Short of the Week

Documentary

Documentary about Art in Live-Action
Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost / 6 min / USA / 2012

A towering figure in the art world, standing at 6’7″, John Baldessari’s epic career is crammed into 5 and a half frenzied minutes. Narrated by Tom Waits.

Documentary about Perseverence in Live-Action
Pilgrim Films, Andrew Hinton / 9 min / India / 2012

Amar is 14 and top of his class. He’s also his family’s main breadwinner, working two jobs six and a half days a week. An observational documentary that follows Amar through his daily life.

Documentary about Community in Live-Action
Catherine Spangler / 8 min / USA / 2012

Coal queen pageant contestant Arianna Bailey competes for a crown to represent her family’s way of life. Former miner Goose Stewart lives with the memories of a mine explosion. One thing binds both families: coal.

Documentary about Inspiration in Live-Action
Nirvan Mullick / 11 min / USA / 2012

The internet has been taken over by a cute kid with a fantastic dream—one that came true!

Documentary about Family in Live-Action
Benedict Campbell / 14 min / UK / 2012

A daredevil family keeps a visceral form of entertainment alive in this beautiful black and white documentary.

Documentary about Life & Society in Live-Action
Doug Nichol / 15 min / USA / 2012

An American advertising producer in Shanghai tries to sell fast food to the Chinese. An endearing portrait of a modern day “Mad Man.”

Documentary about Love in Live-Action
Matt Morris / 10 min / USA / 2012

Come rain or shine, 88-year-old Bermudian Johnny Barnes devotes six hours every day to an endearing traffic ritual that has made him one of the island’s most cherished citizens.

Documentary about Nature in Interactive
Leanne Allison, Jeremy Mendes / 20 min / Canada / 2012

The life of a grizzly in a Canadian national park from the perspective of data points and surveillance cameras presents a fascinating look at what it means to be wild in this interactive film from the NFB.

Documentary about Love in Found Footage
Penny Lane / 16 min / USA / 2011

Lyrical, meditative documentary on the immensity of the universe and the persistent human spirit to experience it to the utmost.

Documentary about Family in Interactive
Kaitlin Jones / 12 min / Canada / 2011

A sister fondly remembers growing up with her brother as she struggles to deal with his deployment to Afghanistan in this interactive film from the NFB.

Documentary about Growth in Live-Action
Rob Spence / 12 min / USA / 2011

The current limits of science are a lot further than you might imagine when it comes to human modification. Join the “Eyeborg” has he explores what’s cutting-edge, in this unique branded film promoting the video game Deus Ex.

Documentary about Music in Live-Action
Sean Dunne / 23 min / USA / 2011

A look into the culture of Insane Clown Posse fans who attend the annual Gathering with a shared love for cheap partying, a sense of family, and escape from dysfunctional lives.

Documentary about Loss in Animation
Rausch Brothers / USA / 2011

Public Television’s StoryCorps oral history project selected three histories to be animated commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Documentary about Family in Animation

 
The RCA-alumni group, the Moth Collective (be sure to catch David Prosser’s Matter Fisher) continues to impress us with their simple yet honest animated stories. The latest to surface…

Documentary about Art in Live-Action
Eric Slatkin / 8 min / USA / 2011

Richard and Judith Selby Lang have, for years, been picking up plastic detritus from Kehoe Beach in Northern California and using these found objects to create art. The results are pretty spectacular.

Documentary about Inspiration in Live-Action
Zackary Canepari, Drea Cooper / 10 min / USA / 2011

Growing old doesn’t mean growing sedentary. Meet the young-at-heart ladies of the Leisure World synchronized swim team.

Documentary about Loss in Live-Action
Ransom Riggs / 6 min / USA / 2011

Writer/filmmaker Ransom Riggs directs this poetic look at the doomed inland desert oasis, “The Salton Sea”.

Documentary about Life & Society in Interactive

A remarkable interactive media experience about a town that’s no longer on the map, but is not forgotten.

Documentary about Community in Live-Action
Rod Blackhurst, Dave Targan / 10 min / USA / 2011

A brief documentary that looks at the story of the Burlington Bees, the Low-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals, from a variety of perspectives.

Documentary about Art in Live-Action
Qiao Li / 6 min / China / 2011

Enter the world of Chinese wedding photography through the work of 80 Impression, an amazingly creative and popular duo of artists.

Documentary about Life & Society in Live-Action
Alison Klayman / 18 min / China / 2011

Ai Wei Wei, China’s most famous artist and dissident. Watch this short film from Alison Klayman who spent months documenting his life.

Documentary about Human Nature in Live-Action
Sean Dunne / 15 min / USA / 2011

Jonny Corndawg, prolific underground country singer, marathon runner. Another portrait of an eccentric character by the acclaimed Sean Dunne.

Documentary about Childhood in Live-Action
Tommy Petroni / 4 min / USA / 2011

The simple follies of youth are captured so beautifully in this kaleidoscope of teenage moments.

Documentary about Friendship in Live-Action
Zackary Canepari, Drea Cooper / 8 min / USA / 2011

Silicon Valley coders formed a real life fight club to escape their everyday lives.

Documentary about Life & Society in Found Footage
Kirby Ferguson / 7 min / USA / 2011

Good artists copy—great artists steal. How everything from music to movies is influenced, based on, or derivative of previous genius.