The Last Rung on the Ladder

On a whim, a greedy tycoon decides to corner the world market in wheat. This doubles the price of bread, forcing grain producers into charity lines and others further into poverty. The film contrasts the differences between the lives of those who work to grow the wheat and the life of the man who dabbles in its sale for profit.

In a forgotten pocket of Southern Ohio where American manufacturing and opportunity are drying up, a determined young woman finds a ticket out when she is accepted to college. Alongside her older brother, Ruth Avery joins a dangerous scrap metal crew in order to pay her way. Together, they spend one brutal winter working the scrap yards during the day and stealing valuable metal from the once thriving factories by night. With her goal in sight, Ruth finds that the ultimate cost of an education for a girl like her may be more than she bargained for, and she soon finds herself torn between a promising future and the family she would leave behind.

An animated short based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale about a poor young girl with a burning desire to find comfort and happiness in her life. Desperate to keep warm, the girl lights the matches she sells, and envisions a very different life for herself in the fiery flames filled with images of loving relatives, bountiful food, and a place to call home.

Short film made with the help of the Sundance Film Institute and serving as a proof-of-concept for the subsequent feature film.

The relationship of a couple who meet by chance in New York City is put to the test when they encounter a life or death circumstance.

When a brilliant nine-year-old working in a sweatshop gets a chance to attend school, she must make a difficult choice for her and her sister's future.

Kate has been absent from high school for a week due to a fractured foot. Upon returning, she discovers that her clique of friends has devised a new, secret plan codenamed "Lick the Star."

The story of the legendary steel-driving folk hero born with a hammer in his hands, who pitted his strength against a mighty railroad-building machine.

A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.

A poor, struggling South Carolinian mother and daughter face painful choices with their resolve and pride. Bone, the eldest daughter, and Anney her tired mother, grow both closer and farther apart: Anney sees Glen as her last chance.

Johnny Kovak joins the Teamsters trade-union in a local chapter in the 1930s and works his way up in the organization. As he climbs higher and higher his methods become more ruthless and finally senator Madison starts a campaign to find the truth about the alleged connections with the Mob.

At a desert diner, the lives of five strangers become linked through a single twenty-dollar bill. Shot for $20,000 and starring Philip Baker Hall, the short premiered at Sundance and later inspired Anderson’s debut feature Hard Eight (1996).

It's just another day in the small town of Hamlin until something disastrous happens. Suddenly, news breaks that a series of nuclear warheads has been dropped along the Eastern Seaboard and, more locally, in California. As people begin coping with the devastating aftermath of the attacks — many suffer radiation poisoning — the Wetherly family tries to survive.

A nameless drifter navigates a barren landscape punctuated by satellite dishes, radio towers and droning airplanes. Stopping periodically in anonymous hotel rooms, she makes attempts to connect to an unidentified second party.

When Gabriel, a 7-year-old Chinese kid who loves ballet, becomes friends with Rob, another Chinese kid from school, Rob’s dad gets suspicious about Gabriel's feminine behavior and decides to intervene.

An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.

A woman embarks on a journey alone across the United States after fleeing from her violent husband.

The story of a young writer's transformation when her past invades her present.

Nola grew up living in a van with her father, Clint—two nomads against the world. When tragedy strikes, Nola must confront the reality of life on the road alone, learning to own her grief, her past, and her new destination.

In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, and neglects her daughter and husband. Lawyer Jim Train is devoted to his career, not his family. Helen Christianson wants to find a new spark in life, while Annette Jennings tries to rebuild hers.

Francis is a short story written by american novelist Dave Eggers. This is the story of a young boy growing up in the suburbs of chicago. He spent his vacations in Quetico Provincial Park, up on the border of Minnesota and Canada. But he won't be going back any day soon, not after what happened to a girl called Francis Brandywine.

Boyfriends decide to come out to each of their parents with getting completely different results.

I Faresonen is a combination of a documentary and fictional approach to the problem of alcoholism -- or alcohol dependency. Tackling a problem common to other Nordic countries as well, director Bjoern Breigutu has focused on the life of sailors, among others, and how alcohol is used or abused in that sector of the population. This was the Norwegian entry at the 1961 Berlin Film Festival.

Guddal, a free-spirited five year old, loves eating the sour sweeties called Anaar Daana. Her antics with her brother Laddoo often land her in trouble. One day, a sad incident in the house causes a shift in her idyllic world.

A mute nurse cares deeply for the dying woman she lives with, but after a miscommunication with her client, she's forced to decide if she should break the one forbidden rule of the job - going outside.

When sixth-grader boy Qiu is bullied in school for having gay dads, his stepfather Howard, a flamboyant Jazz trumpet player, must confront his own nightmares of childhood bulling before he can provide his son a feeling of security.

Reality and expectation collide as Mona delves into her past and prepares to meet her estranged Iranian father.

A man breaks into a flat, startling the occupant. They argue about the new girlfriend of the 'burglar', who's come to get her stuff. Then a third man bursts out of the cupboard...

A heartfelt depiction of a man facing his own mortality while reflecting on the grave mistakes of his youth.

A hustler meets a client in a hotel room but he realizes that the young man needs much more than sex.

A short film about the changing face of London Soho and the implications of gentrification on Mimi, an aging transvestite.

A boy finds himself stalked and tormented by a malevolent force who has seemingly bigger plans for him. But is this entity real, or merely in his mind?

During the busy run-up to Christmas, a single-take snapshot of the immense stress and skills of a talented head chef reveals that things are about to burst behind the restaurant's flash façade.

Father and son 'minutemen' patrol the American/Mexican border near their home in Nogales, Arizona.

A 16 year old girl has come to the hospital to identify the body of her mother. The people in charge at the hospital - due to her young age - won't let her into the morgue. After she insists that most of her family is in jail for criminal activities, they acquiesce...

Summertime on the coast of Maine, "In the Bedroom" centers on the inner dynamics of a family in transition. Matt Fowler is a doctor practicing in his native Maine and is married to New York born Ruth Fowler, a music teacher. His son is involved in a love affair with a local single mother. As the beauty of Maine's brief and fleeting summer comes to an end, these characters find themselves in the midst of unimaginable tragedy.

Gustave is a photographer who makes pictures of nude male bodies in public spaces in São Paulo. One night, Pedro goes with him, without yet knowing whether he will be part of the project. This vast city will be witness.

Lily, a girl with a secret on the cusp of becoming a young woman, is faced with the greatest challenge of her young life.

Alan’s jealousy drives him to foil his friend’s relationship and wrestle with where his passions really lie.