The Lost Sons

Freight Train: Slayer of Innocence

January 2017 •English

This documentary details the investigations into the disappearances and murders of several young boys throughout the Midwest in the 1970s. Detectives conducted a nine-day, twenty-four-hour surveillance of a suspect for several hundred miles with a team of police officers from several agencies. With William 'Freight Train' Guatney in custody the kidnappings and murders of young boys stopped.

Natascha Kampusch - Ein Schicksal im Rampenlicht

February 2013 •German

This documentary shows the enormous media impact that the abduction story has had over the years. It analyzes the media's handling of the story and shows how victims of abduction can find their way back to a normal life after their liberation...

Abducted in Plain Sight

May 2017 •English

A family falls prey to the manipulative charms of a neighbor, who abducts their adolescent daughter. Twice.

Life After People

January 2008 •English

In this special documentary that inspired a two-season television series, scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth, animal life, and plant life might be like if, suddenly, humanity no longer existed, as well as the effect humanity's disappearance might have on the artificial aspects of civilization.

Old St. Patrick's Church: Chicago Renaissance Story

December 2013 •English

Mike Leonard tells the inside story of how the west Loop’s St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, known to residents as Old St. Pat's, transformed itself from an empty church in a declining neighborhood into a Chicago hub of worship, culture, social life, education, and service -- revitalizing a then-struggling West Loop.

Hoop Dreams

September 1994 •English

Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.

Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol

August 2021 •English

In this animated documentary, Los Angeles filmmaker Dion Labriola recounts his all-consuming childhood quest to contact his teen idol, Ike Eisenmann - and the magical turn of events that led him toward his goal (some 40 years later).

La rumeur d'Orléans

October 2019 •French

On the Rink

May 2018 •English

The regulars of Chicago's Southside Rink show off the style and personality of the place they have called home for generations.

Twinsters

July 2015 •English

Adopted from South Korea, raised on different continents & connected through social media, Samantha & Anaïs believe that they are twin sisters separated at birth.

The Voice That Rocked America: The Dick Biondi Story

May 2023 •English

THE VOICE THAT ROCKED AMERICA is an one-hour documentary about Top 40 radio personality Dick Biondi. Dick's powerful connection with his audience has endured for decades, and the bands he promoted have never forgotten his generosity. Dick's story will be told through archival photos and footage, recreations, and interviews with recording artists, broadcasters, fans, friends and Dick Biondi himself. The film is narrated by Pam, whose life was changed when she met her teenage idol.

8 Flags for 99¢

January 1970 •English

A short documentary that explores a blue-collar community’s growing unease with the Vietnam War. It was produced in response to President Nixon’s famous November, 1969 speech when he contrasted the unlawful and vocal anti-war protesters to the respectful “silent majority” who were in favor of remaining in Vietnam to fight communism. This film explores the thoughts and opinions of the “silent majority” represented by the folks living in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago.

JazzTown

March 2021 •English

Denver’s iconic and Grammy Award-winning musicians reveal the secrets of their success and longevity in the music business while warning the young lions to whom they pass the torch to stay relevant in a marketplace both treacherous and brutal. The majestic Rocky Mountains tower over a bustling metropolis filled with steamy and romantic nightclubs where jazz flourishes on stage. JazzTown features never seen before live concert footage on historic stages that have now crumbled due to economic stresses of the Covid Pandemic. ~ Dianne Reeves, 5-time Grammy Award winner for Best Jazz Vocalist ~ US Senator John Hickenlooper (former jazz club owner) ~ Ron Miles (Colorado Music Hall of Fame, Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Ginger Baker) ~ Charlie Hunter (Snarky Puppy, Christian McBride, Stanton Moore) ~ Art Lande (Mark Isham, Gary Peacock) ~ Ayo Awosika (Session Singer on Soundtracks to: Wakanda Forever, Nope, Dune, The Lion King ... tours with Miley Cyrus,) and many more.

Fatal Distraction

December 2021 •English

The untold story of the high-profile murder trial of Justin Ross Harris following the death of his toddler son in the hot summer of 2014.

Document: A Film About Malojian

October 2016 •English

Featuring legendary recording engineer Steve Albini, 'Document: A film about Malojian' captures the energy of a band at the top of their game, as they rush to complete their third album, "This is Nowhere", in just four days.

Women of the White Buffalo

April 2022 •English

With exclusive access to the lives of 8 women, ranging in age from 10 to 98, explore powerful testimonials of loss and survival and gain insight into the experience of a modern Indigenous American living on a reservation. Gripping historical accounts and startling timely statistics guide viewers down the path that has led to these present day conditions.

City

January 1964 •English

1964, Autumn in Chicago. This was my 4th film, shot while waiting to go to prison for refusing to serve in the US military. Silent. B&W. I think it captures the sense of depression, of loneliness within the city. Looking back it seems almost archaic, Chicago as some kind of East Bloc country in Soviet times.

Conversations Between Shifts

October 2021 •English

A portrait of Chicagoland ICU nurse Jeanette Alvarez-Basem captured through the perspective of her son Ben Basem. Between her night shifts and Illinois Nurses Association union meetings, Jeanette navigates what it means to be a nurse and a human during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Remembering Chicago Again

November 1995 •English

Memories and home movies of numerous Chicagoans bring the 1940s and '50s alive, from early Chicago television to the patriotic spirit of the war years when everyone pulled together.

Občan K.

November 2012 •Czech

In an era obsessed with identification, the art group Ztohoven undertook an experiment in order to see how much could be done with your own and with a borrowed identity. The group's members ordered official ID cards using fake identities, trading identities by using passport photos created by morphing their faces together. Using their new identities, they then got married, travelled abroad, voted, and generally showed how difficult it is for the system to tell us apart.