Cinema in Kingston: From Muybridge to the Multiplex

Memory: The Origins of Alien

January 2019 •English

The untold origin story behind Ridley Scott's Alien - rooted in Greek and Egyptian mythologies, underground comics, the art of Francis Bacon, and the dark visions of Dan O'Bannon and H.R. Giger. A contemplation on the symbiotic collaborative process of movie-making, the power of myth, and our collective unconscious.

Binka: To Tell a Story About Silence

January 2007 •Bulgarian

A film pioneer, Binka Zhelyazkova was at the forefront of political cinema under Bulgaria's Communist dictatorship. Though she remained faithful to the communist ideals she became an avid critic of the regime and brought upon herself the wrath of its censorship. As a result four of her nine films were shelved and released to the public only after the fall of the regime in 1989, and Binka Zhelyazkova became known as the bad girl of Bulgarian cinema. A provocative portrait that reveals the pressures and complexities that arise when art is made under totalitarianism.

Tracing Battleship Potemkin

September 2007 •German

Documentary detailing the extensive number of shots long lost from constant film re-cutting of 1925's great silent cinema classic Battleship Potemkin in the last 80 years, and how many of those shots have been returned.

The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster

November 2002 •English

The history of Frankenstein's journey from novel to stage to screen to icon.

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

January 2022 •English

An enchanting making-of story told through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time.

The Discovery and Development of Film

January 2006 •Croatian

The birth date of film can be established: December 28, 1895. The place where it happened is also known: Paris, Boulevard des Capucines, Grand Caffe. It is also known who did it first: Louis Lumiere. However, the history of film starts in distant, almost unknown times: from drawings of cave people, through reliefs from Egyptian times, to the discovery of photography. Development of film technique: silent film, sound film, color film. Development of film expression: film as a recording of reality, film as an interpretation of reality, film as fiction or new reality. Development of film as an industry.

Introduction to Filmmaking

January 2006 •Croatian

We live with films every day, and it seems nothing easier than answering the question: what is a film? Obviously, a film is, first and foremost, a document, a testimony of the world that surrounds us. The rich expressional possibilities of film are based on the imperfection of the human eye, its sluggishness, so thanks to the stroboscopic effect we can animate a still image. Film is therefore a kinetic image, or a moving image. It can make the invisible visible, bring the distant closer, enlarge the small, speed up the slow, slow down the fast, and return the end to the beginning. The technological basis of film: light, film tape, camera, projector, film screen. Expressive possibilities of film: scientific, documentary, communicative, artistic. Basic film genres: differences among films.

Out of Per Åhlin's Head

November 2019 •Swedish

A portrait of Per Åhlin, who has been called the father of Swedish animation.

James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate

January 1984 •English

Retrospective of the life and movie work of British actor James Mason. The documentary presents interview footage interspersed with some movie excerpts, mainly from his pre-hollywood period.

Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell

January 1995 •English

The life and career of legendary Hollywood glamour portrait photographer George Hurrell is profiled by his contemporaries including other photographers and actors he has shot.

Cinema Morocco

June 2021 •Portuguese

For two decades, Cine Marrocos, a movie theatre in the heart of São Paulo, was one of the most popular and opulent of the city. After it was closed, in 1972, it was occupied by a homeless workers' movement. The documentary tells the story of the people who lived there, alternating scenes from an acting class with those of the movies exhibited there in the past.

Star Trek: The Captains' Summit

April 2009 •English

The Captains' Summit documents the first time in Star Trek history that four stars who at some point have played Captains in Star Trek (William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Leonard Nimoy, Jonathan Frakes) have been brought together for a 70-minute rare and unprecedented round table event. Whoopi Goldberg, star of Star Trek: The Next Generation, hosts the event.

Lost in La Mancha

February 2002 •English

Fulton and Pepe's 2000 documentary captures Terry Gilliam's attempt to get The Man Who Killed Don Quixote off the ground. Back injuries, freakish storms, and more zoom in to sabotage the project.

Le Nouveau monde

October 2017 •French

Life After The Navigator

November 2020 •English

A feature that not only celebrates the 1986 classic "Flight of the Navigator", but also looks at the life of its child star, Joey Cramer, and his roller-coaster life since that breakthrough role.

Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman

June 2006 •English

The history of the comic book superhero, Superman, in his various media incarnations.

Un sale métier

May 2015 •French

Score: A Film Music Documentary

March 2017 •English

Music is an integral part of most films, adding emotion and nuance while often remaining invisible to audiences. Matt Schrader shines a spotlight on the overlooked craft of film composing, gathering many of the art form’s most influential practitioners, from Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman to Quincy Jones and Randy Newman, to uncover their creative process. Tracing key developments in the evolution of music in film, and exploring some of cinema’s most iconic soundtracks, 'Score' is an aural valentine for film lovers.

No More Joy: The Rise and Fall of New Orleans Movie Theatres

May 2005 •English

From the first movie nickelodeon on Canal Street in New Orleans at the turn of the century to the mega-plex theatres in the suburbs of the city, this film traces their history. With interviews from the people that were working in silent movie theatres to the visionaries that knew that "if you built them they will come", this is fascinating look at a history in a city that is a joy in everyone's memory.

Done the Impossible

July 2006 •English

A documentary covering Firefly's birth, death and rebirth from the perspective of both the fans and the cast and crew of both productions.