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There is no shortage of 9/11 stories to be told, and filmmaker Danielle Gardner relates a particularly fascinating one in her documentary Out of the Clear Blue Sky. This account of the travails suffered by Cantor Fitzgerald, the Wall Street investment firm that lost a staggering 658 of its employees, has enough dramatic twists and turns to fuel a miniseries. Currently playing an exclusive engagement at NYC’s Regal Union Square, the film will be shown nationwide on the upcoming anniversary of the event. The firm, housed on the top five floors of One World Trade Center, was led by CEO

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Out of the Clear Blue Sky is a flawed but poignant contribution to the canon of 9/11 documentaries. Director Danielle Gardner, whose brother, Doug, was one of the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees who died in the attack, takes up the idiosyncratic tragedy of that firm. Anyone at Cantor who showed up to work and was in the office that day perished; their deaths numbered a fourth of all 9/11 casualties. The firm, also the nation's largest bond trader, though still reeling from the devastation, had to figure out whether to stay in business and how—the bond market reopened just two days later. Gardner ambitiously takes up several elements of Cantor's unique situation, depriving the film of a strong focus. At times it is a business story, a media story, a family story, a politica...

With the 12th anniversary of 9/11 soon upon us, Indiewire presents the exclusive trailer for the harrowing documentary "Out of the Clear Blue Sky," which examines the tragedy of that day through the prism of bond trading firm Cantor Fitzgerald. Directed by Danielle Gardner, a September 11th family member, "Out of the Clear Blue Sky" tells the story of Wall Street powerhouse Cantor Fitzgerald and its notorious CEO, Howard Lutnick, who became famous for the worst of all possible reasons; 658 of their employees were missing in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Though Cantor suffered more casualties than any other organization, their story was soon pushed aside as the media ambushed Lutnick, who went from face-of-the-tragedy to pariah within weeks. A true stranger-than-fiction account, unfolding over months and years, the film captures what it feels like to be caught in the crosshairs of history. The film will open at the Regal Union Square in.

Screenvision has announced that, along with distributor Area 23a and Asphalt Films, it will release Out Of The Clear Blue Sky as a national one-night theatrical event on Sept 11.

Filmmaker Danielle Gardner’s documentary tells the story of Wall Street investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and CEO Howard Lutnick, who became tragically famous after 658 of their employees were killed in 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

”Out Of The Clear Blue Sky was created to expose the very real, mostly unknown private side to the public events of September 11th,” said Gardner. “The film inspires a strong reaction in our audiences and compelling conversation and commentary post-screenings.”

“We are pleased that our partnership with Screenvision and Area 23a will allow for that experience and that communal conversation to take place on the anniversary itself, in forums across the country.”

The film will show on Sept 11 at Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Houston, Memphis...

Danielle Gardner‘s documentary focuses on the bond trading firm Cantor Fitzgerald rebuilding after losing 658 employees in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 — how it miraculously went back to work, how its CEO became a national icon, and then a punching bag for the media. It played DocuWeeks last August, and now according to Variety, Out of the Clear Blue Sky is set for release on September 6th in New York City before expanding. This is Gardner’s second doc after the basketball-focused Soul in the Hole, but it’s obviously one with a trenchant personal connection as she lost her brother — an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald — during the World Trade Center attack. There isn’t a trailer yet, but there’s an illustrative video where Gardner and CEO Howard Lutnick discuss the film and the long-term effects of the destruction that’s worth the time.

Week two in DocuWeeks' three-week run in Los Angeles brings new films about a concert in a Nazi concentration camp, an unjust prison sentence given to a Lakota Sioux medicine man and a company that lost two-thirds of its workforce on September 11. It also raises a question: To re-enact, or not to re-enact? The three films mentioned – Doug Shultz's "Defiant Requiem," Jennifer Jessum's "Holy Man: The USA vs. Douglas White" and Danielle Gardner's "Out of the Clear Blue Sky" (left) – all rely at times on staged re-creations of events. The...

From August 10-16, Danielle Gardner's 9/11 documentary “Out of the Clear Blue Sky,” a behind-the-scenes, intimate story of the devastation of 9/11, will screen at DocuWeeks 2012. The film delves into the untold story of Cantor Fitzgerald, the financial firm that occupied the top five floors of the World Trade Center and lost 658 of their employees (almost twice the casualties of the Fire Department of New York) in the 9/11 tragedy. Gardner's brother Doug was one of those employees, giving the documentary both a personal touch and unmatched insight through interviews with family members as well as Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick. Garder explains that "on a personal level, the film allowed me to investigate every angle of September 11. If I thought about the events as a family member, I couldn’t bear it. If I approached it as a filmmaker, I could explore, delve into, uncover, and ask questions. There are no answers,...

Basketball docu 'Soul' is in 'Dreams' league

The fascinating and emotionally involving documentary "Soul in the Hole" captures the excitement of one hot summer in Brooklyn when the top local amateur basketball team, Kenny's Kings, demolishes almost all opponents and produces several potential pro players.

Northern Arts' "Soul" is in the same league as "Hoop Dreams", with the drama of life in the big city as much a focus of the filmmakers as the athletic prowess of such talented hoopsters as 18-year-old point guard Ed "Booger" Smith.

Filmed during the course of several years but concentrating mainly on the 1993 Kings season, when Smith led a smooth and efficient squad to one impressive victory after another, "Soul" is the work of veteran documentarians Danielle Gardner and Lilibet Foster, who initially intended to make a more expansive film about New York street basketball.

But when Gardner first hung around the courts in Bedford-Stuyvesant, she became caught up in the local "Dream Team". It's easy to see why.

Coached by the volatile but dedicated Kenny King, the team features standout players Charles "CJ" Jones -- who went on to lead the NCAA's Division I in scoring at Long Island University -- Seldon Jefferson, Jason Hoover, Javone Moore and Kevin Simmons. Gardner and Foster chose to follow Kenny's Kings, and the result is riveting and insightful.

It's easy to get caught up in the march to glory that sees the Kings win close games in the playoffs, including one that is almost canceled due to the ugly mood of the crowd. But once the season's over, the sad breakup of King and Jones leads to more thought-provoking material.

SOUL IN THE HOLE

Northern Arts Entertainment

Asphalt Films

Credits: Director: Danielle Gardner; Producer: Lilibet Foster; Director of photography: Paul Gibson; Editor: Melissa Neidich. With: Kenny Jones, Ronnet Jones, Ed "Booger" Smith, Charles "CJ" Jones. No MPAA rating. Running time -- 97 minutes. Color/stereo.