Documentary – Page 2 – Unspool Hollywood

‘Who in the Hell is Regina Jones?’ Review: Bold, fearless, strong, unapologetic, that is who she is, and more

Directors: Billy Miossi, Soraya Sélène
Writer: From the writings of Regina Jones
Cast: Regina Jones
Executive producer: Sam Pollard
Producer: Alissa Shapiro
Composer: Gil Talmi
Editor: Nancy Novack
Co-editor: Alisa Selman

Regina said, I don’t understand people liking me or being interested in me. Who in the hell in Regina Jones?

Directors Billy Miossi and Soraya Sélènetr’s film brings Regina Jones’ words to life on the screen in Who in the hell in Regina Jones?’ A remarkable story of an truly extraordinary woman from the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. A woman, along with her husband Ken Jones, in the 1980, founded ‘SOUL.’ The first publication devoted exclusively to African American music. It was the first time that what African American musicians where doing was presented as news.

Listening to her speak of getting pregnant and married at 15 years old and Ken 19 years old and having 5 kids by the age of 22 years old, and the trauma and grief that she had to manage while raising herself, her family and building ‘SOUL’ into a major publication in the United States.

It is said that behind every great man, is a great woman. And Regina was that. Hearing her talk about how Ken wanted to be a reporter and when the Watts and Rodney King riots took place, she told Ken to get out there and start reporting. And as they say, the rest is history. He had an outstanding career as the first African American on-air news reporter.

When speaking about moving away from Watts, Regina, “I have not forgotten where I come from, I just know that is not where I want to be.”

What best explains to me who Regina are these words and jester from her, “matter how many times you slip and fall, don’t ever give up on yourself. And if other people give up on you, she gives the middle finger.”

Regina Jones is truly an exceptional woman, with an amazing story that is long overdue.

An excellent must-see film

Tribeca 2025 -These Films ❤️ NY!

Whether you’re joining us from out of town or you’re a native New Yorker looking to fall in love with the city all over again, these select features, docs, and shorts will put you in an Empire State of mind.

On a String

Thursday, June 5 @ 5:00 PM, The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios

Living at home with mom and dad is a drag…even when that home is in the heart of New York City. In this narrative feature, a Juilliard-trained violinist is struggling to make a living when her toxic ex reappears with the chance to play viola in a prestigious orchestra. From writer, director, and star Isabel Hagen (who also happens to be a Juilliard-trained violinist), this laugh-out-loud comedy is also her directorial debut.

Shorts: NY Off Peak

Friday, June 6 @ 5:00 PM, The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios

Only have a New York minute? These shorts were curated specifically for the city that never sleeps. Check out these pint-sized picks from our shorts program, highlighting all the wacky, wonderful, heartwarming realities of life in NYC.

Relay

Saturday, June 07 @ 4:00 PM, SVA Theater

Glide through the streets of Manhattan like a ghost with reclusive fixer Ash, played by Riz Ahmed. This New York-centric action thriller for director David Mackenzie also stars Lily James, Sam Worthington, and Willa Fitzgerald in a simmering story of connection that ends with a riveting, pulse-pounding pursuit across the city.

Raoul’s, A New York Story

Wednesday, June 11 @ 5:45 PM, AMC 19th St. East 6

The heart of New York’s food and art scenes of the ‘70s and ‘80s come to life in this documentary from Tribeca Studios following French bistro mainstay Raoul’s Restaurant. Founded in 1975 by two French brothers seeking to bring affordable French cooking to New York, this unassuming spot became the beloved hangout of the Soho art crowd that’s stuck around for fifty years.

The Sixth Borough

Wednesday, June 11 @ 8:30 PM, The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios

Head just outside the city in The Sixth Borough, exploring the indelible yet often overlooked impact of Long Island’s suburbs on hip-hop. Through rich archival performance footage, new clips, and compelling interviews with scene OGs, this film balances a celebration of Long Island’s musical contributions and an unflinching look at the false promises of suburban life for Black families.

The premiere screening will be followed by a special performance from De La Soul and Rakim.

Empire Skate

Friday, June 13 @ 9:00 PM, Village East by Angelika

Watch the colorful rise of New York skateboard culture in the 1990s, and the enduring influence of the brand SUPREME, as well as skaters like the legendary Tony Hawk, who breathed life into this vibrant world. From Tribeca alum Josh Swade, this exhilarating documentary looks at what happens when multiple cultural trends – skating, graffiti, hip-hop, and fashion – converge to make something timeless.

What to See at Tribeca 2025

Meet the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival Jurors

See all the jurors

The Jury is In!

You’ve seen the Festival line-up; now it’s time to reveal the jury. These industry leaders and creative visionaries will be deliberating on and presenting laurels to the top projects across 17 competition categories from film to games, audio storytelling to TV, and more.

Judging films in competition will be visionaries ranging from Colson Whitehead to Mira Sorvino to Matthew Broderick and Art Linson to Ilana Glazer — and those are just a few names on the list. The likes of Annie Murphy, Jennifer Beals, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Gina Rodriguez, Stephanie Hsu, and more will deliberate on the Nora Ephron Award, the 2025 Viewpoints Competition, and the AT&T Untold Stories Greenlight Committee.

Winners will be announced at the Tribeca Festival Awards Ceremony on June 12th.

But don’t just celebrate the winning programs — see them for yourself.

Our Festival Favorites Pass provides ticketless access to all Award Winner and Back By Popular Demand screenings on Sunday, June 15 as we bring back the most popular programs of the Fest, along with the award winners. For just $60, you can watch as many movies as you can schedule into one day.

Martha Stewart and R.J. Cutler at the Los Angeles Emmy event For “MARTHA”

Photos Courtesy of Gonzalo Marroquin / Getty for Netflix

On Monday, May 12th, Netflix hosted a special event for MARTHA, a documentary celebrating America's first self-made female billionaire, Martha Stewart. The event featured a conversation with Martha Stewart and Director, Producer, and Writer R.J. Cutler as well as a gorgeous reception on the terrace of The Maybourne Beverly Hills. Please see below for photos from the event!

Martha Stewart / Film Participant
R.J. Cutler / Director, Producer, Writer
Moderated by Dave Karger/ TCM

Photos Courtesy of Gonzalo Marroquin / Getty for Netflix

ABOUT MARTHA

Through intimate and revealing interviews with the icon herself and those from her inner circle, R.J. Cutler's definitive documentary on Martha Stewart traces her rise from teenage model to her reign as the original influencer and America’s first self-made female billionaire.

‘Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day’ on Global TVOD and Digital June 9th

Director: Ed Cunningham
Producers: Jonathan Perkins, Seth Gordon and Mike J. Nichols
Writers: Ed Cunningham, Mike J. Nichols, and Paul Leach
Genre: Documentary
Run time: 1 hour 34 minutes
Executive producers: Ed Cunningham, Byron Ashley, Scott Jackson, Harrison Kordestani Kerry, Cathy Loveland and Paul Campoamor
Editor: Mike J. Nichols.

Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day is a musical documentary following 74-year-old Walter Day - the father of esports and star of The King of Kong - as he battles a lawsuit threatening his legacy while fulfilling his dream of recording and performing the rock-opera style love songs he has been hearing in his head since having his heart broken at the height of the arcade era.

Ed Cunningham Statement:
The King of Kong premiered at Slamdance 2007 to a packed house of just the right type of audience. As the filmmakers, we could not have selected a better group of people to be the first to see something we had lived with for three years. The gamers, tech-types and doc lovers were all into it from frame one. “Is this real?” “Get a load of that guy.” The whispers, laughs and touching moments were all hitting. Then the projector overheated and shutdown. As the director sprinted up the aisle to help, I just listened. The break in tension allowed everyone to check in with each other. We knew the film could be seen as mocking people we had grown to love, doubt and admire and had worked tirelessly to present them truthfully and empathetically. And this audience got it. From that night forward, the original documentary has changed many people’s lives – for better and worse – so when Billy Mitchell called to tell me Walter Day was being sued based on things that happened in our movie, I began helping make sure he was properly defended. In a lawsuit strategy meeting I learned that some King of Kong fans were funding Walter to produce and perform the songs he had been hearing in his head since having his heart broken in the ‘80s, a story he shared in the original film. I felt a responsibility to document the conclusion to Walter’s journey and it was also a great opportunity because I love his music and want to help get out in the world.

‘HOMEGROWN: A Part Of/Apart From’ Now Streaming

HOMEGROWN: A Part Of/Apart From – the first documentary short film series to bring together the voices and visions of filmmakers and communities from the U.S. Territories and Hawai‘i to reflect on their relationship with the mainland U.S. – is now available to stream in full from PBS.

Each film in the series explores issues of cultural identity, sovereignty, and agency, as local residents and members of the diaspora grapple with what it means to be “a part of and apart from” the mainland.

The series is presented by Firelight Media, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Black Public Media, Latino Public Broadcasting, and PBS, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

STREAM THE COLLECTION

Escambrón, Playa, dir. María del Mar Rosario

‘WHO IN THE HELL IS REGINA JONES?’ A film on the life of a Los Angeles Black News Icon Opens in Los Angeles on June 13th at Laemmle Monica Film Center

Weigel Productions Corp. presents written work by Regina Jones
Directors: Sélène and Billy Miossi
Producer: Alissa Shapiro
Co-Producer: Nancy Novack
Executive Producer: Sam Pollard
Consulting Producer: Bruce Talamon
Director of Photography: Soraya Sélène
Archival Producer: Matt Jones
Editor: Nancy Novack
Co-Editor: Alisa Selman
Original Music: Gil Talmi

LOS ANGELES (Tuesday, April 24, 2023) – The critically-acclaimed new documentary feature film Who in the Hell is Regina Jones? will have its awards-qualifying theatrical release starting on Friday, June 13 at Laemmle Monica Film Center. A press screener (for review and coverage consideration) and interviews are available now with the filmmakers and film participant.

The film premiered at the 2024 American Black Film Festival in Miami and then went on to show at film festivals including Heartland Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, Micheaux Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Athena Film Festival, and the Cleveland International Film Festival. The film was also shown at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC as part of its series highlighting art and history as told on screen by Black artists.

The extraordinary life of Regina Jones is one not only shaped by history, but also one that made history. From being pregnant and married at 15, through the middle of the Watts Rebellion of 1965, to emerging as a groundbreaking newspaper publisher, Regina is a testament to the American experience. That lived experience, as a Black American woman raising a family of 5 children, stepping in places where she was not wanted, and navigating a world that offered her no favors, is one that is still too often overlooked.

PBS Tonight’s Premiere ‘CRITICAL CONDITION: HEALTH IN BLACK AMERICA

Premiering Today, April 30, at 9 p.m. ET and 6:00 p.m. PST on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS app: NOVA's Critical Condition: Health in Black America.

Black Americans are nearly twice as likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease than White Americans, and their life expectancy is about five years shorter. Black women also face some of the worst maternal health outcomes in the U.S. and are three times more likely than White women to die during pregnancy and childbirth.

Critical Condition, directed by Firelight Media Co-Founder and Lead Mentor Stanley Nelson, investigates the causes of these dramatic health disparities in the U.S., even as scientists confirm that there are no meaningful genetic differences between races. From the deep history of pseudoscientific beliefs about race that still permeate modern medicine, to the latest research on how experiencing discrimination can directly damage the body’s DNA and biology, Critical Condition reveals the factors behind the health crises facing Black Americans.

LEARN MORE

Tribeca Festival 2025 Shorts and Music Videos Including World Premiere ‘Kiss My Grass’ Executive Produced by Rosario Dawson and Colin Kaepernick

This just in: Tribeca Festival Official Shorts and Music Videos!

Now announcing the Official Short Film and Music Video Selections at this year’s Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX! From June 4-15, screens across New York City will show some of the year’s most exciting short-form projects. From inventive short narratives to boundary-pushing documentaries, animated films to music videos, our Shorts program delivers big stories in small packages.

With 93 projects from filmmakers across over 30 countries, it’s a packed slate of comedy, drama, music, mystery, horror, heartbreak, love, and… the list goes on. Check out the full lineup here.

To catch all the shorts and secure your seat at the Festival, buy a Hudson pass.

Choose from seven themed programs—there’s something for everyone.

- Floating Roots: Films focused on Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander heritage in their storytelling.
- Hopes and Dreams: Short films with big dreams.
- Midnight Mash-up: Hell is other people for these late-night shorts.
- Mind & Body: Narrative shorts that explore the connection between the mental and the physical. This program will have open captions and audio descriptions.
- NY Off Peak: In the city that never sleeps, neither do these World Premiere shorts!
- Pick N Mix: A fun and colorful selection of short flavors throughout the festival.
- Showtime!: Get ready for these shorts to take center stage.

World premieres include How I Learned to Die, directed by Manya Glassman and executive produced by Oscar winner Spike Lee, an inspiring story of a 16-year-old girl confronting a life-threatening operation, and Jean Jacket, directed by Maxim Nebeker and Lucy Nebeker, produced by and starring AnnaSophia Robb, a hopeful tale of a woman chasing her dreams through a high-stakes lottery ticket.

Check out the full lineup here.

Dive into one of four eye-opening programs:

- Common Ground: Explore our connection to land and where we call home.
- Embrace the Music: Get into the groove with these music documentaries.
- Reflections: Powerful portraits that hold up a mirror to the individuals and issues they reflect.
- For the Cause: Short docs that take a stand.

World Premieres include Kiss My Grass, directed by Mary Pryor and Mara Whitehead and executive produced by Rosario Dawson, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Nancy Whiteman and Hilary Yu, a story that uncovers the relentless struggles of Black women in the cannabis business; A Drastic Tale directed by Chantel Simpson, which explores the brotherhood between members of Drastic Auto Club, one of the oldest lowrider clubs in NYC; If I Can Dream directed by Luis Cross, following Korean-Swedish Elvis impersonator Andreas Waldem at a tribute competition in South Wales.

Check out the full lineup here.

Curated by Whoopi Goldberg, this year’s selection boasts the largest number of animated short films ever in competition at Tribeca.

The program features powerful stories including: Snow Bear directed by Aaron Blaise, focusing on the yearning for friendship; Avery Kroll’s The Piano, about a lifelong bond that resonates far beyond their final note; and the haunting, hallucinatory solitude of The Quinta’s Ghost, directed by James A. Castillo.

Check out the full lineup here.

Tune in to Playlist, our program block featuring eight music videos (including one World Premiere) from artists such as Jack White, Bonnie McKee, Kid Cudi, and LL Cool J. Or check out NY Off Peak, a narrative shorts program featuring two music videos from independent artists ZEBEDEE and Dola.

Check out the full lineup here.

Will you join us?