Pitch People

Art & Copy(en)

The personal odysseys of some of the most influential advertising visionaries of all time and the stories behind their campaigns.

Helvetica(en)

Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

The Corporation(en)

Since the late 18th century American legal decision that the business corporation organizational model is legally a person, it has become a dominant economic, political and social force around the globe. This film takes an in-depth psychological examination of the organization model through various case studies. What the study illustrates is that in the its behaviour, this type of "person" typically acts like a dangerously destructive psychopath without conscience. Furthermore, we see the profound threat this psychopath has for our world and our future, but also how the people with courage, intelligence and determination can do to stop it.

The Atomic Cafe(en)

A disturbing collection of 1940s and 1950s United States government-issued propaganda films designed to reassure Americans that the atomic bomb was not a threat to their safety.

The Secret of Selling the Negro(en)

Film commissioned by the Chicago-based publisher of Negro Digest, Ebony, Tan, and Jet to encourage advertisers to reach out to African American consumers. The Secret of Selling the Negro depicts the lives, activities, and consumer behavior of African American professionals, students, and housewives. A Business Screen reviewer noted that the film focused on the “bright positive” aspects of the “new Negro family.” The sponsor issued a companion booklet offering the “do’s and don’ts of selling to the Negro.”

The Real Saatchis: Masters of Illusion(en)

Featuring interviews with Sir John Hegarty, Lord Tim Bell and Robert E. Jacoby, The Real Saatchis: Masters of Illusion chronicles the rise and fall of Britain's largest advertising agency,

Ardisson, l'Homme en Noir : l'hommage(fr)

La face cachée de l'homme en noir(fr)

Advertising and the End of the World(en)

Focusing directly on the world of commercial images, Sut Jhally asks some basic questions about the cultural messages emanating from this market-based view of the world: Do our present arrangements deliver what they claim -- happiness and satisfaction? Can we think about our collective as well as our private interests? And, can we think long-term as well as short-term?

The Merchants of Cool(en)

A documentary on the marketing of pop culture to Teenagers.

Programming the Nation?(en)

Programming the Nation? takes an encompassing look at the history of subliminal messaging in America. According to many authorities, since the late 1950s subliminal content has been tested and delivered through all forms of mass-media including Hollywood filmmakers Alfred Hitchcock and William Friedkin. Even our modern military has been accused of these practices in the "war on terror" against soldiers and civilians both abroad and at home. With eye-opening footage, revealing interviews, humorous anecdotes, and an array of visual effects, the film categorically explores the alleged usage of subliminals in advertising, music, film, television, anti-theft devices, political propaganda, military psychological operations, and advanced weapons development. Director Jeff Warrick makes it his personal mission to determine if these manipulative tactics have succeeded in "programming the nation?" Or, if subliminal messaging belongs in the category of what many consider urban legend.

Kevin Trudeau: The Movie 'They' Don't Want You to Know About(en)

Documentary about best-selling author and informercial pioneer Kevin Trudeau.

Tonto-tour(es)

A series of visual paradoxes between the names of the streets of Madrid and those of the shops located in them.

Subvertisers for London(en)

Advertising shits in your head. London artists are taking to the streets to reclaim public spaces and challenge passerby's to think differently about everything from capitalism to gender.

The Light Bulb Conspiracy(fr)

Once upon a time... consumer goods were built to last. Then, in the 1920’s, a group of businessmen realized that the longer their product lasted, the less money they made, thus Planned Obsolescence was born, and manufacturers have been engineering products to fail ever since. Combining investigative research and rare archive footage with analysis by those working on ways to save both the economy and the environment, this documentary charts the creation of ‘engineering to fail’, its rise to prominence and its recent fall from grace.

POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold(en)

A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement.

No Measure of Health(en)

No Measure of Health profiles Kyle Magee, an anti-advertising activist from Melbourne, Australia, who for the past 10 years has been going out into public spaces and covering over for-profit advertising in various ways. The film is a snapshot of his latest approach, which is to black-out advertising panels in protest of the way the media system, which is funded by advertising, is dominated by for-profit interests that have taken over public spaces and discourse. Kyle’s view is that real democracy requires a democratic media system, not one funded and controlled by the rich. As this film follows Kyle on a regular day of action, he reflects on fatherhood, democracy, what drives the protest, and his struggle with depression, as we learn that “it is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

24×36(en)

A documentary exploring the birth, death and resurrection of illustrated movie poster art. Through interviews with a number of key art personalities from the 70s and 80s, as well as many modern, alternative poster artists, “Twenty-Four by Thirty-Six” aims to answer the question: What happened to the illustrated movie poster? Where did it disappear to, and why? In the mid 2000s, filling the void left behind by Hollywood’s abandonment of illustrated movie posters, independent artists and galleries began selling limited edition, screenprinted posters — a movement that has quickly exploded into a booming industry with prints selling out online in seconds, inspiring Hollywood studios to take notice of illustration in movie posters once more.

The Man Who Drew Bug-Eyed Monsters(en)

This documentary celebrates the work of illustrator Reynold Brown, whose colorful and compelling art graced over 300 movie posters during the 1950s and '60s, ranging from star-studded westerns and studio epics to sensational creature features and low-budget B-movies. Art historians, writers, and movie producers discuss Brown's art within the context of the post-war social climate and an ever-changing movie industry.

DJ Punk: The Photographer Daniel Josefsohn(de)

Nobody captured the atmosphere of 1990s Berlin better than German photographer Daniel Josefsohn, who died in 2016 at the age of 54, leaving his mark in advertising with his irreverent aesthetic and punk sensibility. It was his spontaneous, imperfect images shot for an MTV campaign in 1994 that first made him famous.

Hunters(en)

As John T. Wrecker continues his task of protecting a group of refugees from a virus, the threat of something new and even more dangerous grows ever closer in the form of monstrous mutants.

Boudica(en)

Inspired by events in A.D. 60, Boudica follows the eponymous Celtic warrior who rules the Iceni people alongside her husband Prasutagus. When he dies at the hands of Roman soldiers, Boudica’s kingdom is left without a male heir and the Romans seize her land and property. Driven to the edge of madness and determined to avenge her husband’s death, Boudica rallies the various tribes from the region and wages an epic war against the mighty Roman empire.

12(en)

After blowing his professional ballet career, John's only way to redeem himself is to concoct the demise of his former partner, Leah, who he blames for his downfall; he rehearses his salvation in his mind in the way that he rehearses a dance, but being able to break from the routine will be the key to his success.

Robot Apocalypse(en)

An expert hacker is targeted by a sentient AI after she realizes the threat it poses, and she must try to stay off its radar long enough to stop it.

National Family(es)

Don Poli, the patriarch of a family embedded in politics, faces the change of party in his state - after a hundred years in power - losing all his privileges. Humiliated and angry, he threatens to disinherit his family and leave to rebuild his life. This forces his children (Kippy, Ramses and Belén) to take extreme measures to ensure their future, causing everything that could go wrong to turn out worse.

The Secret Six(en)

Bootlegger/cafe owner, Johnny Franks recruits crude working man Scorpio to join his gang, masterminded by crooked criminal defense lawyer Newton. Scorpio eventually takes over Frank's operation, beats a rival gang, becomes wealthy, and dominates the city for several years until a secret group of six masked businessmen have him prosecuted and sent to the electric chair.

F(en)

A group of teachers must defend themselves from a gang of murderous kids when their school comes under siege after hours.

Cosmic Chaos(en)

Battles in virtual reality, survival in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a Soviet spaceship giving a distress signal - Fantastic stories created with advanced special effects and passion.

Man(en)

An experimental film through the eyes of a man

Shimmy: The First Monkey King(zh)

Shimmy, a monkey newly discover superhero powers and learns how to control his extraordinary transformative abilities and prevent powerful demonic forces from sending the universe into chaos.

Attack(hi)

With the Parliament under siege, India’s first super soldier Arjun Shergill is tasked to get hold of the terrorists in time, save the Prime Minister from their clutches and stop a dirty bomb from exploding and destroying Delhi.

The Engineer(en)

As Israel is rocked by a series of terrorist bombings, a US senator's daughter is killed in one bloody explosion. Now, ex-Mossad agent Etan must lead an elite, covert team of agents and mercenaries to find the man responsible—the elusive “Engineer.” Can they find and destroy the madman before more innocent lives are lost?

Granit(ru)

Mozambique requests from Russia is being helped in the fight against militants of the "Islamic State" and a special group led by a commander with the call sign Granit is coming to the country.

Matt Rife: Lucid - A Crowd Work Special(en)

In Netflix's first-ever crowd work special, Matt Rife gets up close and personal with an unpredictable Charlotte audience to riff on all things dreams.

Manodrome(en)

Ralphie is an Uber driver and aspiring bodybuilder who is inducted into a libertarian masculinity cult and loses his grip on reality when his repressed desires are awakened.

Dad or Mom(es)

Florencia and Vicente are getting divorced. When both are promoted at their jobs, they will do anything in order to do not keep custody of their children.

Jun Hau Timi(en)

Jun Hau Timi is a romantic tale of unexpected love in the heart of London. Samir, a dashing and fitness-conscious man from Nepal, is searching for the perfect partner. Shristi, a young and beautiful woman from India, is exploring life in the United Kingdom. One day, Samir decides to visit Tower Bridge in London. As he stands admiring the iconic landmark, he notices Shristi walking nearby. Captivated by her beauty, he approaches her and introduces himself. Shristi warmly responds, and the two strike up an instant connection. Eager to share the city's charm, Shristi takes Samir on a tour of London's landmarks, including London Bridge and other picturesque spots. Their friendship deepens as they spend more time together, and a spark of love begins to grow. The story conveys a simple yet profound message: love can happen anytime, anywhere, with someone who feels like destiny

12(xx)

An old Finnish athlete travels alone through eastern Europe with his van.

The Accursed(en)

Hana spends twenty years suppressing a maleficent curse that was placed upon her bloodline, only to have a family member knowingly release it forcing her to kill or to be killed.

Grey Eyes(es)

In a post-apocalyptic future, mankind is color blind. A brilliant scientist suddenly dies, leaving his precious briefcase-filled with a highly-addictive synthetic drug that allows people to see colors again-to Ana, a mere 12-year-old girl. Possession of the briefcase makes her the target of a doctor with wicked plans for the drug, and her only hope to escape his pursuit relies on the aid of the dead scientist's two devoted bodyguards. Together, their epic, perilous journey pivots on a tremendous secret: Ana herself could be the key to salvaging a world in ruins.