Within Reach

Ballymanus

September 2023 •English

10 May 1943. Something is spotted drifting ashore off the coast of Northwest Donegal, Ireland. Something that would change the lives of the local people forever.

Tupac Amaru, algo está cambiando: something is changing

April 2012 •Spanish

The Hammer

March 2016 •English

Champion adventure racer, Jason "The Hammer" Lane, had both knees reconstructed in 2010. After being told that the best therapy was to ride a bike, Jason entered The Race Across America (RAAM) - a 3000-mile, coast to coast cycling race. The winner will finish in less than 8 days. Sleep? Certainly not for the first 48 hours. After that, rest comes in the form of receiving IV drips and counting REM cycles. "The Hammer" literally puts you in the passenger's seat of RAAM as you follow an unknown rookie racer battle for the lead, get run over by a car, and feud with an unprepared crew in a fight to the finish line. In this raw, unabashed documentary, you will witness the determination of a true champion and the love that grows among near strangers through challenge and conflict. The Race Across America has no favorites; rather a taste to swallow half of the field. Each and every racer is tested. Some will pass, some will fail, but only one will Hammer.

A Love Letter to Coopers Cafe

Invalid date •English

During the summer of 2023, my father decided to hang up the boots and walk away from the family business of 25 years. This is my love letter to the cafe in which my family and I have worked, encapsulating the good vibes and cheery nature the business held for a quarter of a century.

Seventh Toa - A BIONICLE Documentary

December 2021 •English

In 2001, a series of leaks within the Bionicle community began to appear, claiming that a seventh protagonist named "Voriki" would be arriving soon. And though those leaks turned out to be fake, the legacy Voriki has left behind has more than made up for it.

Inside the Bruderhof

Invalid date •English

In one picturesque village in Sussex, life is very different. There’s no crime, debt or homelessness, everyone has a job but no-one earns a wage, and none of the children watch television, use social media, play video games or have a mobile phone.

One Got Fat

December 1963 •English

This bicycle-safety film shows children what can happen when bicycles are driven carelessly and recklessly.

Answer the Call

January 2024 •English

When a firefighter comes to your house, chances are that their lives were just like yours not too long ago. 70% of all firefighters in Canada are volunteers, meaning in most cases, they were just eating dinner, coaching a team, or even at their actual job. To raise awareness of the need for volunteer firefighters, "Answer the Call" will showcase the unique lifestyle of volunteer firefighters, and have them shed light on the risks and rewards of living a double life.

We Met in Virtual Reality

March 2022 •English

Filmed entirely inside the world of virtual reality (VR), this immersive and revealing documentary roots itself in several unique communities within VR Chat, a burgeoning virtual reality platform. Through observational scenes captured in real-time, in true documentary style, the film reveals the growing power and intimacy of several relationships formed in the virtual world, many of which began during the COVID-19 lockdown, while so many in the physical world were facing intense isolation.

Fall 2

March 1970 •English

Bas Jan Ader rides his bike into a canal in Amsterdam.

Cree Way

January 1977 •English

This short documentary examines an innovative educational program developed by John and Gerti Murdoch to teach Cree children their language via Cree folklore, photographs, artifacts, and books that were written and printed in the community. Made as part of the NFB’s groundbreaking Challenge for Change series, Cree Way shows that local control of the education curriculum has a place in Indigenous communities.

Young @ Heart

October 2008 •English

Documents the true story of the final weeks of rehearsal for the Young at Heart Chorus in Northampton, MA, and many of whom must overcome health adversities to participate. Their music goes against the stereotype of their age group. Although they have toured Europe and sang for royalty, this account focuses on preparing new songs for a concert in their hometown.

Getting Together

January 1971 •English

A documentary about socialising and society in early 1970s New Zealand.

Inspired Bicycles

April 2009 •English

Danny Macaskill at his peak. Soundtrack by Band of Horses.

Community First, A Home for the Homeless

March 2019 •English

Community First! Village is designed to lift the chronically homeless off the streets of the Austin, TX, offering them a place to call home, helping them to heal from the ravages of life on the streets, and allowing them to rediscover a purpose in their lives. This documentary explores the events that cause homelessness and the heartwarming stories of being welcomed into a nurturing environment where dignity and self-worth are restored.

The Natashquan punk

Invalid date •French

In 1976, a young punk lands in Natashquan. It’s the beginning of an unlikely love story between a small fishing community and this new arrival. Yet the relationship meets a brutal end when, three years later, the punk disappears without a trace. Forty years have now gone by, and the village of Natashquan is experiencing a slow, irreversible devitalization—one by one, villagers have been going missing. Those who tell the tale of the punk today see it as the story of a small community’s symbolic survival.

Cycle of Memory

July 2022 •English

Mel Schwartz escaped the Great Depression on a bicycle adventure he'd remember for the rest of his life... until Mel lost his memory to Alzheimer's. Now over seventy-five years later, his grandchildren set out to recreate his life-changing journey and find those memories before they slip away. Cycle of Memory explores the importance of intergenerational connection, healing painful pasts, and leaving a meaningful time capsule for the future.

The White Caravan

October 2022 •Italian

The neon sign ‘Circus’ illuminates the wide street of Naples’ suburbs: four circus families were abandoned by the institutions, and now they’re awaiting the pandemic will disappear, like a magic show. The circus has stopped, but their lives go on.

Pit Dhuwur

January 2024 •Indonesian

In the heart of Yogyakarta, a tall bike enthusiast takes a stand against the city's lacklustre cycling infrastructure in the city with the "Bicycle Friendly City" label.

We Can Be Heroes

March 2024 •English

Sometimes, finding your tribe requires a bit of magic. For attendees of a live action role-playing (LARP) camp in upstate New York, the deeply accepting environment has given neurodivergent, queer, and self-proclaimed "nerdy" teenagers the space and community for self-discovery that they have never found anywhere else. As the campers immerse themselves in this imaginative world, they discover inner strength, heal from past traumas, and emerge as the heroes they are meant to be, both in the fantasy realm and in real life.