Paula Silver

The feature documentary Searching for Mr. Rugoff is the story of Donald Rugoff, who was the crazy genius behind Cinema 5, the mid-century theater chain and film distribution company. Rugoff was a difficult (some would say impossible) person but was also the man who kicked art films into the mainstream with outrageous marketing schemes and pure bluster. Rugoff's impact on cinema culture in the United States is inestimable, and his influence on the art film business-from the studio classics divisions to the independent film movement to the rise of the Weinsteins-is undeniable. Yet, mysteriously, Rugoff has become a virtually forgotten figure. The story is told through the eyes of former employee Ira Deutchman, who sets out to find the truth about the man who had such a major impact on his life, and to understand how such an important figure could have disappeared so completely.

Fulfilling a childhood promise to her father who suffered from a fatal disease, Nita Patel made it her mission to cure infectious diseases. Her determination led her to develop a life saving vaccine during the height of a global pandemic. Through Nita's journey to become a powerhouse scientist, we witness the untold story of women scientists, along with the strength and resilience of the human spirit.