NYC PREMIERE The story of a student uprising on a Montreal university campus sheds light on the often-overlooked history of anti-Black racism in Canada. Through vivid archival footage and firsthand accounts from former student protestors, now in their 80s, the film reveals the experiences of Black Canadians who, alongside West Indians who migrated north seeking […]
NYC PREMIERE An unvarnished chronicle of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s yearslong fight for journalistic freedom. Pulling no punches, the film frames Assange as a martyr, imprisoned and surveilled for daring to expose the transgressions of scheming governments, oligarchs, and ideologues. Featuring CCTV footage from his arduous confinement, this sweeping collage brings together the facts of […]
NYC PREMIERE For 25 years, charismatic river steward John Lipscomb has patrolled the Hudson in his wooden boat, covering more than 80,000 miles on “America’s first river.” Fighting industrial waste, sewage, and negligence, Lipscomb has become both the river’s watchdog and poet laureate, bearing witness to its wounds and recoveries. Sweeping imagery and intimate reflection […]
NYC PREMIERE Set in Mexico’s heartland, this urgent investigative documentary follows a group of women who uncover radioactive contamination in their water after three young girls die of leukemia. These mothers-turned-activists link the crisis to the corporate extraction of ancient rocks. Facing government denial and community resistance, they fight for accountability. Blending expert insight with […]
US PREMIERE A complex power structure of casteism, oppression, and corruption governs the lives of Dalit poppy farmers. Vardibhai, older and traumatized by casteist abuse, believes the way out is through hard work and resilience. Her son Mangilal chooses the political route to organize and agitate toward a resistance. The Hot Docs Best International Feature […]
NYC PREMIERE The dynamic co-founders of Black Voters Matter, Cliff Albright, April England Albright, and LaTosha Brown, travel across the country in their beloved “Blackest bus in America” to mobilize Black communities ahead of the 2020 election. Undeterred by COVID-19 and voter suppression tactics, they empower grassroots activists with passion, courage, and heart. Punctuated by […]
US PREMIERE Set on Louisiana’s rapidly vanishing Isle de Jean Charles, this quietly powerful documentary captures the lives of two teenagers and their uncle as they navigate the slow erosion of their home. Faced with forced resettlement by the US government, their story unfolds through intimate, observational filmmaking that renders their daily lives with empathy […]
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE An invigorating examination of the growing movement for the right to roam in the UK and beyond. Perspectives of activists, landowners, and walkers reclaiming access to the countryside reveal how globally relevant questions of land ownership are bound to histories of colonialism, class, and power. With energy and clarity, the film captures a pivotal […]
WORLD PREMIERE Shelley, a brash, no-nonsense carpenter, is on a mission to empower Black women to reclaim their futures, one home at a time. Through her innovative program, participants learn construction skills and financial literacy to renovate and purchase abandoned row houses in Baltimore. As dilapidated quarters become dream homes, the women’s personal journeys and […]
NYC PREMIERE Nigerian-born British image-maker Misan Harriman has garnered accolades for his powerful photographs of grassroots protests against climate change inaction, Gaza atrocities, George Floyd’s murder, and more. Yet even as his images provoke palpable reactions, as a self-described person of privilege, Harriman shares his doubts about his work’s effectiveness in discussion with such human rights […]