Category Archives: Documentary

Documentary “More Than Santa Baby” Honors Composer Philip Springer

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The new documentary short More Than Santa Baby shines a spotlight on the remarkable life of composer Philip Springer, best known for writing the holiday classic “Santa Baby.” Directed by his daughter, Tamar Springer, the film reveals an artist whose career stretches across eight decades and far beyond his most famous song.

Running 39 minutes, the film blends archival footage, rare recordings, and interviews to trace Springer’s creative journey from 1940s Tin Pan Alley to the studio eras of New York and Hollywood. Along the way, his work connected with icons including Eartha Kitt, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Judy Garland.

The documentary has quickly become a festival favorite—premiering at Dances With Films in Los Angeles, winning the Documentary Short Audience Award, and continuing with a successful multi-city run, including the Big Apple Film Festival.

Set partly in New York City, the film serves as both a tribute to the Golden Age of American songwriting and a personal look at resilience, legacy, and lifelong creativity. Now 99, Springer continues to compose, making the film a timely portrait of enduring artistry.

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Short Documentary ‘Second Winds’ Spotlights Life With CLL

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second-windsSecond Winds, a new short film by director Dominic Gill, has been released following its world premiere in Los Angeles on November 13, hosted by actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The documentary is now streaming on LA Times Studios Short Docs and AbbVie’s YouTube channel, with Documentary+ availability beginning November 15.

The film follows three people living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): Christina, who now leads support groups for newly diagnosed patients; Jeff, a longtime survivor of more than twenty years; and Alejandro, an engineer and father navigating life after a 2020 diagnosis. Their stories highlight resilience, community support, and how staying active can help restore a sense of purpose.

Gill, recently shortlisted for an Oscar, describes the project as a tribute to determination and hope within the CLL community. Ferguson said the film resonated deeply due to its focus on rediscovering joy amid hardship.

Supported by AbbVie, the documentary arrives at a time when CLL remains one of the most common adult leukemias in the U.S., with more than 23,000 new cases expected in 2025. Second Winds is now available to stream.

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Documentary Fantasy Hybrid ‘Adrianne & The Castle’ to Debut on VOD

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adrianne-and-the-castleA genre-blending portrait of love, grief, and artistic devotion, Adrianne & The Castle will be released on VOD beginning December 5, 2025. Directed by Shannon Walsh, the film follows Illinois artist Alan St-George as he continues work on Havencrest Castle—the elaborate, hand-built home he created with his late wife, Adrianne.

Part documentary and part musical fantasy, the film recounts the couple’s decades-long partnership, their shared creative world, and the ornate, theatrical environment they constructed together. After Adrianne’s passing in 2006, St-George continued their project, transforming the castle into both a memorial and an evolving work of art.

Walsh incorporates staged musical sequences and fantastical imagery alongside archival material and interviews, creating a tone often described as a real-life fairytale. The film explores St-George’s process, his coping with loss, and the way imagination shapes his ongoing tribute.

Adrianne & The Castle will be available on digital platforms starting December 5.

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Short Documentary The Hemingway Offers an Unfiltered Look at Life With ALS

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hemingwayA new short documentary titled The Hemingway is drawing attention on the festival circuit for its candid, darkly humorous portrayal of life with ALS. The nine-minute film centers on Patrick Sean O’Brien, who lives with near-total paralysis but maintains an active, sharply observant internal monologue.

The film uses Patrick’s private thoughts as a narrative device, contrasting the difficult physical realities of ALS with his blunt, often funny inner commentary on daily routines, relationships, and moments of vulnerability. The result is a portrait that blends honesty and irreverence, avoiding sentimentality while highlighting the emotional complexities of the disease.

The Hemingway features O’Brien alongside J.R. Reed, Scott Murphy, Rose Julien, and Paula Mackael. It was written by O’Brien, directed by O’Brien and Evan Mathis, and edited by Doug Pray.

O’Brien, known for the autobiographical documentary TransFatty Lives, continues to create work despite living with advanced ALS, while Mathis brings a background in Emmy-winning creative direction.

The Hemingway is currently screening at festivals worldwide.

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Award-Winning Animated Documentary Endless Cookie Opens in NY and LA Theaters December 5

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The acclaimed animated documentary Endless Cookie, created over eight years by brothers Seth and Peter Scriver, arrives in New York and Los Angeles theaters on December 5 from Obscured Releasing.

The film is a vivid, surreal portrait of the Scriver family, blending autobiography, memory, and playful imagination. Through colorful, shifting animation, the brothers revisit their upbringing in Toronto’s Kensington Market and Peter’s current life in a remote First Nations community in Northern Manitoba. Their stories overlap with family recollections, turning the film into both a family chronicle and a meditation on creativity.

Seth is a Toronto-based artist and animator known for the TIFF-winning feature Asphalt Watches. Peter is a First Nations carver, poet, mechanic, and storyteller whose real-life heroism in rescuing a neighbor from a house fire underscores the film’s themes of resilience and connection.

Endless Cookie has earned major honors worldwide, including the Golden Alexander at Thessaloniki, the Contrechamp Jury Award at Annecy, the Rogers Audience Award at Hot Docs 2025, and awards or mentions from Sitges, Dok Leipzig, Guadalajara, and Calgary Underground Film Festival.

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New Documentary Explores Dave Paulides’s Latest Investigation into the Bigfoot Mystery

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American-SasquatchThe new documentary American Sasquatch: Man, Myth, or Monster will be released digitally on December 1, with a special premiere screening set for November 28 in Seattle, followed by a Q and A with author and investigator Dave Paulides, known for the Missing 411 series.

Directed by Gabe Torres, whose credits include Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries, the film explores Bigfoot through a mix of forensic investigation, scientific analysis, and interviews with researchers and longtime field investigators. Paulides, a former police detective and founder of the North American Big Foot Search, leads the examination, expanding on themes present in his bestselling Missing 411 books and documentaries.

The film features appearances from Scott Carpenter, Stan Gordon, Harvey Pratt, Ron Morehead, Representative Tim Burchett, Dr. Colm Kelleher, Dr. Robert Alley, and others from the Bigfoot and unexplained phenomena research community.

Produced by Jim Martin and Phillip Latham, with executive producers Dave Paulides and Henry Marx, American Sasquatch positions itself as a deep dive into new theories, advanced DNA work, and scientific perspectives that attempt to bridge folklore with empirical inquiry.

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Emmy-Winning Filmmaker Nick Davis Explores Acts of Courage in Documentary “This Ordinary Thing”

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this-ordinary-thingEmmy-winning filmmaker Nick Davis brings together an extraordinary cast to tell a story of courage and compassion in his new documentary This Ordinary Thing, opening December 5 at Cinema Village in New York City, with a wider theatrical and VOD release to follow.

The film revisits the real stories of non-Jewish individuals who risked their lives to save Jewish people across Europe during the Holocaust. Blending archival footage with readings performed by some of the world’s most celebrated actors, the documentary illuminates acts of quiet heroism from those who never considered themselves heroes at all.

The ensemble cast includes Helen Mirren, F. Murray Abraham, Jeremy Irons, Ellen Burstyn, Carrie Coon, Stephen Fry, and more than thirty others, collectively representing dozens of Oscars, Emmys, and Tonys. Each voice performs excerpts from original testimonies that reveal moments of moral clarity amid overwhelming fear.

This Ordinary Thing poses a question that still resonates today: What would you have done? With music composed by Tony Award winner Adam Guettel, the film underscores the power of empathy and the capacity for good in the darkest of times.

Directed by Nick Davis (You Had to Be There) and executive produced by Albert M. Tapper, the film joins a growing body of contemporary Holocaust documentaries focused on individual moral choices and human connection.

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Tiffany Hsiung Joins Documentary Feature Spring After Spring as Executive Producer

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Spring-After-SpringAcclaimed filmmaker Tiffany Hsiung has joined Jon Chiang’s debut feature documentary Spring After Spring as Executive Producer. The film will have its world premiere at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival on November 7, followed by a theatrical run timed to Lunar New Year 2026 and a later broadcast on Knowledge Network.

Produced by Chifa Studios, Spring After Spring follows three Chinese Canadian sisters who defy their late mother’s wishes to become dancers. After her death, they reunite to lead Vancouver’s Chinatown Parade and must decide how to honor their heritage while forging their own paths.

“Spring After Spring captures something profoundly human in how grief and love intertwine,” said Hsiung, whose credits include The Apology, Sing Me a Lullaby, and Apple TV’s JANE. “It speaks to the courage of redefining legacy while carrying the weight of expectation.”

Director Jon Chiang, a Chinese-Peruvian filmmaker based in Vancouver, said the story grew from his own reflections on culture and identity. “In Chinese-Canadian culture, emotions are often private, yet Lunar New Year becomes the most public expression of them,” he explained. “Working with Tiffany is a privilege. Her perspective and experience mirror the heart of this film.”

The film is written, directed, and produced by Jon Chiang, with Joanna Wong producing and Lynn Booth and Tiffany Hsiung serving as Executive Producers. The cast features Anabel Ho, Val Ho (Ms. Vee), Lisa Ho, and Maria Mimie Ho.

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Jon Batiste Narrates The Theory of Spice, a Three-Part Documentary Series Exploring the Global Journey of Ginger, Cardamom, and Cinnamon

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The-Theory-of-SpiceGrammy, Emmy, and Academy Award-winning artist Jon Batiste lends his voice to The Theory of Spice, a three-part short documentary series premiering December 5, 2025, on Documentary+. The visually stunning project travels through India, Sri Lanka, and Guatemala, revealing the human stories, traditions, and artistry behind three of the world’s most essential spices: ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Directed by Gilly Barnes and produced by Straight From The Source Studios and The Yogi Foundation, the series blends breathtaking cinematography with original music by Grammy winner Gaby Moreno and narration from Batiste and Rizo. Each chapter uncovers how these ingredients shape communities and sustain cultures through resilience and ritual.

“I’m honored to lend my voice to this series because it’s more than a story about ingredients, it’s a story about people, culture, and connection,” said Batiste.

Documentary+ CEO Geoff Clark praised the series for its cinematic and emotional power, calling it “a masterful capture of the spirit and culture of extraordinary communities.”

The Theory of Spice marks the first original commission by The Yogi Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Yogi Tea, which supports global grower communities and creative storytelling rooted in reciprocity and care. The series will stream on Documentary+ and partner platforms across 70 countries beginning December 5 at 8 PM EST.

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True Crime Documentary American Skyjacker Revisits 1972 DB Cooper Copycat Hijacking

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american-skyjackerThe upcoming true crime documentary American Skyjacker explores the extraordinary real-life story of Martin McNally, who hijacked a 727 in 1972 and parachuted from the plane with $500,000, a daring act inspired by the infamous DB Cooper case just six months earlier.

Written and directed by Eli Kooris and Joshua Shaffer, the film blends first-hand interviews with McNally and cinematic reenactments to recount one of the most astonishing yet lesser-known crime stories in American history. Produced independently by Pegalo Pictures, the feature expands on the creators’ popular podcast of the same name.

American Skyjacker opens in select theaters October 10–30, 2025, and will be available on Digital and VOD beginning November 17, 2025.

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