The Best That Never Was

Aberdeen '83: Once in a Lifetime(en)

The definitive story of how Aberdeen FC went from the nearly men of Scottish football to winning both the European Cup Winners Cup and European Super Cup. Documentary telling the definitive story of how Aberdeen FC defied expectations and ruled European football.

Between(en)

Follow some of the world’s finest female athletes on a journey that takes them from the slopes of a volcano in Hawaii to the white-knuckle ride down an Alaskan giant, and other interesting places…

Manny(en)

From abject poverty to becoming a ten-time boxing world champion, congressman, and international icon, Manny Pacquiao is the true definition of a Cinderella story. In the Philippines, he first entered the ring as a sixteen-year-old weighing ninety-eight pounds with the goal of earning money to feed his family. Now, almost twenty years later, when he fights, the country of 100 million people comes to a complete standstill to watch. Regarded for his ability to bring people together, Pacquiao entered the political arena in 2010. As history’s first boxing congressman, Pacquiao now fights for his people both inside and outside of the ring. Now at the height of his career, he is faced with maneuvering an unscrupulous sport while maintaining his political duties. The question now is, what bridge is too far for Manny Pacquiao to cross?

Pumping Iron(en)

Amateur and professional bodybuilders prepare for the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests as five-time champion Arnold Schwarzenegger defends his Mr. Olympia title against Serge Nubret and the shy young Lou Ferrigno.

Smiling Jockey(pt)

The challenging daily routine of Ceará-born jockey Antonio Davielson and his family living in a foreign country on the other side of the planet.

Football Under Cover(en)

David Asmmann's Football Under Cover documents the hard work involved in setting up an exhibition soccer match, known as a "friendly," between a German girls squad and Iranian women's team. In addition to showing how the two groups come from very different cultures, the documentary showcases what playing the game means to the members of both teams, and displays how passionate the fans of these two squads are.

Deadliest Crash: The Le Mans 1955 Disaster(en)

Three years in the making in conjunction with the BBC. Using never seen before home movies, photos and eye witness accounts - this is the inside story of the world's biggest motorsport disaster.

UFC Ultimate Knockouts: Fastest Knockouts(en)

One minute! That is all the time you need to watch an entire bout! All of the fights you'll see lasted just 60 seconds or less.

Super Bowl(en)

A behind-the-scenes documentary about the events and personalities surrounding Superbowl X in Miami between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys. Features intimate portraits of the players and the CBS personnel who broadcast the events of Superbowl week. Produced with multiple lightweight video cameras in TVTV style, it is both informative and revealing of the extremes surrounding football culture and hype. With color commentary provided by Bill Murray and Christopher Guest.

The History of the Pit Stop: Gone in Two Seconds(en)

The mavericks who pioneered the modern pit stop made it a raceday staple that takes less than two seconds.

Barkley 100(en)

This short documentary tells the story of one of the world’s most difficult and bizarre sporting events: The Barkley Marathons. This 100-mile footrace and its 60-hour time limit force athletes to run, crawl and climb an elevation gain equivalent to two treks up Mt. Everest. In nearly thirty years, only fourteen runners, out of over one thousand participants, have finished The Barkley.

ROAR: The Story of the Southern Columbia Football Tigers(en)

The Southern Columbia Tigers high school football team faces unprecedented challenges as they go for a Pennsylvania record sixth consecutive state championship. This documentary is a look behind the scenes of the most decorated team in state history.

The Impossible Hour(en)

The Impossible Hour is a concentrated study of Ole Ritter's attempt in Mexico City in 1974 to set a new record for the hour - described in the film as "the noblest, most difficult record that can be set on a bicycle". A brief retrospective in black and white sets the historical framework, with shots of Ritter and Eddy Merckx' successful record attempts in 1968 and 1972 respectively, and a few words about former record holders such as Fausto Coppi.The film follows Ritter's three record attempts chronologically, which, accompanied by a Mexican marching band on the bandstand, all fail.

One and Not Done(en)

Examines the life and career of John Calipari, one of the most polarizing figures in modern college basketball, weaving his story around that of his 2015–16 Kentucky team.

This Was the XFL(en)

A bold challenge, a fearless experiment and ultimately, a spectacular failure. In 2001, sports entertainment titans Ebersol and McMahon launched the XFL. It was hardly the first time a league had tried to compete with the NFL, but the brash audacity of the bid, combined with the personalities and charisma of Ebersol and McMahon and the marketing behemoths of their respective companies -- NBC and WWE -- captured headlines and a sense of undeniable anticipation about what was to come.

3 of a Kind(en)

Getting drafted is an exciting, nerve-racking, anxious, long, fun and tension-inducing experience for teenagers around the country every year. Sharing the journey with some of your closest friends, however, makes it a whole lot more enjoyable.

Germany: A Summer's Fairytale(de)

A documentary of the German national soccer team’s 2006 World Cup experience that changed the face of modern Germany.

Riding Giants(en)

Riding Giants is story about big wave surfers who have become heroes and legends in their sport. Directed by the skateboard guru Stacy Peralta.

Abby Head On(en)

Abby Wambach, the soccer phenom, has maintained an astonishing level of success, from helping the Florida Gators win their first and only national championship, to collecting a Founders Cup title with the WUSA's Washington Freedom and earning two Olympic gold medals.

Vier Minuten Deutscher Meister(de)

It is May 19th, 2001, the last gameday of the 2000/2001 Bundesliga season. A day which will go down in Bundesliga history as the most dramatic final. Ten years later, film director Judith Völker conducts her search for traces. She talks with players and decisionmakers, with celebrities and fans. Out of these memories, a moving review of the event, which is unforgettable (not only) for Schalke souls, is made.

Tim Richmond: To the Limit(en)

Natural. Rock star. Outsider. In the 80s, race car driver Tim Richmond lived his life the way he raced cars – wide open. Born into a wealthy family, Richmond was the antithesis of the Southern, blue-collar, dirt-track racers who dominated NASCAR. He also was a flamboyant showman who basked in the attention of the media and fans – especially female admirers. Nevertheless, it was Richmond’s on-track performances that ended up drawing comparisons to racing legends. And in 1986, when he won seven NASCAR races and finished third in the Winston Cup series points race, some believed he was on the verge of stardom. But soon his freewheeling lifestyle caught up to him. He unexpectedly withdrew from the NASCAR racing circuit, reportedly suffering from double pneumonia. In reality he had AIDS. Richmond returned to the track in 1987, but he was gone from the sport by the next year as his health deteriorated. He spent his final days as a recluse, dying on August 13, 1989, at the age of 34.

You Don't Know Bo(en)

A close look at two-sport athlete Bo Jackson and the creation of a legend. Even without winning a Super Bowl or World Series, Bo will forever be known as a cultural icon and one of the most famous athletes of all time. This film will examine the truths and tall tales that surround Jackson, and how his seemingly impossible feats captured our collective imagination for an all-too-brief moment in time.

Object: Alimony(en)

Ruth Butler, a clerk in an emporium, marries Jimmy Rutledge and thereby greatly displeases his mother, the owner of the emporium, because of Ruth's lowly origins. Renaud Graham, one of Mrs. Rutledge's friends, becomes interested in Ruth, forces his way into her apartment, and attempts to make violent love to her. Jimmy walks in on their embrace and, suspecting the worst, leaves Ruth. In the family way, Ruth finds refuge in a boardinghouse where she meets Al Bryant, an aspiring writer. Ruth tells Al her life story, and he makes it into a bestselling novel and then into a play. Jimmy sees the play and comes to his senses, winning Ruth's forgiveness.

Cherrie - ut ur mörkret(sv)

Heaven 17 - Live at La Scala(en)

On November 25th 2005, Heaven 17 put on a rare live performance to promote the release of 'Before After', their first studio album since 'Bigger Than America' in 1996. The whole gig was released on a double CD set immediately after the gig - a quality recording taken straight from the mixing desk with no overdubs or added effects - pure H17 and the results were stunning.

Beck 03 - White Nights(sv)

When the police reveal a narcotic smuggling the driver is shot dead. It appears that the driver is Superintendent Martin Beck's son. Beck breaks down and moves out of the way. But on his colleagues request he returns.

The Face of Birth(en)

An inspiring look at how wonderful birth can be when your right to choose how, where and with whom you give birth is respected & protected. Every woman has the right to be informed about their options in childbirth. Through an exploration of home birth, this 87 min film looks at what natural, physiological childbirth really is. Is birth a medical emergency waiting to happen or a profound, natural and physiological event that women are designed for? The most comprehensive film ever made on home birth and a voice of reason in the debate, The Face of Birth outlines the importance of education in birthing and the right of a woman to choose the best and safest birth method for her and her baby.

The Two Barks Brothers(en)

In this Dogville Comedy short, twin brothers are separated at birth when one is stolen by gypsies. One becomes a district attorney, the other a drifter. Thirty years later, circumstances bring them back together.

Tigers of the Snow(en)

There are only about 300 remaining Siberian Tigers in the wild, restricted to a section of far Eastern Russia, near the coast. Wildlife biologists risk life and limb to track the tiger and research its movements and habits. They sedate the animals so the tigers can be measured and collared. One Russian scientist is shown raising two tigers which he found orphaned as cubs. He keeps the tigers in a cage, then allows the beasts into a fenced forest-like enclosure. The efforts of these scientists are in contrast to those of poachers, who kill the tigers for their pelts, as well as for body parts to be marketed in traditional Chinese medicine.

Cine Gibi 8: ...Tá Brincando?(pt)

There are eight episodes in stories full of adventure and play in the neighborhood of Limoeiro, with a new car ride, lost treasure, art exhibition in the square, puppet theater, an unexpected escape from Cascão (again?), Characters Saltimbancos and a lot more.

Beauty in a Bottle(tl)

The lives of three women change when a new beauty product arrives.

Loud Places(en)

A girl in a dead-end town struggles to overcome abuse, raise her young brother and find love in a mysterious, brooding nomad with a dangerous past.

Kamen Rider: Eight Riders vs. Galaxy King(ja)

When a new threat from outer space called Galaxy King arrives on Earth seeking an equation for a new type of energy, Skyrider, and the other seven Kamen Riders join forces to fight off the new foe and the armies of Neo-Shocker.

Fast(fr)

Jean-Louis is an naive, amiable orphan who spent his life with his elderly and very strict grandfather. Jean-Louis was a 25-year old virgin when a free-spirited young Parisian woman was temporarily stranded in his village after a bus broke down. She left him a changed man, and she also left a match book from a fast food restaurant called Fast Burger. Soon after his grandfather passes away, the innocent rube Jean-Louis hops on his bike and embarks upon a quest to Paris to find this enigmatic woman. But he is not prepared for the size of Paris, and instead ends up working at a Fast Burger outlet himself. Jean-Louis is a simple soul and freely expresses himself without guile. For some reason this endears him to the staff and management; soon he has been promoted into the upper echelons of the company. One day he meets a rather ditzy Metro security guard, Henriette, who is also at sea in the big city. The kindred spirits click and a sweet romance ensues.

VLAFF Shorts in Competition: Program 2(en)

Short Films featured at the 2017 Vancouver Latin American Film Festival. TAILOR (Calí dos Anjos | Brazil) - GUAMÚCHIL SEEDS (Carolina Corral Paredes | Mexico) - TIMELESS (Raúl Zendejas Escandón | Mexico) - GRIEF (Cecilia Cartasegna | Argentina) - MISSING (Carlos Trujano | Mexico) - MOTHER (Simón Mesa Soto | Colombia) - THE FUTURE IS IRREVOCABLE (Silvina Estévez | Argentina) - ROSINHA (Gui Campos | Brazil)

La Infinita Distancia(es)

Iván and Marie have relationship problems. Iván leaves Rosario without any explanation. Marie follows him, trying to save the relationship. Between the city and the countryside, the ties that they share make them grow closer and further apart at the same time.

El ausente(es)

Young man returns to his childhood home-town, planning to git the people that killed his father.

12(en)

12, is a comic parody about an office's obsession with the television show 24 as the their obsessions kick into high gear with the shows season finale approaching. Part The Office part 24, the short film mash-up introduces a novel send-up of these pop culture staples.