Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story

AlphaGo

September 2017 •English

The ancient Chinese game of Go has long been considered a grand challenge for artificial intelligence. Yet in 2016, Google's DeepMind team announced that they would be taking on Lee Sedol, the world's most elite Go champion. AlphaGo chronicles the team as it prepares to test the limits of its rapidly-evolving AI technology. The film pits man against machine, and reveals as much about the workings of the human mind as it does the future of AI.

Word Wars

May 2004 •English

The classic board game, Scrabble, has been popular for decades. In addition, there are fanatics who devote heart and soul to this game to the expense of everything else. This film profiles a group of these enthusiasts as they converge for a Scrabble convention where the word game is almost a bloodsport.

Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History

February 2023 •English

America’s favorite board game, Monopoly, is a love letter to unbridled capitalism and the impulses that make our free-market society tick. Contrary to the folksy legend spread by Parker Brothers, Monopoly’s origin involves a radical feminist and a community of Quakers in Atlantic City. If not for the determination of an economics professor and impassioned anti-monopolist, the real story behind the creation of the game might never have come to light.

117 Years of Movie Bullshit

October 2025 •English

Two aspiring Hollywood stars are sent back in time, during the Gone With the Wind Era, by the evil Dick Whitman, an old school studio exec. As the two try to get back to the present time, they keep getting stuck in movies of the past as token Black characters.

The Man Who Skied Down Everest

September 1975 •English

This Oscar-winning documentary tells the story behind Japanese daredevil Yuichiro Miura's 1970 effort to ski down the world's tallest mountain. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.

Bushido

May 2024 •Japanese

Kakunoshin Yanagida was a samurai, forced to leave the Han due to a false accusation. He then lived in poverty with his daughter Kinu.

Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine

September 2003 •English

Garry Kasparov is possibly the greatest chess player who has ever lived. In 1997, he played a match against the greatest chess computer: IBM's Deep Blue. He lost. This film depicts the drama that happened away from the chess board from Kasparov's perspective. It explores the psychological aspects of the game and the paranoia surrounding IBM's ultimate chess machine.

The Great Chess Movie

September 1982 •French

In this Gilles Carle feature documentary on the game of chess, the international chess match is cast as a classic Western shoot-out. Three chess greats dominate the film: Russia's Anatoly Karpov; Viktor Korchnoi, a Russian defector; and American Bobby Fischer. Chess aficionados Camille Coudari and Fernando Arrabal analyze the personalities and strategies of the players and comment on the interplay of politics and chess.

How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck

October 1976 •German

A documentary short examining the language and performance of auctioneering, filmed at the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in Pennsylvania.

The Pigeon People

January 2023 •English

Directed by Patrick Gramm, 'The Pigeon People' (2023) takes you deep into Arizona's underground pigeon racing scene as racing rivals prepare for and compete in the Grand Canyon Classic - a 350-mile pigeon race from Utah to Arizona that crosses over the Grand Canyon.

The Surrounding Game

April 2017 •English

Born from the simplest rules, the ancient game of Go is the most complex and elegant game ever discovered. For thousands of years, masters and disciples have passed the game down as a window to the human mind. Now, for the first time, a group of Americans enter the ring, in search of a prodigy who will change the game forever.

Rocky Marciano vs. Joe Walcott

September 1952 •English

Jersey Joe Walcott was 38 and looked older. That he was even champion was a bit of a surprise. He’d taken the title with an upset of Ezzard Charles the year before. Marciano on the other hand, was the coming star. He’d hammered Joe Louis into retirement in 1951, a sad fight that many saw as a changing of the guard. Fans were eager to see the Rock take on Jersey Joe—but few expected to witness one of the all-time great heavyweight fights.

Über Goober

June 2004 •English

Über Goober focuses on the often-misunderstood, sometimes-controversial, and always-kind-of-geeky world of Gamers. Director Steve Metze examines several different groups including historical miniature gamers, role-players, and those known simply as "LARPers." The film also explores opposition from religious groups, negative media portrayals, and some of the meanest 'man-on-the-street' interviews ever committed to video. Meet the Gamers, learn their exotic language, see their bizarre rituals, gasp at their semi-authentic costumes, and thrill to the painting techniques on their miniatures!

Hunt vs Lauda: F1's Greatest Racing Rivals

July 2013 •English

James Hunt has never been equalled. Could swashbuckling Hunt catch the scientific Lauda? Could Niki overcome an appalling crash to come back from the dead and fight James all the way to the last race of the season? This powerful story captures the heart of the 1970s - told through unseen footage and exclusive interviews with the people who were really there - the team managers, families, journalists and friends who were in the front row of the season that changed Formula 1 forever.

Dans l'ombre de Teddy Riner

May 2016 •French

Documentary following Teddy Riner's incredible career from 2004 to 2016 before Rio Olympic Games. We learn about his roots in Guadeloupe, his training, his family and friends (among them Tony Parker and Omar Sy). And everything that has braught him to the top of Judo.

Made for Play: Board Games and Modern Industry

January 2013 •English

Jettingen Germany is home to Ludo Fact, one of the world's largest manufacturers of board and card games. This documentary shows how a board game makes the leap from an idea to your table. You'll see every aspect of the manufacturing process: the technology and machines, the many detailed steps, and the hundreds of people that are involved in the production of a single game. Mostly, we hope the film gives you a greater appreciation of the time, effort and investment that goes into every quality board game that makes it to the marketplace and your home. The business of fun requires a lot of hard work!

Who Did It? The Story Behind the Clue VCR Mystery Game

November 2013 •English

A documentary about the makings of two Parker Brothers VHS games - 'Clue VCR Mystery Game' and 'Clue II: Murder in Disguise'.

Sweden and Swedish Industries

January 1920 •English

In this promotional film in five parts, Greta points at the town of Malmö on a wall map.

Mistrovství světa v házené

January 1954 •Czech

Friendly Local Game Store

April 2022 •English

The unlikely story of the world’s largest game store – The Sentry Box – located in Calgary. Communities are not just bound by borders – they are often comprised of people with shared passions. A friendly local game store (FLGS) is a unique place where people can connect with each other, create memories, and build community. Celebrating over 40 years of operation, the Sentry Box in Calgary, Alberta has grown to become the world’s largest game store. It has achieved this incredible milestone by being an inviting and welcoming space for people of all backgrounds to enjoy table top games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. The documentary from CUFF alumnus and Calgarian Garry Snow shares the unique history of the Sentry Box by interviewing the owner, long-time customers, current and former employees, and local industry influencers who have all been connected by the friendly local game store.