Cinemafile

Then eighteen-year-old Nicolas (Nico) Ballesteros is thrust into the eye of the storm that is Ye, a man building empires in music, fashion, and faith. Coming to terms with Bipolar, his collapsing marriage, vanishing sponsorships, and growing public backlash, Ye’s life unfolds alongside a billion-dollar brand and a persona as polarizing as it is powerful. For six transformative years of 15-hour shoot days, Ballesteros did more than document a cultural icon. What began as a silent observation evolved into a profound journey of artistic and personal growth. Immersed in Ye’s world of extremes, he bore witness to brilliance and breakdowns, triumphs and turmoil, but also observed the paranoia and intensity that increasingly shaped Ye’s world. In Whose Name? invites viewers to sit with contradiction, to witness a modern myth in motion, and draw a conclusion. The film reveals a side of Ye the world was never meant to see - raw, unfiltered, and suspended in the complexity of fame, faith, mental health, and power. The result is a story carved from 3,000 hours of raw footage, a collision of turmoil and truth, and an unflinching chronicle of ambition, collapse, and the long road to redemption. Director Nico Ballesteros and Editor Justin Staple join us for an in-depth interview on this powerful and affecting film about a modern day icon.

THIRD ACT is an insightful and heartfelt film that showcases a personal story about the director’s relationship with his legendary filmmaker father, Robert “Bob” Nakamura, a pioneer in Asian American cinema - known as “The Godfather of Asian  American Cinema”. THIRD ACT is the moving and beautiful story of Bob’s journey together with his filmmaker son Tad Nakamura as they embark to make their first film together. Along the way, Bob is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and this journey together with his son becomes even more meaningful, as they reflect on their life together as son/father and as artists. At its core, THIRD ACT is distinctly an American story and ultimately a Los Angeles story. Bob’s life bridges local and national history. From growing up in Los Angeles to attending University of California, Los Angeles to the painful chapter of local Japanese American incarceration and the eventual establishment of an artist, a leader and path builder for generations of filmmakers. Director Tadashi Nakamura to talk about his beautiful homage to family, generations, art, leadership and love intertwined with the history of Los Angeles.

If you’ve listened to the Buena Vista Social Club, then you’ve heard the unforgettable voice of Omara Portuondo. At 90, Cuba's legendary diva has been a driving force in Afro-Cuban music for over half a century. In this first-of-its-kind look at the life of one of the nation’s biggest stars and last grand dames, director Hugo Perez brings audiences along on an intimate journey into the heart of Cuba’s "Bride of Feeling," following Omara as she celebrates and shares the music of her beloved island with the world. Director Hugo Perez stops by to talk about the winding road that brought him to the door of Omara Portuondo, how growing up as the child of bi-racial parents impacted her personal and professional life, and why her international legacy was established long before the Buena Vista Social Club made her an “overnight” sensation.   “Omara: Cuba’s Legendary Diva” premieres on the PBS series VOCES on Friday, September 26, 2025, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app. 

Hard Hat Riot revisits the explosive 1970 clash between anti-war student protestors and construction workers in New York City. It was a cultural event that reshaped the American political landscape. The film explores deep-rooted class tensions between working-class laborers and educated elites, the shifting role of labor unions, and proposes that history is repeating itself. By drawing clear parallels between past and present, Hard Hat Riot sparks urgent conversations about identity, division, and the enduring fault lines in American society. Hard Hat Riot director Marc Levin’s and The Hard Hat Riot author and co-producer David Paul Kuhn join us for a conversation  about the political, social, economic and cultural forces that brought the so-called working class into the streets and later the ballot box, in reaction to the turmoil of the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations in 1970 and how that roiling anger continues to manifest itself to this day.  

Director Bill Haney outstanding documentary, Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp & The Bio-tech Revolution, narrated by Oscar nominated actor Mark Ruffalo, is an inspiring story of vision, perseverance, and the power of science to change the world. Phil Sharp’s journey from a Kentucky farm boy to Nobel laureate embodies the American Dream and the triumph of entrepreneurial spirit. His 1977 groundbreaking discovery of RNA splicing rewrote the rules of molecular biology and ignited a life-saving scientific revolution, laying the foundation for an industry that has become a cornerstone of global innovation and economic growth – and transformed the health of billions of patients worldwide. Director Bill Haney (Jim Allison - Breakthrough) joins us to talk about what makes Phil Sharp a great American hero and an even better human being. 

Director David Osit's PREDATORS is a chilling, edge of your seat thriller that delves into the murk of human nature to observe hunter, predator, subject and spectator alike, all ensnared in a complicated web of entertainment as far as the eye can see. A cultural sensation from its inception in the early 2000s, Dateline NBC’s candid-camera investigative series To Catch a Predator ensnared sex offenders and lured them to a film set, where they would be interviewed and arrested while cameras rolled. Looking back on the show and the countless franchises it spawned, our guest, filmmaker David Osit, turns his camera on journalists, actors, law enforcers, academics, and ultimately himself, to trace America's obsession with watching people at their lowest.

Award-winning filmmaker Ondi Timoner latest film, ALL GOD”S CHILDREN, explores the intersection of race, religion and family and explores whether the truism “we’re more alike than we are different” is more than a pithy bumper sticker. In an unprecedented attempt to heal centuries of racism and antisemitism, and combat the rising racial and ethnic tension in their Brooklyn communities, the largest reform synagogue and the oldest black Baptist Church in Brooklyn attempt to quell the racism and anti-semitism that has plagued their communities for decades and bring about peace, by becoming family.  Director Ondi Timoner (Last Flight Home) joins us for a conversation on all the different way this high wire enterprise could have gone sideways, what it was like working along side her sister on this project while at the same time helping their mom during their father his last days and the level of satisfaction this project has brought to her as a filmmaker and as a sister.

On Christmas Eve, Cliff, a newly sober improv comedian, cracks a tooth and lands in the emergency care of Didi, an older no-nonsense dentist. What begins as a routine check-up sparks an unpredictable evening of misadventures. Together, Cliff and Didi fight to overcome being shut out by their families, face their biggest fears, and discover their own surprising and tender connection.

About the filmmaker - Michael Strassner is an actor, writer, and director known for THE BALTIMORONS which he is the lead and co-wrote with Jay Duplass. Other credits include Young Rock, A Spy Movie, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation and more. Michael Strassner was born in Baltimore Maryland. His first role was Snoopy in You're a good man, Charlie Brown in seventh grade and hasn't looked back since. He also wrote, directed, and starred in the award winning short film BIG BOY. If you want to laugh, check out his instagram @Strasshola.

In this follow-up to her award-winning film THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY, Film Independent Spirit Awards nominee filmmaker Morrisa Maltz's latest project, JAZZY, is an intimate portrait of Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux, a young Oglala Lakota girl growing up in Spearfish, South Dakota, from the ages of six to twelve. When Jazzy finds out her best friend Syriah (Syriah Fool Head Means) is moving, she is confronted with the pains of growing up and the realities of the adult world. JAZZY was shot over 6 years and overall, is a portrait of growing up, from a young girl into teenage-hood. The film is fictional but also written by Jazzy and her friend Syriah as they developed over the years and shared their experiences with us — as life happened to them. Jazzy and her peer group have dazzled us with the poetry of growing up and their ability to story tell as collaborators and actors in this film. The film explores the lives and ever-changing relationships of their peer group as they leave the dreamlike world of childhood behind. Director and co-writer Morrisa Maltz joins us for a conversation on how the idea for JAZZY fell into place during the filming of THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY, seeing the natural ability of Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux blossom, trusting that the chemistry between Jasmine and Syriah Fool Head Means would come across on the screen and knowing that she had a terrific production team that includes Lily Gladstone, Mark Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Jay Duplass, Jason Beck, and Bill Way to carry her across the finish line. 

From Miguel Gomes, the award winning director of Tabu and Arabian Nights, comes a globe-trotting tale of unrequited love. Earning Gomes the Best Director prize at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, Grand Tour blends melodrama and screwball comedy in this cat-and-mouse chase between lovers. 1917, colonial Burma. Edward, a civil servant for the British Empire, jilts his lovestruck fiancée Molly the day she arrives to be married. As he escapes into an unexpected odyssey across Asia, she quickly follows suit amused by his moves.  Rendered in stunning black-and-white period visuals interspersed with modern-day documentary footage, Grand Tour–Portugal’s Best International Feature entry to the 97th Academy Awards®–is a dazzling multi-city symphony that will leave audiences reeling with wonder. Winner of Best Director for Grand Tour at Cannes in 2024 joins us to talk about his wildly imaginative take on love, colonialism, courtship, integrity and filmmaking.