ETHEL (HBO/Moxie Firecracker Films), a feature length documentary about the remarkable life of Ethel Kennedy, is a revealing portrait told by those who know her best: her family. Directed by her Emmy-Award winning daughter, Rory Kennedy, the film is a deeply personal look inside a political dynasty. The film will debut on HBO in 2012.

ETHEL premiered at Sundance 2012!

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VITO (Jeffrey Schwartz/Automat Pictures)

In the aftermath of Stonewall, a newly politicized Vito Russo found his voice as a gay activist and critic of LGBT representation in the media. He went on to write "The Celluloid Closet",the first book to critique Hollywood's portrayals of gays on screen. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Vito became a passionate advocate for justice via the newly formed ACT UP, before his death in 1990.

Premierd October, 2011 at the NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL at Lincoln Center!

"NEW YORK – An emotionally powerful documentary portrait with an impassioned voice that befits its subject, Jeffrey Schwarz’s Vito marries personal and cultural history in its account of the life and activism of Vito Russo, a pivotal figure in both the early gay-rights movement and the fight against AIDS.....Miriam Cutler’s propulsive score gives shape to the film’s emotional journey."   -- David Rooney, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

International Premier Berlin Film Festival 2012!

Paul Goodman Changed My Life (Jonathan Lee, Kimberly Reed) will be the first documentary about Paul Goodman, the late social critic, poet, philosopher of education, or, as he called himself, "man of letters in the old-fashioned sense." His ideas helped lay the foundation for the student activists and anti war movements, gestalt therapy, gay rights, and early environmental urban planning.

Premiered NYC Film Forum October 19, 2011!

By A.O. Scott, NYT 10/18/11

“Paul Goodman Changed My Life” pays tribute to a man — poet, teacher, social critic, guru without portfolio — whose name was once a household word and whose books were talismans of intellectual seriousness and social concern. His current obscurity is something this documentary, directed by Jonathan Lee and including eloquent testimony from friends, family and admirers, is determined to overcome....I suspect that he would have approved of Mr. Lee’s film, and not only because it approves so unreservedly of him. “Paul Goodman Changed My Life” may not have that effect on every viewer, but it has a passionate, almost prophetic sense of the impact that a writer and thinker can have on his times and the future.

Awaken The Dragon (Dir.Liz Oakley)

One and a half million Americans will hear the words “you have cancer” for the first time this year. Thanks to advances in early detection and treatment many will survive and join the ranks of over 10 million who are already considered survivors. However, the toll taken by both cancer and its treatment leaves many facing challenges far greater than mere survival. Awaken the Dragon, a 90 minute documentary, examines how one small group of cancer survivors is facing these challenges with the courage and ferocity of an immortal creature. They prove that there is hope for a full life after cancer… and an even better life for those who have awakened their slumbering powers.

Winner Best Documentary Feature - All Sports Los Angeles Film Festival!

ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT (Director Lisa Leeman, Producer Crossover Productions, Co-Produced and Scored by Miriam Cutler)

One of 18 films chosen by the American Documentary Showcase to represent the US State Department with documentary diplomacy abroad.

The World Premiere of “One Lucky Elephant” at the L.A. Film Festival played to sold-out crowds and attracted Lily Tomlin, Academy Award-winning director, Kathryn Bigelow and actress Persia White (“Girlfriends”).One Lucky Elephant begins with circus producer David Balding’s realization that Flora, the orphaned African elephant he adopted and made the star of his circus, is tired of performing. What unfolds is a nine-year odyssey to find Flora a good home. Caught between the human and animal world, Flora epitomizes the harsh reality elephants face in our expanding man-made world. Through Flora and David’s story, the film raises questions about our complex relationships with animals, for which there are no easy answers. One thing is certain: after watching this film, you will never look at an elephant in a zoo or a circus in the same way again.

"A parable of pachydermish proportions, "One Lucky Elephant" is a bittersweet story of man, beast and a very real relationship that makes helmer Lisa Leeman's docu the thinking person's "Dumbo" --and, coincidentally, one of the better kids' movies on the fest circuit. ... Miriam Cutler's score is tops, always moving and emotionally precise." John Anderson, VARIETY (read the whole review)

"Bottom Line: A timely, emotionally engaging look at interspecies bonds."- Sheri Linden, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (read the whole review)

The 2010 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL screened ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT in competition and awarded us the James Lyon Best Doc Editing Award!

Oprah Winfrey Network Acquires Three New Documentaries

Hollywood Reporter

The films include One Lucky Elephant, 65 Redroses and Most Valuable Players. The documentary film club is set to begin spring 2011 on the network which will ...

Premiers NYC Film Forum June 8, 2011

POSTER GIRL

Nominated for 2011 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short

Winner Best Documentary Short INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY ASSOC.

One of 18 films chosen by the American Documentary Showcase to represent the US State Department with documentary diplomacy abroad.

Co-Produced by Sara Nesson and Mitchell Bloch, and directed by Sara Nesson/Portrayal Films, Poster Girl is the story of Robynn Murray, a National Merit Scholar and all-American high school cheerleader turned tough-as-nails Iraq War machine gunner, who returns home to face an even tougher battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

In 2003, Robynn Murray, a National Merit Scholar and an all-American high school cheerleader enlisted in the Army to a Civil Affairs unit focused on rebuilding Iraq. While helping the Iraqi people was her main goal, on Robynn's first day in-country she was re-assigned to machine gunner and made responsible for protecting her team from the turret of the Humvee. Promoted to sergeant, Robynn was featured on the cover of ARMY Magazine as a "poster girl" for women serving in first-time combat roles.

After her tour ended, Robynn became haunted by her actions in Iraq. Her tough-as-nails exterior cracked, creating a tailspin of anxiety, nightmares and panic attacks.

Shot and directed by filmmaker Sara Nesson, POSTER GIRL is an emotionally raw documentary that follows Iraq War Vet Robynn Murray over the course of two years as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and redemption, using art and poetry to redefine her life.

Premiered 2010 TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL

2010

POSTER GIRL will air on HBO in March 2011!

THE FENCE (Director: Rory Kennedy; Screenwriter: Mark Bailey/HBO Films) In October 2006, the United States government decided to build a 700 mile fence along its Mexican border. Three years and $3.1 billion later, the film investigates the impact of the project, revealing how its stated goals—containing illegal immigration, cracking down on drug trafficking, and protecting America from terrorists—have given way to unforeseen consequences. Premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2010, nominated for an 2010 IDA award, and HBO broadcast in 2010.

FAMILY AFFAIR (Directed by Chico Colvard/Produced by Liz Garbus) Examines resilience, survival and the capacity to accomodate a parent's past crimes on the road to satisfying the longing for family. Premiers at Sundance Film Festival 2010. At 10 years old, Chico Colvard shot his older sister in the leg. This seemingly random act detonated a chain reaction that exposed unspeakable realities and shattered his family. Thirty years later, Colvard ruptures veils of secrecy and silence again. As he bravely visits his relatives, what unfolds is a personal film that’s as uncompromising, raw, and cathartic as any in the history of the medium.

Driving the story forward is Colvard’s sensitive probing of a complex dynamic: the way his three sisters survived severe childhood abuse by their father and, as adults, manage to muster loyalty to him. These unforgettable, invincible women paint a picture of their harrowing girlhoods as they resiliently struggle with present-day fallout. The distance time gives them from their trauma yields piercing insights about the legacy of abuse, the nature of forgiveness, and eternal longing for family and love. These truths may be too searing to bear, but they reverberate powerfully within each of us. Read about the movie in IndieWire

OWN: THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK Picks Up 'Family Affair' at Sundance Film Festival

Read about it in the LA Times

Atlanta Film Festival - Best Documentary Feature
IFFBoston - Audience Award

THE DESERT OF FORBIDDEN ART (Directors Amanda Pope and Tchavdar Georgiev)

How does art survive in a time of oppression? During the Soviet rule artists who stay true to their vision are executed, sent to mental hospitals or Gulags.

Narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley, the film follows Savitsky's obsessive quest to protect this legacy, no matter what the dangers.

"Few Westerners have seen the Savitsky Collection, but when they do, a chapter of art history may need to be rewritten." -- Stephen Kinzer, The New York Times

The Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art named after I.V. Savitsky - also known, simply, as the Nukus Museum - hosts the world's second largest collection of Russian avant garde art (after the Russian Muserum in St. Petersburg). It is also home to one of the largest collections of archeological objects and folk, applied and contemporary art originating from Central Asia.

Premiers 2010 Santa Barbara Film Festival and screens soon after at Cinequest and the 34th Cleveland International Film Festival.

CINE Golden Eagle Award 2010

CINE Masters Series Award - Independent Division 2011

in 2011!

2011 Park City Film Music Festival - Audience Choice - Gold Medal for Excellence for Music in a Documentary Film

2011 Montana CINE International Film Festival-Merit Award for Music

Premiered 2010 HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

SHOUTING FIRE: STORIES FROM THE EDGE OF FREE SPEECH (MoxieFirecracker/HBO) (Director: Liz Garbus)

An exploration of the history and current state of free speech in America narrated by the filmmaker's father, First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus. World Premiere in Documentary competition at Sundance 2009 and premiered on HBO 6/09.

STRAIGHTLACED: HOW GENDER'S GOT US ALL TIED UP (Directed by Debra Chasnoff) GroundSpark premiered this latest film in The Respect For All Project on January 14, 2009. Filmed in the same intimate style as That’s a Family! and Let’s Get Real (which Miriam also scored), the heart of Straightlaced is candid interviews with more than 50 teens form diverse backgrounds. Straightlaced provides a way into a much-needed dialogue about gender roles and homophobia among teenagers. With refreshing honesty, the diverse youth in the film open up about the pressure to conform to rigid gender role expectations. It will be used in schools all over the country and will be shown at film festivals.

CINE Golden Eagle Award 2009

THANK YOU, MISTER PRESIDENT: HELEN THOMAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE (Moxie Firecracker/HBO) Filmmaker Rory Kennedy profiles iconic journalist Helen Thomas, a tour de force in political reporting who has covered the White House and every president since John F. Kennedy. Premiered on HBO August 18, 2008.

CHRIS & DON - A LOVE STORY (Asphalt Stars Productions/directed by Guido Santi and Tina Mascara) A feature length documentary on artist Don Bachardy and his life-long relationship with writer Christopher Isherwood. Premiered 2007 Telluride Film Festival and 2007 AFI Film Festival. Will open in various theaters nationwide starting in June, 2008.
Distributed by Zeitgeist Films.

"Guido Santi and Tina Mascara are superb filmmakers, fully alive in their terrific film CHRIS & DON: A LOVE STORY to all the undercurrents of art, social class, sexual orientation, challenging relationships and, most especially, the touching love story at the heart of their film." -- Kirk Honeycutt, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"Moving and marvelously eccentric, the film chronicles one the great modern love stories -- a 30-plus-year romance between British writer Christopher Isherwood and L.A. portrait painter Don Bachardy. In addition to their own important works, the pair were immortalized in David Hockney's famous 1968 double-portrait." -- LA Times, Critic's Choice

"A fusion of art and love that’s deeply moving… A genuine love story grounded in the artistic inspiration the two men found in each other.” -- Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly, Critic's Pick

"Guido Santi and Tina Mascara’s tender, extremely touching documentary, Chris & Don: A Love Story, examines the history of this complicated and passionate relationship, which ended with Mr. Isherwood’s death in 1986." -- New York Times, Critic's Pick

Listen to an interview with Don Bachardy about the film on NPR's FRESH AIR

BLOODLINE (1224 Films/directed by Bruce Burgess) One man's journey into the world of the so-called 'Bloodline' conspiracy, at the heart of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, where a secret society, the Priory of Sion, claims to have guarded evidence of the marriage of Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ, their children and their descendants down through the centuries. Distributed by Cinema Libre. Currently in theaters.

"If the Catholic Church fumed over the 'The Da Vinci Code' wait until it gets a load of 'Bloodline', an ambitious, sharply intriguing documentary..." Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

“INTRIGUING and FASCINATING…it’s the kind of picture you will be talking about long after you leave the theater.” Sandy Kenyon, WABC, New York

"A discovery that could prove to be one of the most EXPLOSIVE and CONTROVERSIAL of the century." Elizabeth Snead, LA Times

"UNPARALLELED REVELATIONS...a GEM that unpretentiously swings for the fences and lands in the alleyways the next town over...pulling the curtain wide-open forcing some to question their faith and dosing a bad case of insomnia upon the Pope. " Mathew Nestel, Boxoffice.com

A POWERFUL NOISE (Sheila Johnson/Unify Films/Crazy Legs Productions/directed by Tom Capello) A Powerful Noise weaves the inspiring stories of three ordinary women who have overcome gender barriers to spark unprecedented and remarkable changes in their societies. World Premiere - Tribeca Film Festival, 2008. Next up– Silver Docs 2008. Purchase the soundtrack as a donation by visiting CARE.

ONE BAD CAT: THE REVEREND ALBERT WAGNER STORY (Tesserac Films/directed by Tom Miller) ONE BAD CAT is the story of Reverend Albert Wagner and his continuous journey for self-redemption from his past exploits. Through the use of intimate verite scenes and candid interviews of Albert, his family members, and art patrons, the documentary explores whether a driving passion coupled with a divine intervention can really redeem a man with many past indiscretions. Further, the film explores Albert's past of growing up in a segregated south and how those experiences shape his often controversial messages and "lessons" on race and religion. Won best documentary Santa Barbara Film Festival, and 32nd Cleveland International Film Festival/The Cleveland Magazine Roxanne T. Mueller Award for Best Film. Next up, the film is set to screen at Ann Arbor and Nashville Film Festivals.

GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB – Facing the Darkness Within (Moxie Firecracker/HBO/directed by Rory Kennedy) Wielding startlingly candid interviews with perpetrators, witnesses, and victims, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib provides an inside look at the abuses that occurred at the Iraqi prison in the fall of 2003. Award-winning filmmaker Rory Kennedy explores how, given the right circumstances, typical boys and girls next door can commit atrocious acts of violence. Premiered in competition at Sundance 2007, and airs on HBO starting in February 2007.

Emmy award winner for Outstanding Non Fiction Special
2008 Gracie Award for Outstanding Director - News Series or Special, Gracie Allen Awards

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE: STORIES OF KOSOVO (Sirena Films/directed by Laura Bialis and John Ealer) In 1999, before Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States went to war in Kosovo to end ethnic violence. Six years after the bombs stop falling, the filmmakers returned Kosovo to see how a society, once torn apart by ethnic division, can build a lasting peace. Featured at the 2007 IFP Market. Premiered at Slamdance, and screened at the Cleveland Film Festival.

Geoffrey Kleinman of Air America Radio called View from the Bridge a "phenomenal, must-see documentary" that's a "clear look at a complex issue" and that "stands shoulder to shoulder with any film at Sundance this year."

ABSOLUTE WILSON (Film Manufacturers Inc./directed by Katharina Otto-Bernstein) An in depth look at the life and work of global theater artist Robert Wilson. Premiered Berlin Film Festival 2006. Germany's Kino Welt acquired worldwide rights, the film was picked up in the U.S. by New Yorker Films for theatrical release, and HBO/Cinemax broadcast in 2007.

"Not to be missed! Enthralling. Full of astonishing beauty, wit, and such dazzling disorienting strangeness that it leaves even his most passionate fans wondering where (Robert Wilson's) ideas come from." -- Elle Magazine

See some great video clips

THIN (HBO/Actual Reality/directed by Lauren Greenfield) An amazingly intimate portrait of eating disorders among young women. This feature-length doc about the treatment of eating disorders is the first film by Lauren Greenfield (author/photographer of Girl Culture). The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival, 2006 and continues to win praise from critics and audiences around the country as the film makes its rounds through the festival circuit. THIN won the 2006 Award for Best Documentary Film at the Jackson Hole Film Festival, the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the Boston Independent Film Festival, and the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the Newport International Film Festival. THIN premiered on HBO 11/14/06, and is still airing on HBO.

Watch clips and read more about THIN on the Actual Reality Pictures website.

Emmy award nomination

CHINA BLUE (Teddy Bear Films/ITVS/directed by Micha Peled) Explores globalization labor issues in a very personal way by following village girls as they find work in a jeans factory in the big city, and their boss as he maneuvers himself into the global market place. China Blue had its world premier at the Toronto Film Festival, September 2005.

Winner of the Amensty International Human Rights award at IDFA, Europe's premier documentary film festival. The award includes a cash prize and screenings in 25 art house cinemas in the Netherlands supported by Amnesty. Also winner of Amnesty International-DOEN Award at IDFA 2005. Chosen as best documentary on human rights at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam 2005. They awarded the Amnesty International-DOEN Award to director Micha Peled. The film will also be shown at the 8th Amnesty International Film Festival in March 2006.

Winner of the CINE GOLDEN EAGLE AWARD. Also the world's leading documentary film festival, IDFA, celebrated its 20th anniversary with a box set of 20 award-winning films, with China Blue in the line-up. The set was released at the 2007 festival.

THE LONGING: FORGOTTEN JEWS OF SOUTH AMERICA (Bohm Productions/directed by Gabriela Bohm) Connecting with ancestors, reclaiming faith. Against all odds. A small group of South Americans long to affirm their faith. Isolated in Catholic countries, rejected by local Jewish Communities, they battle to become Jews regardless of the consequences. World Premier – NY Jewish film festival, January 2007.

Check out the website for more info and to view the trailer.

OUT OF FAITH (Eliezer Production Films/directed by Lisa Leeman and L. Mark DeAngelis ) a feature-length documentary follows three generations of a family torn apart by conflicts over interfaith marriage. The family's matriarch, Leah Welbel, and her husband Eliezer, both survived nearly three years in Auschwitz; however, in their minds, their grandchildren marrying non-Jews represents a posthumous victory for Hitler. OUT OF FAITH will be nationally broadcast on PBS in 2008.

ABSOLUTELY SAFE (Amaranth Productions/directed by Carol Ciancutti-Leyva) At a time when more women than ever are getting breast implants, fewer voices than ever seem to be asking “Why?” And fewer still are asking “Are they safe?” ABSOLUTELY SAFE takes an open-minded, personal approach to the controversy over breast implant safety. Ultimately, ABSOLUTELY SAFE is the story of everyday women who find themselves and their breasts in the tangled and confusing intersection of health, money, science, and beauty.

CALIFORNIA AND THE AMERICAN DREAM (PBS Series) This 4 part documentary series explores the dynamics of culture, racial diversity and identity within California, the most multiethnic state in America. As America's cultural center slides westward and so-called minorities become majorities in state after state, life in the Golden State offers Americans a glimpse into the future. Beyond the Dream takes viewers on a journey through the state's diverse experience and the complex fabric of life in the twenty-first century. I scored the New Los Angeles (directed by Lyn Goldfarb) and The Price of Renewal (directed by episodes. Airs Spring 2006.

THE NEW LOS ANGELES is a powerful portrait of a city transformed by immigration, race and labor. The film takes the viewer on a journey from the bitterly fought, racially driven election that brought Mayor Tom Bradley to power in 1973, to the historic election of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Along the way, it profiles the political empowerment of Latinos and immigrants working in multi-ethnic coalitions to transform their lives. Includes interviews with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Maria Elena Durazo, and the late Miguel Contreras.

THE NEW LOS ANGELES has received a Cine Gold Eagle Award, an Imagen Award nomination, and a Gold Plaque for Public Broadcasting in Public Places (an interactive kiosk featuring content from the CALIFORNIA AND THE AMERICAN DREAM Series).

THE NEW LOS ANGELES has also been featured at: Monterrey International Film Festival, San Diego Latino Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Big Muddy Film Festival, Nosotros American Latino Film Festival, Women's International Film and Arts Festival, San Fernando Valley International Film Festival, Other Venice Film Festival, Paramount Pictures, and First A.M.E. Church

POSITIVELY NAKED (Juntos Films/HBO/directed by Arlene Donnely Nelson) Photographer Spencer Tunick continues his quest to expose the globe by photographing the 10th anniversary cover for POZ Magazine – an artistic and spiritual look at living long term with HIV and AIDS. Nominated by the INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY ASSOCIATION for IDA DISTINGUISHED SHORT FILM AWARD; won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, and won Best Documentary Short at SILVERDOCS/AFI DISCOVERY FILM FESTIVAL,NEW YORK AIDS FILM FESTIVAL, and DALLAS OUT TAKES FILM FESTIVAL. Shortlisted by the Motion Picture Academy for Best Short Documentary in 2005. WINNER of HUGO AWARDS for EXCELLENCE IN TELEVISION BEST ARTS/HUMANITIES DOCUMENTARY.

STOLEN CHILDHOODS (Galen Films/directed by Len Morris/Narrated by Meryl Streep) STOLEN CHILDHOODS, a feature documentary on global child labor,was recently featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and the subject of a special report on ABC's Nightline, and on CNN NewsNight with Aaron Brown. Narrated by Meryl Streep, STOLEN CHILDHOODS was made over seven years by Producer-Director, Len Morris, and co-director-cinematographer, Robin Romano. The film was shot in eight countries and tells the stories of laboring children in their own words. Worldwide, the UN estimates that 246 million children work full time rather than attend school. STOLEN CHILDHOODS is being distributed theatrically by Balcony Releasing and opened nationwide in selected theatres. It opened theatrically at the Quad Cinema in New York City, and has been playing around the country in LA, Chicago, Boston, and other cities.