2019 SHORT LIST: CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD This extraordinary portrait of African elephants focuses on the matriarch Athena as she leads her extended family on an epic journey in search of water. The sensitive story appeals to all ages with suspense, humor and hope. The stunning cinematography captures a whole ecosystem, from the majestic giant tusked mammals […]
NYC PREMIERE The effects of climate change on Africa’s Sahel region are devastating: desertification, famine, conflict and migration. Yet hope lies in the Great Green Wall, an ambitious reforestation project spanning the continent aimed at revitalizing ecosystems and restoring economies. In this story of resilience and self-determination executive produced by Fernando Meirelles, Malian musician/activist Inna […]
What has happened to the over 2,600 kids separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border under President Trump’s “zero tolerance” family separation policy?
A remote cattle ranching family struggles through calving season during the harsh Montana winter.
WORLD PREMIERE Veteran educator Peter Bergson established the Natural Creativity Center on the outskirts of Philadelphia to offer an alternative to dehumanizing formal education. His unconventional method of “unschooling” favors self-motivation, empowering students to direct their own learning. After 30 years of success with suburban children, Bergson finds his philosophy and methods—and the assumptions they […]
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 […]
In a world where young people aren’t that interested in sex, a young man shares his romantic attachment to a fictional character from his favorite anime show.
In 1963, more than 250,000 students boycotted Chicago’s public schools to protest racial segregation. Combining period footage with reflections from participants, ‘63 Boycott links the past with present-day concerns around inequality in the education system. Courtesy of Kartemquin.
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Alicia has been in the care of the Netherlands Child Welfare Bureau since she was one year old. Rejected, constantly moved and desperate for her mother’s affection, the child grows up in front of the viewer’s eyes in this raw and powerful portrait of institutionalized childhood. A gem of observational cinema, at […]
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE In the aftermath of the infamous Delhi gang rape, one man works to change the way Indian boys view females. Harish and his nonprofit are devoted to educating impoverished male youth like Ved to respect women and girls. Despite the progress the activist makes in combating toxic masculinity, Harish struggles to find […]