12th and Delaware: The abortion battle continues to rage in unexpected ways on one corner in an American city. 12th & Delaware is a documentary film set in a crisis pregnancy center and a abortion clinic across the street from it in Fort Pierce, Florida. Watch on HBO.
A Family is a Family is a Family: In A Family Is a Family Is a Family, kids offer touching, profound and often funny insights about what being a family means to them. Watch on HBO.
A Heartfelt Standup
: Rosie O’Donnell takes the stage to share hilarious insights about her life as a newly remarried wife and a mother of five children, and to offer a deeply personal recounting of the heart attack she survived over two years ago. Watch on HBO.
All Aboard: Rosie’s Family Cruise: A documentary on the maiden cruise of R Family Vacations, the travel company founded by Rosie and Kelli O’Donnell, which specializes in gay family vacations. Setting sail on July 11, 2004, the trip took 500 families from New York to the Bahamas. Purchase on Amazon or Rent on Netflix.
Artist is Present, The: Marina Abramovi: The Artist Is Present is a mesmerizing and intimate portrait of a woman who draws no distinction between life and art. The “godmother of performance art,” Marina Abramovi has been using her own body as a vehicle for over 40 years. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
A Shot in the Dark: In 1999, before becoming a star on HBO’s ‘Entourage,’ actor Adrian Grenier decided to make a documentary about the father he had never known. The result is this poignant, often-amusing road trip that culminates in a meeting with his biological dad. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
A Small Act: A testament to the rippling effect of a single act of kindness, A Small Act follows a rural Kenyan student-turned-Harvard-grad as he tracks down the woman whose sponsorship changed his life. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Becoming Chaz: Becoming Chaz invites us along on Chaz’s remarkable journey of transformation. As hormone shots give way to top surgery, down-to-earth, unflappable Chaz beams with a sense of liberation and goes public with his story to put a face on a misunderstood issue. Meanwhile, his gregarious girlfriend grapples with the realities of suddenly living with a man, and its clear sex change isn’t solely a physical transition. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Blackfish: Killer whales are beloved, majestic, friendly giants, yet infamous for their capacity to kill viciously. Blackfish unravels the complexities of this dichotomy, employing the story of the notorious performing whale Tilikum, who — unlike any orca in the wild — has taken the lives of several people while in captivity. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Bowling for Columbine: Political documentary filmmaker Michael Moore explores the circumstances that lead to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and, more broadly, the proliferation of guns and the high homicide rate in America. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Boy Interrupted: Boy Interrupted looks at the life of Evan Perry a 15-year-old boy from New York who committed suicide in 2005. The film made by his parents Dana and Hart examines how Evan’s bipolar disorder and depression affected his life and the life of his family. Watch on HBO.
Business of Being Born, The: The Business of Being Born explores the history of obstetrics, the history and function of midwives, and how many common medical practices may be doing new mothers more harm than good. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Catching Hell: This documentary uses the case of Steve Bartman — the fan who interfered with an in-play ball and was vilified for costing the Chicago Cubs a crucial 2003 playoff game — to examine the widespread phenomenon of scapegoating in the sports world. Rent on Netflix.
Catfish: A riveting suspense thriller with a jaw-dropping twist, this true story follows 3 friends as a filmmaking project takes them on the most exhilarating and unsettling ride of their lives. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Chely Wright: Wish Me Away: A personal and intimate look at Chely Wright, the first country music star to come out as openly gay. The film charts her pursuit and rise to fame in Nashville, a hidden network of secrets and lies, her emotional unraveling and eventual rebirth. Purchase on iTunes.
China’s Stolen Children: China’s Stolen Children brings viewers face-to-face with a crisis brought on by the controversial one-child policy, implemented in 1979 to slow the country’s explosive population growth. Watch on HBO.
Citizenfour: After Laura Poitras received encrypted emails from someone with information on the government’s massive covert-surveillance programs, she and reporter Glenn Greenwald flew to Hong Kong to meet the sender, who turned out to be Edward Snowden. Released October, 2014. Learn more here.
Citizen Koch: A searing exposé on the state of American democracy and the fracturing of the Republican Party, Citizen Koch investigates the money behind the Tea Party and traces the impact of unlimited election spending by corporations and billionaires.Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Cove, The: In Taiji, Japan, local fishermen hide a gruesome secret: the capture and slaughter of dolphins. Activist Ric O’Barry, who trained dolphins for the “Flipper” TV series, joins forces with filmmaker Louis Psihoyos and the Ocean Preservation Society to expose the brutal practice, risking life and limb in the process. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Dad’s in Heaven with Nixon: A mother’s love and a boy’s journey from the darkness of brain damage and autism to the light that is his life today-as an acclaimed artist. An intensely moving story that is ultimately about the triumph and strength of the human spirit. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Deliver Us From Evil: Moving from one parish to another in Northern California during the 1970s, Father Oliver O’Grady quickly won each congregation’s trust and respect. Unbeknownst to them, O’Grady was a dangerously active pedophile that Church hierarchy. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Devotion Project, The: The Devotion Project is a six-part series of short documentary portraits celebrating the commitment and love of LGBTQ couples and families. Each film is under 10 minutes and is available for free online. The series has also been subtitled in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Russian.Watch for free on YouTube.
Don’t Divorce Me: Don’t Divorce Me: Kids’ Rules for Parents on Divorce addresses this important subject, allowing kids to offer dos and don’ts parents should follow and providing a valuable tool for families struggling to find their way. From executive producer Rosie O’Donnell and Emmy-winning director Amy Schatz. Watch on HBO.
Dying To Tell the Story: Follow narrator Amy Eldon on a personal journey to find meaning in the death of her older brother, 22-year-old Reuters photographer Dan Eldon. Dan was among a group of five journalists attacked by a mob during the Somali famine in 1993; he and three others were stoned to death. As she interviews other journalists and the sole surviving witness to Dan’s death, we see her attain the peace she sought. Watch for free on YouTube.
Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement: After 42 years, feisty and delightful lesbian couple Edie and Thea are finally getting married. From the early ’60s to the present day, the tireless community activists persevere through many battles, both personal and political. It is a love story of two remarkable women whose commitment to each other is an inspiration to us all. Purchase on Amazon.
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me: Plagued by medical issues and memory lapses, the Broadway icon contemplates retirement and mortality as she approaches her 87th birthday and rehearses for a new show. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead: 100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn’t end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn’t far behind. Joe endeavors to drink only fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days in an effort to lose weight and reclaim his health. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Fightville: As Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and other Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) hopefuls fight their way up from the hardscrabble backlands of the American South for a shot at the bright lights of Las Vegas, they learn what it takes to be a champion. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Food, Inc.: Documentary filmmaker Robert Kenner examines how mammoth corporations have taken over all aspects of the food chain in the United States, from the farms where our food is grown to the chain restaurants and supermarkets where it’s sold. Narrated by author and activist Eric Schlosser, the film features interviews with average Americans about their dietary habits, commentary from food experts like Michael Pollan and unsettling footage shot inside large-scale animal processing plants. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Forks Over Knives: Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most; if not all; of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled; or even reversed; by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Gasland: When Josh Fox receives a $100,000 offer from a natural gas company interested in exploring in his land in Pennsylvania’s Delaware River Basin, he decides to do his own research on drilling and the process known as fracking. Josh sets out to interview those who live near drilling sites, and his findings are frightening — their wells contaminated, residents can actually set their tap water on fire. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Good Son: The Life of Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini: Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini wasn’t merely the lightweight champ. He fought for his father and for those in small towns across America. The Good Son is an intimate history, a saga of fathers and fighters, loss and redemption and finally, forgiveness. Watch on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.
Grey Gardens: Meet Big and Little Edie Beale–high-society dropouts, mother and daughter, reclusive cousins of Jackie O.–thriving together amid the decay and disorder of their ramshackle East Hampton mansion. An intimate portrait and an eerie echo of the Kennedy Camelot, Albert and David Maysles’s 1976 Grey Gardens quickly became a cult classic and established Little Edie as a fashion icon and philosopher queen. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Hell and Back Again: From his embed with US Marines Echo Company in Afghanistan, photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis reveals the devastating impact a Taliban machine-gun bullet has on the life of 25-year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County: Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County explores the world of children who reside in discounted motels within walking distance of Disneyland, living in limbo as their families struggle to survive in one of the wealthiest regions of America. The parents of motel kids are often hard workers who don’t earn enough to own or rent homes. As a result, they continue to live week-to-week in motels, hoping against hope for an opportunity that might allow them to move up in the O.C. Watch on HBO.
Horse Boy, The: The Horse Boy follows one Texas couple and their autistic son as they trek on horseback through Outer Mongolia in an attempt to find healing for him. When two-year-old Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson, a writer and former horse trainer, and his wife Kristin Neff, a psychology professor, sought the best possible medical care, but traditional therapies had little effect. Then they discovered that Rowan has a profound affinity for animals particularly horses and the family set off on a quest that would change their lives forever. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Hot Coffee: First-time filmmaker and former public interest lawyer Susan Saladoff uses the infamous legal battle that began with a spilled cup of coffee to investigate what’s behind America’s zeal for tort reform – which threatens to restrict the legal rights of everyday citizens and undermine the entire civil justice system – in the thought-provoking documentary Hot Coffee. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
How to Die in Oregon: Winner of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Award, How to Die in Oregon explores the state’s historic and controversial Death with Dignity Act, which legalizes physician aid-in- dying for some terminally ill patients. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
I Am: Director Tom Shadyac travels the world to speak with intellectual and spiritual leaders about what’s wrong with our world and how we can improve both it and the way we live in it. I AM is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better? Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA: Get a glimpse inside the daily life of PETA President Ingrid Newkirk—from the moment she wakes up, well before dawn, until the end of a long day spent fighting for the rights of animals. I Am an Animal will give you a taste of why PETA is the most successful animal rights organization in the world and offer an inside look at one woman’s lifelong quest to make the world a better place for all animals. Watch on HBO or for FREE on YouTube.
I Am Comic: Laugh, chuckle, giggle, snicker, hoot, snort. Through unprecedented interviews, exclusive backstage access, and wonderful cheesy animation, you will Thrill to their side-splitting observations, be Awestruck at their insight, and take the Harrowing journey with Ritch Shydner as he seeks to recapture the magic. Watch on YouTube.
I’ll be Me: Glen Campbell Documentary: Musician Glen Campbell starts a farewell tour after he is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and he and his family navigate the unpredictable nature of the disease through love, laughter and music. Release date: October 24, 2014. Watch the trailer here.
Into the Abyss: The film profiles Michael Perry, a man on death row convicted of murdering Sandra Stotler, a fifty-year-old nurse of German descent. He was suspected, but never charged, in two other murders which occurred in Conroe, Texas. Perry was convicted eight years earlier of the October 2001 murder, apparently committed in order to steal a car for a joyride. Perry denies that he was responsible for the killings. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Jens Pulver: Driven: Filmed January through April 2010, Jens Pulver, Driven takes you behind the scenes for an emotional roller coaster ride that proves equally heartbreaking and inspirational as we follow legendary mixed martial arts champion, Jens Pulver, on his ‘last march’ toward a do or die comeback after suffering four losses in the cage. Watch on Hulu Plus.
Jesus Camp: Filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady visit an evangelical Christian summer camp called Kids on Fire, where children take part in programs designed to strengthen and intensify their beliefs. The camp’s founder, Becky Fischer, discusses her mission to indoctrinate youths in the word of God, while young campers play certain combat video games and talk about their love for Jesus. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work: This revealing documentary follows the life and career of Joan Rivers, a veteran comedienne arguably more known for her extensive plastic surgery than for her talent. The film explores her early years in the comedy industry and touches on her longtime professional relationship with Johnny Carson, who is one of many celebrities featured, along with George Carlin, Phyllis Diller, Kathy Griffin and Rivers’ own daughter and frequent screen partner, Melissa Rivers. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Journey to Dyslexia: According to a 2010 Roper Poll, 80 percent of Americans associate dyslexia with mental retardation. But what are the realities of this most common of learning disabilities? Oscar®-winning filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond examine the complexities of the dyslexic brain, showing how it is structured differently, and debunk myths and misperceptions about dyslexia. Watch on HBO.
Last Days in Vietnam: During the chaotic final weeks of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army closes in on Saigon as the panicked South Vietnamese people desperately attempt to escape. On the ground, American soldiers and diplomats confront the same moral quandary: whether to obey White House orders to evacuate U.S. citizens only–or to risk treason and save the lives of as many South Vietnamese citizens as they can. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
May I Be Frank: Frank Ferrante is a 54 year old Sicilian from Brooklyn living in San Francisco. A lover of life, great food and a good laugh, Frank is also a drug addict, morbidly obese, pre-diabetic, and fighting Hepatitis C. He’s estranged from his daughter, single, and struggling with depression. Frank knows that life can be better than this, and is looking for a way out. May I Be Frank documents the transformation of Frank Ferrante’s life after he stumbles into a local raw, organic, vegan café. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Me at the Zoo: Me at the Zoo takes a look at the young video blogger from a small town in Tennessee. The documentary delves into the life of Chris Crocker who was made famous on the internet through numerous public videos, notably his video “Leave Britney Alone”, which garnered mainstream media attention. The film also explores how video sharing and social media have shaped the way people share their stories and go about their lives. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Monica & David: Winner of the Best Documentary Feature award at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, Monica & David is full of humor, romance and everyday drama. Blending fly-on-the-wall footage and personal interviews, first-time director Alexandra Codina (who is Monica’s cousin) explores the complex lives of the newlyweds and the devoted families who support them. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Other City, The: Not far from the White House, the Capitol, and the National Mall lies a part of Washington, DC that the tourists never see and the mainstream media virtually ignores. At least three percent of DC is HIV positive, a staggering rate higher than parts of Africa. Behind all the stories of heartbreak, loss, and struggle there are also the incredible, encouraging stories of the people behind grassroots movements to extend education, combat stigmas, and spread hope. Watch on Showtime.
Park Avenue: In America, the rich are getting richer. Isn’t that great? Doesn’t that mean there’s lots more wealth to go round? Or is it good news for the rich but very bad news for the poor? 740 Park Avenue, Manhattan, is one of the most exclusive addresses in the world, home to some of the richest Americans, the 1% of the 1%. Ten minutes to the north, across the Harlem River, is the other Park Avenue, in the South Bronx. Here, unemployment runs at 19% and half the population need food stamps. Watch on YouTube.
Prisoner of her Past: Prisoner of Her Past is a 2010 documentary film that follows the journey of Chicago Tribune music critic Howard Reich as he travels to Europe to discover why his elderly mother, Sonia Reich, believes people are trying to kill her. Inspired by conversations with young trauma survivors in post-Katrina New Orleans, Howard Reich begins to discover a secret that his mother, Sonia, had kept hidden for over 60 years. For most of her adult life, Sonia Reich was a well adjusted and self-sufficient woman, but now in her eighties, Sonia is suffering from late-onset Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Purchase here.
Private Violence: Private Violence emphasizes the stigma domestic violence still carries for its victims, telling the stories of two women: Deanna, a victim turned survivor, and Kit Gruelle, a survivor who advocates for justice on behalf of Deanna and other battered women. Highlighting the complex, frustrating realities of the abuse women suffer every day at the hands of intimate partners, as well as the difficulties of prosecuting domestic violence cases. Watch on HBO.
Prodigal Sons: Returning home to a small town in Montana for her high school reunion, filmmaker Kimberly Reed hopes for reconciliation with her long-estranged adopted brother, Marc. But along the way she uncovers stunning revelations, including a surprise relationship to Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth, intense sibling rivalries and unforeseeable twists of plot and gender that force them to face challenges no one could imagine. Prodigal Sons is a raw and provocative examination of one family’s struggle to come to terms with its past and present. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Searching for Sugar Man: Searching for Sugar Man is a 2012 Swedish–British documentary film which details the efforts of two Cape Town fans in the late 1990s, Stephen “Sugar” Segerman and Craig Bartholomew-Strydom, to find out whether the rumored death of American musician Sixto Rodriguez was true and, if not, to discover what had become of him. Rodriguez’s music, which had never been achieved success in the United States, had become very popular in South Africa although little was known about him in that country. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Smash His Camera: Smash His Camera is a 2010 documentary film directed by filmmaker Leon Gast about the life and career of paparazzi photographer Ron Galella. The film won the “Directing Award Documentary” at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and began a limited U.S. theatrical release on 30 July 2010 through Magnolia Pictures, and will be shown on HBO. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams: A documentary that follows Stevie Nicks as she begins writing and recording her first solo album in nearly a decade. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Story of Stuff, The: The Story of Stuff, originally released in December 2007, is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the Stuff in your life forever. Watch for FREE on Storyofstuff.org.
Super Size Me: Director Morgan Spurlock’s social experiment in fast-food gastronomy sees him attempting to subsist uniquely on food from the McDonald’s menu for an entire month. In the process his weight balloons, his energy level plummets and he experiences all sorts of unexpected — and terrifying — side effects. He also examines the corporate giant’s growing role in the lives of American consumers and explores its methods of indoctrinating young people and its contribution to America’s obesity epidemic. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Tattooed Under Fire: Tattooed Under Fire is a unique, intimate, character-driven portrait of Iraq-bound and returning US soldiers as they go under the tattoo needle: openly professing their pride, sharing their secrets and confessing their fears. The tattoos cross lines of gender, class, and political affinity revealing the inner lives of young men and women as they live through the horrors of the Iraq war. The film’s narrative moves from the early expectations and excitement of 18 and 20 year-olds through cynicism and anger to a sense of a psychological aftermath that will never be erased. Each soldier’s story is an evocative, poignant, and highly personal look at the human and cultural cost of war. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Teenage Paparazzo: Teenage Paparazzo chronicles the relationship of a 14-year-old paparazzo Austin Visschedyk and actor Adrian Grenier. Grenier encountered Visschedyk one night and decided to follow him while searching for celebrities. Grenier had set himself a mission in getting to understand the world of the paparazzi. Austin has to be tutored and stays up late at night taking pictures and surfing the internet. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
Tillman Story, The: The family of professional football player turned soldier Pat Tillman sets out to explore and uncover the real story behind their son’s death in April 2004 when he was serving in Afghanistan. Tillman, killed not by the Taliban as had first been reported, but instead by friendly fire, left a million-dollar career to serve the United States. But, while searching for the truth, his family uncovers more than the real story — they expose a shocking propagandistic military cover-up. Watch on Amazon Instant Video.
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