Nasrin Sotoudeh never stood down from a tough battle as a human rights attorney in Iran. Fans of filmmaker Jafar Panahi will remember her appearance in his subversive film Taxi. Now she’s serving a prison sentence of 38 years for representing women who protested the country’s mandatory hijab law. This immersive portrait weaves extensive filming with […]
In 2014, Peter Liang, a Chinese-American police officer, shot and killed an innocent, unarmed black man named Akai Gurley in the dark stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project. In the midst of high racial tension surrounding police conduct, Liang becomes the first NYPD officer to receive a guilty verdict in such a case in over […]
NYC PREMIERE Finding that traditional youth organizations aren’t directly focusing on the issues facing young girls of color, two moms, Anyavette Martinez and Marilyn Hollinquest, begin their own troop, the Radical Monarchs. Based in Oakland, a city with a long history of social justice movements, this progressive group is more likely to participate in protest […]
WORLD PREMIERE The National Restaurant Association, the “other NRA,” has lobbied the government to keep the federal minimum wage for tipped workers at $2.13 an hour since 1991. Facing off against this powerful lobby is Saru Jayaraman of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, who mobilizes grassroots support for a national movement to fight for one fair wage. […]
WORLD PREMIERE After the patriotic themes of her first hit song launch her to stardom in Vietnam, Mai Khoi’s personal and artistic growth places her and those around her in jeopardy. A shift from pop star to activist sees Khoi run for office, advocate for women’s rights and sit down with President Barack Obama. Her […]
2019 AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER US PREMIERE In 2018, Armenia experienced a peaceful revolution that’s inspiring to anyone challenging power. Nikol Pashinyan—a former journalist and political prisoner turned Member of Parliament—begins a march by himself to protest Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan trying to extend the reach of his power. The film observes how Pashinyan’s campaign slowly grows […]
NYC PREMIERE In this visceral film, two Palestinian youths strive for freedom and self-worth in a community consumed with violence. Sami, a parkour coach, leads leaping young men across the stunning cityscape of Jerusalem. Mohammad teaches a new way of seeing to dozens of youthful photographers who dream of a world without walls. Using these creative […]
WORLD PREMIERE This timely film profiles Life After Hate, an organization founded by former skinheads and neo-Nazis that supports white nationalists seeking to break away from these radical movements. Given exclusive access, director Peter Hutchison follows group counselors as they attempt both to reform individuals and offer support to communities impacted by the recent rise of […]
NYC PREMIERE As one of America’s wealthiest communities has developed around them in Southampton, NY, the indigenous Shinnecock Nation of Eastern Long Island fights to maintain both their time-honored traditions and their land. After suffering years of indignation by the presence of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, a regular host of the US Open, the Nation’s leaders […]
NYC PREMIERE In Baja, Mexico, a multinational developer plans to build an extensive wellness oasis, which will include nearly 4,500 homes and create a footprint that will engulf the local fishing community of Todos Santos. Faced with the encroachment of their natural resources, depletion of the local ecology and severe pollution, the fishermen band together […]