First Run Features

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First Run Features Distributor of Independent, Documentary & Foreign Films Since 1979.

First Run Features was founded in 1979 by a group of filmmakers to advance the distribution of independent film. Under the leadership of the late independent film pioneer, Fran Spielman, First Run Features quickly gained a reputation for its controversial catalog of daring independent fiction and non-fiction films. First Run remains one of the largest independent theatrical and home video distribu

tors in the United States, releasing 12 to 15 films a year in theatres nationwide and 40 to 50 videos and DVDs annually.

🎂 On Allen Ginsberg’s 100th birthday, we’re watching Jerry Aronson’s documentary, The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg, ...
04/06/2026

🎂 On Allen Ginsberg’s 100th birthday, we’re watching Jerry Aronson’s documentary, The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg, which looks back on the iconic visionary, radical, and poet. This film is simply a must-see for poetry lovers, counterculture enthusiasts, and anyone curious about one of the most influential literary voices of the 20th century.

“A rich slice of cultural history.” - Boston Globe

28/05/2026

Changing Lanes is not only about bike lanes and biking; it also focuses on infrastructure and politics, challenging perspectives on biking and democracy. Ben Wolf joins the Good Traffic podcast to discuss his film and the issues surrounding its topics. The conversation explores a Brooklyn bike lane project and how it became a lens for understanding democracy, public spaces, policy, media, and the future of cities.

The film will soon be available to all on June 9th on Amazon and Kanopy. 
Infrastructure Politics DocumentaryFilm StreetSafety UrbanPlanning Cycling WalkableCities Transportation Brooklyn McGuinnessBoulevard Democracy CityPlanning PublicSpace Mobility FilmPodcast IndependentFilm

Thank you for all who joined us last night to see CHANGING LANES with director Ben Wolf and special guests Jacob Wessel...
17/04/2026

Thank you for all who joined us last night to see CHANGING LANES with director Ben Wolf and special guests Jacob Wessel from the L.A. Metro’s Office of Strategic Innovation and activist Bronwyn Breitner.

LA 🌴 join us this weekend 🍿

April 18, 10am Show @ Laemmle Glendale - moderator Andrew Wright, Communications Director for the California Bicycle Coalition.

April 20, 7pm show @ Laemmle Monica - moderator Alissa Walker, a Los Angeles-based writer and a former senior writer at Curbed, where she covered cities, transportation, and architecture for seven years. In addition we will have another special guest — Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis.

Featuring Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne and former NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, this new d...
15/04/2026

Featuring Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne and former NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, this new documentary investigates why our streets are designed the way they are, and what it will take to make them safer and more livable.

CHANGING LANES opens in LA at Laemmle Theaters 4/16 🌴🚴 Q+As w/ filmmaker Ben Wolf and Special Guests all weekend.

When a beloved teacher is tragically killed in a hit-and-run crash in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a grassroots movement emerges to transform a notoriously dangerous four-lane boulevard into a safer, two-lane street with protected bike lanes.

While many applaud the proposed change, it also sparks a backlash led in part by a powerful local business owner. As government support begins to waver, neighbors unite to challenge entrenched interests and fight for a safer Greenpoint.

Changing Lanes situates this local struggle within broader historical, political, environmental, and social contexts through interviews with politicians, activists, urban planners, entrepreneurs, and cultural icons – a compelling call to action for democracy at street level.

14/04/2026

CHANGING LANES opens this week in LA 🌴🚴 Special Guests + Special Screenings below ⬇️

“Changing Lanes is more than a film about bikes and public space. It’s about who wields power, what defines a community, and how regular citizens can organize in the face of deep corruption and other seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

It is very much a movie made for the political and cultural moment the country finds itself in right now.”

- Doug Gordon, Co-host, The War on Cars podcast

Join us 🍿 Director Ben Wolf will participate in a Q&A following the prime show on Thursday, April 16, at the Royal with special guests Jacob Wessel from the L.A. Metro’s Office of Strategic Innovation & activist Bronwyn Breitner; the 10 AM show on Saturday, April 18, at the Glendale with special guest Andrew Wright from the California Bicycle Coalition; and after the 7 PM show on Monday, April 20, at the Monica Film Center with writer Alissa Walker and Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis.

14/04/2026

CHANGING LANES opens this week in LA 🌴🚴 Special Guests + Special Screenings below ⬇️

“Changing Lanes is more than a film about bikes and public space.

It’s about who wields power, what defines a community, and how regular citizens can organize in the face of deep corruption and other seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

It is very much a movie made for the political and cultural moment the country finds itself in right now.”

- Doug Gordon, Co-host, The War on Cars podcast

Join us 🍿 Director Ben Wolf will participate in a Q&A following the prime show on Thursday, April 16, at the Royal with special guests Jacob Wessel from the L.A. Metro’s Office of Strategic Innovation & activist Bronwyn Breitner; the 10 AM show on Saturday, April 18, at the Glendale with special guest Andrew Wright from the California Bicycle Coalition; and after the 7 PM show on Monday, April 20, at the Monica Film Center with writer Alissa Walker and Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis.

12/04/2026

CHANGING LANES opens this week in LA 🌴🚴

Join us 🍿 Director Ben Wolf will participate in a Q&A following the prime show on Thursday, April 16, at the Royal with special guest Jacob Wessel from the L.A. Metro’s Office of Strategic Innovation; after the 10 AM show on Saturday, April 18, at the Glendale with special guest Andrew Wright from the California Bicycle Coalition; and after the 7 PM show on Monday, April 20, at the Monica Film Center with writer Alissa Walker and Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis.

06/04/2026

QUIET VOICES IN A NOISY WORLD tells the story of the indomitable spirit of a group of Black volunteers who are advancing racial justice and reclaiming their community through public art and shared history.

Culminating 30 years of work in Jasper, FRF filmmaker Alan Govenar and Documentary Arts, in association with the Jasper-based Lone Star Youth Council, was proud to present a free community screening of the film.

Watch now on Amazon and Kanopy.

Join us 3/31 6-9pm for our launch party of THE ORIGINAL FILMAGRAM!!
24/03/2026

Join us 3/31 6-9pm for our launch party of THE ORIGINAL FILMAGRAM!!

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