NYC PREMIERE The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing celebrates the life of the dynamic author, editor, and activist. From her Harlem roots to her role as a self-described “culture worker,” Toni’s wit and fierce commitment to change come alive through rare footage and the voices of those who knew her best, including Toni Morrison […]
In a remote Russian mining town, a primary school teacher covertly documents the state’s transformation of classrooms into recruitment grounds for war. Tasked with filming “patriotic education” sessions, he turns the lens on the indoctrination of youth, capturing moments of coerced loyalty and silent dissent. This intimate documentary offers a rare, unfiltered glimpse into the […]
In our politically polarized era, librarians across the US have found their profession under siege as an unprecedented wave of book banning hits Texas, Florida, and beyond. As the crisis escalates, they join forces as unlikely defenders on the frontlines of democracy. Flanked by students and concerned community members, the librarians join ranks to fight […]
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 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 Sonia Manzano, best known as “Maria” on Sesame Street, shares her inspiring journey from childhood in the Bronx to becoming a trailblazing television icon. Through her own words, and with appearances by Stephen Schwartz, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and more, STREET SMART celebrates Manzano’s groundbreaking work as an actress and Emmy-winning writer while exploring […]
WORLD PREMIERE In today’s America, children are taught how to prepare for school shootings through elaborate drills. As children continue to be gunned down in the country, this smart and heartbreaking film takes an acerbic and caustic tone, perhaps aptly fitting the mood of civilians disgusted with politicians who do nothing to change the country’s […]
US PREMIERE With words like “acorn” and “otter” vanishing from a dictionary, Lost for Words begins a lyrical meditation on language, care, and the more-than-human world. Through poetry and acts of conservation like rewilding and path-building, the film asks how naming fosters knowing, caring, and change. With painterly cinematography and evocative soundscapes, this essayistic work […]
NYC PREMIERE A professor leads a history class for a group of incarcerated and non-incarcerated students, revealing the traumatic effects of America’s mass incarceration system while bridging a divide between worlds. – Anita Raswant The first and second screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Eden Wurmfeld. All in-person screening venues provide sound […]
NYC PREMIERE A filmmaker investigates a surreal childhood memory—involving a gym teacher and a large plastic fish—to discover a hidden ally in her growing awareness as a queer woman. – Anita Raswant The first and second screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Drew Dickler. All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones […]