ESPN Films: Nixon's National Champs

The Keepers of the Streak

2015

The NFL has staged 48 Super Bowls. Four photographers have taken pictures at every one of them. In KEEPERS OF THE STREAK, director Neil Leifer tells the story of this exclusive club, made up of John Biever, Walter Iooss, Mickey Palmer and Tony Tomsic. With their cameras, they have captured football's biggest game of the year for almost five decades.

Leaf

2017

From can't miss future NFL star to incarcerated addict, former San Diego Charger Ryan Leaf shares insight into the choices and mistakes he made that changed his life forever.

First Pitch

2015 · ★ 8.5

Part of ESPN's 30 for 30 Shorts. On October 30, 2001, with the United States of America still reeling from the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, George W. Bush took to the mound at Yankee Stadium to throw the "first pitch" of the 2001 World Series' third game. Includes interviews with former United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice; former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani; Yankees shortstop, Derek Jeter; former Yankees manager, Joe Torre; former United States Director of Central Intelligence, George Tenet; members of the Bush family; and the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.

ESPN Films: Two Points, One Title

2014

On January 2nd 1984 Nebraska Head Coach Tom Osborne made a coaching decision that decided the fate of two programs in a single play.

The Great Trade Robbery

2014 · ★ 7

In 1989, the largest trade in NFL history sent Herschel Walker from Dallas to Minnesota. The Vikings destroyed what appeared to be a budding dynasty by selling the farm for Walker. Dallas restored its place as America's Team, became the team of the 1990's and won three Super Bowls. Most people consider it to be the worst trade ever made. Except for Jimmy Johnson. He'd say it's the best.

Everything I Was Told About Love

This documentary explores the experience of love in young adulthood, contrasting the lessons learned through real relationships with the expectations from childhood (whether from parental portrayals or romanticized fairytales). Through stories of first love, heartbreak, and reflections on parental advice, we will delve into how these early encounters redefine what love truly means.

Gimme Shelter

1970 · ★ 7.3

A detailed chronicle of the famous 1969 tour of the United States by the British rock band The Rolling Stones, which culminated with the disastrous and tragic concert held on December 6 at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, an event of historical significance, as it marked the end of an era: the generation of peace and love suddenly became the generation of disillusionment.

Primary

1960 · ★ 6.5

Primary is a documentary film about the primary elections between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey in 1960. Primary is the first documentary to use light equipment in order to follow their subjects in a more intimate filmmaking style. This unconventional way of filming created a new look for documentary films where the camera’s lens was right in the middle of what ever drama was occurring. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation in 1998.

Bob Dylan – Don't Look Back

1967 · ★ 7.4

In this wildly entertaining vision of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artists, Bob Dylan is surrounded by teen fans, gets into heated philosophical jousts with journalists, and kicks back with fellow musicians Joan Baez, Donovan, and Alan Price.

Das Dorf der Freundschaft

2001 · ★ 9

A German Documentary about the “village of friendship” that was created by American Veteran George Mizo to help the Vietnamese kids suffering from the Vietnam War.

[Lavagna – Tug-of-War]

1925

A silent amateur film with a runtime of 1 minute and 28 seconds (DCP from 9.5mm reversal, 16 fps), presented without intertitles. Preserved by Fondazione Home Movies – Archivio Nazionale del Film di Famiglia, Bologna, the film documents a game of tug-of-war on the beach at Lavagna during the summer of 1925. A group of young participants, dressed in bathing suits, engage in the activity while a dog observes from the sidelines. The footage is notable for its stable tripod-based composition and the use of horizontal camera movement to follow the action. At age 16, Lavello demonstrates early technical proficiency and an interest in capturing spontaneous social interaction. As noted by Michele Manzolini in the 2025 Pordenone Silent Film Festival catalogue, the film contributes to a broader visual record of leisure and informal play within early amateur cinema.

[Lavagna – Rowing. Diving]

1925

A silent amateur film with a runtime of 1 minute and 20 seconds (DCP from 9.5mm reversal, 16 fps), presented without intertitles. Preserved by Fondazione Home Movies – Archivio Nazionale del Film di Famiglia, Bologna, the film captures scenes of rowing and diving during the summer of 1925 in Lavagna. It forms part of a larger collection of 9.5mm films discovered in 2006 in the cellar of Villa Rocca by Lavello’s grandson, Enrico Vassallo, and donated to the archive in 2007. Restored in 2025 using a 2K wet scanning process to mitigate damage from fungal mould, the footage reflects the technical limitations of manual camera operation, including occasional acceleration due to uneven crank rotation. As noted by Michele Manzolini, the film contributes to a broader visual record of informal leisure and early amateur cinematography in interwar Italy.