America ReFramed - Episode Guide

In 1968, Shirley Chisholm becomes the first black woman elected to Congress. In 1972, she becomes the first black woman to run for president. Shunned by the political establishment, she's supported by a motley crew of blacks, feminists, and young voters. Their campaign-trail adventures are frenzied, fierce and fundamentally right on.

Illustrating the adage that politics is a contact sport, Street Fight gives viewers a ringside seat. This up-close chronicle of the 2002 race for mayor in Newark, New Jersey is riveting with its dramatic account of youthful energy and ideals running headlong into old-guard machine politics and racial charged demagoguery. These opposing forces are, of course, nothing new in American elections. But, in Newark in 2002, a black mayor was using these tactics against a black challenger and fellow Democrat, caused deep rifts among African American leaders across the country.

When nine-year-old Carla suffers a life-threatening accident, her mother, Carmen, must leave her behind and make the dangerous and illegal journey from Bolivia to the U.S., where she hopes to earn enough to save her daughter's life. Working in New York to support Carla's medical needs, Carmen struggles in vain to legalize her immigration status, and wrestles with the prospect of never seeing her daughter again. Then, after six years of separation, Congress proposes "amnesty" legislation that could allow Carmen and Carla to be reunited at last - Filmed across three countries in a captivating cinematic narrative, LA AMERICANA is Carmen's story, and the story of millions of illegal immigrants who must leave their families behind to pursue the elusive American dream.

Madison Park Vocational High School, Boston, Massachusetts. This documentary film chronicles the stories surrounding the players of an inner-city high school basketball team over the course of a potentially historic season. It is as much about the challenges facing inner-city youth and the public school system, as it is about a school's passion for basketball and a coach's devotion to his players. The Madison Park Cardinals are a dysfunctional, but talented high school hoops team, sprung up from the Boston streets and playgrounds. For the players on the team, basketball is oftentimes their escape, their crutch, and their way forward. In the center of this kettle of hope and chaos is Coach Dennis Wilson, a unique hero for our times. A former semi-professional player, philosophizing history teacher and disciplinarian, Coach Wilson chants, harasses and cajoles his charges onto the court and in his classroom as a way to instill lessons that go beyond winning and losing. In the midst of a 19-0 season, on the eve of the state tournament, life for the MP Cardinals, players, coaches, family, and friends, proves to be anything but ordinary. As players struggle to stay in school and on the team, a slew of obstacles oppose them, from poverty to academics, from neighborhood rivalries to city-wide tragedies, they put to trial the team's season motto: "The only team that can beat Madison, is Madison." Before the end of the last whistle and as the team heads into the its' final regular season games and tournament showdowns, MP Pride will be sorely tested.

Passionate Politics is a new one-hour documentary that brings Charlotte's story to life, from idealistic young civil rights activist to lesbian separatist to internationally-recognized leader of a campaign to put women's rights, front and center, on the global human rights agenda. Every step of the way, this is also the story of modern feminist activism, from its' roots in the 1960's struggles for social justice to its' outward-branching connections with campaigns against gender-based violence in other nations, from the 1980's through the present day. A Joyce Warshow Film.

"TRUST is one of those brilliant pieces which remind us what documentary does best: captures small, specific stories which illuminate much broader issues and themes." ~ Huffington Post TRUST begins when Marlin, an 18-year-old Hondureña, shares a hidden history about her childhood with a neighborhood youth theater company. Marlin's story is about resilience: she endured rape as young girl, survived a harsh and difficult journey from Honduras to the U.S., suffered further abuse at the hands of her own brother, and overcame substance addiction. The film captures the amazing response from her fellow actors and the unexpected journey her story takes them on together: they transform Marlin's story into a daring, original play and Marlin re-claims power over the narrative of her life story. TRUST is about creativity and the unexpected resources inside youth who may be discounted because of their youth, race or ethnicity or because they come from under-resourced neighborhoods without access to arts programs.

The Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center: for more than 120 years, Mohawk ironworkers have raised America's modern cityscapes. They are called 'sky walkers' because they walk fearlessly atop steel beams just a foot wide, high above the city. Who are these Mohawk sky walkers? What is their secret for overcoming fear? Has 'sky walking' replaced an ancient rite of passage? Or is it the pure need to adapt in order to survive? And what is their life really like, when every Friday at quitting time, they jump in their cars and make the eight-hour drive up north to their families on the reservation? SKYDANCER is a feature length documentary that takes a provocative look at Indian life in the 21st Century: from the fragile hierarchy on top of the breath-taking steel structures in New York City to life 'on the Rez' where problems like unemployment and crime make it hard to see the pristine beauty of the surrounding lands. The film allows exceptional access to the lives of these ironworkers and in the process offers an intriguingly different perspective on contemporary Native Americans.

MY LOUISIANA LOVE traces a young woman's quest to find a place in her Native American community as it reels from decades of environmental degradation. Monique Verdin returns to Southeast Louisiana to reunite with her Houma Indian family. But soon she sees that her people's traditional way of life is threatened by a cycle of man-made environmental crises. Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil leak are just the latest rounds in this century-old cycle that is forcing Monique's clan to adapt in new ways. Monique must overcome the loss of her house, her father, and her partner - and redefine the meaning of home.

Meat Hooked is part history of butchering but mostly an entertaining look at the current phenomenon of environmentally conscience twenty and thirty-somethings bringing butchering back as a kind of new green color job.

ABUSED: THE POSTVILLE RAID presents the devastating effects of US Enforcement Immigration Policies on communities, families and children. The film tells the gripping personal stories of the individuals, the families and the town (Postville, Iowa) that survived the most brutal, most expensive and largest immigration raid in the history of the United States and serves as a cautionary tale of government abuses. ( CH THIS DESCRIPTION NEEDS TO BE SOFTENED) Description entered in Protrack - ABUSED: THE POSTVILLE RAID looks at the effects of US Enforcement Immigration Policies on communities, families and children. The film tells the gripping personal stories from Postville, Iowa, the site of the most expensive and largest immigration raid in the history of the United States.

The intimate bond between two identical twin brothers is challenged when one decides to transition from male to female; this is the story of their evolving relationship, and the resurrection of their family from a darker past.

90 Miles depicts the heartfelt story of a young Cuban boy and his family's journey into exile. Migrating to Miami in 1980 during the Mariel boatlift, Juan Carlos Zaldívar and his family explore the struggles of exile, and the ambitions and disappointments of starting a new life in America. After his father's dreams were destroyed by the Cuban Revolution, and later defeated by the 'American Dream', Zaldívar struggles to understand his own father. Crossing borders, this film explores crossed family loyalties and cross-cultural turmoil. Despite his struggles, Zaldívar presents his successes of moving to New York to become a filmmaker, and his courage to come out as a gay man. A Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) Co-presentation. A Diverse Voices Project Selection.

In "ALL ME: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert," we see firsthand the depiction of the day-to-day existence of African Americans in the segregated South. The artist relives his turbulent life, abundantly visualized by his extensive paintings and, in a series of intimate reminiscences, shows us how even the most painful memories can be transformed into something meaningful and beautiful. A glowing portrait of how an artist-and his art-is made, "ALL ME" is also a triumphant saga of race in contemporary America.

A young Latino man, William Caballero, juggles unconditional family love with the challenges of breaking the cycle that has kept so many relatives from reaching their dreams. Set against a backdrop of Coney Island and Fayetteville, North Carolina, an NYU graduate student turns the camera on his Puerto Rican-American family plagued by social, medical and public health issues. U.S. health care and culture is examined through this young man's lens, which also explores both his and family's dreams. Many immigrants in the U.S. aspire to achieve the American dream and this Latino family comprised of immigrants to second-generation Americans is no different. As subjective as the barometer of reaching this goal is, the film begs the ultimate question: who attains their American dream?

Susan Retik and Patti Quigley are two ordinary soccer moms living in the affluent suburbs of Boston until tragedy strikes. Rather than turning inwards, grief compels these women to make the courageous journey from their comfortable neighborhoods to the most desperate villages in Afghanistan, where the terrorists who took their husbands' lives were trained. From the ruins of the World Trade Center to those of Kabul and back, theirs is a journey of personal strength and international reconciliation, and a testament to the vision that peace can be forged - one woman at a time.

Portraying the lives of various gay Orthodox Jews who struggle to reconcile their faith and their sexual orientation, this film follows several gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews and includes interviews with rabbis and psychotherapists about Orthodox attitudes towards homosexuality.

After pulling himself out of a drug dealing street life, Puerto Rican-American rapper Hamza Pérez became a Muslim, and moved to Pittsburgh's tough North Side to start a new religious community, rebuild his shattered family and take his message of faith to other young people through hard-hitting hip-hop music. But when the FBI raids his mosque, Hamza must confront the realities of the post-9/11 world, and himself. Produced in association with Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM).

BROTHER OUTSIDER: THE LIFE OF BAYARD RUSTIN (2003) Long before Martin Luther King Jr. rose to national prominence, Rustin was putting his life on the line in pursuit of racial equality. His advocacy of pacifism and Gandhian nonviolence made him a pioneer in the 1940s and, a decade later, an inspiration to King. But he was also a political liability, and eventually the civil rights movement shunned him, because he was gay. Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times wrote that this film by Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer "moves through the complications of Rustin's life - a black man who stayed out of the spotlight because he knew his homosexuality would cost the movement mainstream credibility - like a lunar cycle, tracking all of the turbulence around him and the power of his own gravitational pull.

After Happily Ever After is Emmy winning filmmaker Kate Schermerhorn's quirky, funny and moving personal quest for the secret to a happy marriage and for answers to some timely questions about an institution which might just be due for some review. This engaging doc features an eclectic mix of long married couples - from a couple who dress alike every day; to a pair of nudists and a newlywed pair of mothers, to a feisty English widow. A lively and world-renowned group of marriage experts - including psychologist John Gottman (who can predict divorce with 90% accuracy), marriage historian Stephanie Coontz, and a Beverly Hills divorce attorney, ground the film in fact as they piece together the history and possible future and motivations for marriage. Along the way, Schermerhorn chronicles the joys and heartbreaks of her own marriage and finds that even the best advice can't always guarantee a happily ever after.

Several months after documentarian Doug Block's mother dies, his father announces that he plans to sell the family's Long Island, N.Y., home and move to Florida with his former secretary, Carol "Kitty" Duffy. Though Doug always believed his parents had a happy marriage, his father's sudden decision makes him wonder if their relationship was more complicated than he realized. In the weeks before his father moves, Doug interviews family and friends to learn more about his parents.

In this two part documentary, master storyteller Jennifer Fox lays bare her own turbulent life to penetrate what it means to be a free woman today. As her drama of work and relationships unfolds over four years, our protagonist travels to over seventeen countries to understand how diverse women define their lives when there is no map. Employing an ingenious new camera technique, called "passing the camera", Fox creates a documentary language that mirrors the special way women communicate. Over intimate conversations around kitchen tables from South Africa to Russia, India and Pakistan, she initiates a groundbreaking dialogue among women, illuminating universal concerns across race, class and nationality.

In this two part documentary, master storyteller Jennifer Fox lays bare her own turbulent life to penetrate what it means to be a free woman today. As her drama of work and relationships unfolds over four years, our protagonist travels to over seventeen countries to understand how diverse women define their lives when there is no map. Employing an ingenious new camera technique, called "passing the camera", Fox creates a documentary language that mirrors the special way women communicate. Over intimate conversations around kitchen tables from South Africa to Russia, India and Pakistan, she initiates a groundbreaking dialogue among women, illuminating universal concerns across race, class and nationality.

This program captures the journey of legendary master teacher Robert Cazimero and the only all-male hula school in Hawai'i as they prepare to compete at the world's largest hula festival. Beyond deep-rooted stereotypes of "grass-skirt girls," the film tells a story of Hawaiian pride as the men celebrate their 30th anniversary in continuing the revival of men dancing hula.

Mental illness is a topic rife with stereotypes and misunderstanding. Made with depth and compassion, West 47th Street is an intimate cinéma vérité portrait of four people struggling to recover from serious mental illness. They've all come to Fountain House, a renowned rehabilitation center in New York City's Hell's Kitchen. Over three years, the film follows its subjects as they deal with drug regimens, health issues, group homes and work programs with courage and humor.

In this intimate portrait, several dwarfs who appeared in Jan Krawitz and Thomas Ott's 1982 film Little People welcome the camera into their lives once again. Through a prism of "then and now," the characters in the film confront physical and emotional challenges with humor, grace, and sometimes, frustration.

FOLLOW THE LEADER is a political coming-of-age documentary about three boys who want to be President. Over three life-changing years, each rethinks his beliefs and discovers who he truly wants to be as an adult.

Building Babel follows a year in the life of Sharif El-Gamal, the developer of Park51, the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque," a Muslim-led community center two blocks from the World Trade Center. With unlimited access to his life at home and in the office, the film paints a portrait of a Muslim-American businessman up against impossible odds.

Legendary radio personality Bob Fass revolutionized late night FM radio by serving as a cultural hub for music, politics and audience participation for nearly 50 years. Long before today's innovations in social media, Fass utilized the airwaves for mobilization encouraging luminaries and ordinary listeners to talk openly and take the program in surprising directions. Fass and his committed group of friends, peers and listeners proved time and time again through massive, planned meetups and other similar events that radio was not a solitary experience but rather a platform to unite communities of like-minded, or even just open-minded, individuals without the dependence on large-scale corporate backing.

The Medicine Game shares the remarkable journey of two brothers from the Onondaga Nation driven by a single goal; to beat the odds and play lacrosse for national powerhouse Syracuse University. The obstacles in their way are both frequent and daunting. In their darkest hour, and with their dreams crumbling around them, the boys must look to their family and to their Native teachings for guidance and stability. It is their search for identity that transitions The Medicine Game from a playful coming of age story, into an important study of modern Native American life. The film follows their story over the next six years as they struggle to rebuild their friendship, rescue a fading childhood dream, and gain a more resolute understanding of their identity and culture, both as athletes and the next generation of the Onondaga people.

The New Public follows the lives of the ambitious educators and lively students of Bed Stuy's new Brooklyn Community Arts and Media High School (BCAM) over the course of the founding year, with the filmmakers returning three years later to again document the senior year of that first graduating class. Beginning in August 2006, just days before BCAM will open its doors for the first time, Dr. James O'Brien, former D.J. and point guard turned first-time principal, and his faculty of eight, take to the streets in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn to recruit students. Their enthusiasm is infectious and enticing: strong support for the individual student, a rigorous academic curriculum and unconventional arts electives taught by local artists. While at first running smoothly, as months go by, conflicts arise, and by the end of freshman year, the school's idealistic vision is addressing some issues, but aggravating others.

At a time when the world is rethinking its drug policies large and small, one state rises to the forefront. Once a pioneer in legalizing medical marijuana, the state of Montana may now become the first to repeal its medical marijuana law.

Once known as the "California Riviera," the Salton Sea is now called one of America's worst ecological disasters: a fetid, stagnant, salty lake, that coughs up dead fish and birds by the thousands in frequent die-offs that occur. However, amongst the ruins of this man-made mistake, a few remaining eccentrics (a roadside nudist, a religious folk artist, a Hungarian revolutionary, and real estate speculators) struggle to keep a remodeled version of the original Salton Sea dream alive.

On call 24 hours a day for the past five years, a group of senior citizens has made history by greeting nearly 800,000 American troops at a tiny airport in Bangor, Maine. A deeply moving film about life and how to live it, The Way We Get By offers an intimate look at three of these greeters as they confront the universal losses that come with aging and rediscover their reason for living.

My Brooklyn: As a Brooklyn gentrifier, My Brooklyn director Kelly Anderson journeys to understand the forces reshaping her neighborhood. A bustling African-American and Caribbean commercial district, The Fulton Mall, is the third most profitable shopping area in New York City yet it is maligned for its inability to appeal to the affluent residents who have come to live around it. Fate of a Salesman In its 60th year of business, Men's Fashion Center in Washington, D.C. is at the brink of closure, up against a difficult economy and rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. Salesman Willie Carswell, a Vietnam veteran and recovering alcoholic, is confronted with the fight of his life as he, owner Jerry and his fellow salesmen attempt to keep the doors of the store open.

In the small lobster village of Prospect Harbor, Maine, the closing of the last remaining Sardine Cannery in the United States was in April 2010. A few months later, Boston-based entrepreneur Antonio Bussone purchased the plant in hopes of re-building a lobster processing facility. He also planned on rehiring the laid-off sardine workers, most of whom are women over 65 years old.

It began as a housing marvel. Two decades later, it ended in rubble. But what happened to those caught in between? The Pruitt-Igoe Myth tells the story of the transformation of the American city in the decades after World War II, through the lens of the infamous Pruitt-Igoe housing development and the St. Louis residents who called it home.

Growing up in the ghettos of Philadelphia, filmmaker André Robert Lee's mother struggled to support him and his sister by putting strings in the waistbands of track pants and swimsuits in a local factory. When André turned 14 years old, he received what his family believed to be the golden ticket, a full scholarship to attend one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country. Elite education was André's way up and out, but at what price? The tuition was covered but this new world cost him and his family much more than anyone could have anticipated.

Taking the viewer into the taxi seat to experience accidents, blizzards, and the late night streets of New York City, Drivers Wanted reveals the impossibly eclectic community inhabiting a taxi garage in Queens, New York. Each day, a million New Yorkers depend on the anonymous faces behind the wheels, the men who tirelessly drive the city that doesn't sleep.

LuLu is unlike anyone you've ever met: A hard-living, chain-smoking rebel with a tender heart. A former cheerleader and current poet with a potty mouth. And a world-class cancer researcher and beloved professor. Dr. Louise Nutter, or LuLu, has just discovered a new anti-cancer drug when she finds out that she is dying of breast cancer at the age of 42. Filmed during the final 15 months of her life, The LuLu Sessions is a raw yet humorous story about filmmaker S. Casper Wong showing up for her best friend (and ex-something) while testing the limits of their bond and taking on life's ultimate adventure.

Eighty percent of women in US prisons today are mothers of school-age children. Many a parent would find it difficult to be away from their child for a day, or even a week. But imagine being separated for ten to twenty years? Filmed over four years at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, Jenifer McShane's Mothers of Bedford explores the effects of a long-term prison sentence on the relationship between a mother and child.

Casting an unflinching eye at two Tea Party activists, Town Hall follows Katy and John from the battleground state of Pennsylvania who believe America's salvation lies in a return to true conservative values. The film is more than a political treatise but a tone poem that immerses the viewer in Katy and John's world, painting a portrait of the fears of those who believe they will be left behind by a nation's transition.

On November 8, 2008 in a Long Island town, Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero was fatally stabbed by a group of teenagers cruising the streets "beaner–hopping" (a term used to describe the ritual of attacking Latinos for sport). Jeffery Conroy, a popular high school athlete, is sentenced to 25 years for a hate crime while the others get 5-to-8 years. The local government, press and community agree that the problem is solved and justice has been served. All is well again...or so it seems.

Descendants of emancipated slaves who settled on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the residents of Turkey Creek have been stewards of the creek's rich wetland habitat for generations. Today, the town is surrounded by an airport, big-box stores, highways and an industrial canal which threatens both the community and its wetlands. When the graves of Derrick Evans's ancestors are bulldozed for the sprawling city of Gulfport, the Boston teacher returns home to stand up to powerful corporate interests and politicians alongside his neighbors over the course of a decade.

Rachel is mysterious, funny, difficult and full of contradictions but she wants what most people her age want -- to move out of her mother's house. This dream of independence seems impossible. Rachel, who is developmentally disabled, can't be left alone and the social services needed for her to live an "adult life" are unavailable.

The story of a year's time at Dignity Harbor; one of three homeless encampments along the Mississippi River in the downtown area of St. Louis, north of the Arch. They must survive living in the cold of the harsh winter, but as temperatures drop and tempers rise, the camp members are challenged with living together. All of this while the city looms over, waiting for a chance to move them out.

In May 2003, Fox Company of Marine Reserve Unit 2/23 returned home from combat on the front line in Iraq. Reserved To Fight follows four Marines of Fox Company through their post-war minefield of social and psychological reintegration into civilian life. The return home and into their communities proves as formidable a battle as the more literal firefights of previous months.

On an early autumn afternoon, gay teen Zack Harrington killed himself with a gunshot to the head in his parent's ranch in Norman, Oklahoma. One week earlier, Zack allegedly attended a local city council meeting in support of a proposal for LGBTQ History Month. When the floor opened up for public comment, some community members made highly controversial statements equating being gay with the spread of diseases such as HIV and AIDS.

Leaving politics aside, Rodrigo Reyes looks anew at the brutal beauty of the U.S./Mexico border and the people caught in its spell. The evocative Dantesque essay film reimagines the border as a mythical place exploring the vulnerability of the human soul, the violence man creates and the destruction left in its wake. The film opens with Reyes' own words: "Close your eyes. Try to imagine what the world was like, many, many years ago. Try to imagine when borders did not exist." His invitation is for us to think about a world where time, wonder and mystery converge seamlessly. He continues, "And then we arrived." Later, as the camera sweeps across an endless expanse of desert, Reyes adds, "We tore it apart into a thousand pieces. And in the madness that followed, we discovered violence, hate, and finally, separation." In the auteur tradition of caméra-stylo, Purgatorio captures a stunning mosaic of compelling characters, empty edifices and stark landscapes along the border to deliver a haunting meditation and visceral experience. Exposing both the flaws of human nature and the incongruities of the modern world, the filmmaker reflects on questions that are impossible to answer. Reyes' epic film transforms a treacherous reality into a fable of humanity.

Choreographer Allison Orr finds beauty and grace in garbage trucks, and in the invisible men and women who pick up our trash. Following a rich and long trajectory of modern dance artists, Orr's experiment in dance and social practice celebrates the humanity and dignity of professional sanitation workers. "It's about me setting up the possibility for people to show themselves to folks they may never ever see again in their lives, in a really personal way…and, for people to leave feeling more connected to each other," says Orr. Sanitation workers are a part of a cadre of civil service employees who receive little recognition and yet their work is more than "just a job." They perform a duty that is integral to the health and well-being of the community. Among these sanitation workers we meet intrepid moms, dedicated single fathers, sports coaches, day care providers and youth ministers. For nearly a year, filmmaker Andrew Garrison follows Orr as she rides along with Austin sanitation workers on their daily routes to observe and understand the job and its functions. She studies the process and movement it requires and along the way makes friends and honors their individuality and humanity. Both the film (Trash Dance) and the dance project culminate on a dark, rainy night on an abandoned airport runway where two dozen trash collectors and their trucks deliver — for one night only — a stunningly beautiful and moving performance, before an audience of thousands, who are awed to discover the spirit and beauty in the people who make a garbage truck "dance."

Seven years in the making, this award-winning documentary takes viewers on an intimate journey into the lives of three refugees who now call America home. American Heart, the feature documentary debut from Chris Newberry, centers on a remarkable health clinic tucked away in St. Paul, Minnesota, which serves as a crossroads for these chronically ill refugees and their devoted doctors. In the opening scenes we hear a beeping monitor and see the jagged lines across a heart monitor, and a smiley-face get-well balloon. The patient is Alex Gliptis, an Ethiopian refugee suffering from PTSD, diabetes and HIV, who has a burning desire to go back to Africa. Alex tells us that sometimes it's kind of a dream that he is really in the United States. He tells us about his depression, sleeping disorder and about his medications. Yet, he still has bad dreams about the past and that in some ways he can't really believe that he got out. Throughout the course of the film, we also meet Thor Lem, a former political prisoner from Cambodia who survived the killing fields, but is dying from liver cancer. Patrick Junior, a member of an oppressed ethnic minority in Burma is the writer of over 200 songs, many of them religious and uplifting. He loves to sleep with his guitar. The health care challenges they face are daunting, made more complicated by the trauma they carry from the past. Despite failing health and life-threatening health emergencies our protagonists lead remarkable lives; their outlook and trajectories surprising even to their doctors.

In the quiet, bucolic Patagonian countryside in the town of Bahia Murta with 587 inhabitants we meet Eraldo Pacheco, a thoughtful man who has recently arrived at a momentous decision. "Things are worse here than ever," Eraldo tells his father and family as he announces his plan to move to the United States to fulfill a three-year contract tending sheep almost 6,000 miles away in rural Idaho. In this observational documentary of impressive beauty and painterly cinematic images the imbalance of economic forces is seen in high relief. With poetic subtlety the film speaks to the economic fragility of these remote and rural communities in South America as well as the precarious and fickle agricultural economy up north. Once in Salt Lake City, Utah, we meet Jhonny Qispe, from Peru, who also made the trek up north and who also left a wife and two children behind. Peaceful, meditative scenes envelop the viewer – vast desert, steep mountains, winter's terrain and thousands of sheep belie the angst of the economic woes that cause a separation between a man and his beloved, his elders, his children, and the spiritual majesty of his homeland. Jhonny is also deeply invested in being a provider for his family. But what might seem like a pastoral, nomadic life is a lonely and tough existence. While Eraldo is up north, he continues to fret about not being in Chile tending to his family, especially his elderly parents. Did he make the right choice?

According to the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, the desegregation of U.S. public schools peaked in the '80s, but since then, schools have become even more segregated. Our Mockingbird highlights the transformational experiences of teens from two extraordinarily different high schools in Birmingham, Alabama -- one all black and one all white -- who collaborate on a production of the play, "To Kill a Mockingbird." The film weaves commentary from an array of notables including journalist Katie Couric; Congressman John Lewis; Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree; Former U.S. Attorney Douglas Jones (prosecutor of 16th Street Baptist Church bombing); Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Rick Bragg; Pulitzer Prize winning author, Diane McWhorter, as well as actors from the 1962 film and others who reflect on the legacy of Harper Lee's prescient novel and a timeless line from her central character, Atticus Finch, who said: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

Set upon building a new school, the city of New Haven claims eminent domain over the Upper Hill neighborhood. While the city argues the building of the new school corresponds to a need for better school facilities, the residents of the area, mostly struggling low-income African-American families, say the decision corresponds to the city's determination to sanitize the neighborhood in the proximity of the Yale-New Haven Hospital. Together with the help of community leaders and a civil rights lawyer, the unlikely group of neighbors decides to contest the city's claim and take the case to federal court. The Hill is a fascinating look at the complex issues surrounding urban planning, gentrification and economic renewal.

New Orleans, Louisiana is one of the "murder capitals" of the United States. For the last decade, statistics have shown murder rates four to six times higher than the national average. Eighty percent of the victims are black males, mostly in their teenage years. Shell Shocked starts at the surface of New Orleans' teen murder epidemic and delves into the hearts and minds of those whose lives are most deeply impacted -- the youths who live in fear of violence, the parents who grieve a loss they will never fully transcend, and the mentors and officials who are dedicated to touching, and perhaps saving, one life at a time. Topically, the film will lay out the big picture of a city plagued by murder and violence; it will describe, in simplified terms, how children's lives are shaped by family, schools, poverty, and a stressed criminal justice system; and, finally, it will present solutions related to individual, community, and administrative choices.

What if our last act could be a gift to the planet? Determined that his final resting place will benefit the earth, musician, psychiatrist, and folk dancer Clark Wang prepares for his own green burial while battling lymphoma. Clark and his partner Jane, boldly facing his mortality, embrace the planning of a spiritually meaningful funeral and join with a compassionate local cemetarian to use green burial to save a North Carolina woods from being clear-cut. With poignancy and unexpected humor, A Will for the Woods portrays the last days of a multifaceted advocate – and one community's role in the genesis of a revolutionary movement. As the film follows Clark's dream of leaving a legacy in harmony with timeless cycles, environmentalism takes on a profound intimacy.

What would you do if you started to disappear? On the first day of shooting the documentary, Laury Sacks, the film's subject, faces the camera and squarely asks: "What do I hope for?" At the age of 45, Laury, an ebullient actress and the doting mother of two small children, had a reputation as the quickest wit in the room. At the age of 46, she began forgetting words. Soon she could barely speak. For one year, filmmakers Pamela Hogan and Connie Shulman follow Laury in her long, inexorable descent to fronto-temporal dementia, a little-understood disease that strikes people in the prime of life. It is the profoundly personal portrait of a woman who is facing the unthinkable and the impact her progressive disease has on loved ones. Following the television broadcast premiere, host Natasha Del Toro discusses the impact on caregivers for those suffering from dementia with Nicole McGurin, Alzheimer's Association, MA/NH Chapter.

Dionicia Martinez and her teenage son, José Luis, have gambled their futures on the hardscrabble sport of horse racing. While gamblers make long-shot bets in the hopes of winning big, Dionicia, much like 11 million undocumented immigrants in America, stakes her life on finding a way out of poverty. In fact, she lives in the stables at a California racetrack and works long hours caring for racehorses while José Luis is turning heads as a hotshot apprentice jockey. Dionicia dreams of bringing her two sons who remain in Mexico to join her in the U.S. But with the racetrack closing and her future uncertain, Dionicia must rethink her family's chances of finding a stable life.

Learning to Swallow is an intimate portrait of a resilient young woman, Patsy Desmond. A charismatic, emerging artist, the "it girl" seemingly had it all: admiring friends and lovers, a prestigious work assignment with an internationally renowned artist in New York City and the potential to successfully realize her dreams. And in spite of this, Patsy struggled with bipolar disorder too. A failed suicide attempt leaves Patsy unable to swallow and for the remainder of her life must receive sustenance through a food tube. Over four rocky years, Patsy struggles to accept her physical condition and learns to deal with the life she now faces: recovery and healing. Her inability to eat and her emotional state transform her artistic voice in the process. Filmmaker Danielle Beverly captures Patsy's raw honesty and wit even as she becomes increasingly frail. However, by the end of the film, hope and an undying spirit prevail. Patsy renews her pact with art and life.

Yellow Fever follows Tina Garnanez, a Navajo veteran returning from duty with the U.S. Army who realizes that her home on the Navajo Reservation has become a battleground in a protracted war over nuclear proliferation. As she seeks to learn about her own family history and its relationship to the uranium mines, we witness her evolution from curious family member to environmental justice activist. While examining the positive and negative externalities of nuclear power and the impact of historical and long-term uranium mining on the Navajo Nation, she arrives at her own conclusions. In an effort to advocate against further contamination of Navajo land, Tina aligns herself with a group of Navajo grandmothers and heads to Washington, D.C. With the elders, she lobbies Congress, and thereby the nation, for the creation of new frameworks for a just and equitable energy policy.

A father's duty is to provide the necessities of life and protection for his family. In the Colvard family, however, this sacred trust was violated and the crime was particularly heinous. Chico Colvard's three sisters survived severe emotional and physical abuse and repeated rape at the hands of their father. At 10 years old, Chico accidentally triggered a series of events that uncovered this evil secret and 30 years later, armed with his camera, he seeks to understand how his father has manipulated and controlled an entire family for life, and to explore the depth of his sisters' capacity to forgive.

Four incarcerated women Shirley, Carlene, Tanya and Ruby were beaten, raped, sold, abused, and nearly killed by their husbands. Collectively, they spent over eighty-five years in Missouri State prison each serving life sentences, convicted for having killed their husbands to save their lives. Through the years, the local press vilified these women, portraying them all as savage murderers without any knowledge of the ongoing abuse they suffered. With the help of impassioned lawyers and law students from the Missouri Battered Women's Coalition they begin a decade and a half long quest to secure their freedom. But will the judicial system and a notoriously secretive Missouri parole board give them a chance to renew their lives?

Hanna Ranch is a feature documentary about a visionary and charismatic cattleman, Kirk Hanna. Part eulogy and part love letter, we learn about Hanna through the memories and intimate anecdotes from family members, colleagues and friends. Hanna Ranch was built in the 1940s by Kirk Hanna's father and grandfather, who came from New Mexico and chose the Colorado site for its proximity to Fountain Creek, which runs through it. With 2.65 miles of stream coursing through the property, Hanna Ranch protects important floodplain and upland habitats with essential plant communities and associated wildlife to help it thrive. Featured in the book "Fast Food Nation" and dubbed the "eco-cowboy," Hanna was an early adopter of Holistic Resource Management practices, sat on numerous environmental boards and was president of the Colorado Cattleman's Association. Hanna became a leader in the environmental ranching movement that set out to protect the West from the relentless encroachment of development and misuse. Hanna's opinion was so widely sought and respected that some believed he could run for governor of Colorado. But when his dream of harmony and sustainability ran up against the reality of family conflict and mounting threats to the land, Hanna lost hope.

What lies beyond the art of giving and receiving? In Perfect Strangers we meet Ellie, a kind-hearted masseuse, who decides she wants to share the gift of life with a stranger who has posted online that she needs a kidney. More than 98,000 people in the United States are waiting for a new kidney. Tragically, one-third of them will die before a kidney from a deceased donor becomes available. Five hundred miles away, Kathy endures nightly dialysis and loses hope of receiving a transplant until she hears from Ellie. They meet and form a deep and genuine friendship. Over the course of four years, however, both women face unexpected challenges. As their parallel journeys unfold, the film raises questions about what motivates an individual to perform an extreme act of compassion. When we learn that Kathy's body would reject Ellie's kidney, we become disheartened along with them. Ellie firm in her commitment to gift a kidney, explores new and even anonymous options. She is open to all possibilities as long as her kidney does not "go to Dick Cheney," she says half-jokingly.

Much more than an urban pastime, 9-Man is a competitive Chinese-American sport with roots that trace back to the Toisan* region of Guangdong province. In North America, the game was a way for Chinese workers to escape the drudgery of menial labor during an era of extreme discrimination. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 -- the first U.S. immigration law targeting a single ethnic group -- constrained the formation of Chinese families, effectively creating Chinatown "bachelor societies" where men outnumbered women by huge ratios. In the 1930's, a traveling 9-Man tournament emerged, and helped create fraternity within a community plagued by unjust stereotypes of Asian masculinity. Today, 9-Man provides a lasting connection to culture and community pride for men that know a different, more integrated America. Following several teams over the course of one season, 9-Man captures the spirit of 9-Man as teams prepare for battle on gritty asphalt streets and oil-spotted Chinatown parking lots throughout North America and fight for the championship in Boston. While the elders question how to pass the torch, the next generation struggles with maintaining tradition in gentrified urban centers while the community becomes increasingly multi-ethnic. What does the future hold for this streetball battle?

Teshya Alo is 16 years old and weighs 125 pounds. But on the judo and wrestling mats, she throws women twice her age and many pounds heavier. And she beats boys. Now she has her sights set on taking gold at both the judo and wrestling world championships. If she does, she'd be the first and youngest athlete ever to win world championships in two different sports in the same year. But it won't be easy. Teshya lives in Hawai'i and the cost to travel to mainland tournaments drains her family's resources. She's a student at Kamehameha Schools and she's going through puberty. Winning Girl follows the four-year journey of this part-Polynesian teenage judo and wrestling phenomenon from Hawai'i, and in doing so tells the dynamic story of an elite athlete on her ascent, a girl facing the challenges of growing up, and an entire family dedicated to a single dream.

Born in a refugee camp in Cambodia, poet Kosal Khiev was lucky to escape the war-torn country before he was two years old. Granted asylum, Khiev grew up in the U.S. with his mother and siblings. By the age of 16, he was convicted of attempted murder and spent the next 14 years in jail — including 18 months of solitary confinement in the New Folsom State Prison in California. Fatefully, during his time in solitary Khiev experienced a breakthrough that forged his path to freedom. In jail, he found writing and spoken-word mentors and upon release became a student/participant in the inaugural class of "The Actors' Gang" led by Artistic Director and Founder Tim Robbins. As a refugee with permanent resident status but no citizenship in the U.S., however, Khiev was deported to Cambodia, a country he's never known. "How do you survive when you belong nowhere?" The documentary follows a year in the life of Khiev, while he navigates his new fame as Phnom Penh's premiere poet and receives the most important invitation of his career—to represent the Kingdom of Cambodia at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Later he visits France for the first time where his life comes full circle and he faces a past he never dreamed of.

In Narragansett, Rhode Island, Zachary was having the time of his life—surfing on the beach, enjoying bonfires with friends until the night he and best friend, Timmy, got into an accident. Zachary was rushed off to the hospital. Timmy didn't make it. After being hospitalized for 6 months and overcoming feelings of guilt, Zack realized that he was going to be in a chair for the rest of his life. Zack doesn't see himself as disabled and says that some of the coolest and most interesting people he knows are in chairs. So in the summer of 2012, Zack, along with his best friends Will, Tripp and Harvey, retrofit a vehicle for a cross-country trip in search of inspiration. Along the way they meet practitioners of the adaptive sports movement, where differently abled persons rock climb, swim competitively, play soccer and more. They also meet pioneers like Kirk Bauer, founder of Disabled Sports USA. He, with a group of war veterans, created the organization in 1967 to encourage persons like themselves to live full, integrated lives. From rehabilitation patients to Paralympic athletes, Endless Abilities captures the spirit of resilient people who defy being defined by their physical disability. Ultimately, Zack and his friends, learn that sports really are a great equalizer, unifying people of all abilities who rise to full potential on the playing field.

If You Build It follows designers-educators-activists Emily Pilloton and Matthew Miller, to Bertie County, the poorest in North Carolina. Their goal is to offer a compelling and hopeful vision for a new kind of classroom in which students learn how to use the tools of design to build their own futures. Living on credit and grant money, Emily and Matthew work doggedly to persuade a reticent school board to invest in them in the wake of a failed investment to renovate a school that now sits abandoned and vandalized. Determined to prove their model works, they successfully engage teenagers like Stevie, who tends to his family's farm, along with other members of the high school class. The parents of these teens are hopeful they can be engaged to use their minds and intellectual faculties to achieve gainful employment and a bright future someday. The town is concerned not only about the continual brain-drain but about the future viability of Bertie County itself.

Where God Likes To Be focuses on three young protagonists full of hope and promise - Andrea Running Wolf, Edward Tailfeathers, and Douglas Fitzgerald - following them over the course of a summer that marks a turning point in all of their lives. Each grapples with whether to leave and pursue opportunities far from home, or stay behind with friends and family potentially struggling with limited opportunity and marginalization. Edward is looking for work but doesn't even get a call back from national stores and fast food chains. He wonders if this has anything to do with his last name, Tailfeathers, and if employers are not willing to work with Native Americans due to the stereotypes that are attached to them. He relieves his frustration by playing loud metal music with his band "Nothing Survives" in a friend's garage. In the intimacy of his bedroom, time stands still as he strums his guitar and sings a love song. Andi, a young woman who graduated high school with honors, is on her way to the University of Montana in Missoula, taking with her lots of photos of family and friends as well as her favorite poster of Sitting Bull. This is her first time away from home and she anxiously sits on the train not knowing what to expect. Once at her University dorm she soon feels lonely and out of place. When she returns to the reservation again after her first months away she visits her grandfather's grave and realizes how deep her connection to her home and her ancestry really is. Doug struggles to make a living on the reservation but vows never to leave his home. He is proud to be a true cowboy and an Indian. A young family man, living in a small house with his wife, his baby daughter and his siblings, mother and grandfather, he worries that families on the reservation today are not teaching their kids about their ancestors and connection to the land which nurtures their identity, as well as their native language and culture.

By the River of Babylon takes us into the unique culture and environment of South Louisiana below the Mississippi River: a habitat that gave rise to Cajun and Creole music, food, and culture, and one that is disappearing at an alarming rate. With compelling footage and expert commentary from Bob Marshall, a New Orleans Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, among others, the film weaves this sad story into a fabric of famed but decaying dance halls and the musical habitat they represented. Riveting archival performances by Zydeco heavyweights Clifton Chenier and Beau Jocque, and Cajun and Swamp Pop artists like Nathan Abshire and Tommy McLain, are juxtaposed by thorough and thoughtful explanations of the man-made triggers that may eventually drown the entire area: the seventy-year effort to levee and control the entire river by the corps of engineers, and the rapacious dredging of the swamps for commercial transportation and oil and gas exploration and pipelines. Louisiana, a major source of energy for the nation, is being destroyed bit by bit, and the region's eco-system and marshland subside further and further each and every year. In addition to a deep and personal connection to the region, the filmmakers credit Mike Tidwell's book, "Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun Coast" as a major source of inspiration for making this filmic journey.

Gender identity issues often appear in early childhood. Some kids, feel they were born in the wrong body and this belief creates conflict in how they view and define themselves. Once a young person makes up his or her mind to embark on a gender transition, both parents and the teenager face questions and daunting challenges that they would have never imagined. Tony Ferraiolo knows this from experience. As an adult, he successfully transitioned from being female to male. Now a Certified Life Coach and Transgender Youth Advocate in New Haven, CT, we watch Tony in his role as educator and activist, guiding children as young as 8 and their parents, through the arduous journey. Tony thoughtfully acknowledges the complicated dynamics of transitioning from multiple perspectives, and he creates safe spaces and support groups for teens and their families. Formerly identifying as a lesbian, Tony comes to terms with the complexities of his own life as a female-to-male transgender person. He honors the little girl that he was and tattoos an image of her on his arm. He also muses about love, friendship and self-determination.

With humor and candor, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT celebrates the bold and brave lives of active gay senior citizens who have witnessed unbelievable change in their lifetimes: from the Stonewall Riots and gay liberation to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and gay marriage rights. The film introduces us to Dennis, a gentle-hearted widower in his 70s who explores his sexual identity and fondness for dressing in women's clothing under the name "Dee," and becomes a resident at Rainbow Vista, a gay retirement community outside of Portland, Oregon. In Harlem, New York, we meet Ty, an impassioned activist for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights, who hears nothing but wedding bells once gay marriage legislation passes in New York; and, Robert, known as "The Mouth," who was born and reared in Houston, Texas. The son of a Southern Baptist preacher, Robert always knew he was a "sissy." But in Galveston, Texas, he is a feisty bar owner who presses on when his neighborhood institution is threatened. Born before the modern gay rights movement, Dennis, Ty and Robert have become pioneers in an unprecedented "out" generation of elders. They are also among the estimated 2.4 million LGBT Americans over the age of 55. While some gay Americans adhered to the cultural norms of earlier times, others became activists and made it their mission to live out, loud and proud. Each has faced discrimination, neglect and exclusion.

In a classic tale of two cities, OLD SOUTH delivers a quiet yet emotionally charged portrait of two communities living on one block. Steeped in history – one black, one white – each strives to keep their respective legacies relevant in a changing American South.

"Why is being an Arab suddenly the opposite of being a decent man?" Throughout AMERICAN ARAB, Iraqi-American Director Usama Alshaibi explores what it's like to occupy the ‘space in between' as a hyphenated American, specifically of Arab origin, during the surge of anti-Muslim sentiment that arose in post 9/11 America.

THE MOSQUE IN MORGANTOWN is an observational documentary that follows Asra Nomani's early activism and backlash within her W. Virginia mosque, telling a story about competing paths to social change, American identity and the nature of religion itself. Though not always politically correct, the film reveals a truth that may surprise many Americans.

In March 2005, an FBI document leaked to the press mysteriously identified Adama Bah, a 16-year-old teenager from Harlem, NY, as an "imminent threat to the security of the United States." ADAMA provides a timely perspective on the experiences of American Muslims at a time when their religion is being equated, by some, with violence and terror.

Focusing on what is known as "The Newark Riots," REVOLUTION '67 reveals how a spontaneous revolt against poverty and police brutality ended as a fateful milestone in urban America's struggles over race and economic justice. The film also provides a historical framework to contextualize recent events in Ferguson, MO and Baltimore, MD.

The personal is political. "BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez" is a portrait of the artist, revealing her uncompromising life as she raised her voice in the name of black culture, civil rights, women's liberation, and world peace. The film captures Sanchez's commitment to cultural specificity while connecting history and humanities to the mainstream.

DIVIDE IN CONCORD is an engaging tale about a contemporary debate: individual freedom vs. collective responsibility, and how this relates to American democracy. Driving the debate is a fiery 84-year-old grandmother, who presents a bylaw to ban the sale of single-serve plastic water bottles. But can one person take on the bottled water industry?

How strong is a woman's desire to be a mother? After marrying the woman of her dreams, Lexy and wife Jessica set out to start a family. The couple spend their life savings on getting pregnant but it turns out to be more difficult than anticipated. ROMEO ROMEO is an intimate portrait of a modern marriage and the struggle with infertility.

Hot dogs and apple pie are not merely symbols of the American Dream. In DOG DAYS, they are the things those dreams are made of - literally. This story unfolds through the working relationship between Coite, who risks his capital to embark on a new food business, and single mother Siyone, a food vendor from Eritrea dreaming of freedom.

At the Arctic edge of America, Native Alaskan teenagers strive to be both modern American kids, and the inheritors of an ancient whaling culture, language and tradition. CHILDREN OF THE ARCTIC is a year-in-the-life portrait of Native youth coming of age in Barrow, Alaska, and the decisions they have to make about their futures.

In Missouri, farmer and social innovator Marcin Jakubowski's Global Village Construction Set provides free blueprints to fabricate everything needed for a self-sustaining village. While in New Orleans, Nat Turner teaches kids how to work the land, but has limited resources and broken equipment. If these two men meet might they be able to make real change?

A personal story about the struggle to achieve social, economic and environmental change during the worst recession in a generation, CITY OF TREES captures the tension-filled last six months of a two-year grant cycle for Washington D.C.'s nonprofit organization Washington Parks & People, and the close-out of a $2.7 million stimulus grant.

Over seven years, IN AN IDEAL WORLD follows three men in CA's Soledad prison — John, a white separatist murderer, Sam, a black ex-gang member and Ben, a warden. Challenged for the first time by a mixed-race program, and with pressure from the courts to integrate, the men struggle to move beyond the stark realities of America's prison system.

Do you know Grace Lee? Growing up, Grace Lee was the only "Grace Lee" she knew. Upon moving to New York and California, she discovered quite the opposite. In her quest to uncover how the name "Grace" became ubiquitous among Asian Americans, the filmmaker speaks with many subjects named Grace Lee, focusing on the individuality and humanity of all who share her name.

A thrilling tale, OPERATION POPCORN explores the fate of ten Hmong American leaders and a retired U.S. Army officer who are accused of conspiring together to overthrow the communist government of Laos. Seven years in the making, the film sheds light on the fragile relationships between individuals and the American surveillance state.

An unvarnished portrait of the life and memories of a stoic and reticent man committed to his family, MY LIFE IN CHINA retraces the perilous steps filmmaker Kenneth Eng's father chanced in search of a better life. Exploring the themes of home, exile and belonging, the film is a story about promise, purpose and living life without regrets.

Each September, the town of Chemult, Oregon is flooded with mushroom hunters. Many are immigrants from Laos, Cambodia and Thailand who entered the U.S. as refugees in the 1980s. Here, veterans Kouy Loch and Roger Higgins find more than just the rare matsutake in the woods; they create a familial bond and a means to slowly heal the wounds of war.

A rarely represented insider's perspective, COLLEGE WEEK documents the impact of teacher and parent involvement on student success at Spencer Elementary Technology Academy. Despite the Chicago neighborhood's high rates of poverty and crime, a caring community of home owners and working class families are striving to make positive changes.

At a popular bakery café in Manhattan, patrons get served with a smile 24 hours a day. Behind the scenes, some of the undocumented immigrant workers earn far below the minimum wage. Filmed at the onset of the service economy wage wars, THE HAND THAT FEEDS tells the story of the power struggle that turned a single city block into a battlefield.

The personal journeys of three Americans with post-traumatic stress disorder -- an Iraq war veteran, a survivor of child abuse and domestic violence and a Hurricane Katrina survivor.

In rural America, children face the prospect of a compromised future. Class of '27 focuses on early childhood education in struggling communities, highlighting the efforts of people guiding children toward graduating high school in '27. United by hope, inspiration and resiliency, the film shows that children are most likely to grow into productive adults if they receive support in the early years.

Members of the girls' soccer team at Kelly High School on Chicago's south side confront social disadvantages as they reach for higher education.

Created by largely Puerto Rican, Cuban and African American youths living alongside each other in the 1960s, Boogaloo served as an authentic and vibrant cultural expression. "We Like It Like That" explores a pivotal moment in '60s music history when blues, funk and traditional Caribbean rhythms were fused to define a new generation of urban Latinos.

Today, the Inupiaq Eskimo must navigate an uncertain future 80 miles above the Arctic Circle on a fragile barrier island disappearing due to climate change. "Kivalina" is a quiet but stirring portrait immersing viewers into the rarely seen lives of an Arctic tribe who try to continue to honor their way of life despite the government failing them.

Chronicling the ongoing conflict over the issue of tribal rights between the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and the Cherokee Freedmen, descendants of African American slaves. "By Blood" explores a largely untold history and the impact of a battle over race, identity, and the sovereign rights of Native American people.

The life and work of self-taught artist Edythe Boone. Filmed over five years, follow the spirited and captivating septuagenarian who became an artist/activist simply because empowering and building community is "the right thing to do." Ultimately, Boone's mission is to empower individuals and transform communities through art and activism.

Exploring the effects of the Plan for Transformation, an order requiring the demolition of Chicago's public housing high rises, and the building of mixed-income condominiums. 70 ACRES IN CHICAGO illuminates the layers of socio-economic forces, and the questions behind urban redevelopment and gentrification taking place in U.S. cities today.

In 2012, The Vatican censured American nuns. RADICAL GRACE follows three U.S. nuns, who refused to back down and continued to challenge the patriarchal system, are willing to lose it all and risk their place within the Catholic Church for their devotion to social justice and to meet their higher calling - to apply their faith to action.

The culmination of an intensive two-year collaboration between Tamar Rogoff and Gregg Mozgala, a young actor with cerebral palsy. Fascinated by Gregg's unique physicality, Tamar was inspired to choreograph "Diagnosis of a Faun." Their creative exploration, at the intersection of science and art, led them to challenge the limitations associated with disability.

For filmmaker Matthew Hashiguchi, growing up half Japanese/half Italian in a white Irish-Catholic neighborhood in Cleveland, OH, was a difficult experience. In GOOD LUCK SOUP, Hashiguchi sets out on a journey to discover how the rest of his multi-racial family made sense of their lives and their Japanese American heritage. Surprisingly, he finds a role model in his elderly Japanese grandmother.

At six-years-old, filmmaker Dinesh Sabu lost both of his parents. Two decades later, worried that he has no memories of his mother and father, he turns a camera on his siblings, trying to understand their parent's lives and tragic deaths. It's a journey that takes him back to India, a country he barely knows, and it forces him to think about the mental illness that seems to run in his family.

Eddy Zheng came to America with his family when he was 12 years old. Then at the age of 16, he committed a horrible crime: home invasion and kidnapping. Year after year he hoped for parole, and after almost 20 years in prison, Zheng was released, a model prisoner who wanted to become a community leader. But his victims insisted he should still be deported.

The Sher Institute in Las Vegas is holding a contest. First prize: a free round of in-vitro fertilization – but even for the winners, there's no guarantee of success. VEGAS BABY follows the journeys of three families so desperate to have a child, they're willing to take the gamble. This may be their last chance to have a baby.

Set among the hills and hollers of Appalachia, Oceana, WV looks like a rural paradise. But this community is under siege: a raging epidemic of prescription drug abuse is so deadly that residents have nicknamed the town "OXYANA." A close-up look at people who live from one pill to the next, and a harrowing vision of today's AnyTown, USA.

90% of Americans want to age at home, but many of them have to rely on paid care workers because their families can't provide the support they need. CARE illuminates the many challenges and deep attachments that can be formed between the elderly and the home care workers they depend on - and exposes the cracks in a system that is poorly serving both.

Every year, over a million students drop out of high school. They may complete their graduate equivalency degrees, but then they discover they're still struggling to get good jobs. For some in Indianapolis, there's another option: a night school program that will get them their full high school diploma – if they can complete a tough curriculum that includes algebra and biology.

Suicide - one of the leading causes of death for Alaska Natives. Almost every family has lost brothers, sisters, parents, and children to it. WE BREATHE AGAIN introduces four Alaska Natives who are trying to break free from histories of trauma and suicide, creating a new, more positive trail for their communities

Carnivals have a delightful place in the American imagination, with childhood memories of family fun, fantasy, and summer love. But rising expenses and changes in U.S. labor patterns mean this national pastime is nearly extinct. FAREWELL FERRIS WHEEL is an inside look at the struggles of an industry trying to stay alive by employing Mexican migrant workers with a controversial visa.

DEEJ is the story of DJ Savarese, a gifted, young writer and advocate for nonspeaking autistics. Once a "profoundly disabled" foster kid on a fast track to nowhere, DJ is now a first-year college student who insists on standing up for his peers: people who are dismissed as incompetent because they are neurologically diverse. Will Deej be able to find freedom for himself and others like himself?

ON A KNIFE EDGE is the coming-of-age story of George Dull Knife, a Lakota teen growing up on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation. The film traces George's path to activism, inspired by his family's history of fighting for justice for Native Americans. His focus: shutting down liquor stores in Whiteclay, a tiny town nearby that exists only to sell beer to the reservation's vulnerable population.

GENTLEMEN OF VISION follows a year in the life of coach, counselor and founder Marlon Wharton, and his class of young Black males as he strives to rewrite future prospects for his students. Witness a brotherhood of young men as they support each other and chase their ultimate dreams: to maintain their position as national step champions and to be accepted into college.

Expelled from high school, Daje Shelton is only 17 years old when she is sentenced by a judge - not to prison, but to the Innovative Concept Academy. It offers Daje one last chance to earn a high school diploma. FOR AHKEEM is an unvarnished exploration of a complex web of juvenile justice, education, poverty and race in America today.

AGENTS OF CHANGE examines the racial conditions on college campuses across the U.S. in the late 1960s, focusing on student demands at two seminal protests: San Francisco State in 1968 and Cornell University in 1969. Many of the same demands are surfacing in campus protests today, revealing the intersections America continue to face.

Elouise Cobell's relentless pursuit of justice led her to find remedy for over half a million Native American account holders whose funds were held by the U.S. government in trust for a century. 100 YEARS: ONE WOMAN'S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE is the compelling story of this little known hero, and petite Blackfeet warrior, and how she prevailed.

Through the story of Jessica Macleod, a dedicated nurse practitioner, and her four homebound patients, THE INVISIBLE PATIENTS sheds light on some of the most urgent healthcare issues facing the country today. It challenges us to wrestle with healthcare policy, and as importantly, asks how to care for all persons with dignity and respect.

MILWAUKEE 53206 introduces viewers to a community with the highest rate of incarcerated African American men. The film unfolds through the stories of postal code 53206 residents directly impacted by imprisonment: Beverly Walker and her husband Baron, Chad Wilson, and Dennis Walton, who is creating a support system for men seeking re-entry.

BEYOND THE WALL revolves around former prisoner Louie Diaz as he works to guide formerly incarcerated men safely through the minefield of life outside of jail. By helping others, Louie is able to maintain his own sobriety and preserve his freedom. But for those with little to no support from the criminal justice system, how will they find hope?

San Francisco's Five Keys Charter School: the first high school of its kind in the U.S. designed to provide incarcerated adults the opportunity to earn a high school diploma to prepare them for successful reintegration into their communities. THE CORRIDOR invites viewers to ask: is education the first step along the pathway to restorative justice?

THROUGH THE REPELLENT FENCE follows the creation of a two-mile long ephemeral art installation by Native Americans artists Raven Chacon, Cristóbal Martínez and Kade L. Twist, known as "Postcommodity." Their piece "Repellent Fence" installs floating balloons north and south of the border to represent a metaphorical "stitching" together of the United States and Mexico.

Filmmaker Robin Lung documents her seven-year journey to uncover the efforts of Li Ling-Ai, the visionary but uncredited producer of the Academy® Award-winning documentary 'Kukan.' FINDING KUKAN is a portrait of the pioneer, and sheds a light on the longstanding underrepresentation of women and people of color in the movie-making business.

Finding a cache of deteriorating 16mm home movies spanning from 1936 to 1951, Ali Kazimi deftly crafts a story of history and memory. RANDOM ACTS OF LEGACY reveals a rare portrait of a creative and enterprising Chinese American family in middle America during the Depression, and offers a counter-narrative to the stereotypes of Chinese Americans.

WHO IS ARTHUR CHU? follows the 11-time Jeopardy! winner. By using an unconventional game strategy, the former insurance analyst amassed both fans and haters on Twitter. To put his 15 minutes of fame to good use, Arthur aspires to become a public figure to address racism and sexism with his posture debunking the "model" Asian American stereotype.

Fueled by a desire to safeguard thousands of acres of pristine land near national parks, Tim DeChristopher outbid industry giants and disrupted a controversial oil and gas lease auction as bidder #70. BIDDER 70 traces Tim's rise from concerned citizen and student of economics at the University of Utah to climate justice activist and leader.

PERSONAL STATEMENT follows three high school seniors from Brooklyn intent on defying the odds for themselves and their classmates by becoming the very resource they don't have for themselves: peer college counselors. The film weaves together their individual struggles, family life, and highs and lows of their respective college application processes.

Former Catholic priest Charlie Hardy is 75 years old and has no money or political experience. But none of that dissuades him from running for the U.S. Senate in his home state of Wyoming. Can Charlie, his principles and courage, and his ragtag group of young volunteers sustain their grassroots campaign and shake up the political establishment?

Follow the Nena family as they grieve the loss of their son - his death in Afghanistan makes waves through the community where nearly everyone is connected to the U.S. military. Known as a "recruiter's paradise," Micronesia contributes a disproportionate number of soldiers to the armed forces, who cannot receive benefits...yet young men leave their families behind in pursuit of the American Dream.

Every four years, the Navajo Nation elects its president, whom many consider the most powerful Native American. Moroni Benally, a witty LGBTQ candidate with radical ideas, hopes to defeat the incumbent president. Fraught with challenges, Moroni soon discovers that theory and a platform does not necessarily prepare you for the daily dirt of politics and the unpredictability of voter's choice.

THERE ARE JEWS HERE follows the untold stories of four once thriving American Jewish communities that are now barely holding on. Struggling with aging congregants and dwindling interest, families are moving to larger cities with more robust congregations. A portrait of people who are doing their part to keep the Jewish spirit alive, the film celebrates religious diversity in smalltown America.

The residents of Westbeth Artists Housing of NYC are immersed in their art practice as though there is no tomorrow: Edith hopes to complete an experimental film for her birthday, Dudley rehearses for an electrifying return to the stage, and Ilsa candidly weaves her breast cancer experience into her work. WINTER AT WESTBETH captures inspirational stories about aging and the need to keep creating.

History teacher Mike Zahs uncovers a trove of 19th century showreels of one of America's first motion picture impresarios, William Franklin Brinton. Zahs sets out to restore these showreels and present them to today's audiences. In this portrait of an unlikely Midwestern folk hero, SAVING BRINTON offers a meditation on the legacy of illusionist Frank Brinton, and the magic of living history.

The youth of Camden, NJ, one of America's poorest cities, don't know who to fear more - the police or the violent drug dealers. Bryan Morton leads a charge to reclaim Pyne Poynt Park as a safe space for little league teams and the community. Against all odds, Morton rallies an array of stakeholders and transforms Pyne Poynt into a field of dreams where the youth can play freely in the field.

DETROIT 48202: CONVERSATIONS ALONG A POSTAL ROUTE explores the rise, demise and contested resurgence of the "motor city" through a multi-generational choir of voices who reside in mail carrier Wendell Watkins's work route. Blamed for the devastation - disinvestment to bankruptcy - but determined to survive, the community offers creative solutions to re-imagine a more inclusive and equitable city.

Following the Civil War, all-Black towns emerged in what is now modern-day Oklahoma. Initially founded in an effort to convince the U.S. to create an all-Black state, only a few towns cling heroically to life. STRUGGLE & HOPE gives voice to the stories of the last remaining residents, while charting their fight to ensure their towns retain independence, character and hope for a better future.

Born in Mississippi, Leo "Bud" Welch's recording and touring career begins at the age of 81. With the support of his dedicated manager, veteran Vencie Varnad, Leo's Blues career takes him to festivals across the South and all the way to Austria. With just a handful of Bluesmen left in the U.S., LATE BLOSSOM BLUES offers a glimpse into the daily life of one of America's musical treasures.

Although medical interventions have kept him alive well beyond his prognosis of cystic fibrosis, 28-year-old Ethan Rice and his family live in constant uncertainty and everyday question how long they can go on fighting. In a culture that often looks away from death, EXIT MUSIC explores the intimate and complex path of terminal illness. What will Ethan's absence mean to those he leaves behind?

Parents recount in disbelief the unimaginable trauma of forgetting their children in the car and being responsible for their deaths. Through their honest and personal stories, DEATH OF A CHILD provides insight into what it means to live with what they have done. These tragedies carry social stigma but talk about responsibility, parenting, stigmatization and shame ultimately lead to forgiveness.

In virtually every city, state and strip mall across the U.S., women get their nails done in salons likely owned by Vietnamese entrepreneurs. How did this community come to dominate an $8 billion dollar nail economy? NAILED IT takes viewers from Los Angeles to the Bronx to meet the people behind this booming and sometimes controversial industry.

After the brutal slaying of her teenage son, Janet Connors reaches out to her son's killers to offer forgiveness. She establishes a connection with one of them in the hopes that their bond will help him turn his life around. Inspired by Native American tradition, Janet and other mothers of murdered children form peacemaking circles to help young people break the chain of violence and revenge.

Carmen Castillo is a first-term city councilwoman who maintains her job as a hotel housekeeper. She advocates for the working families in her community and leads the charge of the Fight for $15 Providence, RI. A grueling reelection campaign brings new challenges to the homefront. Through it all, she stays true to her vision for justice and equity to prove that "she can do it!" Will she succeed?

Banned from attending Georgia's top five public universities and from paying in-state tuition at other public colleges in the state, DACA students like Alejandro, Silvia, and Aldo unite through their activist work with an immigrants' rights group. A humanizing portrait of the undocumented, we learn of their struggles as working families support their children in pursuit of their dreams.

INTELLIGENT LIVES follows three young adults with intellectual disabilities: Micah, Naieer and Naomie, who, with the support of family, educators and colleagues, work toward a future marked with increased inclusion and independence. Their lives challenge staid notions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college and the workforce. Narrated by Academy Award-winning actor, Chris Cooper.

Alexandria, Jake, Caitlin and Veronica reveal what it's like to live with physical disabilities. Their parents search out opportunities where they are accepted and feel valued, such as a dance program in Queens, NY. With the help of a loving community, the students prepare for a spring recital. Throughout all, they become eloquent advocates for the powers of inclusion, respect and empathy.

Over 20 million U.S. military veterans have put their lives on the line in service to their country. But for many, surviving war is just the beginning. SURVIVING HOME uncovers a detrimental gap between military veterans and the civilian populace they protected, while also exposing a culture of silence that prevents many of them from talking about their experiences in war.

Transporting viewers to Missouri towns - then all-Black Kinloch and the all-white community of Ferguson, examining the shared histories and deep racial divides affecting both. Through recordings, photographs and recollections, WHERE THE PAVEMENT ENDS draws parallels between a 1960s dispute over a physical barricade erected between the towns and the 2014 shooting death by police of Michael Brown.

JADDOLAND is an intimate portrait of the work and process of visual artist Lahib Jaddo while offering a fresh look at the immigrant story in America. Through an exploration of Jaddo's art and connections to her life in Texas, the film also drafts a unique picture of how art can help both the creator and the audience make sense of familial and cultural connections, loss, perseverance and life.

TUTWILER takes audiences into Alabama's only maximum security women's penitentiary, Julia Tutwiler Prison, and explores the Alabama Prison Birth Project, helping expectant and new mothers learn childbirth and parenting skills while dealing with the pain of being separated from their children.

A loving and insightful portrait of two transgender siblings - Luca and Ren - and their parents, set in the changing social climate following the 2016 presidential election. LITTLE MISS WESTIE takes audiences behind the scenes as the family navigates puberty, school, dating and more as the children begin living in their authentic genders and Ren participates in the Lil' Miss Westie Pageant.

Acclaimed director Rodney Evans takes viewers on a personal journey as he ponders how the deterioration of his vision will impact his life and work as a filmmaker. Interviewing blind and low vision artists - a photographer, a dancer and a writer - Evans embarks on a quest to learn how other artists have continued to create art and how their journeys might serve as inspiration for his own.

With unparalleled access to a diverse cross section of politically engaged Chinese Americans, FIRST VOTE offers a character-driven verité look at Chinese American electoral organizing in North Carolina and Ohio. The film weaves their stories from the presidential election of 2016 to the 2018 midterms, and explores the intersections between immigration, voting rights and racial justice.

For Sandy White Hawk, the story of America's Indian Adoption Era is not one of saving children but of destroying families and tribes. As an adoption survivor, Sandy sets out to reclaim the missing pieces of her stolen past only to discover that her's was not an isolated case. BLOOD MEMORY explores the communal healing that is sparked by the return of this stolen generation.

A Navajo coal miner, Lawrence, struggles with his part in the irreversible destruction of their sacred mountain at the hands of America's largest coal producer. This deep spiritual sacrifice has caused him decades of emotional turmoil while providing for his family.

Lawrence's daughter Caitlin is a senior at the local reservation high school. Caitlin searches for her inner identity amidst the expectations of her traditional father. A character-driven film captured over the course of five years, THE BLESSING brings the search for acceptance through this poetic social and environmental story.

THE AREA is the odyssey of a South Side Chicago neighborhood, where hundreds of Black American families are being expelled from their homes by a multi-billion-dollar freight company. The documentary film follows homeowner-turned-activist Deborah Payne, who vows to be "the last house standing," as she and her neighbors fight the displacement that looms ahead.

In the rural town of Pahokee, four teenagers experience the joys and heartbreaks of their last year in high school. This tightly knit community in the Florida everglades struggles with financial insecurity and pin their hopes for the future on their graduating seniors.

Through personal stories, BUSY INSIDE delves deeply into Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) - formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. A respected therapist specializing in the condition's treatment, and her patients, confront past trauma and embrace their different personalities.

BRING IT HOME tells the story of five families at a crossroads after the closing of the GM Lordstown auto plant. GM's decision forced thousands to decide between transferring out-of-state or staying put. If they stay, they risk loss of employment and benefits. As families wrestle these tough choices, they are left wondering why a company recording billions in profits is shuttering factories.

A quintessential post-industrial American city is seen through the efforts of a new generation. This film is an inspiring portrait of the people of Youngstown, Ohio who have chosen not to abandon their hometown, but to stay, rebuild and make a life for themselves. THE PLACE THAT MAKES US is a powerful testament of the resilience and dedication it takes to change a community.

Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault than all other American women, and 86% of the offenses are committed by non-Native men. SISTERS RISING follows six women who refuse to let this pattern of violence continue in the shadows. Their stories shine an unflinching light on righting injustice on both an individual and systemic level.

Charles Chiu and his family's search for their roots takes them on an eye-opening journey through the Mississippi Delta, uncovering otherwise unknown stories and the racially complex history of Chinese immigrants in the segregated South. This Chinese American family's unforgettable story offers a poignant and important perspective on race relations, immigration and American identity.

In New York City's Chinatown, the theater club of PS 124 is staging an adaptation of the film "Frozen." As the 5th graders gear up and rehearse for the musical production, nervous excitement and flubbed lines brush up against cultural stereotypes, family expectations, and post-graduation uncertainties. CURTAIN UP! shares a kid's-eye view of the wonders of discovering art, culture and identity.

Once known as a Polish Catholic town, Hamtramck, MI is now home to America's first Muslim-majority city. As election season approaches, candidates set out to win hearts, minds and votes in this rapidly changing city. Going behind the scenes of small-town politics, HAMTRAMCK, USA explores the beauty and challenges that come with multiculturalism.

One of only a handful of African American falconers in the country, Rodney Stotts is on a mission to build a bird sanctuary and provide access to nature for his stressed community. This is a story of second chances: for injured birds of prey, for an abandoned plot of land, for a group of teenagers who have dropped out of high school, and for Rodney himself.

In the wake of the 2015 Charleston Massacre, a battle erupts in Orangeburg, South Carolina between the Sons of Confederate Veterans and an ice cream shop owner forced to fly the Confederate flag in his parking lot. MELTDOWN IN DIXIE explores the broader role of Confederate symbolism in 21st century America and the lingering racial oppression which these symbols help maintain.

From a young age, Yaya and Jack saw each other as they truly were, a girl and a boy, even though most of the world didn't see them that way. As they grew older, they supported each other as they both came out as transgender. JACK & YAYA follows these two friends for a year and explores their unique, thirty-year relationship.

FIVE YEARS NORTH is the story of America's immigration system through the eyes of Luis and Judy. Luis is an undocumented Guatemalan boy who arrives alone in New York City with little support and many responsibilities. Judy is a veteran ICE agent with Cuban American and Puerto Rican roots, who must weigh the human cost of her work against the future her family would face without her paycheck.

The Currys are raising twelve children, five of whom are adopted from overseas and have special needs. One of those children is Hayden, a young girl from China born with linear nevus sebaceous syndrome. Hayden becomes the thread to this intimate adoption journey as she, her new parents, and her siblings experience the complexities, jealousies and joy of becoming a family.

Father Khader El-Yateem, is campaigning to be New York City's first Arab American councilman. As a Lutheran Pastor and Palestinian American, El-Yateem's bid to make history reveals the aspirations and divisions of his multicultural district. With the support of local organizers and activists, including Aber Kawas and Linda Sarsour, can he bring his community together to win the race?

Fannie Lou Hamer's America is a portrait of a civil rights activist and the injustices in America that made her work essential. Through public speeches, personal interviews, and powerful songs of the fearless Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist, Fannie Lou Hamer's America explores and celebrates the lesser-known life of one of the Civil Rights Movement's greatest leaders.

An attempt to bring Syrian refugees to invigorate the economically struggling and predominantly white town of Rutland, VT unleashes deep partisan rancor. Despite a lifetime of feeling invalidated and shamed for her poverty and addiction, long-time Rutland resident, Stacie, emerges as an unexpected and resilient leader in a town divided by class, cultural values and political leanings.

On Sapelo island, two young brothers, JerMarkest and Jonathan, are coming of age in the last remaining enclave of the Saltwater Geechee. As Sapelo's storyteller and elder matriarch, their adoptive mother, Cornelia Walker Bailey, works to preserve what remains of her African-American community in the face of encroachment by property developers.

Kendra, a Native adoptee, grew up assimilated in a loving, white family with little connection to her heritage. Now, as an adult with a family of her own, Kendra embarks on a seven year journey to find her biological mother, April, and return to her Lummi homeland. Together, Kendra and April, also a Native adoptee, navigate what it means to be Native and to belong to a tribe from the outside.

GEOGRAPHIES OF KINSHIP weaves together the complex personal histories of four adult adoptees born in South Korea with the rise of the country's global adoption program. Raised in foreign families, each adoptee sets out on a journey to reconnect with their roots, mapping the geographies of kinship that bind them to a homeland they never knew.

Weaving together never-before-seen archival footage and photographs, CHINATOWN RISING reveals a deeply personal portrait of a San Francisco neighborhood in transition. Chinatown activists of the 1960s reflect on their years as young residents waging battles for bilingual education, tenants' rights and ethnic studies curriculum that would shape their community and nation.

Filmmaker Margaret Byrne follows three formerly incarcerated Chicagoans as they manage their respective mental illnesses while searching for stability in their families, friendships, jobs and housing. While documenting the challenges that are faced at the intersections of a punitive carceral system, poverty and substance use, Byrne reckons with her own history of mental illness.

On May 5th, 1991, people took to the streets of Washington D.C.'s Mount Pleasant neighborhood to protest the police shooting of a young Salvadoran man, Daniel Gomez. Through testimony, song, poetry, and street theater, LA MANPLESA: An Uprising Remembered weaves together the collective memory of one of D.C.'s first barrios and dives into the roots of the '91 rebellion.

A viral joke video catapults Hayden Pedigo – a 24-year-old artist and musician in Amarillo, TX – into the spotlight and prompts him to make a surprise bid for city council. With his goal of upending the status quo and ousting corrupt incumbent politicians, KID CANDIDATE follows Pedigo's unorthodox campaign while unpacking issues of race, income inequality and gentrification in small-town America.

Big Chief Tee is a high school senior and the youngest Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief in New Orleans. During COVID-19, he and the Black Hawk Hunters navigate the impacts of gentrification and systemic racism on their annual masking tradition. Through haute couture, movement, and words, BIG CHIEF, BLACK HAWK celebrates the beauty and resilience of "the culture" even in the face of crisis and change.

After 20 years, Sol Guy finally watches his late father's tapes and embarks on a personal journey of healing and reconciliation. At once a conversation between past and present and a letter to Sol's children, THE DEATH OF MY TWO FATHERS reveals the complexities of identity, the persistence of racial trauma, the challenges of fatherhood -- and the liberation that exists in facing our own mortality.

When housing on the lowest rung of the American dream is being devoured by the wealthiest of the wealthy, whose dream are we serving? A DECENT HOME, directed by Sara Terry, addresses urgent issues of class and economic (im)mobility through the lives of mobile home park residents who can't afford housing anywhere else.

BLURRING THE COLOR LINE follows director Crystal Kwok as she unpacks the history behind her grandmother's family, who were neighborhood grocery store owners in the Black community of Augusta, Georgia during the Jim Crow era. By centering women's experiences, Kwok poses critical questions around the intersections of anti-Black racism, white power, and Chinese patriarchy in the American South.

"Where are you really from?" Inspired by a young generation's creative response to this loaded question, FROM HERE follows artists and activists from immigrant families coming of age in an era of rising xenophobia and political turmoil. Set in New York and Berlin, the film shows them create families, fight for citizenship, make art and forge identities, while redefining what it means to belong.

Tired of watching local government ignore their communities' interests, five diverse female activists run for municipal office in Denver - one of the U.S.'s fastest gentrifying cities. A story about an engaged community outrunning the deep pockets of the political establishment, RUNNING WITH MY GIRLS demonstrates that building a new kind of political power is not just aspirational but possible.

Rhode Island's local election administrators and poll workers work around the clock to secure the vote for their community during the 2020 election -- midst an onslaught of attacks from a sitting President and the deadly threat of a global pandemic. Once invisible to the general public, NO TIME TO FAIL spotlights election administrators as the ground zero of American democracy.

TOWN DESTROYER probes a passionate dispute over historic murals at a public high school depicting the life of George Washington: slaveowner, General, land speculator, President, and a man Seneca leaders called "town destroyer." The controversy becomes a touchstone for a national debate over public art and historic memory in a time of racial reckoning.

BY WATER follows an unlikely hero's journey into his memories, which transform into a vehicle for reconciliation and healing. Based on a true story, the film was written and inspired by Iyabo Kwayana's experience with her brother. Upon receiving an unexpected voicemail from him after his disappearance, Kwayana heeded her brother's message and created this film as a way to "complete" his story.

THE COST OF INHERITANCE, an America ReFramed special, is an hour-long documentary that explores the complex issue of reparations in the United States using a thoughtful approach to history, historical injustices, systemic inequities, and the critical dialogue on racial conciliation. Through personal narratives, community inquiries, and scholarly insights, it aims to inspire understanding of the scope and rationale of the reparations debate.

After watching nearly every man in her life disappear into prison, Kristal Bush channels her struggle into reuniting other Philadelphia families divided by incarceration. But when her father and brother come home after decades behind bars, she confronts the greatest challenge yet - can she unite her own family without losing herself?

Transcending the grim realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, Adamu Chan's WHAT THESE WALLS WON'T HOLD paints a portrait of resilience and hope blossoming within San Quentin State Prison. Chan, formerly incarcerated himself, offers an insider's view delving into his own journey towards freedom, while amplifying the voices of his community and their loved ones on both sides of the prison walls.

In HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, a family reeling from the unjust incarceration of an ailing mentally ill loved one, calls on their faith and the strength of community to right a systemic wrong. Music, love and creativity are used to permeate the isolation of a solitary confinement cell, and a public performance on prison grounds is used to challenge the state to do better.

As a teen, Alaudin Ullah was swept up by the energy of hip-hop and rebelled against his Bangladeshi roots. Now a playwright contending with post-9/11 Hollywood's Islamophobia, he sets out to tell his parents' stories. IN SEARCH OF BENGALI HARLEM tracks his quest from mid-20th-century Harlem to Bangladesh, unveiling intertwined histories of South Asian Muslims, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans.