Rhino Man

During the production phase of this important and riveting documentary, the central subject of the film, Anton Mzimba, was assassinated in his South African home. The wildlife traffickers responsible for the heinous crime also injured his wife.  

Rhino Man is a conservation film and much more. Mzimba and other field rangers at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve have been fighting poachers and illegal wildlife traffickers for decades despite the high personal risk. At its core, the film is a tribute to their bravery, integrity and military-grade training. 

Yet the images of rhinos suffering are comparably moving. Co-Directors John Jurko II, Matt Lindenberg and Daniel Roberts took care to let Timbavati's rangers tell their stories and explain why they would give their lives for another species. Their reasons are deeply thoughtful—even soul-stirring. The rangers' shared vision for their nature reserve is one of compassion and selfless service over vast expanses of time. 

Important people and organizations are involved in this project. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, President of United for Wildlife and heir to the throne for the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, contributes on-camera remarks from his unique perspective as an activist and future head of state. The Prince's sophisticated contributions toward reducing the illegal wildlife trade are praiseworthy and game-changing. His Royal Highness's work is also entirely charitable, as United for Wildlife is a program of The Royal Foundation, the philanthropic vehicle of The Prince and Princess of Wales. 

Other notable supporters of the film include Thin Green Line, Southern African Wildlife College, International Ranger Federation, Game Rangers Association of Africa and the previously stated Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. This documentary pays due homage to the people on the front lines of a global wildlife trafficking war. At the same time, it raises questions. Can the world stand by while one species after another becomes extinct? When should humans risk their lives for such a cause? What are the implications for animals, the planet, and us? The rangers in Rhino Man probe these thoughts, and act on their convictions, as you will see if you check out this cutting-edge film. 

You can watch a teaser here: Rhino Man Teaser

Interview with Traveler #582

In this deadpan, Kafkaesque take on the modern corporate grind, a middle manager interviews a job hopeful for a position in a secretive spiritual order. The organization, called Third Eye Moonwalk, travels outside of four-dimensional space-time. Despite this amazing feat, it's still bound by the humdrum oppressions of debt, turnover and general administrative expenses. They need help, but is Traveler #582 the candidate who can help them?

Co-Directors Lisa Steindler and Jon Bernson conceived this satirical project to illuminate people on the perils of seeking financial gain as an end goal. It leads to a life without meaning and purpose, they warn. The filmmaking team is based in San Francisco, a city known for its counter-culture spirit—and vast wealth. The conflict between those two realities is a call for artists, and this filmmaking team found something otherworldly amidst the contrast.  

You can watch the teaser here: Interview with Traveler #582 Teaser

Living All of Life

When Susana learns that her husband of many decades has abandoned her, she is disconsolate. Life is joyless, bland and empty. In desperation, she reaches out to her neighbor Gloria, a high-spirited soul who could help her heal the wound. Yet Susana despises Gloria for all the reasons the younger woman could help. It is a vortex of suffering, and neither words nor possible friends are enough to help Susana really live again. 

Mexico City-born Director Marlen Rios-Farjat has a discerning touch in Living All of Life (Vivir Today la Vida). The acting is intimate and nuanced, and elements of cinematography such as lighting, movement and color are woven carefully into the narrative. Susana's fragility is held in relief to the vibrancy and possibility of the city, showing how people can be influenced by their environments and given circumstances. There is much for cinephiles to admire here. 

Then there is the music. An original work by Emiliano Suarez follows the story, entering and exiting, then entering again. The song in this short film is a touchstone of life, a form of expression that conveys Susana's inner life as she grows and manifests. 

Living All of Life is a student project from Centro de Capacitacion Cinematografica, A.C.. Given the maturity of the work, you would never know it had an educational origin. The movie will play with English subtitles, and the accompanying music video for the song will screen separately in Spanish only. You can watch the trailer here (Spanish, without subtitles): 

Gypsy Rose Leezinski

Poor Max. He tries and tries again to land himself a girlfriend. No, a date! Just a date would be fine. But women will have none of it as he endures rejections, slaps and general love life failure. Yes, it's a humiliating, even depressing, mental state for him to exist in each day...after agonizing..........day. 

But he won't give up. In fact, his frustration is propelling him to take action. So, one day, he heads off to see a fortune teller. It's a Hail Mary, he knows, but hey it's LA and you can make the nutty choice when stretching for your dream. If Gypsy Rose is making it here, she must have something to offer someone. What has he got to lose? If you don't see a fortune teller now and then, you're not even in the game. 

Gypsy Rose gazes into her crystal ball, and maybe she has no idea what she's doing and only does this gig to pay the rent, but she does see something intriguing and he goes where she sends him. What happens next is really...really.........unexpected. 

You can watch the trailer here: 

My Dear Hanna

This short documentary involves a powerful and moving love story. The film's narrator, Marianne Szegedy-Maszak, speaks with eloquence, wisdom and deep fondness about her parents. Her father, a Hungarian Christian, was a rising star of Hungary's Foreign Ministry, but he found his government's alliance with Germany despicable. Her mother was the granddaughter of a Jewish industrialist. The story of their tumultuous lives unfolds through letters found 60 years after they were written. 

Family tribute films aren't often so beautifully produced, a lofty compliment to Director Matt Sullivan, his team, and the quality of the letters. In an era when Holocaust denial and anti-semitism have risen to alarming levels, this is an important film to see and discuss. You can watch the trailer here: My Dear Hanna Trailer

The Carnival: 125 Years of the Penn Relays

Not many sporting events in the United States are as steeped in history as the Penn Relays. It is the oldest and largest track & field competition in the country, with origins dating back to April 1895. Approximately 5,000 people attended the first event, no doubt scarcely imagining the future importance of the meet. Today, total attendance can be well over 100,000. 

This well-produced documentary waxes poetic on the history, but it also explores the Penn Relays as a catalyst for change, particularly in the areas of racial and gender equality. Early in its history, organizers invited African-American athletes to compete. Later, women's events were added. The event maintained this all-inclusive ethos through world wars, the civil rights marches, and many White House administrations. 

Iconic sportscaster and project Producer James Brown (The NFL Today, Inside the NFL) and award-winning Director Justin Jarrett combined forces to tell a story and make a statement with The Carnival: 125 Years of the Penn Relays. Many people see a dramatization of real life in the world of sport: the highs and lows, intense struggles and uncertain outcomes. This film draws frequent ties between the event and America's wider culture, suggesting that the Penn Relays helped to shape history. It is a bold claim, but it is also uplifting and worth saying. Penn Relays is an example of everyone winning in the end, whether or not individual athletes take home medals. 

You can watch the trailer here: The Carnival Trailer

Lady Ivory: The Life & Music of Liz DuFour

A cherished member of New Hope, Pennsylvania's music scene, Liz DuFour would need no introduction in this area. She is a local celebrity, an entertainer par excellence, and a long-term participant in the evolution of the LGBTQ+ community. She is so respected that New Hope Celebrates included this biographical film in the LGBTQ+ organization's New Hope Celebrates History: Artists and Authors series. 

Directed by local filmmaker E. Robert Reilly, the short doc includes exclusive interviews with DuFour and other leading lights of New Hope, making this is a must-see for anyone who loves this quaint, inclusive and ever-arty town on the banks of the Delaware River. 

Lady Ivory, as she is affectionately known, played Carnegie Hall at the age of 8. That's right. Eight. A prodigy like her deserves her own film and a beloved place in New Hope's history. You can watch the trailer here: Lady Ivory: The Life & Music of Liz DuFour

New Narratives in Health Access: The Language of Care

This concise and informative documentary needs only six minutes to deliver a thought-provoking message regarding health equality for the Deaf community. The film is tied to Deaf Diabetes Can Together, a part of the Intensive Diabetes Education and Support (IDEAS) Program at the University of Utah. 

Academy Award-winning Director Ross Kauffman and his team explain that the purpose behind New Narratives of Health Access: The Language of Care is to improve healthcare practices for the Deaf community and, ultimately, "transform life challenges into hope and beauty."

Something as routine as a diabetic person's appointment with a physician can become an insurmountable barrier to care if an inappropriate standard is employed. This film will make a difference when influential people hear the message. 

You can watch a teaser here: 

By My Side

Dogs occupy a special place in the lives of many people. This short documentary from Northern California portrays that specialness at another level: a service dog program for sufferers of PTSD. 

In By My Side, Co-Directors Vicki Topaz and Wynn Padula focus their camera on three veterans and their families. Through these intimate portraits, one better understands how difficult it is to overcome the "invisible wound." Twenty suicides per day is a bleak number; indeed, many veterans feel there is no hope. 

Yet there is hope in service dogs. Once the veterans were assigned their canine health care workers, smiles returned, family relationships healed, and the world became a little better—one human and dog at a time. You can watch the trailer here: By My Side

There Are Things To Do

There are things to do. What an understated, yet earnest, rallying cry. 

Urvashi Vaid is considered one of the most formative LGBTQ+ activists in history. When she took the podium at the Washington Mall in 1993, an estimated 1,000,000 people stood and listened. Her powerful voice, combined with a certain openness that one associates with love, helped shape a movement and change lives.

Director Mike Syers, a refugee from corporate America who found his calling as a filmmaker, does a sound job of recounting Vaid's story. This short documentary includes interviews and archival footage, making it an excellent foundation piece for LGBTQ+ studies and history. 

You can watch the trailer here: