The 34th edition of the M. Mead Film Festival presented 38 selections from November 11 to 14 at the American Museum of Natural History, its principal sponsor. This festival is the oldest documentary film festival in the United States and includes outstanding and innovative productions covering animation, experimental approaches, in addition to archival material and restored films with a large number not shown before in the New York metropolitan area. Transcending the strict ethnographic film a...

In times of turmoil, the role of the documentary filmmaker becomes a thriving and essential function. When handled responsibly, their films can wake us up to a multitude of issues we haven't previously considered or been privey to. With our country at war, several filmmakers have produced works aimed at knocking the current adminsitration's sloppy tactics and the senselessness of the war efforts they foster. By far, it was the Vietnam-era film "Hearts and Minds" that became the beacon of what...