Category Archives: Film

Animation blends with traditional interviews to reveal the interior world of one of the most infamous prisoners in the US penal system.

In 1981, at 19, Mark DeFriest was sentenced to four years in the Florida prison system for a non-violent crime, despite being declared mentally incompetent prior to his trial by numerous experts. More than three decades later, DeFriest’s still in prison, his original sentence extended time and time again due to his frequent and ingenious escape attempts – many of them successful. Having experienced the worst of prison life – rape, violence, solitary confinement – his advocates feel it’s time to make a push for the mentally ill man’s freedom. Having gained direct access, director Gabriel London interviews the “Houdini of Florida” in prison, as well as the psychologist whose dissenting opinion on DeFriest’s competency helped secure his original conviction, and follows the prisoner’s latest parole attempt. Along the way, London uses creative animation to reveal DeFriest’s unique way of making sense of the alien world of the prison system that has been his home for his entire adult life. Continue reading →

The Beatles’ concert tours, revealed through never-before-seen footage, crowdsourced from the fans who were there.

Recognizing the lasting, global impact of the Beatles on music and culture, the production company One Voice One World is working on a project to assemble a multifaceted archival project on Beatlemania. Authorized by Apple Corps, they are crowdsourcing the discovery of rare and personal photos, film, audio recordings, and other ephemera of the Beatles made during their concert tours between October 1963 – the birth of Beatlemania – and August 29, 1966, their final concert at Candlestick Park. Submitted media, such as the concert a fan filmed in Forest Hills in 1964 (pictured), will be considered for inclusion in a planned feature doc exploring and celebrating Beatlemania. Continue reading →