What does it take to become and international marathon runner? In 1985, 102 British male runners ran under 2 hours 20 minutes for the marathon — only 5 managed this same feat 20 years later. British distance running had all but disappeared but why?

16 stone, smoker, obese, heavy drinking filmmaker Alex Vero takes a introspective look at the decline of British marathon running and to find out first hand what it takes to become an international marathon runner.

The documentary delves into changes in UK society and the cultural and social differences between the British and East African athletes, who now dominate the sport. Vero’s journey from fat slob to elite athlete takes him on a journey across the world where his story becomes intertwined with Britain’s brightest hope for 2012, Oxford graduate Ben Moreau and exceptionally talented Ethiopian bellboy Mengsitu Abebe.

A film noir – comedy about a down and out detective, Rock Slyde (Patrick Warburton), sometimes brilliant often times clueless, who gets his first case in a while from a femme fatale (Rena Sofer). While he’s away his nemesis Bart (Andy Dick), the leader of a cult religion called Bartology, who has plans to take over his building and the world, brainwashes Rock’s trusty secretary, Judy Bee (Elaine Hendrix). Rock must infiltrate the House of Bartology to get her back.

The ‘Ballet Studio’ in Southern California, has trained some of the best ballet dancers in the country. Follow the journey of two attractive, young dancers who overcome various obstacles as they prepare to dance the romantic leads opposite each other in the annual production of ‘The Nutcracker.’ As the opening night draws near, Mr. Mark, the ballet School director and choreographer, leads our cameras through the rigorous process of casting, rehearsing and preparing the stage for his unique version of the most popular Ballet of all time. This film will take you behind the scenes, in the rehearsal hall, and ultimately onstage under the spotlights, in order to experience the honestly exposed triumphs, follies and heartbreaks of the dance world. This holiday season in sunny California, one learns quickly that The Nutcracker is not all that it’s “cracked” up to be.

Filmed on location, The Making of The Nutcracker features the remarkable students, parents, and teachers of “The Ballet Studio” as they rigorously prepare the stage for the ballet. Whether or not you’ve ever danced a step in your life, this passion-packed film is sure to inspire your soul and touch your heart.

A story about four very different characters, three of them men, one a mountain.
A dramatic and awe-inspiring feature documentary following three of the world s greatest ski mountaineers to the Mount St Elias in their attempt to realize the longest ski descent of the world.

Set against the backdrop of Alaska s dangerous beauty, Mount St Elias is about a visionary borderline experience where unparalleled physical and mental pressure pushes them to the absolute limit. They find themselves in puristic situations, in which heroism cannot easily be distinguished from folly. Situations which can only be mastered if rationality is abandoned and in which courage as well as trust in their own abilities and last but not least luck are used as guidelines.

Two Austrian ski alpinists Axel Naglich and Peter Ressmann as well as the American freeski pro Jon Jonhston are facing this breathtaking challenge. A team with individual abilities, but also a team of leaders, knowing they literally cannot survive without teamwork and cooperation. Especially Axel Naglich, he unconsciously takes the role of the protagonist due to his authentic personality and, within the permanent struggle not against nature but against himself, polarizes as a strong character. A movie that finally shows why it is the mountains which unite lethal danger and delirious happiness.

The Elk Mountains Grand Traverse backcountry ski race cuts through forty miles of the most tumultuous and challenging terrain separating in the Western Hemisphere. This event gives 240 competitors, in teams of two, the opportunity to prove themselves against countless obstacles from the midnight start in Crested Butte, Colorado to the finish line, across the Elk Mountains, in Aspen, Colorado. Friends of Friends Productions has been working hard to bring the events that unfold in those forty miles, to the eyes and ears of the broader American public. The film provides a unique perspective that follows competitors, race organizers, and even a few spectators as they move through the 8-16+ grueling hours it takes to reach the finish line. The film has been shot under the auspices of the direct cinema style of documentary film. It establishes the athletes, not as talking heads to the viewers, but rather captures and presents the race in it’s most raw form. In this way, the film portrays the true essence of the race and the surrounding environment. This documentary provides viewers with an in-depth look at one of the most astounding endurance races in the Americas.

Filmed during the 2008-2009 winter season at Mammoth Mountain, Sheer Bliss captures the style, music, and cinematography of classic Warren Miller films. From dark stormy days to epic blue bird mornings, this film focuses on the different moods that riding provides.

Mind of the Demon: the Larry Linkogle Story is a dark, analytical look into the psyche of one of the most brilliantly talented, yet aggressively self-destructive minds of our generation. Larry Linkogle is a world-record holding dirt bike legend and a man battling his inner demons as he struggles to maintain structure, sobriety and self-control. Incredible archival footage, colorful characters, and interviews with the industry’s top names rebuild the thrilling story of the birth of freestyle motocross. Past and present storylines intertwine to drive the film toward one of only two possible conclusions: a nose dive straight into a black hole or one of the best comeback stories of all time.

With the O’Neill cup of surfing competition blowing up on 20 foot Sunset, a half mile down the beach, Pipeline was firing on all cylinders and creating one of the greatest shows in surfing. As the world’s best surfers rode some of the best waves of their lives, a young generation of surfers pushed their physical abilities to the limit for a glint of the spotlight. Going deep into the 2008 North Shore season, The Arena shows what happens behind the scenes to some of the many aspiring surfers who are trying to learn what it takes to be accepted on the North Shore. This story follows Andrew Mooney, one of Australia’s best free surfers and big wave rider, as he tests himself on surfing’s ‘ultimate proving grounds’. While Pipeline will determine whether a professional surfer has the skill and mindset to be among the best in the world, the journey to gaining enough respect to be given the opportunity to charge one of the most dangerous waves in the world is part of the test.

Footage from the 7 mile stretch from Haleiwa to Turtle bay shows what young surfers go through to become recognized as part of the pecking order at Pipeline. Watch the world’s best surfers in and out of the water during one of the most epic Hawaiian surf seasons ever. Some get the ride of a lifetime and some get denied in The Arena: North Shore.

In an exploration of the abstract and the extreme, Second Nature, directed by Colin Blackshear, is an examination of the natural boundaries of the human body. Noah Sakamoto, Patrick Rizzo, and J.M. Duran star as the test subjects as they wield skateboards and blue suits to race down the roads of the High Sierras in California.

World-renowned action sports filmmakers Teton Gravity Research is proud to introduce Generations, a short film on the consequences of Climate Change upon winter environments and snow culture. Presented by The North Face in partnership with the non-profit group Protect Our Winters, Generations discusses climate change through the perspectives of those for whom snowy winters have a deeper personal significance. Going beyond charts and numbers, Generations humanizes the debate on climate change by exploring the delicateness of winter and the intrinsic value of snow to people across generations and cultures.

The original idea for Generations was suggested by outdoor manufacturer The North Face in a desire to produce a more potent call-to-action over the climate crisis. Teaming with Protect Our Winters and action-sports filmmakers Teton Gravity Research, the film poignantly captures cultural and personal reactions from those to whom mountains and snow represent an irreplaceable way of life. Founder of POW and professional athlete Jeremy Jones said of the film, “As a professional snowboarder I felt a real need for the debate on global warming to be humanized. It’s my hope that this film draws awareness and action toward a subject that holds dire consequences for an entire culture and sport.”