MAESTRA

Filmmaker Maggie Contreras’ directorial debut, MAESTRA, follows Five incredible women from around the world who are boldly breaking glass ceilings in the male-dominated world of orchestral conducting take center stage. The struggles and triumphs of the gifted artists in MAESTRA offer a microcosm for the challenges faced by women in every industry and in every walk of life today, while also providing valuable insights into how we may conduct ourselves as we create a new movement for a more equitable future.

I WAS BORN THIS WAY

I WAS BORN THIS WAY is an innovative documentary by the Oscar and Emmy-winning team of Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard, telling the incredible story of Archbishop Bean through interviews, archival footage, and animation. When Archbishop Carl Bean sang the 1977 Motown hit and gay anthem “I Was Born This Way,” it was just the start of his mission to change the world. With appearances by Questlove, Dionne Warwick and, Rep. Maxine Waters and using innovative animation, I WAS BORN THIS WAY is a feature-length documentary exploring the life and legacy of Bean and his resounding message “love is for everyone.”

LEE FIELDS: FAITHFUL MAN

Lee Fields is a funk and soul legend 50 years in the making. In this feature documentary, his journey to find his place in soul music history takes you from vinyl to virtual—and back again.

HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET?

Beyond the success and bombastic stage persona of Fantastic Negrito lies a 51-year-old survivor, hustler, and self-described ‘recovering narcissist’ named Xavier Dphrepaulezz. Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? follows Xavier as he creates his newest album of the same title, laying bare his turbulent journey as he searches for truth, reconciliation, and ultimately, healing.

SOUNDS OF THE SILENTS

From early silent films to the present day, music has been inseparable from film. Through first-hand accounts, SOUNDS OF THE SILENTS reveals the untold history of silent film music. Whether in small towns or movie palaces, musicians and composers could make or break a film and helped create one of the most successful industries in the world.

SIRENS

On the outskirts of Beirut, Sirens follows the emotional journey of Lilas and Shery, co-founders and guitarists of the Middle East’s first all-female metal band, as they wrestle with friendship, sexuality and destruction in their pursuit of becoming thrash metal rock stars.

TROUBLE DON'T LAST

In 1984, artist Bruce Conner filmed over forty hours of rehearsals, performances and interviews for a documentary on the legendary gospel group, the Soul Stirrers. When he died in 2008, the project was shelved. Until now.

The Holly

Terrance Roberts, a third generation resident of the Holly community, is a former gang leader on the run. He faces life in prison for shooting a gang member at his own peace rally, an incident that shocked his community and many in the world of activism: Terrance had transformed himself since his gang days and had become a nationally known activist, credited with helping dramatically reduce gang violence in Denver. Terrance claims he was attacked at the peace rally, but the police and District Attorney appear not to believe him. He is charged with attempted murder, and faces 102 years in prison. Inconsistencies in the case begin to appear, and as witnesses come forward to filmmakers, Denver’s gang war explodes, sparking emergency DOJ funding and a citywide debate over how to fight gang violence, with Terrance gone.

A Decent Home

When housing on the lowest rung of the American dream is devoured by the wealthiest of the wealthy, whose dream are we serving? A Decent Home addresses urgent issues of class and economic (im)mobility through the lives of mobile home park residents who can’t afford housing anywhere else. They are fighting for their dreams -- and their lives -- as private equity firms and wealthy investors buy up parks, making sky-high returns on their investments while squeezing every last penny out of the mobile home owners who must pay rent for the land they live on.

The Human Trial

THE HUMAN TRIAL takes you inside an epic quest to cure an invisible yet life-threatening disease — type 1 diabetes (T1D). With real-time access to a groundbreaking stem cell trial, the directors Lisa Hepner and Guy Mossman follow the scientists and the patients who are putting their lives on the line to be first. This feature documentary interweaves the intimate stories of the patients — Maren and Greg — who have borne the physical and financial burdens of the disease — with the researchers — Paul, Michael and Howard — who epitomize the struggle of innovating cures. Lisa — whose own T1D fuels her search for a cure — becomes the bridge between these two worlds, painting an intimate portrait of what it takes to push medical innovation forward.

The Letter

THE LETTER follows Karisa as he journeys from Mombasa to his Kenyan hometown to clear his grandmother’s name after she has been accused of witchcraft. Ultimately, he discovers a systemic plot to disenfranchise older landowners to benefit their younger heirs. Karissa must come to his grandmother’s defense in this intimate family portrait. Throughout the film, an original score by co-director Maia Lekow is combined with the folksongs of the Mijikenda community to create a musical portrait of Kenyan life. Ms. Lekow is one of Kenya’s most prolific musicians, performing both locally and internationally with her band Maia and the Big Sky.

Sweetheart Deal

SWEETHEART DEAL follows four women on Aurora Avenue, Seattle’s infamous prostitution track, who befriend a self-proclaimed healer offering to help them through the horrors of Heroin withdrawal. SWEETHEART DEAL journeys into a dangerous and hypnotic world, following some of the most vulnerable populations left behind by a rapidly gentrifying city. SWEEHEART DEAL uses more than 50 songs throughout the film, created by three original composers.

Sisters with Transistors

SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS is the remarkable story of electronic music’s female pioneers who embraced machines and their liberating technologies to utterly transform how we produce and listen to music today. SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS breaks down the prevailing misconception that early electronic music was dominated by males by showcasing the innovative work of females in the field. The film features songs created by female artists, and songs that use techniques pioneered by females. SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS was set to premiere at 2020’s canceled South By Southwest. More news is forthcoming as to when and where these canceled premieres will take place.

unfiltered

A Black teenager demystifies the ‘Angry Black Woman’ trope through bold and charged poetry that reflects her own journey of healing familial relationships and personal growth.

Crip Camp

CRIP CAMP premiered at 2020’s Sundance to packed houses. Its popularity was bolstered by the fact that the film was championed by Barack and Michelle Obama, who became executive producers on the film and brought it on as one of the first titles in their Netflix-based Higher Ground Productions. CRIP CAMP will premiere on Netflix on March 25, 2020.

Going To Mars

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project pushes the boundaries of biographical documentary storytelling to reveal the enduring influence of one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators. Combining parallel cinematic story editing with visually innovative treatments of her poetry, together with intimate vérité, rich archival footage, and Giovanni’s own captivating contemporary performances, Going to Mars recounts the story of the artist and activist and the tumultuous historical periods in which she lived—from the Civil Rights Movement, to the Black Arts Movement, to present-day Black Lives Matter.

Bathtubs Over Broadway

Once upon a time in the USA, Broadway and Business had a baby: the corporate musical. The film tells the story of one of Capitalism’s strangest creations and the comedy writer obsessed with rescuing this hidden world from obscurity.

Call Her Ganda

Grassroots activists in the Philippines are spurred into action when a local transgender woman, Jennifer Laude, is brutally murdered by a US Marine. As they demand answers, and a just trial, hidden histories of US colonization and abuse come bubbling to the surface.