Seth Killian

Chinatown Fair opened as a penny arcade on Mott Street in 1944. Over the decades, the dimly lit gathering place, known for its tic-tac-toe playing chicken, became an institution, surviving turf wars between rival gangs, changing tastes and the explosive growth of home gaming systems like Xbox and Playstation that shuttered most other arcades in the city. But as the neighborhood gentrified, this haven for a diverse, unlikely community faced its strongest challenge, inspiring its biggest devotees to next-level greatness.

Open details →

For one of the longest-running game franchises in history, Street Fighter creators Capcom needed something exceedingly special to accompany the release of their 25th anniversary edition of the game. AREA 5 produced, shot, edited, and finished a documentary that spans three countries, more than two decades, and tells the story of how a game not only birthed an entire genre, but changed the lives of a generation.

Open details →

Imagine a world where video games reign supreme. Five story buildings filled with arcade cabinets, old and new, inundate the streets. Welcome to downtown Tokyo, Japan. A place where the arcades of the 80s and 90s not only still exist, but thrive and have evolved into an elaborate, unmatchable gaming experience. 100 Yen is a historical documentary about the evolution of arcades and the culture surrounding it - from the birth of arcades to the game centers that still thrive today. With a predominant focus on the three major arcade genres, Shooting games, Fighting games and Rhythm games, 100 Yen explores the culture and evolution of arcades through the past and present. Featuring interviews with industry professionals, game programmers and designers, casual gamers and gaming icons from Japan, Canada, and the USA.

Open details →

I Got Next" is a documentary on the fighting game community. It follows four prominent players, Justin Wong, Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez, Joe "iloveu" Ciaramelli and Mike Ross through their experiences in the scene with the release of Street Fighter 4, which has caused a resurgence in the fighting game genre and a rekindling of the East Coast/West Coast rivalry that had died down in years past.

Open details →