A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism

Release Date: September 24th, 2010

Starring: Margret Dagmar Ericsdottir, David G. Amaral, Simon Baron-Cohen, David Crowe, Taylor Crowe

Studio: Frontier Filmworks

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes

The film is a true story of a desperate mother and her child, who struggle against one of the most complex and practically incurable diseases, known as autism.

Margret’s son Keli aged ten is autistic. The mother tries to help her son by all possible and impossible ways. That means endless visits to doctors, endless experiments with therapies and treatments and the routine of everyday care. It seems that nothing can help Keli to overcome his autistic condition of mind, which doesn’t allow him to communicate. Communication is the most important thing in the family relations, and being completely short of it Margret is frustrated, because it does hurt. But at the same time this disappointment makes the woman to go further in her attempts to improve Keli’s condition. She travels from her homeland Iceland to USA and Europe in search for the help. She is not ready to give up. Abroad Margret visits lots of doctors, specialized on autism, and try innovative therapies. Besides she meets with families, touched by the same disease, to get more knowledge of autism and find support. The courage of Margret helps her son to achieve a certain progress, promising that one day he will be able to express himself and even possibly to communicate…

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Catfish

Release Date: September 17th, 2010

Starring: Megan Faccio, Nev Schulman, Rel Schulman

Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Studio: Rogue Pictures (Universal)

Genre: Comedy, Documentary, Romance

Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes

The intricate story from filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, “Catfish” is based on real events, happened to the brother of Ariel called Nev.

Nev is a 24-year-old man, working in New-York as a photographer. Navigating once through the web, he receives a curious message on MySpace from Abby - a very strange girl of eight from Michigan, who asks him for permission to make a painting from one of his photographs. Nev is both puzzled and flattered at the offer. Soon he receives a wonderful painting, which becomes the beginning of his friendly relations via internet with Abby. Besides he gets acquainted soon with the girl’s family and what is especially important – with her very cute older sister Megan. A talented musician and a model, she wins the heart of the man soon, and their relations grow into a grandiose cyber love affair…

But Nev is lost in guesses and wants to resolve all his troubles about Megan and the story. Together with his friends he embarks on a journey to Michigan, hoping to reveal the true. He decides to make a surprise by his unexpected visit. But as the further events unfold, it becomes clear, that the main hero of the documentary has become a part of a well thought-out online intrigue.

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Last Train Home

Release Date: September 3th, 2010

Starring: Suqin Chen, Changhua Zhan, Qin Zhang, Yang Zhang

Director: Lixin Fan

Studio: Zeitgeist Films

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes

The documentary from eminent filmmaker Lixin Fan is a dramatic story, heard by him from one couple while travelling by train.

Every year in spring Chinese cities are overcrowded by migrant workers, who are in a hurry to catch train. The reason is the Chinese New Year – the holiday, when many of the families rush to reunite after a long period of parting because of work in big cities.

The Zhangs, the parents of Qin, have left her a little child in the hope to earn money in a big city and escape poverty. They thought, they would have managed to provide a better future for their family. But the price, they had to pay for this chance, was rather disappointing. The girl – now a teenager - grown up without parents’ love; she suffered badly from their constant absence, and surely she dreamed of the absolutely another childhood. As a result, Qin doesn’t want to go to school and drops it out. By her rebellious behavior the girl revolts against the inevitable course of destiny. It is the destiny of many of the Chinese people, which is the price for the great economical upturn in China. Qin plans to join the ranks of migrant workers like her parents. The Zhangs have to do impossible to change their daughter’s intention and repair their broken family, if it’s not too late…

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I Am Comic

Release Date: August 20th, 2010

Starring: Ahmed Ahmed, Franklyn Ajaye, Tim Allen, Ant, Craig Anton

Director: Jordan Brady

Writer: Jordan Brady, Ritch Shydner

Studio: Monterey Media Inc.

Genre: Comedy

What does it mean to be a comedian? The documentary from a filmmaker Jordan Brady follows his personal experience together with the experience of other practitioners, provided by curious backstage scenes and exclusive interviews with lots of comedians to answer this question.

The main personage of the film is retired comic Ritch Shydner. He reached the top of his career in 1980’s. During that time he appeared in lots of top TV-shows, starred in several comedies and had his own show on HBO. Now, after thirteen years of retirement, Shydner returns to his work as a comic. Ritch hopes to find the way to the hearts of his new audience and make his comeback to professional comedy successful. Jordan Brady follows the performer, who has to adjust the changes in the world of comedy to suit the tastes of its numerous admirers.

All together they reveal the true psychological profile of a modern comedian as he is. The documentary describes the work of a comic from many aspects, beginning from the script writing up to performing and contacting with the audience.

The film also features unprecedented interviews with such bright comedians as Sarah Silverman, Lewis Black, Phyllis Diller, Carlos Mencia, Bobcat Goldthwait, Jeff Foxworthy and many others. 

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12th & Delaware

Release Date: August 2nd, 2010

Director: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady

Studio: HBO Documentary Films

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes

The provocative documentary from acclaimed filmmakers Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing centers on one of the most actual problems of humanity - abortion. The heated controversy between the supporters and the opponents of abortion comes into the conflict of the global importance.

The war of wits is especially hard in Fort Pierce, where 12th Street crosses Delaware Avenue. There is an abortion clinic called “A Woman’s World” on one side of the street. The Pregnancy Care Center is situated on the other. One can’t imagine the place, which suits better for the confrontation.

The pro-life volunteers express their attitude to abortion by painting a portrait of abortion to the clients across the street, both terrifying and disgusting. And their opponents, working in the abortion clinic, seriously fear for their lives, as they offer their clients the right to choose. The battle between the streets flares up and the passions are running high… And that is a question, if there is a way out of the situation, when each party insists on its own opinion and considers it is the only true one… “12th & Delaware” offers an independent sight on one of the most intractable conflicts in the US.

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