Balloonfest

Softwaring Hard

October 2014 •English

A documentary about the world of software and the software makers. How do people from outside the industry see it and what do people from inside the industry think about regular computer users?

Christopher Hitchens: Believe Me, It's Torture

June 2008 •English

When the renowned author, orator and journalist Christopher Hitchens was challenged to undergo the brutal interrogation technique known as waterboarding, few would've expected he'd accept such a task - he had previously expressed the position that the controversial procedure would not qualify as torture, and most who'd claim such a thing would not have the courage to test their convictions. Yet, in May 2007, Hitchens did just that - and his experience profoundly impacted both himself and his stance on the matter, prompting him to declare he'd been wrong, and later to publish his 2008 article for Vanity Fair's August issue, simply titled 'Believe Me, It's Torture'.

Perfume War

September 2016 •English

A single mom creates an unlikely weapon in the fight for world peace after her best friend a soldier, is axed in the head by a terrorist. Only now she finds herself in the battle of her life taking on corporate giants.

The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

June 2014 •English

Programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz achieved groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing. His passion for open access ensnared him in a legal nightmare that ended with the taking of his own life at the age of 26.

Germany - Handle with Care!

January 1947 •English

This "March of Time" entry examines the many problems, both human and economic, that faced the Allies in their respective zones of Germany -- USA, England and Russia -- following the end of World War II, and the Allied occupation of what was left of the country following the Nazi reign of Adolf Hitler. The Cold War issues had not yet fully surfaced, so this entry, with fleeting glances into each Zone of the time, traced what economic recovery had been made by the end of 1946, and how the average German citizen of 1946 was living...or getting by.

Brigitte macron, un roman français

January 2018 •French

Coronavirus

April 2020 •English

Struggling with fear, tension, and anxiety amid the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a high school student reflects upon what really matters.

CNN Concatenated

January 2002 •English

An 18-minute long single-channel video which uses CNN footage cut so that each word is spoken by a different newsperson. The pieces literally asks the viewers questions about media authenticity and give CNN a distinct voice

8903 Empire

March 2019 •English

Kevin Jerome Everson and his collaborator Kahlil I. Pedizisai filmed the comings and goings in front of a trap house on Empire Street in Cleveland, Ohio. Loosely inspired by Andy Warhol's 1964 film "Empire," which also runs for eight hours.

David Blaine: Ascension

September 2020 •English

David Blaine will redefine magic once again for an unprecedented live event at a time when the world could use a positive distraction.

Print It Black

April 2024 •English

After the Robb Elementary school shooting in Texas, local Uvalde Leader-News journalists are left to report on the fallout – and on one of their staff members. Reporter Kimberly Rubio rises to national prominence as an advocate for gun reform after her ten-year-old daughter, Lexi, is killed in the shooting. Through the journalists’ reporting, we witness the social fabric of this small Texas town unravel as Kimberly and other victims’ families search for accountability from law enforcement and local leaders. The documentary also shines a light on the critical role of community journalism, at a time when local newspapers are folding rapidly across the country.

Out of Gitmo

February 2017 •English

The dramatic story of a Gitmo detainee released from the controversial U.S. prison after 14 years. With NPR, a report on the struggle over freeing prisoners once deemed international terrorists. Also, the untold history of the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Balloons over Babylon

April 2019 •English

The incredible story of one man's quest to fight terrorism and promote peace and love by flying hot air balloons over his war-torn country.

Unrest

October 2017 •English

When Harvard PhD student Jennifer Brea is struck down at 28 by a fever that leaves her bedridden, doctors tell her it’s "all in her head." Determined to live, she sets out on a virtual journey to document her story—and four other families' stories—fighting a disease medicine forgot.

Information Violence

April 2002 •English

Pencils Down! The 100 Days of the Writers Guild Strike

January 2014 •English

In 2007, the Writers Guild of America, the Screenwriters Union, hit an impasse in their contract negotiations with the Studios. At the center of the dispute was jurisdiction over the internet. Unable to make progress, the WGA called a strike which brought Hollywood to a halt for 100 days.

Yesterday's Witness

November 1976 •English

For the first 50 years of film history, the newsreel was a fixture in American movie theaters. From 1911 to 1967, these shorts proved an influential source of information – and misinformation – for generations of American moviegoers. Television news and public affairs programs became a great improvement over the scanty information offered by the newsreels. This documentary offers insight into a medium which has disappeared.

Looney Lens: Split Skyscrapers

January 1924 •English

The warping lens used to photograph 10th Avenue seems to puzzle the filmmakers.

OXI, an Act of Resistance

October 2014 •English

The popular resistance to the current Greek economic crisis explored and expressed through the ethical and political writings of Ancient Greece.

Looney Lens: Tenth Avenue, NYC

January 1924 •English

Black & White, Short Film, United States, Silent.