Ink & Ivory

It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures(en)

A 60-minute salute to American International Pictures. Entertainment lawyer Samuel Z. Arkoff founded AIP (then called American Releasing Corporation) on a $3000 loan in 1954 with his partner, James H. Nicholson, a former West Coast exhibitor and distributor. The company made its mark by targeting teenagers with quickly produced films that exploited subjects mainstream films were reluctant to tackle.

To Tell the Truth: A History of Documentary Film (1928-1946)(en)

A detailed history of documentary filmmaking in the US and the UK from 1929 to 1945. The first part, Working for Change, focuses on 1929-1941 and the social movements of the times, The Great Depression, The New Deal, and the awakening of the Leftwing in the UK. The second part, The Strategy of Truth, focuses on 1933-1946 and explores the role of film as propaganda during World War II, and the different forms it took in the US, the UK, and Germany.

The Invisible Subtitler(en)

The Invisible Subtitler is an independent documentary about the use of subtitles in cinema and the life of subtitlers themselves, focusing on the economic issues faced by the subtitlers and how they are currently invisible in the globalized business of the film industry.

Ziegfeld Follies: An Embarrassment of Riches(en)

A short documentary on the making of the 1946 film Ziegfeld Follies.

Till The Clouds Roll By: Real to Reel(en)

A short documentary on Jerome Kern and the making of Till the Clouds Roll By.

Three Little Words: Two Swell Guys(en)

A short documentary on the lives of songwriters Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby and the making of the film, Three Little Words.

Score: A Film Music Documentary(en)

Music is an integral part of most films, adding emotion and nuance while often remaining invisible to audiences. Matt Schrader shines a spotlight on the overlooked craft of film composing, gathering many of the art form’s most influential practitioners, from Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman to Quincy Jones and Randy Newman, to uncover their creative process. Tracing key developments in the evolution of music in film, and exploring some of cinema’s most iconic soundtracks, 'Score' is an aural valentine for film lovers.

Boundless(cn)

As Hong Kong's foremost filmmaker, Johnnie To himself becomes the protagonist of this painstaking documentary exploring him and his Boundless world of film. A film student from Beijing and avid Johnnie To fan, Ferris Lin boldly approached To with a proposal to document the master director for his graduation thesis. To agreed immediately and Lin's camera closely followed him for over two years, capturing the man behind the movies and the myths. The result is Boundless, a candid profile of one of Hong Kong's greatest directors and a heartfelt love letter to Hong Kong cinema.

Mystery Train: Hitchcock and The Lady Vanishes(en)

This video essay, featuring film scholar Leonard Leff, addresses the 1938 Alfred Hitchcock film The Lady Vanishes' British context and political underpinnings and the details and techniques that undeniably make it a 'Hitchcock picture.'

France, le plus beau décor de cinéma(fr)

Absentia: A Retrospective(en)

Documentary film on the making of Mike Flanagan's Absentia. Interviews with cast and crew and behind-the-scenes.

Binka: To Tell a Story About Silence(bg)

A film pioneer, Binka Zhelyazkova was at the forefront of political cinema under Bulgaria's Communist dictatorship. Though she remained faithful to the communist ideals she became an avid critic of the regime and brought upon herself the wrath of its censorship. As a result four of her nine films were shelved and released to the public only after the fall of the regime in 1989, and Binka Zhelyazkova became known as the bad girl of Bulgarian cinema. A provocative portrait that reveals the pressures and complexities that arise when art is made under totalitarianism.

Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet at Work on a Film Based on Franz Kafka’s Amerika(de)

This film is at once a self-portrait and an homage to Jean-Marie Straub, Farocki's role model and former teacher at the Film Academy.

Blue Velvet Revisited(en)

When David Lynch was making his film Blue Velvet, German filmmaker Peter Braatz was also on set, shooting documentary footage with a Super 8 film camera. Now, on Blue Velvet's 30th anniversary, Braatz presents his footage, along with still photographs, as a "meditation" on Lynch's work.

That Guy Dick Miller(en)

Documentary about veteran character actor Dick Miller, whose career in and outside of Hollywood has spanned almost 200 films across six decades, featuring a diverse range of interviews with directors, co-stars, and contemporaries.

The Man Who Makes the Difference(en)

Promotional documentary for the MGM film "Ice Station Zebra" focusing on the career and cinematographic innovations of cameraman John Stephens.

Easter Parade: On the Avenue(en)

This documentary tells the story of the making of Irving Berlin's Easter Parade.

DIYSEX(es)

DIYSEX is a film that reflects on the use of the image and the language of mainstream pornography, and wonders how far this use can transcend when making your porn film.

A Hero's Journey: The Making of Percy Jackson and the Olympians(en)

Alongside a passionate cast and crew, follow Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri as they step into worlds fit for gods, battle unforgettable creatures, and perform legendary stunts.

Another Romance of Celluloid(en)

This second entry in MGM's "Romance of Film" series documents how celluloid movie film is processed and features behind-the-scenes glimpses of current MGM productions.