I think I've found a new favorite website . . .

Back in grad school I planned on becoming a filmmaker. A documentary filmmaker to be exact.

I've always been drawn to the amazing stories that happen everyday in our own lives. Stories that often seen mundane and simplistic on the surface, but when examined more closely, we often can see that beauty exists where perhaps we didn't realize. This is what attracted me to non-fiction films, and it is what attracts me to still photography as well. I haven't given up on creating documentaries. I still think I'll do it one day. But for now, the time hasn't come, so I'll just keep moving in that general direction and when the time is right, it'll happen.

I was very excited yesterday when I stumbled across the website snagfilms.com. It is a site dedicated to promoting documentary films. Over 700 documentaries are logged in the library already, with more and more being added everyday. You can watch them all free of charge -- assuming you don't mind a 20-30 second commercial interruption every half hour or so.

And we're talking top notch stuff here. I spent a little time perusing the library yesterday, and recognized many of the films. South by Southwest. Sundance. Independent Film Channel. Academy Award winners. I bet you'll notice many as well.

Visitors to the site are encouraged to share the films, so I think that's what I'm going to start doing. I'll do my best to go through the library, and when I come across an interesting production, I'm going to share it here. I'm starting with the movie above.

Confessions of a Superhero is one of the most moving films I've ever seen. It's the story of four struggling actors who dress as movie characters and do their best to make a living along the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard. At times it is heartbreaking. At times, very, very funny. I found it to be an interesting story all the way through.

The larger-than-most-documentaries- budget for this film is pretty evident. The music is perfect, and some of the still photography interjected throughout was really strong. If you are a photographer, it might be worth watching just for the still images. I encourage you all the click the link above and go watch this film when you have a chance. It's about two hours long, so take that into consideration. And then come back here and share your thoughts. I'd love to hear what you think.

~wj