Ex-Rental

The Patent Scam(en)

The corruption runs deeper than you'd ever imagine. A multi-billion dollar industry you've never heard of. This is the world Patent Trolls thrive in: A world created for them by our own U. S. Patent system. You can be sued for clicking on a hyperlink, using your own scanner, or sharing your Wi-Fi! It sounds insane, but the reality is even crazier. Patent Trolls look for obvious ideas, patent them, and then sue anyone they claim is infringing on their idea. People's lives and businesses are being destroyed.. and they have no way out. “The Patent Scam” exposes the underbelly of this system, and the people that commit this practice.

CHROMABYADHAM: ECLIPSE FEVER(en)

Inspired by the small enterprise, CHROMABYADHAM, a colourblind inclusive clothing wear line. ECLIPSE FEVER, the third collection, encompasses the visual representation of the brand and features themes of growth and remembrance, while coherently showcasing the new collection — a celebration of nighttime and nightlife.

Food and Country(en)

America's policy of producing cheap food at all costs has long hobbled small independent farmers, ranchers, and chefs. Worried for their survival, trailblazing food writer Ruth Reichl reaches out across political and social divides to uncover the country's broken food system and the innovators risking it all to transform it.

Kim's Video(en)

Since 1987, and for almost three decades, New York cinephiles had access to a vast treasure trove of rare films thanks to Kim's Video, a small empire run by Yongman Kim, an enigmatic character who amassed more than fifty thousand VHS tapes.

Videosyncracy(en)

As the dissociated convenience of the Internet and globalized corporate culture continue to shut down brick-and-mortar video stores, what will happen to the longstanding, local hangouts with their rugged individuals known as clerks and the communities who love them? Videosyncracy follows three very different video rental stores as they negotiate their survival in three distinct Los Angeles neighborhoods: Old Bank DVD in the Downtown arts district, Vidiots in sunny seaside Santa Monica, and Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee in bustling North Hollywood. Their stories chronicle not only the birth and twilight of a particular kind of corner store, but also decades of personal lives intertwined with those of their communities, the new challenges and facilities of a rapidly changing world, and an enduring love of the movies, a slice of Americana on the brink of disappearance yet defiant to the end.

A Última Locadora da Cidade(pt)

Havakeen Lunch(en)

After eighteen years of operating the favourite lunch counter in Manitoba's Interlake region, Ellen and Martin Kihn have retired. A poignant look at the last day, The Kihns, their friends and their customers, demanding rural life and the place the disappearing institution of the country cafe plays in these people's lives. A tribute to the cafes found in small towns.

The Times of Harvey Milk(en)

Harvey Milk was an outspoken human rights activist and one of the first openly gay U.S. politicians elected to public office; even after his assassination in 1978, he continues to inspire disenfranchised people around the world.

Small Wonders(en)

Filmed over a span of ten years by Tally Abecassis, SMALL WONDERS makes us pay attention to the sorts of business we might not notice anymore. It tells the tale of true working class – a watchmaker, a photographer, and a hardware store owner. Their businesses don’t issue flyers. They don’t have light-up signs that have been carefully designed by a marketing firm. And if you think you’ll find a computer anywhere near their operation, forget it. In a way, they are relics of a bygone time…doing what they can to hold their places in communities that are ready to move on without them.

Video World(en)

A short documentary about the final weeks of an independent video store in Woodbury, CT.

The Last Blockbuster(en)

A documentary on the last remaining Blockbuster Video in Bend, Oregon.

NA China(fr)

The implantation of African traders in Guangzhou is a recent phenomenon, on which Marie Voignier reports through her interlinking portraits of Jackie, Julie, Shanny who have come to set up their business on site. Amidst the monstrous accumulation of merchandise on the endless markets of the megacity, the film follows these African businesswomen grappling with the globalised Chinese economy.

Sustainable Style(en)

A look into the world of sustainable fashion with Emma Gorton-Elicott the owner of Fruit Salad, a Bristol based independent sustainable & slow fashion business. Emma discusses the difference between slow and sustainable fashion and what you can do to curate a sustainable wardrobe.

The Lost Highway(en)

Once the main road between Toronto and Ottawa, Highway 7 is a black ribbon of failed businesses and derelict properties. Howard Gibbs's 80-year-old gas station needs new tanks or the inspectors will shut him down. He's desperate to lure his daughter back from the city to help carry on the family legacy. Next door, David and Linda, a couple who moved from the city, are set to open an upscale B&B. But what would lead them to build here, along a derelict stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway?

Return Chute: The Survival of a Small Town Video Store(en)

Rod O'Hara bought Bellingen Video Connection in 2018 when video stores were already considered to be on the way out – if not already dead. Now, years later, against all the odds, and after facing many personal setbacks, Rod and the local community have kept this iconic local business and bastion for lovers of television, film and screen culture alive - but for how long?

Everything to Entertain You: The Story of Video Headquarters(en)

A 60 minute documentary on one of the greatest video stores in the country, Video Headquarters, from Keene, New Hampshire that existed for 32 years from 1983-2015. It's owner, Ken McAleer, was a prominent figure among independent video store owners and the documentary examines how one man, with a single video store, can have such a big impact in the industry. A labor of love from a first time filmmaker and former employee, this nostalgic look back at the video store era includes interviews with VHQ owner Ken McAleer, employees, comic artist and former video store owner, Stephen Bissette, and a treasure trove of archival photographs and documents from the store.

Dow's: The Story of Helen & Roger(en)

Dow's Rollarena is a small family run skating rink where the owners are heading into their 60th year running the business.

O.W. Houts & Sons, Inc.(en)

After 88 years, O.W. Houts — a family-owned general store in Central Pennsylvania — surrenders to market pressures and shutters its doors, leaving behind a devastated community. Follow the workers and patrons throughout this final day to witness what happens when an iconic American business leaves town.

Terror on Tape(en)

A video store clerk showcases clips from Z-grade horror movies to curious customers.

At the Video Store(en)

Equal parts personal essay, intense rumination, and playful satire, this movie laments the death of the American Video Store while it searches for the missing human element in today's digital landscape.