Competition
Competition in: Music, dance, games, whistlers, marching bands, drumline, hairdressing, harp, spelling bee.
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- DirectorCharles WilkinsonStarsDan DebrabandereChad EllisJarrod SaundersOil Sands Karaoke is a documentary about five oil patch workers vying to win a karaoke contest in one of the most controversial places on the planet - Northern Alberta's infamous Oil Sands. These five characters know they're at the center of a global controversy and yet they continue to work there under extremely arduous physical conditions for long hours for extended periods without a single day off. Why? Obviously for the high wages. But what could motivate a person in this situation to sing karaoke, let alone take it seriously? A documentary unlike any other, Oil Sands Karaoke will make us laugh, sing along, and perhaps re-examine our biases.
- DirectorAlex DawsonGreg GricusStarsCarlos CheeThe Extreme Mustang Makeover Challenge is an annual contest that dares 100 people to each tame a totally wild mustang in order to get it adopted into a better life beyond federal corrals.Horse training competition of wild Mustangs.
- DirectorKate DavisDavid HeilbronerStarsIrene RobertsErnest BarretoAndrew RussoProfiles six competitors in the 2004 Annual Whistler's Convention, held in Louisburg, North Carolina. We hear them whistle, and they and others talk about whistling as a way to relax, cheer up, entertain, express emotion, and enjoy life. Each talks about how others see their hobby. Joe is older, competing after a ten years break. Chris uses interesting sounds to spice up his performances. Graham stays with the melody, as does Sandra. Steve is smooth, a multi-year champion. Geert is new, having come with his wife from the Netherlands for the competition. First the prelims, then the finals. Clips from films illustrate the qualities of whistling.North Carolina- Annual Whistler's competition, with whistler's from around the world.
h - DirectorRob HighlandDocumentary special detailing the life and death of "Barbaro" - Kentucky derby winning race horse put down following the breaking of his leg.Horse Racing
- DirectorPaddy BreathnachStarsAlan RickmanNatasha RichardsonRachel GriffithsIn 2000, a small town hosts The British Hairdressing Championship, where a former 2-time winner, his son, his run-away wife and his runaway wife's lady lover reside (not all on speaking terms).Annual British Hairdressing Championship
- DirectorMark HermanStarsPete PostlethwaiteTara FitzgeraldEwan McGregorThe coal mine in a northern English village may be closing, which would also mean the end of the miners' brass band.Tara, Ewan and Pete, and music
Brass band competition - DirectorKatie DellamaggioreStarsJe'Daiah BallantyneMichelle BallantyneRochelle BallantyneAmidst financial crises and unprecedented public school budget cuts, Brooklyn Castle takes an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs facing members of a junior high school's champion chess team.Junior High School Chess. competition
- DirectorBruce BroderEach year, Jazz at Lincoln Center and its artistic director Wynton Marsalis host the Essentially Ellington Festival, a competition of high school jazz bands from across the country. Bruce Broder's documentary focuses on one Florida band's experience at the festival.
- DirectorSteve BoxNick ParkStarsPeter SallisHelena Bonham CarterRalph FiennesWallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.giant vegetable growing competition
- DirectorCharles Stone IIIStarsNick CannonZoe SaldanaOrlando JonesA band director recruits a Harlem street drummer to play at a Southern university.Southern University marching band and drumline.
- DirectorBert HaanstraStarsHans KaartBernard DroogIneke BrinkmanAfter a fight the brass band in a small village splits up into two separate bands. They both want to win a contest and will do anything to prevent the other band from winning it.Brass Band competition in the Netherlands.
- DirectorMel StuartStarsRafe EsquithIan McKellenMichael YorkRafe Esquith, 1992 American Teacher of the Year and National Medal of Arts recipient, teaches 5th-grade children whose parents don't speak English at a school in a dangerous, poor, drug-infested 100% Latino/Asian neighborhood in Los Angeles.Shakespeare play performed at end of school year.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsWerner HerzogSteve LiptayScott McKainHerzog examines the world championships for cattle auctioneers, his fascination with a language created by an economic system, and compares it to the lifestyle of the Amish, who live nearby.World Championship Cattle Auctioneers competition.
- DirectorLexi AlexanderStarsNicki AycoxUriah SheltonDash Mihok13 year old Henry Matthews struggles with life after his reservist father is deployed to Afghanistan. With the help of a local pastor, the boy decides to take part in a local singing contest.Teen singing competition in Birmingham, Alabama. Father and son sing and move together. Great songs. Emotional ending.
- DirectorGreg JacobsJon SiskelStarsKevin CovalAdam GottliebElizabeth GrafBy turns hopeful and heartbreaking, Louder Than a Bomb follows the fortunes of four Chicago-area high school poetry teams as they prepare for and compete in the world's largest youth slam.Chicago schools poetry competition.
- DirectorMarilyn AgreloStarsHeather BermanEmma Therese BiegackiEva CarrozzaThe students of several New York City elementary schools learn ballroom dancing and compete in a city wide dance competition.New York City - 11 year old public school kids compete in city wide ballroom dancing competition.
h - CreatorHolly SorensenStarsAyla KellJosie LorenCassandra ScerboA group of elite teenage gymnasts deals with parents, boyfriends, coaches, rivalry and betrayal while training at a top-notch facility known as The Rock.
- DirectorAngel EstebanElena GoatelliMore than 130 young conductors participate in the Antonio Pedrotti International Conducting Competition, in the Italian city of Trento. During one week they will have to pass several auditions to convince the international jury that one of them is the most talented young conductor they are looking for.
- DirectorGuy MaddinStarsIsabella RosselliniMark McKinneyMaria de MedeirosA musical of sorts set in Winnipeg during the Great Depression, where a beer baroness organizes a contest to find the saddest music in the world. Musicians from around the world descend on the city to try and win the $25,000 prize.saddest music contest, with musicians from around the world.
- DirectorJeffrey BlitzStarsAngela ArenivarUbaldo ArenivarJorge ArenivarSpellbound follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee.National Spelling Bee
h - DirectorBaz LuhrmannStarsPaul MercurioTara MoriceBill HunterA maverick dancer risks his career by performing an unusual routine and sets out to succeed with a new partner.Australian Pan Pacific Championships. Ballroom dancing. Costumes and hairdos!
h - DirectorAlex RotaruStarsHenri Robert DelbeauMark FullerClark GriffithChronicles the Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, hosted by The Van Cliburn Foundation. Players from all over the world, ranging from self-taught to classically-trained, aged thirty-five to almost eighty, convene in Fort Worth, Texas for a week of intense competition, music and camaraderie. The film the film provides an intimate look into the lives of these colorful, multi-faceted competitors as they strive to balance the demands of work and family with their love of music. Years of dedicated preparation culminate in critical performances before a professional jury and discerning audience during three nerve-wracking elimination rounds.International Piano Competition for Amateurs.
- DirectorSean FineAndrea NixStarsDominicNancyRoseThree children living in a displacement camp in northern Uganda compete in their country's national music and dance festival.Northern Uganda's National Music and Dance Festival competition.
- DirectorPatrick CreadonStarsWill ShortzKen BurnsJon StewartAn in-depth look at The New York Times' long-time crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz and his loyal fan base.Crossword competition
h - DirectorEric ChaikinJulian PetrilloStarsJoe EdleyMatt GrahamMarlon HillA look at the obsessive world of competitive Scrabble.Scrabble competition
h - DirectorChristine JeziorStarsIvo PogorelichMartha ArgerichVladimir AshkenazyNobody less than the Hungarian Bela Bartok once declared: "Competitions are for horses, not artists!" Using the example of the Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, the documentary film "Why Competitions" looks into the question whether the competitive spirit that dominates music competitions is conformable with objective and ethical precepts, whether the prize winners actually benefit from their success and what happens to those who are often being stigmatized as "losers". This documentary film about the most important piano competition in the world was produced on the occasion of Frederic Chopins 200th birthday. It lets the participants and jury members have their say, some of who have learned to keep their distance to their experiences, yet most of them are unable to forget and accept the fact they had to suffer injustice even after 60 years. The film focuses on the scandal following the elimination of the Croatian pianist Ivo Pogorelich who did not pass to the final round at the competition in 1980, which caused the world-famous Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich to leave the jury in protest, thanks to which Pogorelich became a star overnight. 1980 also marked a turning point in Polish history: A few months before the competition began the trade union "Solidarnosc" was established. The film is divided in several chapters with each of them dealing with another competition year. In 1980 it was Pogorelich who took center stage, in 1975 the three Soviet competitors who instead of winning the competition only took 2nd, 3rd, and 4th prize were "penalized" by the Soviet Regime and thus prevented from making a career after the competition. The last chapter deals with the general question whether music competitions can be just and useful. Never before has such a wide range of world-famous musicians and eminent pedagogues spoken on this subject so candidly. With some ugly truths about corruption and bribery being revealed by these respectable persons, the question remains: Why do these people often chose to remain an integral part of the international competition circuit?Chopin Piano competition in Warsaw.
- DirectorVanessa GouldStarsErik D. DemaineMartin L. DemaineVincent FlodererDepicts a cast of fine artists and eccentric scientists (from MIT and NASA) who have devoted their lives to the unlikely medium of modern origami. Through their determination to reinterpret the world in paper, they arouse a fascinating mix of sensibilities towards art, form, expressiveness, creativity and meaning.
- DirectorMichael PatreiStarsMarion Barry Jr.Chuck BrownLewis FranklinBallou , a documentary film, follows the talented Washington, DC, Ballou Senior High School Marching Band, as they overcome their negative environment filled with guns, drugs, and violence, and uplift the community with music, dedication, and personal sacrifice. This Washington, DC, High School Marching Band--from an impoverished community just 3 miles away from the US Capitol building--is on its way to the national band competition. They are a family with heart and soul that use hard work, discipline, and compassion to overcome all obstacles. Political leaders and celebrities including Rev. Jesse Jackson, Gen (ret) Colin Powell, Congressman John Lewis, Marion Barry, Denyce Graves, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and Chuck Brown are featured in the film to show the importance of a small marching band in the lives the band members and in the community.
- DirectorDavid LaChapelleStarsTommy the ClownLarry BerryDragonRize chronicles a dance movement that rises out of South Central Los Angeles with roots in clowning and street youth culture.Clowners and Krumpers compete.
Los Angeles. - DirectorCarlos LechugaStarsOsvaldo DoimeadiósMario GuerraMario GuerraA swimming instructor teaches children to swim in a little town near Havana, but there's only one problem: the pool is empty. That will not stop the kids or the teacher from accomplishing their goal.Practicing for a swimming competition.
- DirectorDavid BarbaJames PelleritoStarsKim GaskinSorina HaddockBritani ShoemakerFollows the journey of two high school teams vying for the coveted UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship title.
- DirectorValveStarsBenedict LimClinton LoomisDanil IshutinFollow three professional video game players as they overcome personal adversity, family pressures, and the realities of life to compete in a $1,000,000 tournament that could change their lives forever.
- DirectorSara NewensMina T. SonStarsAriel HsingMichael LandersLily ZhangThree teenagers' quest to qualify for the 2012 US Olympic table tennis team.
- DirectorZachary KerschbergPatrick PinedaStarsLy JonaitisChiqui MontielVanessa PerettiFrom oratory classes to operating room, Beauty Factory follows five girls for four months as they compete for the coveted Miss Venezuela crown; revealing the process that has won Venezuela more international beauty pageants than any other country.
- DirectorMahmoud KaabourA documentary filmed in the controversial labor camps of the United Arab Emirates. The film follows a massive Bollywood singing and trivia competition that searches across 70 labor camps throughout the country to find and crown the champ of all camps. The film alternates between music trivia competition and the gritty reality of a drab life lived by the laborers, while weaving in intimate scenes of their daily routines and emotional reflections on their life as laborers in Dubai. Narrated (and sung) often in the voices of the laborers, it paints a complete portrait of this vast and isolated population of men who come to build the dream cities of the Arab world while supporting their societies and economies back home in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- DirectorAdam Bhala LoughStarsFelix ArguellesSteve BerraChris ColeEight of the world's best pro-skateboarders prepare for the upcoming Street League Championship in NYC. Each equally talented, they all must overcome unique challenges - family pressures, injuries, money, fame and their own internal struggles - for a chance to win $200,000 and the title of best street-skateboarder in the world. The Motivation is a non-fiction sports film from internationally acclaimed filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough (The Carter, Bomb the System) featuring the biggest names in professional skateboarding today.
- DirectorJosh GreenbaumStarsAmari AveryJed DyAllan KournikovaThe best 7 year old golfers from around the world descend on the world famous Pinehurst Golf course in North Carolina to determine the next world champion and who might become golf's next phenomenon. Most of these young prodigies have been holding clubs since before they could walk and are better by the time they are six than most people will be in their lifetime. This is the breeding ground for the PGA and the stakes are huge. The short game follows 9 young golfers vying for the title of 'world champion'.
- DirectorNick HolleMichael ZimmerStarsEthan UslanAdam SwansonJim BostonA heartwarming comedy about six piano players striving to win the World Championship of Old-Time Piano (mostly ragtime). With brilliant showmanship and skill these competitors vie for the glow of victory, for escape from the trials of their everyday lives, and for the revival of the first distinctly American popular music.
- DirectorAnson HartfordHugh Hartford8 players with 703 years between them compete in the World over 80s Table Tennis Championships in Inner Mongolia. Terry (81) having been given a week to live, gets in sight of winning gold. Inge (89) has used table tennis to train her way out of the dementia ward she committed herself to. Australian legend Dorothy deLow is 100, and finds herself a mega celebrity in this rarefied world and Texan Lisa Modlich, a new-comer at 85 years old, is determined to do whatever it takes to win her first gold. This film is as much about the tenacity of the human spirit as it is a meditation on mortality.
- DirectorJason WiseStarsBo BarrettShayn BjornholmDave CaubleFour sommeliers attempt to pass the prestigious Master Sommelier exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world.
- DirectorDaniel LucchesiAlex Ramseyer-BacheStarsRheima Ibrahiim-RobinsonIn the age of Facebook and digital communication, a remarkable group of British teenagers have chosen to define themselves through one of the most ancient, and potent, forms of culture out there - the spoken poem. 'We Are Poets' intimately follows the lives and words of the UK's multi-ethnic noughties generation as the Leeds Young Authors poetry team prepare for a transformational journey of a lifetime, from the red bricked back streets of inner city North England, to a stage in front of the White House at Brave New Voices - the world's most prestigious poetry slam competition. Anyone tempted to dismiss today's youth as politically apathetic better pay heed - here is electrifying evidence to the contrary.
- DirectorChristopher RufoStarsMavis AlbinKris AllisonReynaldo AparicioAthletes prepare for the 2009 National Senior Games: a 100-year old tennis player from Cape Cod, brothers from Washington, D.C., in their 80s who swim, a Texas widower who finds solace in training, and his rival, an 86-year-old champion in field events intent on the world's record in the pole vault for persons over 80. A women's basketball team from Louisiana is hair-dos and drawls off the court, but tigers on. We watch the athletes train, they talk about why they compete, family members and friends comment. One of the brothers undergoes cancer treatment. Then it's on to San Francisco to go for the gold.
- DirectorBess KargmanStarsAran BellRebecca HouseknechtJoan Sebastian ZamoraA documentary that follows six young dancers from around the world as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.
- DirectorPaul GalichiaBrian WeidlingStarsRich HopkinsRobert MackenzieChris MatthewsSPEAK follows six unforgettable characters as they prepare to compete for the title, "World Champion of Public Speaking." SPEAK is a powerful, inspiring documentary about conquering life's hurdles and finding your voice.
- DirectorJenalia MorenoTom GandyStitched is a documentary that follows three competitive art quilters as they prepare to compete in the nation's largest quilt show, a fast-paced event that attracts more than 50,000 devoted artists annually. It follows Caryl Bryer Fallert, Hollis Chatelain and Randall Cook, each of whom has caused a stir with their work. Caryl was the first to win a $10,000 prize at a major quilt show with a machine-made quilt at a time when hand work was the norm. Hollis won Best of Show with a painted quilt and Randall often makes quilts of male nudes.
- DirectorSusanne SchwibsThirty-two competitors from around the world compete in the triennial international harp competition in Indiana. This film presents a taste of the grueling challenges of preparing for this prestigious competition that will launch one of the contestants to stardom with a magnificent new harp as one of the prizes. Numerous musical highlights are presented including a work written specifically for the competition.Harp competition in Indiana, with 32 competitors.
- DirectorMurray FaheyA colourful array of characters compete at the Annual Australian Garden Gnome Convention. Once a year 2000 garden gnomes and 10,000 gnome carers gather in the sleepy mountain hamlet of Glenbrook, for the annual Gnome convention; the gnomes arrive by road, train, plane, foot and post.