Documentaries that follow the quests of extraordinary New Yorkers.
Documentaries that follow the quests of extraordinary New Yorkers.
Oric Bovar gained a huge following throughout the 60’s as a mail-order astrologer, and as he began claiming wild ideas and making tragic predictions, many of his followers stuck with him—followers who happened to be high-caliber actors and artists, including Terence Stamp and Bernadette Peters.
Tod Jackson was his right-hand-man through much of Oric’s ascent, and in his old age, Tod looks back in order to take us through the mental and emotional processes that culminated in an unfortunate series of death and loss. As Tod, still healing from these events, takes us through the journey of those days past, we also witness the journey of a man letting go of one of his closest friends.
The world of slam poetry is as inspiring as it is intense. Five Brooklyn poets, selected to represent Kings County on the national stage, share their creative and training processes as they push themselves to deliver peak performances. Through their journey, we delve deep into the slam poetry community, and learn how the art form fosters healing, connection, and greatness.
Brooklyn Slams won a 2018 NY Emmy Award for Best Arts Program/Special.
About Frameworks:
Frameworks is a series of short documentaries that follow the quests of extraordinary New Yorkers. Combining cinematic style and intimate access, these stories illuminate the sometimes unlikely qualities that make Brooklyn such a diverse and fascinating place.
Producer: Chris Raddatz
Supervising Producer: Sachar Mathias
Executive Producer: Aziz Isham
Nison Aranov was saved from a troubled youth the day he met his table tennis coach in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. 40 years later, he has a ping pong club of his own in the basement of a parking garage in Brooklyn, where he trains the next generation of champions- most notably, a mega-talented Israeli immigrant named Mishel. Nison believes Mishel has what it takes to make the American national team, but his skills will be put to the test at a tournament in Westchester that attracts the best talent in the country.
Coach Nison premiered at the 2018 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.
About Frameworks:
Frameworks is a series of short documentaries that follow the quests of extraordinary New Yorkers. Combining cinematic style and intimate access, these stories illuminate the sometimes unlikely qualities that make Brooklyn such a diverse and fascinating place.
Director: Charlie Hoxie
Director of Photography: Chris Raddatz
Production Assistants:
Khyriel Palmer
Valleix Herrard
Growing up with issues that span from homelessness to bad haircuts, Brooklyn sisters Rainn, Brooke and Tai Sheppard show us that speed and grace can keep you grounded. These three girls hurdle their way to the top of country’s largest women’s track and field series without missing a beat.
Three In Stride premiered at the 2018 Urbanworld Film Festival.
About Frameworks:
Frameworks is a series of short documentaries that follow the quests of extraordinary New Yorkers. Combining cinematic style and intimate access, these stories illuminate the sometimes unlikely qualities that make Brooklyn such a diverse and fascinating place.
Director: Sasha Whittle
Editor: Sasha Whittle
Hundreds of years ago, whales were a common sight off of Brooklyn’s coasts- before polluted waters and hunting chased them away. But environmental regulations have led to cleaner waters and the return of fish that the great mammals feed upon.
Now, a collaboration between a tour boat and citizen scientists studies the phenomenon and educates the public in an effort to connect city dwellers to the marine world that surrounds us.
Learn more at gothamwhale.org
In the 1980s, Howard Bloom was running the largest PR firm in the music industry, with an epic client list that included Michael Jackson, Prince, Bob Marley, and Joan Jett.
But in 1987, he disappeared, struck down by a rare disease that left him bedridden for over a decade. He eventually resurfaced – this time as an author, putting out one book after another, each work connected in a quest to understand humanity’s place in the cosmos.
Now 73 years old and disease free, Bloom believes he’s figured out what the universe wants from each of us; he just needs to get it all down in the time he has left.
