The Smart Studios Story(2016)

Christmas with Crosby & Kate(en)

The holidays just wouldn't be the holidays without Mr. White Christmas himself - Bing Crosby. His seemingly effortless, easygoing singing style and good humor made him an audience favorite for generations. In this rare episode of the Hollywood Palace, first telecast in 1966, der Bingle is joined by dancer Cyd Charisse, comedian Bob Newhart, the Crosby family, and Kate "God Bless America" Smith. Bing lends his smooth style to such favorites as the Christmas Waltz, Silver Bells, The twelve days of Christmas, Do you hear what I hear, and of course, White Christmas. Kate Smith belts out Christmas Eve in my home town and there's a special Crosby-Kate medley of catchy Christmas carols.

The Way to the Heart(en)

Ava, an award-winning chef at a big-city restaurant, has lost her spark. Her boss sends her out to find herself to save her menu and her job. She returns home and finds little to inspire her, but when she reunites with her childhood friend Logan, Ava has to get her head out of the clouds and her foot out of her mouth to rediscover her passion for food.

Kill Shot(en)

Posing as hunters, a group of terrorists are in search of $100 million that was stolen and lost in a plane crash en route from Afghanistan.

Les Petites Mains(fr)

After the closure of a lace factory in Calais, Andrée, Lulu and Solange are out on the street.

Wad(en)

The Dutch 'Wad' (coastal mud flats) is a strange place. At low tide, many square miles of mud flats surface between the mainland and the northern islands. The Netherlands grow and shrink with the movement of the moon. Sudden incoming tide make these flats 'sea' again, sometimes drowning hikers by surprise. The Wad does not know what to make of itself. Land, see, mud, ocean floor... Two characters (and their dog) are stranded there in that desolate place. The only dramatic elements in this comical short are the sea, the wind, the sand and a lonely sea gull. Drawn in mud and tar on wet sandpaper.

Keith Jarrett Trio Concert(it)

Sex Up(de)

Three best friends accidentally discover a tropical plant which is actually all-powerful aphrodisiac.The effects of this plant’s juices are amazing: people end up making passionate love with a first person they see and all the brakes cut loose instantly!

Wild Flower(zh)

Romance and office politics collide in this steamy thriller.

Ushuaia Nature - La cité perdue(fr)

Nicolas Hulot and the Ushuaïa Nature team set out to meet the people of the Mekong, from the province of Kamouane in Laos to the lost city of Angkor, the Khmer Versailles in Cambodia. The unconquered waters of the Mekong, a mythical river, 4200 km long, have conditioned the flourishing of the most intriguing civilizations of Southeast Asia. This incredible journey in the Indochinese peninsula is an opportunity to recall that all life in the hands of nature ...

Let It Be(it)

Mary is a young girl, daughter of shepherds, promised in marriage to Joseph, a widower with two children, living in the nearby village of Nazareth, in the Galilee of two thousand years ago. Grown up in love and respect for the little ones, Mary, after leaving her home, soon sees the distortions of the patriarchal world surrounding her, starting with her husband's family. Here he reads the oldest brother of Joseph, Mordecai. The sunny and determined attitude of the girl, protective of children, arouses the indignation of the head of the family and those who are convinced of the need to give them punishment, discipline and submission.

Frimley Park Hospital(en)

Frimley Park Hospital is a heartfelt story about family, resilience, and the importance of prioritizing health without delay. The film follows Rani and her brother Tom, who share a close bond. After returning to the UK from a Nepal holiday, Rani notices something deeply concerning about Tom: his skin and eyes have a yellowish tint, and he looks frail and exhausted. He's lost a staggering 15 kilograms in just a month and seems weaker by the day. Rani, alarmed and worried, insists on taking him to the Aldershot Health Centre to see a GP. The GP, recognizing the urgency of Tom's condition, immediately refers him to Frimley Park Hospital for further testing and treatment. Tom is admitted to the hospital for three weeks, where doctors diagnose him with a range of serious health conditions: jaundice, autoimmune hepatitis, gallstones, and an ulcer. The medical team informs Tom and Rani that his health is in a critical state, and his future is uncertain.

Warsaw Main Station(pl)

Warsaw Central Station, 1958. A place of greetings and farewells, an intersection of people from different parts of Poland and Europe. A girl waits in vain, she goes away. Soon the station would belong to the past too.

RED(en)

He was at the bay when his world split in half.

Pound x Pound: The History of Juan Manuel Márquez(en)

Pound x Pound introduces you to the world of boxing elite through the eyes of Juan Manuel Marquez, four-time world champion. It is a ringside ticket to the professional and personal life of Juan Manuel. An unique access to the truth behind the rivalry with Manny Pacquiao. Read the story behind the Mexican idol, who through work, effort, sacrifices and frustrations, has established itself as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world.

The Cold Heart(de)

A poor and lonely coal seller trades his heart to a demon of the forest, hoping to improve his condition. It won't be long before the consequences of his actions catch up to him.

Hello(en)

Extraterrestrials contact earth in this delightful fable. Their message is "HELLO" in many languages, and there is a celebration.

Ralph S. Mouse(en)

Ralph the mouse lives at the Mountain View Inn and loves his motorcycle. When the inn becomes overriden with mice and Ralph's friend Matt the bellboy must leave, Ralph asks his other friend Ryan to take him to school as part of a plan to help Matt.

Brotherhood: An Egotistic Journey of a Blind Mind(en)

Brotherhood An Egotistic Journey of a Blind Mind is about "Two friends drawn apart by the most common human emotion...Love" Two best friends, Marcus and Vincent are your ideal hoodlums. On a daily routine they drink alcohol, play basketball and idolize women. Stuck in a rut the two are introduced to a young go-getter named Ariana. Through getting to know her a wedge is thrown into Marcus and Vincent's relationship and it might never be repaired. Ego gets in the way and it blinds them.

Knots and Fields(en)

Knots and Fields examines the aesthetic debates and tensions that have animated the Darmstadt courses over six decades, exploring their relevance today in an increasingly globalised environment.

What Did You Expect: The Archers of Loaf Live at Cat's Cradle(en)

Indie rock icons the Archers of Loaf reunited in 2011, and during the course of their reunion tour played two legendary concerts at Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC. Combining in-your-face concert footage along with rare interviews of the band, this film by director Gorman Bechard documents those concerts, and captures the excitement and explosive energy of what its like to see this extraordinary band perform live.

We Were Feared(en)

We Were Feared chronicles the rise and fall of the Cuckoo's Nest punk rock club. Hailed as the birthplace of slam-dancing, the Nest famously shared a parking lot with a cowboy bar and the mayhem that would ensue when both clubs emptied was immortalized in the Vandals' songs “The Legend of Pat Brown” and “Urban Struggle.” Featuring interviews with the people who populated the scene, archival images of gigs, and live performances by Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, & T.S.O.L.

Pure Comedy(en)

Pure Comedy is a black and white document of the live tracking of Pure Comedy, as well as a surreal look into Tillman's writing process. A six person crew, complete with cranes in the tracking rooms, captured every moment of the recording, giving the viewer intimate audience to actual album takes, including the one and only 2:00am performance of the 13-minute "Leaving LA."

We Have Our Own Song - The Music Movie(sv)

The film documents the alternative festival, made to protest against the Eurovision Song Contest held in Stockholm 1975. There are many Swedish and international artists on stage, as well as some clips from speeches, riots, civil wars, and the people at the song contest itself.

The Clash: The Joe Strummer Story(en)

Joe died young. But his and "The Clash's" memory live on in the programme as it seeks to explore and identify the music and the reasons behind the split of one of the most iconic punk rock groups of the day. We follow the life of one of the original members of "The Clash". Told through interviews of Joe's involvement in the ground breaking group from other band members including Mick Jones and 'Topper' Headon, we tell the story as it was.

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle(en)

A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols "documentary", told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk rock in general were an elaborate scam perpetrated by him in order to make "a million pounds."

44 Pages(en)

A portrait of Highlights Magazine following the creation of the cultural phenomenon's 70th Anniversary issue, from the first editorial meeting to its arrival in homes, and introducing the quirky people who passionately produce the monthly publication for "the world's most important people,"...children. Along the way, a rich and tragic history is revealed, the state of childhood, technology, and education is explored, and the future of print media is questioned.

Taylor Swift: From the Heart(en)

After having released her fourth album "Red" in October 2012, Taylor Alison Swift continues to tear up the charts. In this film we learn how Swift becomes one of America's biggest Country and Pop music artists.

Last Days of Solitary(en)

In 2011, Maine State Prison launched a pioneering reform program to scale back its use of solitary confinement. Bafta and Emmy-winning film-maker Dan Edge and his co-director Lauren Mucciolo were given unprecedented access to the solitary unit - and filmed there for more than three years. The result is an extraordinary and harrowing portrait of life in solitary - and a unique document of a radical and risky experiment to reform a prison. The US is the world leader in solitary confinement. More than 80,000 American prisoners live in isolation, some have been there for years, even decades. Solitary is proven to cause mental illness, it is expensive, and it is condemned by many as torture. And yet for decades, it has been one of the central planks of the American criminal justice system.

The Queen Phenomenon(en)

Retrospective documentary about the British rock band "Queen", from the 1970s till the death of Freddie Mercury, victim of AIDS. Includes interviews with the band members, friends and fans, behind the scenes material, the making of music videos, concerts and lots of music.

Mac Dre: Legend of the Bay(en)

Bay Area rapper Mac Dre began his career at 18 and quickly became an influential force in early west coast hip-hop. In 1992 he was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank robbery when his lyrics were used against him in court. He left prison with a new lease on life, founded an independent record company, and then was murdered just when he began to emerge as a star. For the first time ever, his mother Wanda reveals the true experiences of a hip-hop legend.

Dreams adrift(es)

Mike Porcel is the lost member of the Cuban Nueva Trova musical movement. His lack of “revolutionary spirit” condemned him to the scorn of his peers and made him a pariah for a decade, until he managed to go into exile. Without resentment, but without forgetting, the film reconstructs his story and revives a forgotten brilliance.

Hands on a Hardbody: The Documentary(en)

Filmmaker S.R. Bindler profiles Texas contestants trying to win a truck by keeping one hand on it longer than everyone else.

Rainier the Mountain(en)

In this retrospective tribute, acclaimed filmmaker Jean Walkinshaw hails the 100th anniversary of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington by talking to those who know it best: the scientists, naturalists, mountain climbers and artists whose lives have been touched by the peak's far-reaching shadow. The result is a harmonious blend of archival material and high-definition footage celebrating an icon of the Pacific Northwest.

Karajan: Beauty As I See It(de)

With a career that includes a 35-year tenure as composer of the Berlin Philharmonic and record sales topping 200 million, Herbert von Karajan is one of the most legendary figures in 20th-century classical music. Comprised of archival footage, performance highlights and interviews with the likes of Anne-Sophie Mutter, Christa Ludwig and Seiji Ozawa, this retrospective chronicles the life and times of the iconic Austrian maestro.

Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar(en)

This riveting music documentary traces the history of Jazz piano legend Oscar Peterson, from his early days as Montreal's teenage Boogie-Woogie sensation through his meteoric rise to international celebrity with Norman Granz and the ground-breaking Jazz at the Philharmonic and beyond. In this award-winning autobiographical portrait, legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson narrates his story, from his beginnings in smoke-filled Montreal clubs to hallmark performances with jazz greats. Concert footage includes an unforgettable combo -- Nat King Cole with Jazz at the Philharmonic and the Oscar Peterson Trio Wall reunion. Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie are interviewed, among others. - Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Ella Fitzgerald

U2: Rattle and Hum(en)

A concert movie on an unprecedented scale, Rattle And Hum captures U2 - on and off the stage - during their triumphant Joshua Tree tour. From the giant technicolour stadium celebrations to the black-and-white intensity of the indoor shows, this is U2 at their best. Follow the group across America, exploring new influences, playing with the legendary B.B. King from Dublin to Graceland.

Mermaids(en)

In this tribute to the eternal allure of an ancient myth, colourful fins and swimming pools fill the lives of five modern-day women who strive to embody the mysterious siren as part of a growing “mermaiding” subculture.

The Road Forward(en)

The Road Forward is an electrifying musical documentary that connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history—the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s—with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. Interviews and musical sequences describe how a tiny movement, the Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood, grew to become a successful voice for change across the country. Visually stunning, The Road Forward seamlessly connects past and present through superbly produced story-songs with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats.