Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image

Behind the glitz of Miss Italia, director Patrizia Mirigliani fights to save the iconic pageant, now wavering amid scandals and changing beauty standards.

A documentary that chronicles the rise and decline of the black-owned ethnic beauty industry in America.

A journalistic investigation, built not on rumors and assumptions, but on direct evidence, revealing the true mechanisms of podium coronations. Hidden camera footage of negotiations with the owners of the largest national beauty contests and an attempt to answer the question of why these people are not yet in prison. Famous people on the jury are not a guarantee of fair judging. Irrefutable evidence of the corruption of the so-called “stars” who elect the next Miss and Mrs. The collection and subsequent theft of funds for charity is a side business of the owners of fraudulent shows. What actually awaits the titled Misses after purchasing the prize? And what do children's beauty pageants turn out to be like for young participants?

Two actresses take us through a series of 'raps' and sketches about what it means to be beautiful and black.

A look at past diary entries reveals a teenage girl's struggles with body image and depression

"Are WE Beautiful?” is an exploration of the way societal views affect the Black self-image. Told through a series of interviews with real New Yorkers of different ages and gender expressions, exploring and discussing the titular question: are we beautiful?

A short, 'intimate' documentary that attempts to investigate the inner sensualities that make all our bodies beautiful. It investigates our physicality as human beings, how we use our bodies and how conscious we are of the potentials of the flesh.

Documentary in which singer Alesha Dixon, concerned about the increasing pressure on women to conform to an ideal body type, investigates the practice of airbrushing and retouching that has become a staple of magazine photos. Keen to discover whether these images simply celebrate the female form or whether they make harmful, unrealistic demands on women and society, her journey sees her sitting in on 18-year-old Ellie's boob job, hearing fashion mag insider Liz Jones and celeb mate Cheryl Cole complain about the beauty industry and appearing on a front cover with her own body beautiful untouched.

An animated satire on the question of self-image for African American women living in a society where beautiful hair is viewed as hair that blows in the wind and lets you be free. Lively tunes and witty narration accompany a quick-paced inventory of relaxers, gels, and curlers. This short film has become essential for discussions of racism, African American cinema, and empowerment.

This one-of-a-kind comedy special showcases the comedian's riotous stand-up performance, exploring everything from the Disability experience to her Italian-Catholic upbringing to body image issues and more.

Penis extension surgery is a booming business in the UK and we have exclusive access to a clinic that promises to make your manhood wider and longer for £7,000. Truck driver Leon is about to go under the knife for a second time to get an even bigger penis, something his girlfriend says is unnecessary. We also meet Michael who thinks he would have had more successful relationships if he’d been more confident about his body, that’s why he’s about to put himself through penis extension surgery at the ripe old age of 64.

What does mean to be gay and be a man? There's no straight answer for sure. From the Castro culture of the 1970s to today’s Bears and gym rats, this fascinating investigation of gay men and sexuality blows the lid off old stereotypes and showcases a battalion of interviewees including muscle men, rodeo riders, rugby players and cops. The men speak candidly on topics from homophobia to metrosexuality to embracing effeminacy as they reveal what it means to be a gay man in America today.

In Swole I continue to document my commitment to an intensive and transformative gym and diet regimen, as well as the communities that form around such activities, sustaining themselves through texting and sharing videos and photos on social media. I learn the vocabulary of my new community.

Six extra-ordinary people from around the world reveal their bodies and share their secrets in a unique experiment in search of their inner selves.

A short film that documents three women’s views and treatment of nudity. Body image is the common thread throughout the series, but the individuals approach to nudity exposes much more, as each woman attempts to liberate the representation of the female body, not through a campaign, or as part of a topical conversation, but in the manner with which they define themselves and go about their profession.

With depth, intimacy, and humor, FLOAT! captures filmmaker Azza Cohen's magnetic grandma’s life-affirming journey learning to swim at 82, inspiring audiences to defy societal expectations of aging and to boldly look forward at every stage.

Jacquelyn, used to presenting a carefully-edited version of herself online, commits to a 15-day challenge of posting unfiltered images. Unfiltered follows her journey of self-discovery as she explores what lies beneath her emotional reliance on a curated identity.

A charming valentine to women born with a space between their teeth, ranging from lighthearted whimsy to a deeper look at issues like self-esteem and societal attitudes toward standards of beauty. Interviews were conducted with over one hundred women, including model Lauren Hutton and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

In the age of surgically enhanced beauty and reality television, how do we perceive body image? MADE OVER IN AMERICA combines the style of reality television with experimental film to weave together the voices of producers and consumers, surgeons and their patients, clinical psychologists, media theorists, and youth who are coming of age in a culture where bodies seem to be customizable. Together they form a picture of how the desire for a better self operates within consumer culture and how this desire is fed by media, the makeover industry and culture at large.

The documentary explores issues of beauty and acceptance in a culture increasingly saturated with idealised and unattainable ideals of femininity. It is a story about the world of young girls in today's Latvia, based on conversations about girls' attitudes towards the world and their place in it.