A longtime TV journalist teams up with a photographer to document empty bedrooms of children lost to gun violence, revealing spaces where grief speaks louder than statistics and memory refuses to fade. The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Joshua Seftel. NOTE: This film is NOT included in the online screening […]
Disillusioned with politics, charismatic and engaging Noam Shuster Eliassi pivots to the world of stand-up comedy to communicate her “radical” message that Palestinians and Israelis deserve human rights equally. Amber Fares’ fascinating film, alternating between hilarity and bone-shaking gravity, intersperses clips from Noam’s funny stage performances with observational scenes of interactions with her parents and […]
NYC PREMIERE In the midst of the American Indian Movement in the 1970s, two federal agents are killed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Auto mechanic-turned-activist Leonard Peltier finds himself behind bars for the crime via a disputed conviction, serving two life sentences under the questionable machinations of the justice system. Peltier […]
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Photographer Kwame Brathwaite, who used his art as activism, captured the joy of Black American life, documenting jazz musicians, celebrities, everyday Harlem scenes, and more—while popularizing the phrase “Black is Beautiful,” amplifying the movement that redefined Black pride. Through interviews with his family and celebrities like Jesse Williams, Gabrielle Union, and Alicia […]
WORLD PREMIERE Shedding light on the familial burden of the migrant crisis, A Place of Absence charts the physical and emotional journey of Central American mothers on a bus caravan as they desperately search for their disappeared children, clinging to hope against overwhelming odds. Interwoven with the filmmaker’s story of her beloved uncle’s disappearance, this film […]
NYC PREMIERE Amid a looming maternal health crisis and vanishing reproductive freedom, the government interferes in the traditional practice of midwifery in a rural Mennonite community. When three midwives are arrested, the usually sequestered women decide to reclaim their rights by challenging the state’s decision. A little-known resistance filmed with extraordinary access to a reticent […]
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE This rich, music-filled portrait of Afro-Cuban icon Pablo Milanés traces his extraordinary life from child prodigy to beloved musician and activist. Framed by tender scenes of an aging Pablo in Madrid with his sprawling family, PARA VIVIR journeys through Cuba’s political and cultural evolution alongside his legendary career. With intimate stories from […]
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE A groundbreaking comedy troupe takes the stage in Palestine, where laughter embodies survival and defiance. Following six comedians from Jenin, Hebron, Ramallah, the Golan Heights, and beyond, the film captures intimate family moments, raw rehearsals, and daring performances amid the suffocating grip of occupation and escalating violence. Especially amid unprecedented attempts to erase […]
US PREMIERE In the shadows of the Catholic church, nuns and women have long endured abuse at the hands of priests—insidious and tactful grooming, silenced by confession, and hidden through systemic cover-ups. This investigative documentary uncovers both the harrowing details and the institutional indifference, from luxury retreats for accused clergy to the celebrated muralist Marko […]
NYC PREMIERE In 1999, a World Trade Organization conference in Seattle is met with 40,000 protesters rallying against the advancement of globalization. An ideological melange of activists with a variety of agendas, including anarchists, pro-labor organizations, and environmentalists, disrupts the trade talks with the hope of bringing attention to the societal dangers of unchecked globalization. […]