US PREMIERE Demolishing stereotypes while avoiding wrecking their cars, the Speed Sisters are the Middle East’s first all-female race-car team. Demonstrating high-octane talent, and the marketing savvy to draw attention to their camera-friendly lineup, this diverse, engaging group competes in Palestine’s makeshift motor sports circuit across the West Bank, overcoming Israeli checkpoints and restrictive societal […]
WORLD PREMIERE The United Nations’ International Court of Justice resolves international disputes through dialogue rather than warfare. Modeled on the ICJ, the Jessup is a prestigious simulated court competition that offers a sneak peek at the international leaders of the future. All Rise profiles seven passionate international law students, representing Jamaica, India, Palestine, Russia, Israel, Uganda […]
WORLD PREMIERE In the face of disturbing statistics of military veteran suicides and an epidemic of PTSD, it’s undeniable that America’s soldiers are in the midst of a mental health crisis. Through the stories of several struggling vets, Tom Donahue frankly explores why the military was not better prepared for the impact of combat in […]
NYC PREMIERE Sebastiano’s passion is documenting war. But at what cost? His award-winning photographs from Syria and Afghanistan are widely published. His girlfriend, Gessica, who is proud of him, fears for his life constantly and struggles to understand Sebastiano’s drive to work in combat zones. This short documentary is a mixture of compelling verite and […]
Katy Chevigny and Ross Kauffman’s breathtaking film chronicles the dangerous but life- affirming work performed by the Human Rights Watch Emergency Team, or E-Team, a compelling group of intrepid investigators willing to enter hostile territories to document crimes against humanity that might otherwise go unreported. Allowing outside filmmakers to follow them for the first time, […]
NYC PREMIERE Moved by the plight of desperate women in countries with restrictive reproductive rights, Dutch physician Rebecca Gomperts founded Women on Waves, which uses laws governing international waters to bring much-needed abortion and contraceptive services to those with no other recourse. Despite a quagmire of legal, religious, political and logistical obstacles, Gomperts and her […]
2014 VIEWFINDERS COMPETITION WINNER NYC PREMIERE Cairo Drive expertly balances humor, frustration and a distinctive sense of fatalistic irony to offer a view of Egypt unseen in recent documentaries about the Arab Spring. Shot before, during and after the revolution, Sherief Elkatsha’s entertaining film explores Cairo from the street level through the perspectives of its […]
NYC PREMIERE As Israel was fighting to establish a nation in 1948, it was badly wanting for an air force. Using secret means in defiance of the US Neutrality Act, Israel recruited American pilots who had fought in WWII. Above and Beyond recounts this hidden chapter of history, interviewing pilots and making skillful use of […]
People and their animals. A Bedouin sheepherder contemplates moving his family to the city in Faces (Jordan, 16 min., Said Najmi). Herd in Iceland (USA, 28 min., Lindsay Blatt & Paul Taggart) chronicles the annual roundup of the country’s purebred horses, after a summer roaming free. Of Cows and Men (USA, 4 min., Emily Fraser) follows a dairy farmer during difficult […]
NYC PREMIERE Though raised in a Modern Orthodox Jewish New Jersey household, director Anna Wexler rejected religion as a teen, finding friends with similar backgrounds. After they studied in Israel, however, these once-rebellious friends re-committed to their faith, puzzling her in the process. Teaming with Nadja Oertelt, who was raised secular, Anna follows three diverse […]