The Launch

Ai Weiwei, famous for his large-scale installation work and his dogged social justice advocacy, created a career-defining work in 2015 with @Large, mounted at Alcatraz, the emblematic site associated with egregious incarceration conditions and radical Native American protest. At the core of @Large were portraits of prisoners of conscience coupled with the opportunity to write letters of solidarity to the imprisoned. In her impassioned and powerful film, exhibition curator Cheryl Haines visits several current and former prisoners, including American whistleblower Chelsea Manning, and learns how these letters were vital to their survival. “The misconception of totalitarianism is that freedom can be imprisoned. This is not the case. When you constrain freedom, freedom will take flight and land on a windowsill.” — Ai Weiwei

Louis is "repo man" who is no stranger to strong-arm tactics in his work, but he has dreamed of becoming an actor since he was a child. When his cousin helps him get an audition, Louis gets the help of a famous actor to secretly help rehearse his scenes. He doesn't even tell his girlfriend Suzie. But Suzie also has a secret; she's pregnant and doesn't want her child to grow up in an atmosphere of violence.

All self-taught dancer Kate Parker has ever wanted to do was perform with the American Academy of Ballet. But when she doesnt make it after auditioning, she learns that it takes more than precision and perfection to succeed in the dance world.

Persona Non Grata in his homeland, protest singer Klaus Drittemann must leave East Berlin, his wife and child and emigrate to West Berlin, where the representatives of an American record company are eagerly waiting for him. They plan to exploit his defection from communism both ideologically and financially. But Klaus, as ill-at-ease in the West as he was in the East, is reluctant to be used as an expendable commodity. Leaving his contract unsigned (or signed in his manner), he leaves for Cambridge to meet his father, a concert player, who -just like him - left East Berlin thirty years ago as Klaus was a little boy. He is accompanied by a young French journalist, Emma, who knows where his father has been living since he disappeared for more than a decade. The young lady is cooperative but might hide things from him...

Sometime in the distant future, a fledgling band gets an opportunity for a breakthrough, if they can make it in time to a faraway planet to perform in a very popular club.

Jon Jon sees a ripe opportunity for a major party when he snags the job house-sitting for his rich Uncle Charles. The mansion comes with a platinum colored Mercedes-Benz 430. Which is said to be more than $100,000, and although Uncle Bilal has told him not to drive the car or have people over, Jon Jon wastes no time in doing both. But Uncle Charles vacation isn't going as planned, Charles is unaware that Jon Jon is not only having an "entertainment party", but he's auditioning his hip-hop band (IMx) for a record executive. When Jon Jon finds out his uncle is coming home earlier than announced, he has to race against time to try and put everything back the way he found it again.

Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas is a 2003 direct to video film of Prince in concert at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts. The concert was recorded December 12, 2002, and features several notable cover versions, an unreleased song and touches on some of his rarely performed backlog of material. Special guests included former band associates, Eric Leeds and Sheila E., funk legends Maceo Parker and Greg Boyer, as well as Nikka Costa. The soundcheck contains an excerpt of "The Rainbow Children" from the album of the same name and "Nagoya" from C-Note.

A shy teenager living on the Isle of Wight dreams of pop stardom. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a singing competition that will test her integrity, talent, and ambition.

Given the opportunity to revisit her estranged family on Christmas Eve, 1996, Kristin Cartwright discovers that while its impossible to change the past, its important to learn from it.

Robert Johnson was one of the most legendary and mysterious Delta Bluesmiths of all time. Little is known about his life, but his music has influenced many different artists, like Eric Clapton and Keith Richards. Now, John Hammond Jr., son of legendary record producer John H. Hammond, who also organized a concert for Robert Johnson right before he died, goes to the Deep South to learn more about this amazing man, trying to find information about Johnson's birth date, place and parents, his early musical development, performances and travels, romances, his mythic "pact with the devil," his untimely murder in his late twenties, the discovery of possible offspring, and the uncertainty over where Johnson is buried. Throughout, Johnson's music is both foreground and background, from recordings of Johnson and as performed on camera by Hammond, David Honeyboy Edwards, and Johnny Shines.

Ryan Banks's manager and old friend, Todd, comes up with the idea to have Ryan be the bachelor on a reality dating show in order to clean up his image. The only problem is, Todd falls in love with Charlie, the girl Ryan has chosen to propose to.

A camera crew has the unique opportunity to record Satan in his natural habitat and it looks like he's quite happy with it. He has the perfect job, he is for the most part feared and respected, and his minions jump to his every whim. After 6,000 years he is invited back to heaven, and he goes - expecting to return to his place beside God as Lucifer, the Angel of Light. But when it turns out the invitation is not for the expected welcome home, but is rather for Christ's Second Coming-out party, things quickly go to hell. Worse, his former girlfriend is now partnering with the biggest douche-bag in Heaven. Satan decides he misses the place anyway, and wants back in. So he decides he needs to find a way to re-earn God's respect in order to be welcomed back. We learn that the Devil does for once care - kind of.

Follows the journey of two rappers, Lucky and Poutine, who both become signed to Shark Records and a world of temptation follows. Its a tale of two artists: same opportunities, different journeys.

A conversation between Ringo Starr and The Eurythmics's Dave Stewart. Ringo talks about the early days and how he came into the band without an audition. Then the discussion turns to Beatlemania, and then Ringo plays Beatles songs on the drum kit. Another segment is when Stewart pulls out a box of LP albums and plays a flash card game with Ringo, asking him for improvisational comments on the records.

An actress living in New York performs an audition, then goes to meditation and winds up at a party of artists viewing a film. At home, she and her girlfriend explore buried memories and later nightmares trigger sleepwalking. Finally, the actress enacts a childlike performance inspired by a Frank Wedekind play.

Each year, hopeful singers from all over the country audition to be part of one of the biggest shows in American television history. Who will become the new American Idol?

An American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show is based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. With a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although fictional, it was based heavily on the actual Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York. Most interior scenes were filmed in Hollywood, California, and in all seasons but the third, several exterior scenes were shot on location in New York City. The popularity of the series, particularly in the UK, led to several hit records and live concert tours by the cast. Despite its success, very few of the actors maintained high-profile careers after the series was cancelled. A number of the cast members were seen again briefly in Bring Back...Fame, a reunion special made for British television in 2008.

Four super-talented and fiercely competitive singers, chosen from their auditions by the show’s panel of music industry experts, will try to defend their coveted spots on the stage, as they are challenged individually by new singers determined to replace them.

The strongest vocalists from across the United states compete in a blockbusters vocal competition, the winner becomes “The Voice.” The show's innovative format features four stages of competition: the blind auditions, the battle rounds, the knockouts and, finally, the live performance shows.

The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent, contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions.

A concert showcase that features music artists performing in unique settings, such as museums, temples and synagogues. The series also features interview segments with the artists.

Featuring the country's best a cappella groups performing popular songs like you've never heard them before. There's no lip-synching, backup bands or safety net. They'll be singing for America's vote, with the winner walking away with the ultimate prize - a Sony Music recording contract and $100,000.

The Glee Project finds and trains a group of twelve extraordinarily talented performers who compete against one another to win a guest starring role on “Glee". From thousands of entries, and an exhaustive nationwide and online talent search, the series uncovers a unique group of artists from both professional and amateur backgrounds proving every underdog has a fighting chance at stardom.

A vocal contest reality series featuring people with real talent and great voices. Only the very best singers make it through the the blind auditions, the decisions from the four celebrity coaches are based solely on the voices they hear - and nothing else.

Contestants compete in a singing competition that focuses on the quality of their voice.

See a different side of Snoop Dogg in this unique documentary, which details the famous rapper's efforts to mentor young athletes and create opportunities for them to compete at the highest level of youth football. We'll meet the kids and coaches that form Snoop's squad -- and witness the important life lessons they learn with every game.

The Spanish language US version of The Voice, the purest competition of vocal talent never seen before. Vocalists attempt to impress four coaches who are made up of artists from the most recognized Latin music worldwide.

Change your life? Little Mix are on the search to salute incredible talent. Six brand new bands - but only one will have the DNA to support them on their UK tour.

Artists from all 50 states, five U.S. territories and the nation's capital perform original songs across different genres as they compete for America's votes in an eight-week live event that will crown one grand prize winner. This is the U.S. adaptation of the Eurovision Song Contest

Ten of the UK's most promising unsigned artists head to Manchester to attempt to convince the judges that they have everything it takes to cut through in today's music industry.