Flags, Feathers, and Lies is a provocative look at the Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans, in all their rich, resplendent, and rhythmic glory, and how they and the community have survived the twin disasters of Hurricane Katrina and government neglect. The culture of the lower 9th ward comes from a heritage that merges African and Native American traditions and has combined celebration with solidarity.

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Hand-drawn animation of life forms spin, dance and gather to a driving rhythmic jazz drumming.

This… is the Orange Line is the winner of the 2011 Heartland Best Experimental Short

A short documentary film about the shapes and movements of the Chicago Orange Line L train from day to night. Featuring a cello concerto by Edward William Elgar.

The Anatomy of Vince Guaraldi is the winner of the 2011 CinemaJAZZ Best Feature award

Follow this musical journey through the brief life and times of Vince Guaraldi, a celebrated composer who pioneered the crossover of jazz and pop music — from his celebrated scores for the Peanuts animations, to his mega-hit Cast Your Fate To The Wind, his nights in San Francisco’s North Beach at the hungry i, and his ground breaking Jazz Mass at Grace Cathedral. Includes recently discovered and restored footage of Guaraldi’s appearances and recording sessions. The film features new performances and insights from Dave Brubeck, Dick Gregory, George Winston, Jon Hendricks, Paul Krassner, Paul Mazursky and many more.

In New York’s legendary Avatar Studios the young Danish guitarist Jakob Bro has gathered some of the most renowned contemporary jazz musicians, including Lee Konitz, Paul Motian and Bill Frisell. They have two days to create an album and turn Jakob’s compositions into a genuine musical experience. Jakob’s songs are all new compositions that have never been played, but somehow the musicians manage to find the fragile and dreamlike nature of the songs in just one or two takes. Together they create a telepathic connection that gives room to each individual and creates a common sound. A recurrent motif is the musicians engrossed in listening – transcending time and space in deep concentration. Weightless – A Recording Session with Jakob Bro captures the poetry of a very unique recording session in charged and poetic images. It offers a rare view into the vibrant, intensive process of combining song writing and improvisation with originality.

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Music video of MC Frontalot’s “Wallflowers” done for a competition. Music used with permission.

When a homeless man collects one dollar in change, he sets upon his day to affect those he comes in contact with. Whether it is with small change, or just a gesture, everyone he encounters is touched by him. The film begs to ask the viewer, Could you be the change in someone’s life?

Extreme weather conditions lash the plateau and mold the landscape into an abstract beauty that goes beyond its own geological context. Here nature is the ruler and a formidable adversary of the local people, who are locked in a state of constant struggle, from which there is no escape.

Horace Washington is the winner of the 2011 CinemaJAZZ Best Short award

Documentary on Kansas City jazz musician Horace Washington.