The FOCAL Awards celebrate three areas – production, restoration and preservation, and people. All our production categories celebrate the very best use of footage within the production, programme or project.
Please select the award category you wish to view from the drop down box.
Shortlist nominations announced
The FOCAL International Awards competition is dedicated to the promotion and celebration of archival footage and its contribution to the creative and cultural industries. We are delighted to announce this year’s shortlist in the Production and Restoration & Preservation categories.
The 2020 competition received a wide variety of submissions this year making it an undeniably rich and diverse contest making it a challenging and rewarding deliberation process for our dedicated jurors across the globe – testament to the continuing and growing power of archival storytelling. We would like to thank everyone who entered their work this year; the quality of the 2020 submissions has been unparalleled.
Impressive usage and previously unseen footage across a broad genre of productions from Cinematic Features to Innovative Platform can be discovered in our full list of nominees for this year’s FOCAL International Awards HERE.
The Jane Mercer Researcher of the Year, Footage Company of the Year and Student Jury Award for Most Inspiring use of Archive nominations will be announced later in July.
We appreciate that this is a difficult time for all of us in the media industry, we wish everyone well and staying safe.
Shortlisted
Mandi Robinson
Job Title:
Operations Director
Company:
Archival Ninjas
Synopsis
The following are highlights from Submission:
Mandi’s remarkable organizational skills were on display as she deftly juggled major projects like Frontline: Documenting Police Use of Force, The Real CSI: Miami, Power of the Dream, and Eyes on the Prize III, meeting tight deadlines while maintaining top-quality outcomes. Clients frequently request her involvement because of her natural ability to keep projects on track and creatively troubleshoot any hurdles that arise.
Her knack for spotting and addressing inefficiencies is second to none: Mandi regularly identifies areas needing improvement, devises innovative solutions, and implements them with unwavering commitment. She also excels in communication, deftly simplifying complex concepts so teams and clients stay aligned. Whether mentoring new hires, lending technical support, or ensuring every last detail is in order, Mandi goes above and beyond to deliver excellence.
Julia Palermo
Job Title:
Archival Director
Company:
Archival Ninjas
Synopsis
The following are highlights from Submission:
Julia has been nothing short of extraordinary, continually pushing the boundaries of what's possible in archival research and project management.
As our Archival Director, she goes above and beyond in every aspect of her work. Julia’s unique ability to develop innovative solutions within our tracking system has significantly streamlined our workflow, boosting efficiency across the team. She readily shares her insights, mentoring fellow Ninjas and creating an environment that fosters growth, skill development, and collaboration—all of which directly impact our overall success.
In 2024 alone, Julia led the demanding research for Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It, Luther: Never Too Much, and The Icons That Built America. Despite tight timelines, she consistently delivered meticulous, high-quality research. Thanks to her extensive knowledge of our internal tracking system, Julia ensured every detail was seamlessly managed and ultimately licensed with ease.
Her contributions have been invaluable, and her dedication to innovation and mentorship sets a remarkable standard.
Keiona Barnwell
Job Title:
Licensing Consultant
Company:
CNN Collection
Synopsis
The following are highlights from Submission:
Keiona is one of the best people to work with. Nothing is too much for her and she is always on hand to help in any way she can. I have worked with Keiona on various projects for over seven years now and I always know that if I require some CNN archive I am in safe hands. She is quick and efficient in providing answers to any queries and makes the whole licensing process very straightforward. She is also flexible to any changes that may need to happen (such an additions to the license agreement or providing an invoice rather than a PayPal link). Her calmness and efficiency was invaluable to me on a series I did about the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. She was able to delve deep into the CNN archives and get me exactly what I needed. She also handled all permissions (including we intended to show some CNN staff in b-roll which she dealt with quickly). I can’t recommend Keiona enough. Her cheery nature makes her stand out from the pack and I am thrilled to put her forward for this accolade.
Thomasin Summerford
Job Title:
Archive Manager
Company:
Huntley Film Archives
Synopsis
The following are highlights from Submission:
Thomasin Summerford talents lie within three main areas – innovation, professionalism and passion.
She has applied her archivists mind and sensitivities to the area of innovation, constantly asking more of herself and of the collection. She has tackled the problems that all archives face, but with care and integrity, striving for excellence to keep the collections safe for the future. The battle for storage, the endless demands keeping the database relevant and discoverable, care of the collection, care of the customers!, the care of the staff!!,
She curates, she forms incredible synergy between old and new tech, and brings the unseen to the attention of all.
Her focus is unwavering, and each day brings a fresh outlook and eternal optimism that this film archive will deliver the very best.
GBH Archives
Synopsis
GBH, formerly WGBH, is US public television's single largest producer for television, the Web, and mobile, producing over one third of PBS content. WGBH has been broadcasting and producing programming for almost 70 years. GBH produces science, history, journalism, and educational programming, as well as arts and culture, children’s and local programming. Its renowned documentary series, such as "Frontline", "NOVA", "American Experience" have won numerous awards and international acclaim. - Stock Sales & Licensing
Archival highlights
The following are highlights from GBH Archives Submission: GBH Archives is at the forefront of preserving and making accessible past and present US public television content and is recognized nationally and internationally for its efforts.GBH (formerly WGBH), is the largest content creator for US public television (PBS), producing over one third of public television national programming.Over the past ten years, GBH Archives has digitized a wealth of its own public television content as well as content from other public television stations by securing numerous federal and private funding grants.This has resulted in increased access to content as well as increased licensing opportunities.
Work specifically completed in 2024 includes the relaunch of the GBH Archives Open Vault website with 5 new specially curated content collections.
In addition to Open Vault, GBH Archives is the website host and collaborator with the Library of Congress of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (“AAPB”). In 2024 alone, GBH Archives staff added 37,778 digital items of public television content to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting.
GBH Archives services both our internal productions as well as scholars, researchers and the public.It spearheaded an initiative to create speech to text transcripts collaborating with Brandeis University computational linguistics department.GBH Archive developers use open source tools such as Whisper and other cutting edge technology in pursuit of these goals.
Sky Clip Sales
Synopsis
Sky Clip Sales represents the archives of Sky News, Sky Sports and Sky’s Entertainment catalogue. In business since 1989, the team has supplied hundreds of hours of content into award winning documentaries, films and TV programmes. These three collections offer a library of hundreds of hours of footage, with new content being added daily.
The Sky News collection consists of the produced news reports, rushes and as-broadcast material generated by global news teams. The Sky Sports archive is home to thousands of hours of footage and commentary from a wide range of sporting events. The Clip Sales team represents Sky’s diverse entertainment back catalogue.
Archival highlights
The following are highlights from Sky Clip Sales Submission: In 2024, in response to client feedback, we enhanced our Media Asset Management (MAM) system by introducing a new shot-list feature. We approached our MAM supplier about the possibility of exporting shot-list data directly from the MAM into an Excel spreadsheet. With just a few clicks, we wanted to export only the relevant metadata for the client into a user-friendly format. This presented a challenge for our supplier as they had never been asked to develop or deliver similar functionality and it took several months of collaboration to refine features and ensure clients’ needs were met.
As a result of this investment, we can now deliver shot-lists in a user-friendly format. Clients can easily search clear and consistent data within a spreadsheet. A much-improved user experience means clients benefit by more easily understanding what material is available and helping them achieve their goal of making the best possible programme.
Additionally, the extensive in-house digitisation project, preserving Sky News’ archive continued at a pace in 2024. The Clip Sales team have also benefited from recently introduced industry leading technology which remasters legacy content. This means damaged or deteriorated file or tape assets can be restored back to their original state, or close to it. With over 50% of the archive now digitised, the sales team can access and deliver content to clients quickly. Work continues to obtain content from Sky News’ UK and worldwide bureaus, so that this is centrally available – a recent discovery being some never-before-seen Trump footage, hitherto hidden in our Edinburgh bureau! We believe investing in such work has a positive impact on the industry; the more content available to our clients the better programming we can contribute to and continue a positive impact in the creative industries as a whole.
PROGRESS
Synopsis
PROGRESS, founded in East Berlin in 1950, is one of the oldest and largest film distributors in Germany. Since 2019, the company has been digitising, cataloguing and distributing the entire DEFA collection and expanding its holdings to include international archive collections such as those of the Vietnam Film Institute and the Ukrainian State Archive. These collections are made accessible via the curated platform PROGRESS Film on which PROGRESS sets new standards for the preservation and global dissemination of film cultural heritage.
Archival highlights
The following are highlights from PROGRESS Submission: In 2024, PROGRESS focused on creating AI-generated transcriptions in different languages to enhance searchability for most of its content. The online platform is designed for both professional users and an interested public eager to experience and understand film history. In October 2024, we launched a new streaming platform for educational purposes for a German-speaking audience at https://filmmuseum.progress.film. A major milestone will be the launch of the streaming platform for a B2C audience in August 2025.
Additionally, PROGRESS is investing in its own digitization lab to ensure the best possible preservation of film and video materials in all formats. In close collaboration with the DEFA Foundation and other archival partners, film reels are digitized daily and systematically processed by a team of metadata specialists. This work not only guarantees the preservation of film collections but also enhances accessibility for researchers, media professionals, and museums. Last year, the PROGRESS team restored historical film material for the first time on behalf of several production companies using the Diamant software.
Another highlight is the History Summit, an international platform for archives, researchers, and the media industry. PROGRESS brings together experts from around the world to exchange ideas on strategies for preserving and utilizing historical film materials. The next summit is already in preparation and promises to be a unique forum for the archival and historical community once again.
Archival Ninjas
Synopsis
ARCHIVAL PRODUCTION, RESEARCH, RIGHTS AND CLEARANCES. Nimble, highly-skilled and seasoned in experience, Archival Ninjas has been a go-to Archival Production company. Here, we’ve provided production studios and businesses with everything from initial research and consultation to final licensing for film/television and beyond.
Archival highlights
The following are highlights from Archival Ninjas' Submission: Archival Ninjas distinguished itself in 2024 by delivering innovative archival production, rights, and clearance services across more than 60 diverse projects, including documentaries, TV series, commercials, and podcasts.
Of those, 24 were released in 2024, spanning themes of sports (In the Arena: Serena Williams), politics (Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court), true crime (Eyes of the Prize III, and music (Luther: Never to Much), among others. The team’s work garnered critical acclaim, with seven festival premieres at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, and DOC NYC, three Oscar-eligible films, and a Sports Emmy win for Super League: The War for Football alongside a nomination for Goliath. Beyond its impressive creative output, Archival Ninjas prioritized meaningful industry engagement: attending major festivals and conferences (Sundance, Cannes, Tribeca, FootageFest, and DOC NYC) and partnering with the Female Film Club to offer the first masterclass on archival production—empowering female filmmakers globally.
A key initiative for 2024 was enhancing operational efficiency and scalability. By automating scheduling, refining client onboarding, and streamlining team communication, Archival Ninjas reduced administrative overhead, allowing more attention to be devoted to client needs. This adaptability benefits both independent filmmakers seeking flexible support and large-scale productions requiring swift turnarounds. The result is a client-centered approach that consistently delivers premium archival quality on every project, no matter the size or scope. Through these improvements, Archival Ninjas has demonstrated leadership, excellence, and a commitment to elevating industry standards, making them a deserving candidate for the Company of the Year award.
Sonia Khan for Atomic People
Production Company:
Minnow Films
Synopsis
The decision by the United States to drop atomic bombs on two Japanese cities - Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki three days later - was one of the most momentous and destructive in world history.
Now, nearly 80 years later, this unique film gathers the testimony of some of the last ‘Hibakusha’, survivors of the two atomic bombs, before their voices are lost forever. With an average age of 85, most Hibakusha were children when the bombs were dropped.
Combining their personal accounts with archive footage, the film features a significant number of voices from this shrinking group, the only people left on earth to have survived a nuclear bomb, while exploring how their experiences continue to affect them to this day.
Archival highlights
I have done three projects with Sonia, and her positive energy, attention to detail, and determination to find the finest and most affordable archive is unparallelled. On Atomic People, she went above and beyond to ensure we had the best possible footage to tell the extraordinary story of ‘the hibakusha’ – the survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Surprisingly, much of the footage of the desolation of the two cities is technically free. However, the original versions are very low quality, out of focus or 'muddy', so it is often impossible to use. Private companies have therefore cleaned up the negatives, but frustratingly charge a fortune to licence this improved footage. Operating within our modest BBC budget, Sonia scoured the internet and contacted archive houses in Japan & globally, over many months, to find us the very best versions of the footage we needed. As we beavered away in the edit, she would often stay up late into the night or be up early - on the phone to an obscure provider in Japan, trying to track down the source of a strange piece of footage and strike a deal for its use. Her tenacity was astonishing.
Japanese archive is famously difficult to find and clear, even with relatively modern footage. But we needed footage from Japan from the 1930s and 1940s. The language barrier, the cultural sensitivities of Japan losing the WW2, and the traditions around showing footage of the Japanese Emperor made it particularly challenging to clear footage crucial to the film. However, Sonia's patience, persistence and precision allowed us access to archive that in some cases had not been available to the public before. This included the Emperor's full announcement to the nation in August 1945 that the dropping of the atomic bombs by America meant that Japan could no longer keep fighting. It is an extraordinary pivotal speech, in which the country's leader tells a stunned nation over the radio that he is not a god, but a human being, and that they must surrender.
Sonia also manged to track down Asahi Shimbun newspapers which included the very first reports of the bombs being dropped on Hiroshima, before a press ban was initiated by the USA. To my knowledge these reports have never been seen in documentaries before, and it took several months for Sonia to negotiate their use. Similarly, she tracked down an extremely rare piece of footage, shot in the days after the Hiroshima bomb exploded, in which one of our interviewees, Hideo, can be seen being carried on his brother’s back, aged three. It’s a haunting moment, as the young boy stares wide eyed into the camera, captured on celluloid forever but hidden for many years. Sonia sensitively negotiated its use through the Nichiei Eizo archive house in Japan.
All in all, she is a fantastic archive researcher to be work with, and we were very lucky to have her on the project.
Siobhan Harvey for Tsunami: Race Against Time
Production Company:
Blast Films
Synopsis
Tsunami: Race Against Time is a gripping documentary series marking 20 years since one of the deadliest natural disasters in history, spanning 14 countries.
This four-part series provides a 360-degree view of the heart-stopping events surrounding the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Produced by Tanya Winston and Danny Horan of the multi-award-winning Blast Films, and directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Daniel Bogado, known for 9/11: One Day in America, the documentary features personal accounts from survivors, scientists who raced against time to understand the catastrophic disaster and alert the world, journalists who broke the shocking news, and the fearless rescuers who risked their lives to save others.
Told minute by minute through harrowing footage and gripping stories of survival and courage—some shared for the first time—the series offers the most comprehensive and immersive account of the tsunami, chronicling the destructive wave as it surged across the ocean, leaving unimaginable devastation in its wake.
Archival highlights
The heart of Tsunami: A Race Against Time lay in the ambition to tell the definitive story of the catastrophic events of December 26, 2004, through the eyes of those who lived through it. As director, my goal was to craft a gripping, minute-by-minute narrative, anchored in survivors’ testimonies and visually told solely through immersive archival footage.
Siobhan Harvey led the archive team with a profound understanding of the project’s editorial objectives, meticulously tracking down and securing footage that would be pivotal in shaping the narrative. She had begun work on the project before my arrival, conducting an initial survey of available archive material through conventional channels. Once production officially commenced, we significantly expanded the archive team’s operations, establishing team offices in each country of editorial relevance and recruiting local researchers and journalists to lead the research efforts.
No effort was spared in uncovering original or underutilized footage, ensuring it served the narrative’s needs and elevated the storytelling. Operating across multiple countries in the Indian Ocean, the team uncovered hundreds of hours of rarely or never-before-seen material. This involved identifying and retrieving videos stored in television stations, offices and warehouses for decades, often requiring complex negotiations with production companies, broadcasters, and independent videographers—some of whom had little experience in documentary licensing. The material secured not only met but far exceeded expectations, offering an unprecedented visual record of the tsunami’s impact across Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
As director, I worked closely with Siobhan to ensure that every license was cleared and that every possible effort was made to track down original masters of footage. In one particularly challenging case, it took months of investigation to locate the original owner of a video clip we found in poor quality. However, the effort was worthwhile, as the original footage provided an extraordinarily powerful and unique perspective on the devastation of Khao Lak at the moment the wave struck. In many instances, major broadcasters were convinced for the first time to license their tsunami-related material to our documentary series.
Throughout the production, Siobhan and I communicated closely, collaborating closely to anticipate challenges, find solutions, and plan strategically to avoid potential pitfalls. Towards the end of this process, I worried that, given the sheer volume of extraordinary archival material we had uncovered, some footage might be lost to the final cut due to the complexities of securing agreements across multiple countries and licensing frameworks. However, this did not happen. Whenever an obstacle arose that threatened securing a particular master, Siobhan responded immediately—picking up the phone, engaging in urgent negotiations, and finding solutions. I know the mastering phase was an intense and demanding period, but thanks to Siobhan’s dedication, it was a resounding success. And I think ultimately the strength of the series lies in having secured every crucial piece of archive that we needed, allowing us to fully immerse the audience in the brutal realities of that day and bringing the survivor accounts to life in a compelling way.
Ines Farag for STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.
Production Company:
Laylow Pictures
Synopsis
STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. is an epic series that chronicles the full story of Stax Records, an underdog record label comprised of Black and white collaborators who ushered in the groundbreaking soul music of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, The Staple Singers, Sam & Dave and many others that defined a generation. Driven by instinct and defying the notion that Black artists needed to be “made marketable,” the Memphis-based label went from ultimate outsider to one of the most influential producers of Black music.
Through a deeply researched and sweeping reexamination, the series reveals the confluence of forces – race, geography and musical traditions as well as the cutthroat world of the recording industry – that shaped the Stax spirit and determined its destiny. The series centers the first person voices of many of the individuals who lived the Stax experience while situating them within the political backdrop in which it unfolded. This a quintessentially American story of an audacious group of individuals who dared to make their own music on their own terms creating an institution that has continued to define our culture long after the label itself has gone.
Archival highlights
I am the Executive Producer of the HBO four-part series STAX:Soulsville U.S.A and am pleased to recommend Ines Farag for the Jane Mercer Researcher of the Year award. I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Ines Farag for 10 years and specifically sought her out for the role of Archival Producer for this important series. I knew on a personal level that her love of music and this particular group of artists we would be depicting in the series are the bedrock of her passion and would provide a joy and satisfaction in the research process, so essential to the success of the series. Films had been done STAX in the past , but nothing quite as comprehensive as this and nothing from the perspective of the Black artists themselves. Ines threw herself in to the research and management of a vast sea of archival assets, chasing down the obscure provenance of a large volume of visual and audio material to help Director Jamila Wignot achieve her vision; an immersive experience of what it was like to be a young musician in segregated Memphis, TN working at a integrated record label and studio.
The few remaining people who had lived the STAX experience are older and much care and sensitivity was needed to work with them to access personal materials and Ines’ thoughtful approach and caring demeanor were essential to make people feel comfortable giving us their personal effects. For example famous guitarist and producer Steve Cropper ( Book T & the MGs) and trumpet player Wayne Jackson ( The Mar-Keys) provided us with their personal home movies on Super 8 from a tour in Europe by STAX artists – young people encountering Europe, a non-segragated world, for the first time. (footage appears in Episode 1)
Ines worked doggedly to access smaller archives that did not have resources to make all their materials available online and spent weeks in Memphis in the depths of the STAX museum, the archive of photographer Ernest Withers, and the local news stations including WMC ( NBC affiliate) rescuing and finding materials that had been damaged by a fire in 1970. She fought to access the outtakes of the famous WattStax concert, pulling reels from Warner Brother’s storage unit in Kansas. Ines also found never-before-seen BBC footage of the racial segregation at the University of Memphis, and sourced essential archival of the 1968 sanitation workers' strike in Memphis that lead Martin Luther King to the city, where he was assassinated in 1968. She found beautiful home movies depicting Black family moments, footage that was not traditionally the focus of mainstream collectors and archivists in the 20th century. The story of Memphis and STAX are inextricably linked and this vital material brought the film to life, providing context for the creativity happening on East Macklemore Avenue. In short the success of this Emmy-nominated series lies in great part to the work of Archival Producer Ines Farag, a person deserving of this important award.
Helen Carr for Becoming Madonna
Production Company:
Optomen
Synopsis
Through exclusive interviews, unheard tapes, and rare and never-before-seen archive footage, this immersive, archive-driven feature documentary tells the compelling story of how Madonna became the most powerful woman in pop.
From the devastating loss of her devoutly Catholic mother to cancer at age five to her arrival in New York at nineteen as a penniless dancer from Michigan in 1978, Madonna knew she was destined for greatness but wasn’t sure exactly how.
Set against the backdrop of Reagan’s America and music industry misogyny of the 1980s, the film charts Madonna’s astonishing transformation from Midwest teen into a superhuman champion of sexual liberation for young women and the gay community.
It reveals how the loss of close friends to the AIDS pandemic emboldened her message of creative freedom, no matter the cost.
This is the story of the events that shaped Madonna and how she, in turn, shaped the world.
Archival highlights
As the director of ‘Becoming Madonna’, I had the immense privilege of working alongside Helen, the archive producer and researcher, whose contribution to the film was absolutely indispensable. From the very beginning of the project, it was clear that Helen's passion for Madonna would be one of the driving forces behind the film's success. The task at hand was no small feat—an unauthorised film about a global icon whose career spans decades, filled with an abundance of footage, interviews, and moments that have never been seen before. Helen took on this challenge with an extraordinary level of dedication and vision.
Helen's approach was deeply hands-on, and her role was integral to every step of the filmmaking process. She wasn't just sourcing archive material; she was building a narrative, uncovering hidden gems from Madonna's vast career, and shaping the film around the archive footage she sourced. Throughout the editing process, Helen worked side by side with me and the editing team, carefully weaving the footage into the fabric of the story. Her expertise was invaluable as she sought to find archive footage that not only captivated casual viewers but also offered something special for Madonna's most dedicated fans. She understood that the story of Madonna's rise to fame could not simply be told through talking heads and stock footage; it had to be about the moments that defined her and the pieces of history that were waiting to be rediscovered.
One of the standout moments in the film, for me, was the discovery of previously unseen footage of Madonna dancing at university. This incredible find came just days before the final edit deadline, and it encapsulated Helen's relentless drive and commitment to the project. That kind of persistence and passion was a recurring theme throughout our work together. Her determination also led to us securing rare footage of Madonna's early track date performances and behind-the-scenes material from the 'Borderline' music video, ensuring these vital elements were included in the film.
Given that Madonna did not provide a new interview for the film, Helen's job was made even more challenging. She took on the monumental task of tracking down archival interviews from throughout Madonna's career. Helen scoured archives across the globe, digging through video and audio interviews, and even reached out to nearly every journalist who had ever conducted a print interview with Madonna. The relationships she built with these journalists were crucial, and they led to the discovery of rare tapes and additional footage that brought fresh perspectives to the film.
Through her exceptional work, Helen not only helped bring the story of Madonna's rise to life but also ensured that ‘Becoming Madonna’ would stand as a testament to the power of archival storytelling. Her dedication to uncovering hidden pieces of history, negotiating with countless archives, and overcoming challenges made her an invaluable part of the team. Working with Helen was a true collaboration, and I will always be grateful for her tireless contributions to the film.
Elspeth Domville & David Wells for The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal
Production Company:
Fully and Complete Productions Inc.
Synopsis
"No Dress Rehearsal" is the 4 X 1 film series that finally tells the entire complex, 40-year history of the iconic Canadian band "The Tragically Hip" as seen against the backdrop of a changing country. It asks: just what was it about this band, their songs and performances, and their collective personality that the people of this large and sparsely populated country, embraced so tightly, even protectively, and did this relationship contribute to how we define ourselves as Canadians?
The documentary features exclusive, never-before seen footage, photos, performances and stories from the band’s beginnings as teenagers jamming at home to a long and storied career. Woven throughout are excerpts from lead singer and the band's songwriter Gord Downie’s personal writing from his notebooks, journals, lyrics, and correspondence with family, friends and fans.
The film shares 40-years’ worth of personal and public stories—the highs and lows, the friendships and frustrations, the milestones and tragedy —all of the essential elements of a long, complicated and wildly successful musical marriage.
Archival highlights
The archive research for No Dress Rehearsal: The Tragically Hip is truly deserving of recognition for its extraordinary depth and the exhaustive effort required to uncover and secure the vast range of materials essential to the film’s storytelling—a process that spanned two years.
Spread across four hours, the documentary draws from an unparalleled array of archival sources, seamlessly incorporating rare and previously unseen footage. Behind-the-scenes moments and personal glimpses add an intimate layer to the narrative, offering audiences an unprecedented, behind-the-curtain look at the band’s evolution.
More than just a collection of archival material, the documentary transforms research into a powerful storytelling tool, expertly weaving together music, interviews, footage, and photographs to illuminate The Tragically Hip’s personal beginnings, artistic growth, and cultural impact. The research also brings a deeply emotional dimension to the band’s final tour, made all the more poignant by Gord Downie’s terminal illness, capturing the profound bond between the bandmates and their devoted fans.
By framing their legacy with both historical depth and emotional resonance, the archival research in No Dress Rehearsal not only honors The Tragically Hip’s contributions to music but also cements their place in the fabric of Canadian identity—an achievement that is essential to the documentary’s powerful and lasting impact.
Mike Downie Director, “The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal”
‘A Lovely Day for Digital Preservation’: Guinness Archive adverts project
Production Company:
R3store Studios Ltd
Synopsis
The aim of the project was to digitise, remaster and preserve the Guinness advertising legacy of television adverts on film and make the collection publicly accessible. The collection captures moments in cultural and social history spanning a 40 year period, and offers an insight in changing representations of Irishness both at home and overseas.
Archival highlights
The collection is of huge national importance spanning 40 years of history and many of the adverts have not been seen since they aired on TV. Guinness wanted to ensure the future legacy of this material and allow it to be available publicly for the first time. Guinness now have their entire film collection digitised for the first time ever and available publicly which was an important part of the legacy.
The Mahabharata in 8K
Production Company:
TransPerfect Media France / Brook Productions
Synopsis
The Mahabharata is a 1989 film version of the Hindu epic Mahabharata directed by Peter Brook.
Brook's original 1985 stage play was 9 hours long, and toured around the world for four years.
In this story of a timeless conflict between two warring families, the stakes are cosmic. Brothers turn against brothers as both sides are divided by anger and revenge. All are descendants of kings and gods and vie for supremacy. They should live in harmony but their thirst for power leads to a war that threatens the very fabric of the Universe.
Amid jealousy, hatred, and divine counsel, The Mahabharata weaves a tapestry of epic proportions, exploring honor and destiny whilst exploring the eternal struggle between good and evil that still resonates today.
Archival highlights
Peter Brook's 1989 film of the Mahabharata is a monumental endeavor to bring the vast and intricate epic to the screen. Based on the nine-hour stage version, the film distills the complex narrative into a compelling format that captures the essence of the Mahabharata's themes: duty, righteousness, and the complexity of human nature, whilst using a multiracial cast of actors whose performances strive for a universal appeal.
By dealing with this cultural complexity through a simple minimal visual style that evades the ideological inflections of spectacle, Brook’s film invites a passionate enjoyment of the beauty and authentic power of the Mahabharata: a tale that can be shared by everyone because it speaks of all times. Praised for its ambition and vision, the film "The Mahabharata" remains a testament to Brook's artistic achievement.
The Mahabharata premiered at the 1989 Venice Film Festival as part of the Official Selection and enjoyed a successful international release before disappearing from screens.
This restoration is the first full 8K restoration in France, and has been a great artistic and technical challenge.
The Making of Do They Know It’s Christmas?
Production Company:
Filmfinity Productions LTD
Synopsis
For 40 years the song ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ had been illustrated by a 4’33”pop video. The remaining 10 or so hours of 16mm footage shot on the day was put into storage. A mix of negs, prints, cuttings copies and trims, some with audio, some with separate magnetic tracks, plus a continuous recording of the talkback between the control room and studio. All languishing in battered boxes and cans, many with mismatched labels. There was no inventory, no shot list, no clue as to what was there. And most of it had never been seen before.
The decision to make a film using only footage from the day with no new interviews or contemporary commentary - was intended to create a sense of being there, of eavesdropping as Midge Ure told Paul Young he was singing flat, or Bob Geldof asked George Michael to add a bit more emotion, and Bono struggled to find the right motivation for his lines.
As Bob Geldof says ‘This then is the “fly on the wall” story of that day from found footage that no-one had had thought to look for before but is now an integral part of British pop history.
Archival highlights
Having started with a perfunctory glance at a few of the cans to see if it was worth The Band Aid Trust paying to keep storing them, and up to the finished result, this film was 6 years in the making.
The Trust had to be persuaded of the value of the material but remained convinced that no-one would be interested in it, certainly not a broadcaster. Nevertheless, because the Trust has a channel on YouTube, where a comprehensive account of the recording process would reach a substantial audience, I set about making the film in stages, by stealth. It was only when Bob Geldof viewed the editing, and I watched as he took a screen-shot of Bono and Simon le Bon being interviewed, which he then sent to Bono, I realised I could finish the film.
The BBC then decided it would show it on BBC Four where it was their highest rating music documentary of 2024.
Having looked after the Band Aid Trust archive since making the Live Aid and Live 8 DVDs in 2005, this film was an unexpected project and one which very nearly didn’t happen and one which I am immensely proud of. Jill Sinclair.
American Experience: Fly With Me
Director:
Sarah Colt / Helen Dobrowski
Producer(s):
Helen Dobrowski
Footage Archive Researcher:
Talia Moore / Jackson Byrne / Leah Ford
Footage Archive Producer:
Helen Dobrowski
Archival Sources:
Getty Images / British Pathé / Kinolibrary / New York University Tamiment Library / San Diego Air & Space Museum
Production Company:
Sarah Colt Productions / AMERICAN EXPERIENCE/GBH Boston
Country of Production:
United States
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
For women in the 60s and 70s, being a “stewardess” offered a life of unparalleled glamor and adventure, but also one of systemic harassment and discrimination. Thanks to the bravery and political savvy of an early generation of flight attendants, the skies became the frontlines of a fight for gender equality and workplace equity.
"Fly With Me" tells the story of the women who changed the world while flying it.
Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae
Director:
Yvonne Russo
Producer(s):
Yvone Russo / Amy Kaufman / Caroline Waterlow
Footage Archive Researcher:
Amy Kaufman
Footage Archive Producer:
Amy Rockefeller
Archival Sources:
Estate of Lan Brooks Ritz / Kevin McKiernan, Journalist / CBS Veritone / ABC News Videosource / NBC
Production Company:
Laylow Pictures
Country of Production:
United States
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
This historical docuseries examines the murder of Annie Mae Aquash - a Mi'kmaq woman from Nova Scotia, Canada, a mother of two daughters, a teacher, and a revolutionary who fought for Indigenous rights in the 1970s whose death went unsolved for almost 30 years. Set between the sweeping landscape of American politics in the volatile 70s and the present-day search by Annie Mae's daughter to uncover secrets from the past, this is a fascinating story of murder, intrigue, love, and betrayal that contextualizes Annie Mae's story within the larger story of the struggle of Native and First Nations women in their own communities that continues even today. Annie Mae’s story has been reduced to headlines focused on only the most gruesome parts of the crime story; the series sets out to portray her as a flesh and blood person - a leader of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and to intertwine her personal story with a historical context that lead to the formation of AIM. The series explores history rarely covered by mainstream news and reveals a secret war waged by the government against the Indigenous activists and illuminates the importance of tribal justice.
The Zelensky Story
Director:
Michael Waldman
Producer(s):
Louis Lee Ray / Jecca Powell
Footage Archive Researcher:
Val Semenikhina / Serhiy Solodko
Footage Archive Producer:
Peter Scott
Archival Sources:
Office of the President of Ukraine / Kvartal 95 / 1+1 (Ukraine) / AP / Reuters Screenocean
Production Company:
72 Films (A BBC Open University Partnership)
Country of Production:
United Kingdom
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
This three-part series tells the extraordinary story of Volodymyr Zelensky – the Ukrainian comedian who played the Ukrainian president in a hit TV show before he was elected as the real president of his country and then led his country through Vladimir Putin’s full-scale Russian invasion.
With intimate access to the president, his wife, their friends and members of his inner circle – and featuring archive that’s never been seen before in the West – the series spans over three decades. It charts Zelensky’s story, and that of his wife, in parallel with the Russian president Vladimir Putin, as Putin’s actions put their two countries on a collision course.
Spotlight - The Secret Army
Director:
John O'Kane
Producer(s):
John O'Kane
Footage Archive Researcher:
Chris Morrisson
Footage Archive Producer:
Jeremy Shields
Archival Sources:
BBC Television / RTÉ Television / CBS News / C-SPAN / Kan - IPBC Channel 1 (Israel)
Production Company:
BBC Northern Ireland, Current Affairs Dept
Country of Production:
United Kingdom
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
“Are there any Troubles stories left to tell? MacIntyre has discovered a new one – and it makes for a gripping, ripping yarn.” – The Irish Times
At the height of the Northern Ireland conflict, the Irish Republican Army made an extraordinary decision: to make a film. In 1972, the IRA allowed a small group of American filmmakers to record gunmen and bombers openly planning and carrying out attacks. The resulting documentary, The Secret Army, looked like a propaganda coup. And then the film disappeared.
Five decades later, its rediscovery by a BBC researcher sent journalist Darragh MacIntyre on a quest to find why the film had been made and crucially – when many important IRA figures had been filmed openly – why it had virtually vanished from the historical record. MacIntyre uncovers a world in which the IRA thought they were in control – winning their conflict and manipulating a documentary that would show what they wanted to show. But the evidence trail begins to reveal hidden intricacies, alongside the shadows of British Intelligence, the CIA, and even Mossad.
The Times; the documentary was “worthy of Le Carré”.
The Observer, “a tale with more plot twists than Argo".
Red Fever
Director:
Catherine Bainbridge / Neil Diamond
Producer(s):
Lisa Roth / Brittany LeBorgne
Footage Archive Researcher:
Marika Lapointe / Rebecca Lessard / Marina Miller
Footage Archive Producer:
Ana Paula Castillo Mendez
Archival Sources:
Cumberland County Historical Society / University of South Carolina Moving Images Research Collection / Library of Congress / Reuters Screenocean / Northwestern University Archives
Production Company:
Rezolution Pictures
Country of Production:
Canada
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
Red Fever is a witty and entertaining feature documentary about the profound yet hidden Indigenous influence on Western culture and identity.
The film follows Cree co-director Neil Diamond as he asks, “Why do they love us so much?” and sets out on a journey to find out why the world is so fascinated with the stereotypical imagery of Native people that is all over pop culture.
Why have Indigenous cultures been revered, romanticized, and appropriated for so long, and to this day? Red Fever uncovers the surprising truths behind the imagery so buried in history that even most Native people don’t know about them.
A Return to Memory
Director:
Donald McWilliams
Producer(s):
Anette Clarke / Kat Baulu / Ariel Nasr / Nathalie Cloutier
Footage Archive Researcher:
Alison Burns
Footage Archive Producer:
Donald McWilliams
Archival Sources:
National Film Board of Canada / Library and Archives Canada / BFI National Archives / Ottawa Art Galerie / Family members personal archives
Production Company:
National Film Board of Canada
Country of Production:
Canada
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
“We learned to work with chaos.”
The intrepid women who helped create Canadian cinema come to vibrant life in A Return to Memory, a documentary masterwork illuminating their vital but little-known role in establishing Canada’s National Film Board.
Juxtaposing a dazzling array of archival material with dynamic animation by NFB infographics artist Mélanie Bouchard, director Donald McWilliams evokes the heady wartime years, when women played a key part in transforming the NFB into a major international studio.
With men engaged elsewhere in the war effort, hundreds of women pursued careers at the newly formed public producer—and pioneering figures like Evelyn Spice Cherry, Red Burns and Jane Marsh Beveridge made movie history, creating work that spoke to the world with a distinctive Canadian voice.
Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown
Director:
Marian Mohamed
Producer(s):
Laura Spence / Alec Webb
Footage Archive Producer:
Glenn Wood / Dinah Rogers / Jo Marshall
Footage Archive Assistant Producer:
Molly Schneider
Archival Sources:
California Historical Society / NBC / Oddball Films / Hue Fortson / Don Como
Production Company:
72 Films
Country of Production:
United States
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
CULT MASSACRE: ONE DAY IN JONESTOWN tells the story of an idealistic religious organization led by the infamous Jim Jones, who set out to establish a utopian community in Guyana. What began as a peaceful movement seeking social justice ultimately spiraled into a mass casualty that left 918 dead. Told by survivors and eyewitnesses, along with rare footage and rare recordings of Jones, the powerful series takes an immersive look into the final harrowing hours leading up to one of America’s darkest chapters.
Documerica, auto-portrait d'une nation au bord de l'abime (Documerica, Self-Portrait of a Nation on the Brink)
Director:
Pierre-Francois Didek
Producer(s):
Benoit Tschieret / Guillaume Vincent / Thierry Commissionat
Footage Archive Producer:
Charlotte de Luppe
Archival Sources:
ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA / KINOLIBRARY / PRELINGER ARCHIVES / CBS VERITONE / The Associated Press / NARA - US National archives
Production Company:
LES FILMS EN VRAC / KARAMOJA PRODUCTIONS / RING PROD
Country of Production:
France / Belgium
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
A handful of photographers look back on the Documerica Project, a long-forgotten epic photo survey of the American environment launched in the early 1970s at the height of environmental awareness. Embodying a moment of truth in a country that had reached the limits of its American Dream, the images of Documerica bear witness to a missed meeting with History. And beyond that, they announce the world in which we live today.
So Surreal: Behind the Masks
Director:
Neil Diamond / Joanne Robertson
Producer(s):
Daniel Morin
Footage Archive Researcher:
Ana Paula Castillo Méndez / G̱wa̱nti'lakw Hunt Cranmer / Joanne Robertson
Footage Archive Producer:
Rebecca Lessard
Archival Sources:
Royal BC Museum / National Museum of the American Indian / Art Resource / Umista Cultural Center / Association Atelier André Breton
Production Company:
Rezolution Pictures
Country of Production:
Canada
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
So Surreal: Behind the Masks is a feature documentary that traces the storied journey of Indigenous masks from the far reaches of Turtle Island (North America) into the hands of European Surrealists, influencing the work and worldview of some of the most well-known modern artists and writers of all time including Max Ernst, André Breton, Roberto Matta and Joan Miró – all while following the dramatic quest to return a mask that was brutally stolen from the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw people on Canada’s northwest coast over a century ago.
Part caper, part road trip, part spiritual journey, So Surreal: Behind the Masks follows Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond (Reel Injun, Red Fever) as he travels coast-to-coast and across the Atlantic and back, gradually piecing together this groundbreaking global story of influence, reconnection and restitution.
Shot in Surrealist style featuring interviews with renowned contemporary Indigenous artists along with eccentric art dealers and Surrealist scholars, So Surreal: Behind the Masks is a compelling detective story that brings audiences into the complex world of repatriation, while revealing the original meanings and importance of these ceremonial masks and how they came to influence one of the most iconic art movements of our time.
Jim Henson: Idea Man
Director:
Ron Howard
Producer(s):
Brian Grazer / Ron Howard / Sara Bernstein / Margaret Bodde / Justin Wilke / Mark Monroe / Christopher St. John
“Jim Henson Idea Man” takes us into the mind of this singular creative visionary, from his early years puppeteering on local television to the worldwide success of Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and beyond. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard captures Henson's restless creativity, ambition, and artistic evolution in the style and spirit of his complex subject, an artist who revolutionized television, inspired generations, and created some of the world’s most beloved characters. Featuring new interviews with Henson's closest collaborators and children, as well as never-before-seen materials from his personal archives—including home movies, photographs, sketches, and diaries— Howard brings us an entertaining and insightful look at a man whose boundless imagination changed the world.
In My Own Words: Billy Connolly
Director:
Mike Reilly
Producer(s):
Michelle Crowther
Footage Archive Producer:
James RM Hunt
Archival Sources:
SIR BILLY CONNOLLY / BBC / ITV CLIP SALES / FREMANTLE MEDIA ARCHIVE / BFI ARCHIVE SALES
Production Company:
Whisper Films
Country of Production:
United Kingdom
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
Neither Parkinson's disease or age have diminished Billy Connolly's wit or wisdom in this astonishingly intimate self portrait of the stand-up pioneer turned cultural icon.
Told in his own words, with unflinching honesty and access to superlative archive, this is not the well trod story of his celebrated career in stand-up, but rather a surprising and delightful meditation on the joys of growing older and wiser, as he looks back on his triumphs and shortcomings as an entertainer, husband and father.
He talks about the failing of his first marriage, his profound kinship with Robin Williams, the pressure he put on himself to rise to the challenge of working alongside Dame Judi Dench and his abiding love of Pamela Stephenson, his wife of 35 years.
The confusion and loneliness he felt as a child trapped in a violent home is palpable, likewise is his joy in finding a place where he belonged in the Clyde shipyards. It's revelatory watching the discomfort he feels viewing his early work in the 1970s grow to something approaching pride in his later stand up. But it's his observations on love and stoicism in his relationships that linger long after the credits roll.
In My Own Words: Alison Lapper
Director:
Poppy Goodheart
Producer(s):
Victoria Holden / Kira Philips
Footage Archive Producer:
Emma Haw
Archival Sources:
Alison Lapper private Collection / Chailey heritage / BBC Child of our time and other / Danish Documentary maker
Production Company:
Chalk Productions
Country of Production:
United Kingdom
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
Alison Lapper - artist, muse and mother - explores her life through art and archive in this visually rich and powerfully intimate film. Born with no arms and short legs, she is a formidable character, who defies preconceptions and breaks down barriers.
As she works towards a new exhibition of her work, Alison also confronts the most difficult aspects of her life; the loss of her son Parys, her disability and the challenging relationship with her own Mother.
Alison Lapper: In my Own Words is a profile documentary rooted in archive. A BBC commission, the team dived into the footage library and drew upon unique and remarkable archive, showcasing science, cultural and disability programming from the past 50 years.
In this film, Alison gives a moving yet frank account of what life has been like for her. She tackles issues head on; from growing up in care to the scrutiny she received as a disabled woman and parent. But at the heart of this film, is a poignant story about a Mother and the love for her son.
STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.
Director:
Jamila Wignot
Producer(s):
Jamila Wignot, Producer /Kara Elverson, Producer/Ezra Edelman, EP/ Caroline Waterlow, EP/Nigel Sinclair, EP /Nicholas Ferrall, EP
Footage Archive Researcher:
Deannie Parker
Footage Archive Producer:
Ines Farag
Associate Archival Producer:
Willy Fines
Archival Sources:
Reelin' in the Years / Historic Films / WMC Action News 5 in Memphis, TN / NBC News Archive / The Stax Museum
Production Company:
Laylow Pictures / Whitehorse Pictures
Country of Production:
United States
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
STAX: Soulsville USA is an epic series that chronicles the full story of Stax Records, an underdog record label comprised of Black and white collaborators who ushered in the groundbreaking soul music of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, The Staple Singers, Sam & Dave and many others that defined a generation. Driven by instinct and defying the notion that Black artists needed to be “made marketable,” the Memphis-based label went from ultimate outsider to one of the most influential producers of Black music. Through a deeply researched and sweeping reexamination, the series reveals the confluence of forces – race, geography and musical traditions as well as the cutthroat world of the recording industry – that shaped the Stax spirit and determined its destiny. The series centers the first person voices of many of the individuals who lived the Stax experience while situating them within the political backdrop in which it unfolded. This a quintessentially American story of an audacious group of individuals who dared to make their own music on their own terms creating an institution that has continued to define our culture long after the label itself has gone.
Becoming Madonna
Director:
Michael Ogden
Producer(s):
Eliana Capitani / Tina Flintoff / Nick Hornby / Patrick Culhane
Footage Archive Producer:
Helen Carr
Archival Sources:
Fox Archives / Getty Images (NBC News, BBC Motion Gallery, WNBC) / LOLA Clips (ABC Australia, Nine) / Kinolibrary / CBS Media Ventures
Production Company:
Optomen Television
Country of Production:
United Kingdom
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
Through exclusive interviews, unheard tapes, and rare and never-before-seen archive footage, this immersive, archive-driven feature documentary tells the compelling story of how Madonna became the most powerful woman in pop.
From the devastating loss of her devoutly Catholic mother to cancer at age five to her arrival in New York at nineteen as a penniless dancer from Michigan in 1978, Madonna knew she was destined for greatness but wasn’t sure exactly how.
Set against the backdrop of Reagan’s America and music industry misogyny of the 1980s, the film charts Madonna’s astonishing transformation from Midwest teen into a superhuman champion of sexual liberation for young women and the gay community.
It reveals how the loss of close friends to the AIDS pandemic emboldened her message of creative freedom, no matter the cost.
This is the story of the events that shaped Madonna and how she, in turn, shaped the world.
Kurt Cobain: Moments That Shook Music
Director:
John Osborne
Producer(s):
John Osborne
Footage Archive Producer:
Libby Hopfauf
Archival Sources:
Seattle Municipal Archives / Public Access Television Seattle / King 5 / Kiro TV / Komo TV
Production Company:
Touchdown Films
Country of Production:
United Kingdom
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
Told exclusively through archive material, this primetime BBC TWO documentary marked the 30th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death by using powerful and unseen archive footage to demystify the tragic moment when the Nirvana frontman took his own life.
One of musical history’s most shocking stories is told as never before, as footage captured by local fans in Seattle and raw material from news crews reporting at the time are woven together, immersing the viewers in the events that unfolded, as they happened.
Through the archive, we see the poignant reaction from the electrician who discovered Kurt’s body when installing a security system at his Seattle home; statements from police at the scene; the chaos, confusion and devastation caught on video by his fans – including the moment a tape recording of an emotional Courtney Love reading her late husband’s final letter was played out to a crowd of thousands at a vigil in Seattle; and a revealing interview with Cobain himself.
Strike: An Uncivil War
Director:
Daniel Gordon
Producer(s):
Fjolla Iberhysaj / Nick Taussig
Footage Archive Researcher:
Alex Wilson / Rhys Woodfield
Footage Archive Producer:
Stephen Slater
Archival Sources:
BBC / ITN / Fremantle / NUM / Yorkshire Film Archive
Production Company:
VeryMuchSo Productions / Embankment Films / Davy Films / Meadowlark Media
Country of Production:
United Kingdom
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
40 years on from the Battle of Orgreave, Strike: An Uncivil War tells the story of the most violent confrontation between miners and police during the 1984/85 Miners’ Strike.
The year-long Miners’ Strike was the most divisive and violent industrial dispute that Britain has ever witnessed. Using powerful personal testimony, previously hidden government documents and a treasure trove of never-before-seen archive material, Strike: An Uncivil War charts the lead up, the aftermath and the unprecedented events at Orgreave on 18th June 1984.
Witness at first hand the stories and recollections of the people on the front lines of Orgreave and the Strike, which split communities and the nation in two, and whose ripples still resonate to this very day.
One to One: John & Yoko
Director:
Kevin Macdonald
Producer(s):
Peter Worsley / Melissa Morton-Hicks / Lizzy Webster / Alice Webb
Footage Archive Researcher:
Al Hopkins / Emma Dempsey / James McDonald for Shanakee / Rosemary Rotundi / Saskia Ghosh / Kenn Rabin
Footage Archive Producer:
Hannah Ratcliffe for Shanakee
Co-Director:
Sam Rice Edwards
Archival Sources:
Lennon / Ono Estate / Geraldo Rivera / NBC News Archive / Revoir / CBS News
Production Company:
Mercury Studios / KGB Films / Plan B / Shanakee
Country of Production:
United Kingdom / United States
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
This documentary depicts the art and activism of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1972, specifically from their move to New York from England up to the benefit concert they put on in Madison Square Garden for children who had endured horrific conditions at Willowbrook School.
The film also includes important moments in their personal lives during this time and reconstructs what the couple would have been watching on TV, which informed their changing worldview. According to John, the TV served as his “window on the world”. From hard-hitting news reports to entertainment shows, commercials and televangelists, this documentary threads it all together showing how their interests and inspirations led them to create their art and inspire change.
The film is constructed through extensive montage, which is often fast-paced and deliberately jarring, illustrating the cultural and political tensions of the era. When John and Yoko see an uncensored report of the appalling conditions at Willowbrook School, an institution for children with additional needs, they are motivated to host a concert to raise money for their care. Using restored footage supplied by the Lennon Estate, the film ends on a riotously hopeful rendition of Give Peace a Chance.
Onomatopee Films / Warboys Films / BALDR Film / Zapomatik
Country of Production:
Belgium / France / Netherlands
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
Jazz and decolonization are entwined in this historical rollercoaster that rewrites the Cold War episode that led musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach to crash the UN Security Council in protest against the murder of Patrice Lumumba.
Motorcycle Mary
Director:
Haley Watson
Producer(s):
Haley Watson / Rachel Greenwald / Carolyn Hepburn
Footage Archive Researcher:
Cody Wilson / Haley Watson
Footage Archive Producer:
Laura Carlson
Archival Sources:
Mary McGee & Family / Bruce Brown Films / NORRA (National off Road Racing Association) / Kinolibrary / Peterson Archives
Production Company:
ESPN Films / Breakwater Studios
Country of Production:
United States
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
MOTORCYCLE MARY tells the untold story of legendary motorsports pioneer Mary McGee, with stunning never-before-seen archival footage. Confronted by sexism and personal tragedy, Mary perseveres, pushing herself to greater heights—culminating in her most hair-raising challenge: becoming the first person to solo the grueling Baja 500 on a motorcycle.
The Ban
Director:
Roisin Agnew
Producer(s):
Sam Howard
Footage Archive Researcher:
Stephen Newe
Footage Archive Producer:
Evan Marshall
Archival Sources:
ITV / Ulster Television / Getty Images / BBC / BFI
In 1988, during the conflict in Northern Ireland, Margaret Thatcher's government banned UK broadcasters from giving airtime to representatives of the IRA and Sinn Féin, to deprive them of 'the oxygen of publicity'.
Thanks to a loophole in the law, a practice developed for actors to dub recorded interviews instead. Through unseen archive footage and present-day interviews with key figures such as Gerry Adams and Stephen Rea (who once voiced him), The Ban reflects on the British government’s use of the threat of ‘terrorism’ to justify censorship, drawing inevitable comparisons with today.
In the Veins
Director:
Andy Burns
Producer(s):
Graham Relton
Footage Archive Researcher:
David Parsons / Montserrat Rovira Prieto / Megan McCooley / John Casey / Ruth Patman
Footage Archive Producer:
Graham Relton
Executive Producer:
Ben Lamb
Archival Sources:
Yorkshire and North East Film Archive collections / ITV Archive / BBC Motion Gallery
Production Company:
Yorkshire and North East Film Archive / Teesside University
Country of Production:
United Kingdom
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
‘In the Veins’ is a short film that resonates through time, using over a century of archive footage to shine a light onto the face of the mining heritage of Yorkshire and the North East of England.
“Some people have blood running through their veins, I think we’ve got coal dust!” ~ Miner’s daughter
A story of hardship and hope, division and defiance, perseverance and pride; this is not a history lesson, it’s an emotional journey that digs deep into the heart of a community built on coal.
For centuries, men toiled in the bowels of the earth to build a nation, creating prosperity and improved standards of living, before experiencing the gut-wrenching end to livelihoods, a cost to people and their communities that is still having an impact across the generations.
From villages, towns and communities that grew from the industry, the bonds and friendships fostered, to the formation of activist groups such as ‘Women Against Pit Closures,’ ‘In the Veins’ celebrates the success, commiserates the demise and is a timely reminder about the need for a ‘just transition’ from fossil fuels to cleaner energy.
Dick’s Sporting Goods "Big Moments"
Director:
Derek Barnes
Producer(s):
Andrea Rodriguez
Footage Archive Researcher:
Craig Phillips / Brandi Self / Aaron Sharper / Matt Gee / Itzel Sarabia / Mike Kho / Chelsea Zerbe / Jeffrey Harland
Footage Archive Producer:
Spring McCoy
Archival Sources:
YouTube / Instagram / Jukin
Production Company:
Arts and Letters / STALKR
Country of Production:
United States
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
In this intimate film, Dick’s Sporting Goods connects the athletic achievements of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to the the life-changing power of sport at the every level. Utilizing exclusively user generated content, we see that the biggest moments aren’t always in stadiums or on podiums. From an aspiring athlete learning she made the team, to a hurdler breaking away from the pack while being cheered by her family, or the weightlifter shocking herself with her strength, the emotion of these moments are every bit as significant as an Olympic Gold.
Moncler x Roc Nation designed by JAY-Z "City of Mountains"
We were asked to source epic archive shots of the Swiss Alps & New York that were to be juxtaposed with specific angles and live action camera movements of the New York ground shots to create a series of composited frames and match cuts to announce the collaboration between Moncler & Roc Nation Designed By JAY-Z: Genius Is Everywhere. Macro & topographic images were also sourced for the more abstract sections that feature regularly in the McGlouglin Brothers work.
While most of our work was completed ahead of the shoot, we remained in close contact with the team during the production sourcing and supplying specific shots that aligned with footage from the shoot in real-time including the aerial shots of New York.
Burger King 70 year anniversary campaign "Born to be a flame lover"
Director:
Existing Footage NA
Producer(s):
Chiara Prol
Footage Archive Producer:
Loranc Sparsi / Hazel May
Archival Sources:
General Public
Production Company:
Buzzman/Paris
Country of Production:
France
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
The brief was to source UGC from around the world for this campaign to reflect the Global nature of the BK anniversary campaign.
The White House Effect
Director:
Jon Shenk / Bonni Cohen / Pedro Kos
Producer(s):
Josh Penn / Noah Stahl / Justine Nagan
Footage Archive Researcher:
Yael Chanoff / Elijah Stevens / Sierra Pettengill / Gerard Nijssen / Nathalie Barton / Andrew Seber
Footage Archive Producer:
Gideon C. Kennedy / Rich Remsberg
Archival Sources:
George HW Bush Presidential Library / NCAR / NOAA / NASA / NARA / Exposure Labs / Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid / Briscoe Center for American History
Production Company:
Actual Films / Department of Motion Pictures / Impact Partners
Country of Production:
United States
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
THE WHITE HOUSE EFFECT explores the gripping drama that unfolded inside the George H.W. Bush White House after scientists warned the country for the first time that global warming was real and underway. Bush, who in 1988 ran as an environmental candidate, finds himself caught in the middle when his chief of staff John Sununu locks horns with EPA chief Bill Reilly over how to respond to the public’s growing environmental concerns. Ideological conservatives and industry power brokers line up behind Sununu as the forward-minded Reilly looks increasingly isolated. Meanwhile Bush faces mounting pressure to make a decision that will change the course of history. Using only archival materials, the film tells a harrowing political story about the consequences of presidential power and its impact on how we deal with the climate crisis today.
Riefenstahl
Director:
Andres Veiel
Producer(s):
Sandra Maischberger / Enzo Maass
Footage Archive Researcher:
Christiane Caemmerer
Footage Archive Producer:
Monika Preischl / Mona El Bira
Archival Sources:
Private Estate of Leni Riefenstahl / Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum Für Film und Fernsehen / Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Ethnologisches Museum / Fotomuseum / Kunstbibliothek) / Bundesarchiv / Multiple private collections and TV archives (ARD, BBC, CBC, etc...)
Production Company:
Vincent Productions GmbH
Country of Production:
Germany
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
Leni Riefenstahl is considered one of the most controversial women of the 20th century. Her iconographic imagery of “Triumph of the Will” and “Olympia” stands for perfectly staged body worship, for the celebration of the superior and victorious. The aesthetics of their images seem more present than ever – and with them their message?
The film pursues this question using new documents from Riefenstahl’s estate – private films and photos, an unpublished making-of shoot, drafts of her memoirs, recorded telephone conversations with close companions, personal letters. The materials are questioned as to what they tell and what they conceal and are thus placed in an expanded context of history and the present.
46 archives from around the world including Eye Filmmuseum / Bundesarchiv / Cinecitta / British Pathé / NARA / ECPAD / Agency Karl Hoffkes
Production Company:
Drygas Film Production | Coproduction: Fixafilm / Era Film / Eye Filmmuseum / Telewizja Polska TVP
Country of Production:
Poland / Lithuania / Netherlands
Synopsis
“Trains” is a found-footage documentary composed entirely of archive footage and sound design that creates a collective portrait of people in 20th-century Europe, capturing their hopes, desires, dramas and tragedies.
A train compartment is a place where people are taken out of their everyday context for a while. Sometimes the journey is accompanied by the hope that something will change in our lives upon reaching the destination, or conversely, by a stark absence of hope. And yet the history of the 20th century unfolds in railway carriages in a repetitive refrain. Every few years, hauntingly similar scenes play out in railway stations around the world: carriages full of men leaving for war, only to return wounded or as casualties. This cycle is followed by an exodus of civilians, evacuees mingling with prisoners of war returning from camps, and soldiers of victorious armies leading the defeated, until ordinary passengers reappear at stations.
Sound and Vision / Eye Filmmuseum / City Archives Amsterdam / Jewish Museum, Amsterdam / United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Production Company:
Family Affair Films
Country of Production:
Netherlands
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
NESHOMA is set in Amsterdam between the two World Wars, when one in ten residents of the city was Jewish. Seventeen-year-old Rusha lives in the Jewish quarter with her family. Her older brother Max has emigrated to the Dutch East Indies. In her letters to Max, Rusha recounts daily life in the city, creating a vivid portrait of Amsterdam from the perspective of the Jewish community.
The film begins shortly after World War I, a period full of confidence in the future. The combination of Rusha’s letters and archival footage paints a colorful picture of proud diamond cutters, market traders, cabaret artists, and city officials committed to social housing, along with entrepreneurs behind the luxury Bijenkorf department store and Amstel Hotel.
The initial optimism is gradually tested by economic depression and the rise of fascism, leading to the occupation of the Netherlands. In these times of adversity, humor and zest for life, the “lechajim,” provide comfort to the Jewish community. Rusha matures from a young girl into an independent woman. The outbreak of World War II presents her with an impossible choice.
NESHOMA is not only about those who are no longer here, but also what they left behind: the
Using previously unpublished interviews, family films and propaganda films, ‘The Propagandist’ tells the story of the rise and fall of Dutch filmmaker Jan Teunissen (1898-1975). As head of the Department of Film of the Dutch Nazi Party and SS, he became the most powerful man in the Dutch film industry during World War II. Teunissen, nicknamed the ‘Film Czar’ and the ‘Dutch Leni Riefenstahl’ was a well-known filmmaker before the war. What drove him to become part of the Nazi regime? The Propagandist questions the boundaries between documentary and propaganda and the role of propagandists - how they spread images, narratives, misinformation and ideology. A documentary about boundless ambition and the manipulative power of film.
Surf, le feu sacré (Holy surf, once upon a wave)
Director:
Benjamin Morel / Christophe Bouquet
Producer(s):
Antoine Boukobza
Footage Archive Producer:
Camille Carlier
Archival Sources:
AP / INA / IOC Historical Archive / Kinolibrary / The International Surf Archive
Production Company:
YAMI 2 / BILDERFEST / MACTV
Country of Production:
France / Germany / Scotland
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
Practised by Polynesians for thousands of years, surfing is more than a sport: it is the culture of the people of the water, swallowed up at the end of the 19th century by Western colonialism. And yet, in the space of a century, it has become an Olympic sport, resurrected thanks to a few legends from the fringes and practised by millions of enthusiasts around the world. For the Paris Olympics, the competition will return to where surfing was born: in Tahiti on the most beautiful wave in the world, Teahupo'o.
At the 2024 Olympic Games, the world's best surfers will compete 20,000 km from Paris, in Tahiti, where surfing was born. The thrill of competition will go hand in hand with a revenge on history.
Surfing has its roots in Polynesia. In Hawaii and Tahiti, riding the waves is simply the extension of a unique mastery of the ocean, acquired during the settlement of the Pacific islands over more than 3,000 years. Much more than a sport, surfing is the expression of a culture, that of the people of the water, the Polynesians.
Moses - 13 Steps
Director:
Michael Wech
Producer(s):
Leopold Hoesch
Footage Archive Producer:
Thorben Bockelmann
Executive Producers:
Morgan Freeman / Lori McCreary / Scott Borden / James Younger / Vera Bertram
Archival Sources:
IOC via IMG / ESPN / NBC via Getty Images / WDR / IAAF World Cup and World Athletics Championships via DENTSU
Production Company:
BROADVIEW Pictures GmbH
Country of Production:
Germany
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
"Moses – 13 Steps” is a powerful exploration of the life and legacy of Edwin Moses, an unparalleled athlete and visionary, whose triumphs on and off track catalyzed significant social and scientific change, inspiring generations to hurdle over barriers of all kinds.
Growing up in segregated America, Moses overcame systemic barriers as an African-American athlete. Without a coach, he mastered the demanding 400-meter hurdles—dubbed the “maneater”—and achieved an unmatched winning streak of 122 races over nearly a decade. His revolutionary 13-step technique redefined hurdling and secured his place as one of the greatest track and field athletes in history.
Off the track, Moses fought for equality, justice, and the integrity of sport. He played a pivotal role in strengthening anti-doping regulations and remains a role model for fairness and perseverance.
The film intertwines Moses’ personal journey with key moments in world history, highlighting how his success mirrored societal change. Featuring exclusive interviews with Moses and figures like Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Karsten Warholm, the documentary provides an intimate look at his challenges and triumphs.
In the Arena: Serena Williams
Director:
Gotham Chopra / Lauren Fisher
Producer(s):
Serena Williams / Tom Brady / Gotham Chopra / Ameeth Sankaran / Victor Buhler / Meghan Cirillo / Caroline Currier / Jacob Mosler
Footage Archive Researcher:
Kyle Jackson / Andy Zare
Footage Archive Producer:
Archival Ninjas / Meghan Geier / Alana Saad
Associate Archive Producer:
Logan Combest Friedman / Kaelin McDonald / Brittany Nisco / Kyle Van Dam / Andrew Distler
Archival Sources:
Getty Images / ESPN / Film Supply / USTA (US Open) / Australian Open
Production Company:
Religion of Sports / NINE TWO SIX / ESPN
Country of Production:
United States
Synopsis
Follows Serena Williams, the key figures throughout her life, and the events of her legendary career told from her own perspective, giving us an intimate and compelling approach to her life.
I'm Just Here For The Riot
Director:
Kathleen S. Jayme / Asia Youngman
Producer(s):
Michael Tanko Grand / James Brown / Gentry Kirby
Footage Archive Producer:
Melissa James / Gerald Narciso
Archival Sources:
Local amatuer filmmakers who took their pro-am DSLR cameras down to the riot or had them with them at the public viewing parties for the hockey game. We sourced and licensed / cleared video and photos from over a dozen such people / Facebook comments in the social media witch hunt that transpired after the riot / Personal archives of our main character, both photo and video / The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) / The National Hockey League (NHL)
Production Company:
ESPN Films
Country of Production:
United States
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
On June 15, 2011, the Canucks’ Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals loss to the Boston Bruins sparked a massive riot in downtown Vancouver. “I’m Just Here For The Riot” chronicles the aftermath and raises questions about fandom, violence, social media, and the shocking power of an angry crowd.
BBC Sport Paris Olympics Opening Film: '100 Years of Love'
Director:
Philip Hughes
Producer(s):
Philip Hughes / Nicholas Perry
Editor(s):
Nicholas Perry
Footage Archive Producer:
Philip Hughes
Archival Sources:
BBC Sport Library / The Olympic Archive - IOC Historical Archive / BBC Digital Archive spanning 100 years of material / Getty Archive / British Movietone
Production Company:
BBC Sport
Country of Production:
United Kingdom
Original Release:
2024
Synopsis
The Olympic Games took place in Paris last summer – 100 years since the city last held the event in 1924. In that time, Paris and the world changed a lot.
In 2024 – we lived in an era of unprecedented and rapid technological and cultural change. Within the context of change, people find comfort in the things that have always remained the same. The things we love.
For the Athletes - the love and support of family, mentors and friends on their journey. The Olympics makes us realise the power of community and sparks a sense of belonging.
For Those Who Watch – seeing people with an obsession, trying their absolute hardest and achieving great things inspires us. Knowing they can do it helps us believe we can too. We want to feel part of their world.
For the Nation - coming together for a common cause - being in awe of human endeavour and sharing those moments together and sharing our love for them.
In this film we wanted to capture all of these elements and take people on a 100 year journey of love and remind them why the Olympics has always been special to us all.
