, how they came to grasp and utilize the boundless potential of this space, the genuinely funny travails of “rehearsing” the actors and so much more regarding this exceptionally successful debut feature “documentary”. 

Easily one of the best films of 2025 JULIE KEEPS QUIET focuses on the star player, Julie, at an elite youth tennis academy. Julie’s life revolves around the game she loves. She trains hard, pausing only for class or physical therapy before returning to the gym fixated on making it into the Belgian Tennis Federation. When her coach Jérémy is suddenly suspended following the suicide of one of his female protégées, all the players at the academy are encouraged to speak up about their experiences with him. Julie, however, decides to keep quiet. Despite strong suspicions from those around her that Julie’s relationship with Jérémy was inappropriate at best, her persistent silence begins to speak volumes. Confused and full of anxiety, the pressure she once channeled solely towards training shifts inward, affecting her confidence, her focus, and her game. Executive produced by tennis champion Naomi Osaka, JULIE KEEPS QUIET is a "tense, taut, artfully hushed debut feature" (Variety) by Belgian writer-director Leonardo van Dijl. Led by newcomer Tessa Van den Broeck whose performance embodies the different ways trauma is internalized, JULIE KEEPS QUIET respectfully and empathetically examines why some victims choose to remain silent.

Bunny Yeager, once heralded as the world’s prettiest photographer, had a huge influence on 20th-century pop culture, though few people know her name. Whether by popularizing the bikini, helping discover Bettie Page, shaping the image of Playboy, or inventing the selfie, Bunny was a trailblazer whose work bucked against conservative 1950s America and helped pave the way for the feminist movement and the sexual revolution. Yet the very changes she helped usher in would soon render her a forgotten relic… until now. Featuring testimonies from Dita Von Teese, Bruce Weber, and Larry King, Naked Ambition is a rediscovery of a brilliant yet overlooked artist. Co-directors Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch join us to talk about Bunny’s on-going influence on popular culture, art, and the multiple ways her determination to be seen an artist, feminist, entrepreneur, wife and mom impacted the people she cared about most. 

Carson Lund’s feature film debut, EEPHUS, focuses on two recreational baseball teams, the River Dogs and Adler’s Paint. The two teams have been meeting on their New England field on Sunday afternoons for longer than anyone can remember. These middle-aged sportsmen can’t run as fast as they used to or connect as reliably with a pitch, but their vigorous appetite for socializing, squabbling, and busting chops remains undiminished. After the know-nothing county board opts to raze the baseball diamond to make way for a school, the teams meet for one final game at their beloved Soldier’s Field, with girlfriends, kids, and local hooligans as intermittent spectators. Named for a rarely-deployed curveball, Eephus is both a ribald comedy for the baseball connoisseur and a movie for anyone who’s ever lamented their community slipping away. Director and writer Carson Lund stops by to talk about his own personal connection to this story, baseball in New Hampshire, mortality, casting Eephus aficionado Bill “Spaceman” Lee, casting legendary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, and answering the question, what in the hell is an eephus? 

BOB TREVINO LIKES IT is inspired by the true friendship that writer/director Tracie Laymon found with a stranger when looking for her father online. Often playing the role of caretaker to people like her father who should be caring for her, Lily Trevino longs for a familial connection, having been abandoned by her mother as a child and then suddenly by her father in her twenties. When her father, Robert, finally checks out of her life, Lily looks for him on the internet. She tries to “friend” a man she believes is her father on Facebook. But instead of finding Robert Trevino, she finds Bob Trevino instead. Bob Trevino works long, hours at a construction company to support his wife Jeanie’s elaborate scrapbooking habit. When Bob gets the unexpected Facebook message from a stranger named Lily Trevino, he discerns she needs a friend as much as he does. Director / writer Tracie Laymon joins us for a conversation on her journey as a filmmaker, and sharing the feedback she has gotten from hundreds of filmgoers eager to share their own stories of familial trauma, neglect and abuse, as well as reconciliation and forgiveness

When the devastating Eaton fire destroyed her home and life’s work in Altadena, California, award-winning filmmaker Ondi Timoner’s ALL THE WALLS CAME DOWN is a powerful meditation on loss, resilience, and transformation—an urgent portrait of generational families facing displacement, and a town coming together in the face of destruction. A story of rupture and renewal, ALL THE WALLS CAME DOWN reveals what remains when the physical structures of life disappear—and the healing that can happen through the power of connection with community, as Ondi, her family and neighbors fight to preserve not just homes, but history, identity, and belonging. Director Ondi Timoner joins us for a conversation on how picking up a camera to document the devastation her family had suffered in the devastating Altadena fire and later evolved into a sweeping story about Black history, generational loss, dealing with grief and loss, as well as, the power of a united community to assert control over their individual and collective future. 

Clemente is the definitive documentary on the extraordinary life, career, and enduring legacy of Major League Baseball icon Roberto Clemente. Told through stunning archival footage, never-before-heard recordings, and unprecedented interviews, the film reveals the story of a man who lived by his own uncompromising code. A double outsider—too Black for white America and too Latino for Black America—Clemente refused to stay silent in the face of racism and injustice. Through sheer determination and relentless discipline, he rose from poverty to superstardom, yet never lost sight of those on the margins. Clemente is more than a sports story; it’s a portrait of a man who gave everything—for the game and for others. A powerful, joyful reminder that a life marked by passion, courage, and empathy can truly change the world. Director David Altrogge joins us for a conversation on an all-time great baseball player and his legacy on the game he excelled at, his family, including his three sons, Roberto Clemente, Jr., Luis Roberto Clemente, Roberto Enrique Clemente, and his impact on Puerto Rico.

After a deadly plane crash strands four young siblings deep within the Colombian rainforest, a dramatic rescue mission unfolds, uniting Indigenous trackers and the military in a race against time. For the first time ever, LOST IN THE JUNGLE offers the exclusive account of this incredible true story directly from the children themselves and the rescuers who scoured the Amazon rainforest for a grueling 40 days and nights to find them. From National Geographic Documentary Films and Academy Award®-winning filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, along with Emmy® Award-winning director Juan Camilo Cruz, LOST IN THE JUNGLE is a gripping tale of survival, courage, and hope. Co-directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Juan Camilo Cruz join us to talk about how  the four siblings emerged in a miracle that captured the world’s attention. The Mucutuy children became an international symbol of survival and hope. .

Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space, but beneath her unflappable composure, she carried a secret. Sally’s life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, reveals their hidden romance and the sacrifices that accompanied her 27 years together with Sally, telling the full story of this complicated and iconic astronaut for the first time. In addition to Tam O’ Shaughnessy, SALLY features acclaimed tennis star and groundbreaking advocate for women and LGBTQ+ rights, Billie Jean King, as well as celebrated astronauts from Sally Ride’s NASA class of 1978: Kathy Sullivan, Anna Fisher, John Fabian and Steve Hawley, who is Sally’s ex-husband. Additional participants include Sally’s sister Bear Ride and mother Joyce Ride, along with journalist and Sally’s friend, Lynn Sherr. Director and Producer Cristina Costantini joins us to talk about life and the times that Sally Ride had to navigate, whether it be the ultra alpha male culture of NASA or an American public not ready to hear that the first American women in space was not “All American” and the impact those challenges had on Sally and her relationship with Tam and the people she loved.