Documentaries
Birthdays Are for Kids
Rosalind O'Sullivan, a Massachusetts elementary school teacher for more than 50 years, loves to keep in touch with her former students. So she sends them birthday cards—hundreds each year. She believes children should be celebrated every day, but she worries technology is undermining their ability to develop important social skills. “Birthdays Are for Kids” is a short documentary that celebrates one teacher's lifelong crusade to make children feel loved and valued, while raising questions about their welfare in the age of social media.
Official Selection, Independent Film Festival Boston (IFFBoston) 2024
Official Selection, Columbus International Film & Animation Festival 2024
Motorcycle Man
“Motorcycle Man” is a short documentary about a man who has pursued a single passion in life: motorcycle racing. Dave Roper has raced every year since 1972, competing on exotic vintage bikes at racetracks around the world and winning a reputation as a folk hero of the sport. “Motorcycle Man” celebrates the speed, sweat and thrill of motorcycle racing, while offering a meditation on craft, obsession and what it takes to pursue your dreams. “Motorcycle Man” won the Best Short Film award at the 2019 Newburyport Documentary Film Festival and Best Short Documentary at the 2019 MotoTematica - Rome Motorcycle Film Festival. It is currently being broadcast on public television in the United States and is available to PBS members for streaming online. “Motorcycle Man” is also available for purchase on DVD.
“… the best docs are ones that expand beyond their sometimes niche audience to become relatable to the masses, and here is an ideal example.”
— Tony Sudol, New Haven Documentary Film Festival
“A superb 32 minutes which gets to the heart not just of Dave Roper, or even racers in general, but why human beings choose to pursue apparently risky activities.”
— Motorcycle Rider, the British Motorcyclists Federation magazine
Through the Place
“Through the Place” is a feature-length documentary about efforts to save historic buildings in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and across the United States over the past 50 years. Commissioned by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, the film features interviews with preservationists, leaders of civic and cultural organizations, architects, urban and social critics, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough. “Through the Place” was screened in several cities and won the Best Architecture Film award at the 2016 New Urbanism Film Festival in Los Angeles and the Festival Director's Award at the 2016 Queen City Film Festival in Cumberland, Maryland. Stream or download the film here. Order a copy on DVD or Blu-Ray here.
"... a sweeping, beautiful and inspiring story of community engagement and resilience."
—New Urbanism Film Festival
Typewriter Man
“Typewriter Man” is a short documentary about a typewriter repairman who's thriving in the digital age.