A Year in Champagne

Three men travel to the Philippines to search for the love of their lives. But find that their lives are not important to the woman they find.

From acclaimed director Michael Apted (The Up Series, Masters of Sex, The World is Not Enough) comes a revealing look at the art of filmmaking and photography. A journey of glass, the documentary explores the relationship between the artisans who create camera lenses and the masters of light who use these lenses to capture their beloved art form. Bending the Light features never-before-seen footage from inside a premier Japanese lens factory, intimate interviews with lens engineers, and a peek into the world of award-winning photographers and cinematographers Stephen Goldblatt, ASC, BSC, Greg Gorman, Simon Bruty, Laura El-Tantawy, and Richard Barnes.

Brenda Emmanus explores the art collection of Charles I, much of which is being reunited for a unique exhibition for the first time since his execution. Brenda hears the stories behind the works of art and learns how the collection was sold off by Parliament following Charles’s death.

The Walking Dead Girls is a behind-the-scenes look into zombie culture in the United States and the obsession into “”Sexy Female Zombies””. What is it about Zombie Bimbos or “”Zimbies”” that are starting to gain the worlds interest? Why are zombies now in mainstream culture and seen in advertising from JCPenny and Sears? With interviews with zombie master maker George Romero and cult movie star Bruce Campbell from ZomBcon 2010 and so much more. “”The Walking Dead Girls”” is a sexy look into the zombie phenomenon created by George Romero that is 40 years in the making

Brett Story’s visionary look at New York City as it braces for an uncertain future.

The New Yorker is the benchmark for the single-panel cartoon. This light-hearted and sometimes poignant look at the art and humor of the iconic drawings shows why they have inspired and even baffled us for decades. Very Semi-Serious is a window into the minds of cartooning legends and hopefuls, including editor Bob Mankoff, shedding light onto how their humor evolves.

Breaion King, a 26 year-old African-American school teacher from Austin, Texas,- is pulled over for a routine traffic stop that escalates into a violent arrest. Dashcam clips intercut with verite scenes tell a story of racism in law enforcement through the eyes of one of its victims.

Invaluable is the feature-length documentary film about Tom Sullivan, creator of the special make-up effects in “The Evil Dead”, “Evil Dead II”, and “Army of Darkness”. This film contains footage and places never before seen until now and features interviews with Bruce Campbell, Scott Spiegel, Josh Becker, Ted Raimi, Hal Delrich, Betsy Baker, Sarah York, Ellen Sandweiss, Tom Sullivan, and many more.

Although evidence of meat consumption’s negative impact on the planet and on human health continue stacking up as animal welfare is on the decline, humanity’s love affair with hamburgers, steaks, nuggets and chops just doesn’t end. In The End of Meat, filmmaker Marc Pierschel embarks on a journey to discover what effect a post-meat world would have on the environment, the animals and ourselves. He meets Esther the Wonder Pig, who became an internet phenomenon; talks to pioneers leading the vegan movement in Germany; visits the first fully vegetarian city in India; witnesses rescued farm animals enjoying their newly found freedom; observes the future food innovators making meat and dairy without the animals, even harvesting “bacon” from the ocean and much more. The End of Meat reveals the hidden impact of meat consumption; explores the opportunities and benefits of a shift to a more compassionate diet; and raises critical questions about the future role of animals in our society.

A comprehensive look at the events leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn as well as the myths and legends it spawned, and its impact on history.

A simple can of ravioli propels this spectacular 30,000-kilometre, eight-country journey through all phases of food production and the far flung sources of international ingredients. A dream-like voyage with glimpses of disconcerting realities, the story begins with a single mother toiling in one of the biggest open pit mines in Brazil and ends on the shelf of a grocery store in Finland. Along the way, the workers whose calloused hands mine, raise and harvest each ingredient reveal their dreams and hopes, like the Danish pig farmer who loves his sows but longs for a girlfriend, and the Portuguese tomato picker who wants to stay healthy long enough to pay her daughters way through university. Sumptuous photography and impressive sound design make an eloquent statement about our modern, globalized world, making us aware of the hundreds of invisible people who prepare the food we eat every day. -Gisèle Gordon (HotDocs.ca)

Whether they’re performing at an animal rescue center benefit, a church fundraiser, or a shrimp parade, the Calendar Girls give it all they’ve got. And they have a lot to give — impressive makeup; handmade costumes; elaborate dance routines; and, most notably, their unparalleled enthusiasm and sparkling personalities. They are a group of hardworking senior volunteer dancers in Florida, determined to prove that age is just a number.