Calling the Shots

Salaam Cinema(fa)

Makhmalbaf puts an advertisement in the papers calling for an open casting for his next movie. However when hundreds of people show up, he decides to make a movie about the casting and the screen tests of the would-be actors.

Quicksand(en)

"A week before he passed away, my grandfather shared with me his former aspirations of becoming a filmmaker. After many trials, a narrow escape from the Nazis and immigration to the United States, the dream slowly but surely came true. surely passed out. After his passing, I discovered a treasure trove of dust-covered 8mm film archives that had apparently not been seen by anyone for at least a generation. Mesmerized, what unfolded before me was something something most people, myself included, had never seen before: the development and complete decline of the human body and mind. Motivated by my grandfather's unrealized cinematic dreams, I decided to reconstruct a film that he had already made involuntarily." Lance Oppenheim

Orson Welles in Spain(en)

Orson Welles pitches to potential investors his vision of a largely improvised bullfighter movie about an existential, James Dean type troubadour who sets himself apart from other matadors. In front of an audience of wealthy arts patrons, Welles pontificates on the state of cinema, the filmmaking process, and the art of bullfighting.

The Meaning of Monty Python(en)

A discussion between John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones about their film The Meaning of Life

Cole Porter in Hollywood: Too Darn Hot(en)

Ann Miller hosts this documentary short on the making of the MGM-Cole Porter hot musical "Kiss Me Kate".

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One(en)

In Manhattan's Central Park, a film crew directed by William Greaves is shooting a screen test with various pairs of actors. It's a confrontation between a couple: he demands to know what's wrong, she challenges his sexual orientation. Cameras shoot the exchange, and another camera records Greaves and his crew. Sometimes we watch the crew discussing this scene, its language, and the process of making a movie. Is there such a thing as natural language? Are all things related to sex? The camera records distractions - a woman rides horseback past them; a garrulous homeless vet who sleeps in the park chats them up. What's the nature of making a movie?

Sous le soleil de Pialat(fr)

In just ten films, Maurice Pialat painfully rose to the top of the cinema, draining into his legend a mad demand for truth as much as memorable fury to achieve it. With "L'Enfance nue", his first feature film at the age of 43, the filmmaker immediately made his mark, this "art of making things authentic", according to Chabrol. But throughout an unclassifiable filmography in the form of an autobiography, from a break-up to his fatherhood in wonder, through the agony of his mother, the filmmaker does not get rid of the feeling of being misunderstood, despite international recognition.

The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story(en)

There's not a person in the world who wouldn't recognize Mickey Mouse. But until now, not many knew the man who originally gave shape, movement and personality to the world's most beloved icon. "The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story" takes you behind the scenes to meet Walt Disney's best friend and chief animator.

I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale(en)

John Cazale was in only five films – The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather: Part II, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter – each was nominated for Best Picture. Yet today most people don't even know his name. I KNEW IT WAS YOU is a fresh tour through movies that defined a generation.

Searching for Cannibal Holocaust(en)

Italian horror fan and academic Calum Waddell speaks with some of the original makers of the controversial horror classic "Cannibal Holocaust" before venturing into the Amazon jungle and surrounding city port, Leticia, to uncover some of the local stories behind the making of the motion picture. What is uncovered, however, leads to a wider and unexpected "true crime" story.

Yellow Door: '90s Lo-fi Film Club(ko)

This intimate documentary explores a bygone era of cinematic passion and the emergence of young film enthusiasts in South Korea, including Bong Joon Ho.

Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini(en)

Tom Savini is one of the greatest special effects legends in the history of cinema, but little is known about his personal life until now. For the first time ever a feature length film has covered not only Tom's amazing career spanning over four decades, but his personal life as well.

Martin Ťapák(sk)

The Other Side of Porcupine Lake(en)

The Other Side of Porcupine Lake follows Ingrid Veninger as she makes her sixth feature film, Porcupine Lake. From writing and casting through production and post, this documentary utilizes an observational style to reveal the intimate process of making an original female-driven feature film

Bruce Lee: Tracking the Dragon(en)

Bruce Lee expert John Little tracks down the actual locations of some of Bruce Lee's most iconic action scenes. Many of these sites remain largely unchanged nearly half a century later. At monasteries, ice factories, and on urban streets, Little explores the real life settings of Lee's legendary career. This film builds on Little's earlier film, Pursuit of the Dragon, to present a comprehensive view of Lee's work that will change the way you see the films.

11 Colours of the Bird(cs)

A behind-the-scenes look at the eleven-year process it took to make The Painted Bird. The narratives of director Václav Marhoul and actor Petr Kotlár weave their way through the various stages of the film's creation, offering their subjective views from the beginning to the last flap of a year-and-a-half long shoot.

The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't(en)

On the 35th anniversary of the release of the landmark film "The Godfather," (March 15, 1972) we look back at the time and place of the film's conception and shooting.

Inside the Fear Factory(en)

An overview of the history of Great Britain's Amicus Films, which was a rival of Hammer Studios in the horror field. Included are interviews with company co-founder Max Rosenberg, cameraman Freddie Francis and director Roy Ward Baker, and clips from various Amicus productions.

Directing the Beast(en)

An interview with director Paul Annett, focusing on his cult film The Beast Must Die.

The Making of 'Crimson Tide'(en)

This documentary provides viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this high-tension thriller about the decisions faced by a submarine crew who think the President may have ordered a missle launch. Includes interviews with stars Washington and Hackman, as well as other members of the cast and crew, who relate their experiences in working on the film.