Standing before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, "St. Elmo's Fire" screenwriter Carl Kurlander recounts how his Grandpa Jack, in the middle of the Great Depression, bet everything on a coin-operated phonograph — realizing that while no one had money for records, everyone had a nickel to play their favorite song. Jack helped kickstart the careers of stars like Frank Sinatra and Harry Belafonte and, along with his fellow Cleveland coin men, promoted the music of Black artists that radio stations refused to play — music that first became known there as "rock and roll." But as the jukebox became a symbol of America's twin evils — juvenile delinquency and organized crime — a young Robert F. Kennedy, working for the Senate hearings on organized crime, targeted Jack and his associates as a front for the mob. Today, as AI algorithms pick songs for young people to listen to, "Jack and the Jukebox" reminds us of the community this forgotten marvel of art and technology — the "Spotify of its day" — once built, and how it changed the way Americans listened to music and the music we listened to.
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OTUS PROJECT
An independent, bootstrapped crew—aerospace engineer, champion FPV drone pilot, rising meteorologist, and veteran storm chaser—attempts the most dangerous mission in weather science: a zero-meter i
Incarnations of I
INCARNATIONS OF I is the story of a Bengali American woman, who after decades of devotion a Hindu warrior goddess, gives voice to unspoken trauma through the traditional art of clay idol-making—dis
The Unfinished Dance
An intimate portrait of the Asian American community shaken by the 2023 Lunar New Year mass shooting in Monterey Park, CA, as the survivors confront their mortality, guilt, and regret, while seekin
The Stories of Jim Harrison
This film will be the definitive documentary on the life of novelist-poet-outdoorsman-raconteur Jim Harrison.
Courage for Yong
After two decades living in Los Angeles with bipolar disorder, Yong Yang, a Korean-American patient, had finally built a life worth living - until an LAPD officer fatally shot him during a mental h
The Sound of Silents
A feature-length documentary that details the story of the unseen heroes of silent films: the musicians and composers, especially prominent women and Black voices, whose innovative use of music and
Grenadiers
After 52 years, Haiti returns to the 2026 World Cup without having played a single match at home.
Alien: American Dream Denied
Alien: American Dream Denied spotlights the emotional journey of high-skilled, documented immigrants as they seek permanence in a country that benefits from their talent, but denies them a home.
Burrocracy
Considered invasive pests by some and friends by others, there are thousands of feral donkeys roaming the Southwestern desert. What is the fate of the wild burro in today's United States?
Taizé: A Pilgrimage of Trust
The documentary, Taizé: A Pilgrimage of Trust, explores the unique historical, spiritual, musical and cultural significance of the Taizé ecumenical monastic community in Burgundy, France.
This Is Not an Apple
The life of three Palestinian siblings in Norway is turned upside down by a knife attack, and they try to recover through an apple farming initiative
The Alliance of Documentary Editors
The Alliance of Documentary Editors (ADE) is a working group of documentary film and television editors and assistant editors nationwide that campaigns for best practices within the industry while
Left Behind
Left Behind, currently in production, examines the issue of undiagnosed dyslexia, one of the leading causes of illiteracy in the United States.
Soldiers of Learning
Russia's continued systematic bombing and destruction of schools in Ukraine, sometimes while civilians shelter inside, is an intentional tactic aimed at harming Ukraine's future by depriving childr
Ronzo
Ron Shapiro, also known as Ronzo, was a cultural icon and the ‘unofficial cultural ambassador’ to the south.
Prayer Horse
Prayer Horse tells the story of a twelve day, 300 mile horse ride through the Nevada desert by members of the Paiute Indigenous Nation, as they offer prayer to heal traumas and to their lands now t
Frames
Frames is a full-length documentary that will examine the resurgence of analog film among today's Gen-Z photographers and what their work means for the future of photography.
Stealing a Library
STEALING A LIBRARY opens by following Principal Librarian, Melissa Ronning, on her last day before resigning her position at the Huntington Beach Public Library in protest of book censorship and ad
The Stolen
In March of 1976, General Jorge Videla toppled Argentina’s democracy and embarked on a brutal campaign of repression.
Unbreakable Blue
Law enforcement professionals spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with the uglier side of human existence.
Silent Shelter
Silent Shelter is a documentary feature that exposes the country's broken animal sheltering system, which is seen through the eyes of those in the trenches, the volunteers.
The Way Everything Was
This film will revisit a powerfully formative event in my life: being bullied daily in a high school classroom nearly 4 decades ago.
The Great Call
We go in pursuit of gibbon song, which has captivated poets, scientists and shamans for millennia across the dwindling rainforests of Asia.
Little Amens
Throughout the span of twenty five years, from 1970 to 1995 and beyond, the cultural environment in the rural town of Ada, Oklahoma (population 17,000) produced an extraordinary number of nationall
Full Body Burden
Full Body Burden is Kristen Iversen’s story of growing up in a small Colorado town in the shadow of Rocky Flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant.
51st State
People call Jamal Holtz the future mayor (or governor) of D.C. At 25, he is a warm, extroverted, “old soul,” passionately dedicated to establishing Washington D.C.
Sea Sharp
Fifty-five years after becoming the first woman to solo-hand sail the Pacific Ocean, Sharon Sites Adams looks back at 15,000 nautical miles at sea.
Power Trip
When a 100-mile transmission Corridor sparks a $100-million referendum campaign over America’s energy future, Ryan and Mary are caught in the middle.
The Storms We Carry
“The Storms We Carry” is a film about what happens when the storms inside of us are bigger than the ones outside of us.
Ghost Lights: Reclaiming Theater in the Age of AIDS
What happens when you go in search of your legacy only to find it was stolen by an insidious plague?
Herero
HERERO unearths Namibia’s suppressed history - Germany’s first genocide and the enduring legacy of apartheid - through a present-day fight for justice.
Your Pain Was Born Here
Your Pain Was Born Here is a non-linear docu-narrative highlighting the stories of anti-Blackness, Black love, and community.
California Surfing History Film Series
The California Surfing History Film Series documents nearly 200 years of history and culture, dating back to the original Hawaiians who brought surfing to the Mainland for the first time when they