What happens when “universal” rights are tested by women? In Alabama, Brittany Smith’s case calls into question the purpose of “stand your ground” laws. And in Russia, activist Anastasia Shevchenko pays a heavy price for standing up to President Vladimir Putin. (Total Running Time: 67 MIN) State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith | Director: Ryan WhiteUnfolding […]
US PREMIERE After a shocking discovery about the fate of an old friend, director Tin Dirdamal embarks on an entrancing train through Vietnam to visit him with his young daughter. Along the way father and daughter ponder unanswered questions, with the sights they encounter on their journey resonating with the depths of their philosophical insights. […]
WORLD PREMIERE Far from the unfavorable images often espoused in pop culture, today’s teens are some of the most engaged, thoughtful, creative, courageous, and self-aware of any era. Filmmaker and middle-school educator Alexis Neophytides gifts us this survey of thirteen-year-olds from across the globe as they navigate the joys and complexities of that seminal age. […]
NYC PREMIERE For his 2015 Oscar-nominated film Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky memorably captured the key moments of the Maidan Revolution in 2013-14 that ushered in pro-democracy political change. In his latest film, his subject is exponentially even more urgent, as Ukraine faces an existential threat when Russia launches its […]
During the 19 months before the Taliban retook Afghanistan, filmmaker Tamana Ayazi and Oscar-nominated director Marcel Mettelsiefen gained unique access to Zarifa Ghafari, the youngest female Afghan mayor. IN HER HANDS follows the 26-year-old Ghafari as she navigates multiple layers of political and personal turmoil, including a tense relationship with her father (a leader in […]
NYC PREMIERE Challenging the monolithic idea of immigrants and processes of immigration, Vivek Bald and Alaudin Ullah’s IN SEARCH OF BENGALI HARLEM relates the specific history of Bengali Muslim immigrants who arrived in mid-20th century Harlem, often marrying into Black American families. In this fascinating uncovering of New York (and American) history, in a post- […]
NYC PREMIERE Lea Najjar’s debut follows plumes of smoke from the devastating 2020 explosion in Beirut and guides us through the rooftops of the city where men play kash hamam with pigeons, luring them in, casting them away, watching them fly. In this cyclical motion, Najjar finds a resonance with the endless strife of living in […]
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Filmmaker Lina Chamie finds a free-flowing, immersive style to create a symbiotic cinematic experience with the famed Brazilian street artist Kobra. Kobra, who has created more than 50 kaleidoscopic, peace-themed murals in New York, and credits the city’s artists as the major influence on his work, reveals his inner world in stages. As […]
NYC PREMIERE The “muck” here refers to the rich soil in the small south Florida town of Pahokee, where folks fish, hunt rabbits, and play a whole lotta football. Co-directors Bhawin Suchak and Pahokee native Ira McKinley introduce us to the Deans, highlighting the everyday lives of this loving family and their close-knit community. This […]
WORLD PREMIERE When filmmaker Elettra Fiumi inherited her father Fabrizio Fiumi’s archives, she discovered a man she knew nothing about. Fabrizio, along with the group of radical architects called 9999, imagined architectural innovations and anticipated a future that is still forthcoming. He was also founder of the Florence Film Festival. In coming to know her […]