WORLD PREMIERE Based on Amanda Ripley’s bestselling book, The Smartest Kids in the World follows four American teenagers who go abroad to study in the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland, and South Korea – nations that dramatically outperform the US in education. Filmmaker Tracy Droz Tragos was previously on the DOC NYC Short List with her film […]
High school student and poet, Chasity Hunter, experienced intense flooding in her New Orleans neighborhood during both Hurricane Katrina and recent summer rainstorms. Inspired to find out how safe her city really is, she investigates her city’s infrastructure and questions water experts, finding her own voice along the way.
On Governor’s Island, an ambitious program works to restore once-bountiful oysters and the environmental benefits they bring to New York Harbor. Take Back the Harbor highlights students at a remarkable public high school where environmental stewardship is part of the curriculum. Courtesy of Discovery/Motto Pictures.
NYC PREMIERE While his father serves a prison sentence, Tre, 13, has his own run-ins with the law. Maison, a hyperactive 11-year-old with Asperger’s, is raised by his grandmother while his beloved dad is behind bars. Finally reunited with his mother, six-year-old Dasan must confront the truth behind her time away. This compelling portrait of […]
NYC PREMIERE Nine-year-old Maribel explains to us how it feels to be stricken with the world’s oldest infliction: love.
NYC PREMIERE After losing his mother and four siblings in a bombing that left him permanently injured, Syrian teenager Ibraheem and his father make a new life in Winnipeg despite the heartbreak of leaving their homeland behind. Narrated through his wartime diary, the film follows Ibraheem through his first week of high school in Winnipeg. […]
Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom) tells the story of Fred Rogers, an ordained Presbyterian minister who influenced generations of children via his essential public television program, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Stressing unconditional love and acceptance while speaking honestly with children, the pioneering host and his cast of lovable neighbors and handmade puppets gently […]
Born without legs and growing up in the foster care system, Zion Clark moved from one home to another as he grew up. Floyd Russ’ inspiring portrait reveals how his discovery of wrestling in the second grade provided not only a therapeutic outlet, but a sense of family. Courtesy of Netflix.
Life, animated. Santa Is a Psychedelic Mushroom (USA, 6 min., Matthew Salton) embraces the shamanistic side of Christmas. Music & Clowns (UK, 7 min., Alex Widdowson) are Jamie’s greatest passions. Hiroshima survivor Akiko Takakura receives the spirits of her parents and is haunted by memories during Obon (Germany, 15 min., Andre Hoermann, Anna Samo). A […]
The hopes and dreams of the youngest generation. A nine-year-old explains the feeling of being stricken with the world’s oldest infliction—True Love in Pueblo Texti (Cuba/Spain/USA, 5 min., Horatio Baltz). New Orleans high school student Chasity investigates the safety of her neighborhood, Station 15 (USA, 15 min., Kira Akerman, Sophie Tintori), hard hit by Hurricane […]