Podcasts about school radio

Addiction is an all-encompassing force, in not only of the lives of the afflicted, but also those around them. OUR AMERICAN FAMILY provides an honest, unfiltered look at a close-knit Philadelphia family dealing with generational substance abuse. Captured at a pivotal “nothing to lose” moment, for over the course of a year, five family members tired of life with addiction on center stage, each struggle to transcend their crippling histories. What will it take to shift this entrenched, wrenching pattern in their lives? Will they be able to make significant shifts to help their next generation? The members of OUR AMERICAN FAMILY - Nicole, Lynda, Bryan, Chris and Stephen - invite us into their lives to find hope and to explore what's possible. Though they often falter, their familial loyalty is powerful, demonstrating how through love and dedication people can rise out of the deepest depths. For a touching, eye-opening look into one of America's most pressing crises, look no further. Co-directors Hallee Adelman (Writing with Fire, Us Kids, Truffle Hunters) and Sean King O'Grady (In A World, The Assistant, Dinner in America) join us for a remarkably candid look inside the internal dynamics of a family operating at the edge of viability as well as a dogged determination to not give up. For screenings and updates go to: ouramericanfamilyfilm.com

MURDER AT THE COTTAGE shines a bright light on the events and investigation into the brutal killing of two days before Christmas in 1996 of French TV producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier at her holiday cottage in Schull, West Cork. In 2019, the key suspect, English journalist Ian Bailey – the first reporter on the scene – was found guilty in absentia by the French courts yet was never found guilty in Ireland, owing to a lack of reliable evidence. In the true crime docuseries, MURDER AT THE COTTAGE: THE SEARCH FOR JUSTICE FOR SOPHIE, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Jim Sheridan takes viewers on a journey of the unsolved case that has haunted West Cork for almost 25 years. Piecing together original evidence, never-before-seen footage and interviews with those closest to the case, Sheridan tries to make sense of what happened that night. Having successfully fought repeated extradition requests from the French authorities, Bailey still resides in West Cork and maintains his innocence to this day. Six-time Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, The Boxer) joins us for a conversation on the haunting specter Sophie Toscan du Plantier's savage murder had in motivating him to make this docuseries, the complicated “suspect” that Ian Bailey became over the last two and a half years, the international political and judicial hand grenade that the case presented for France and Ireland, and the role that the local Irish police had in bolloxing the entire investigation into the victim's unsolved death. Watch Murder at the Cottage at: topic.com

Edward Buckles Jr's gripping feature documentary debut KATRINA BABIES, brings focus and context the sixteen years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, and an entire generation still grappling with the lifelong impact of having their childhood redefined by tragedy. New Orleans-based filmmaker Edward Buckles Jr., was 13 years old during Katrina and its initial aftermath, spent seven years documenting the stories of his peers who survived the storm as children. In his award winning film, KATRINA BABIES, Buckles draws upon his community's tradition of oral storytelling to open a door for healing and to capture the strength and spirit of his city. He found common cause-and shared trauma--with young people whose lives were similarly shaped by the storm. KATRINA BABIES interview subjects were between 3 and 19 years old when the storm hit: Some stayed in New Orleans, Others fled the city and the neighborhoods that held so much history for them. Director Buckles joins for a conversation on his award winning film and how he was able to capture both the unique, joyful flavor of Black culture in the Crescent City as well as the nightmarish conditions that swallowed up so many in the aftermath of Katrina. Debuts on HBO and HBO MAX on August 24, 2022

In the engaging and illuminating documentary from director Marq Evans takes us into the world of the “Father of Claymation,” Will Vinton as he revolutionized the animation business during the 1980s and 90s, creating such iconic characters as the California Raisins and Domino's The Noid. But after thirty years of being the unheralded king of clay, Vinton's carefully sculpted American dream came crumbling down. Structured around interviews with this charismatic pioneer and his close collaborators, along with a treasure trove of clips of their work together, CLAYDREAM charts the rise and fall of the Oscar®- and Emmy®-winning Will Vinton Studios. Director, screenwriter and producer Marq Evans joins us for a conversation on the challenges of bringing to life the battle between art and commerce in this affectionate, insightful portrait of an artist who put so much of himself into his craft. For news and screenings go to: claydream.oscilloscope.net

In his debut feature documentary THE TERRITORY Alex Pritz provides an immersive look at the tireless fight of the Amazon's Indigenous Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people against the encroaching deforestation brought by farmers and illegal settlers. With awe-inspiring cinematography showcasing the titular landscape and richly textured sound design, the film takes audiences deep into the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau community and provides unprecedented access to the burning and clearing of the protected Indigenous people's land. Partially shot by the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people, THE TERRITORY relies on vérité footage captured over three years as the community risks their lives to set up their own news media team in the hopes of exposing the truth. Director Alex Pritz joins us for a informative conversation on the importance that he placed an even-handed approach to conveying the disparate strands of a complex story whose outcome will have a profound impact on the indigenous Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people, the region surrounding the Amazon rainforest and planet Earth. 
 For news and updates go to: nationalgeographic.com/the-territory To watch: nationalgeographic.com/the-territory/watch For more on other films: nationalgeographic.com

One Man Dies a Million Times chronicles the story of two young botanists as they fall in love as the world wages war around them. A record-breaking, desperate winter sets in and the city slowly, painfully, begins to starve to death. Savagery transplants civility. Maksim and Alyssa defend the seed bank and its priceless collection of edible specimens from the starving masses of the city, the enemy, hordes of rats, and each other. Alyssa (Alyssa Lozovskaya) and Maksim (Maksim Blinov) both work at the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources in the center of the city. The Institute houses the world's first seed bank—an irreplaceable trove of living genetic diversity which holds the potential both to preserve and transform modern agriculture. Part documentary, part legend, One Man Dies a Million Times is the true story of the seed bank and the botanists who worked there throughout the Siege of Leningrad (1941–1944). Though the characters portrayed in this film actually lived, and the events they experienced actually happened, this is not a reenactment. Director Jessica Oreck (Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo, The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga) and cinematographer Sean Price Williams (Good Time, Her Smell, Frownland) artfully transplant their narrative from 1940's Leningrad to a science fiction-inflected modern day. For updates and screenings go to: myriapodproductions.com/oneman

Co-directors Julie Ha and Eugene Yi damning documentary begins on June 3, 1973 with the of a man was murdered in a busy intersection of San Francisco's Chinatown as part of an ongoing gang war. Chol Soo Lee, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant, who had previous run-ins with the law, was arrested and convicted based on flimsy evidence and the eyewitness accounts of white tourists who couldn't distinguish between Asian features. Sentenced to life in prison, Chol Soo Lee would spend years fighting to survive behind bars before journalist K.W. Lee took an interest in his case. The intrepid reporter's investigation would galvanize a first-of-its-kind pan-Asian American grassroots movement to fight for Chol Soo Lee's freedom, ultimately inspiring a new generation of social justice activists. Revisiting this pivotal yet largely forgotten story, filmmakers Eugene Yi and Julie Ha draw from a rich archive as well as firsthand accounts of those inspired to come to Lee's defense. But even as Free Chol Soo Lee explores this miscarriage of justice, the film also reveals the man behind the cause, and the complex legacy — and human cost — of becoming the symbol of a movement. For updates go to: fcsl-film.com Where to watch go to: /mubi.com/freecholsoolee

Director Henrika Kull's new film BLISS drops us into a world where women and their femininity are considered a commodity. The story centers of two sex workers, Faye (Eva Colie) and Maria (Adam Hoya) fall in love with each other. Together - and yet each on her own - they experience the one moment when happiness seems possible - but their love is threatened by different ideas of life and their own personal abysses. Director, screenwriter, editor Henrika Kull (Jibril, Intimate Distance) joins us for a conversation on her inspiration for the story behind BLISS, shooting inside a working brothel, recognizing the workplace normalcy taking place there and weaving brilliant performances from her two lead actors, Katharina Behrens (Sascha) and Adam Hoya (Maria) into this raw and passionate film. For more go to: flare-film.com/bliss

In Director Anita Rocha da Silveira's provocative new film MEDUSA, Mari and her friends broadcast their spiritual devotion through pastel pinks and catchy evangelical songs about purity and perfection, but underneath it all, they harbor a deep rage. By day they hide behind their manicured facade, and by night they form a masked, vigilante girl gang, prowling the streets in search of sinners who have deviated from the rightful path. After an attack goes wrong, leaving Mari scarred and unemployed, her view of community, religion, and her peers begin to shift. Nightmares of repressed desires and haunting visions of alluring temptation become undeniable and the urge to scream and release her paralyzing inner demons is more powerful than ever before. A neon-tinged genre-bender that gives provocative form to the overwhelming feminine fury coursing through modern life, MEDUSA dares us not to look away. Director Anita Rocha da Silveira stops by to talk about the subversive take on cultural norms and gender conformity as experienced through the prism of regressive religious doctrine, vigilante justice and a corrupt political system. For updates and screenings go to: musicboxfilms.com/medusa

Director and son, David Siev leaves his apartment in New York City to head back to his rural hometown of Bad Axe, Michigan. His arrival comes at a time when the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is making itself felt across much of the Mid-West. In this insightful and intimate documentary, BAD AXE, Asian-American filmmaker, David Siev, documents his family's struggles to keep their restaurant open just as racialized fears surrounding the virus grow and deep generational scars dating back to his parent's history in the Cambodian Killing Fields are unearth between the family's patriarch, Chun, and his daughter, Jaclyn surface. When the BLM movement takes center stage in America, the family uses their voice to speak out in their town where Trumpism runs deep. What unfolds is a real-time portrait of 2020 through the lens of this multicultural family's fight to keep their American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and the trauma of having survived a genocide. The result is a real-time portrait of 2020 unfolds as an Asian-American family in Trump's rural America fights to keep their restaurant and American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars from the Khmer Rouge era that ravaged Cambodia. Director and subject David Siev joins us to talk about his family's resolve in the face of physical threats, balancing privacy with the importance of telling a story that ultimately reveals universal truths about the state of political discourse and community in a post-Trump world. For updates and news go to: facebook.com/badaxefilm

Faye (Dale Dickey) is a lone traveler biding her time fishing, birding and stargazing at a rural Colorado campground as she awaits the arrival of Lito (Wes Studi), a figure from her past who is navigating his own tentative and nomadic journey across the rugged West. Like the country music that has traditionally channeled the heartbreak and resilience of Americans in search of themselves     and others, A Love Song weaves a lyrical and ultimately joyful refrain out of the transformative act of being alone —and reminds us that the mysteries of love can transform us at any age. Director Max Walker-Silverman (Lefty/Righty) joins us for a conversation on how his homegrown film project became viable, his dream to get Dale Dickey (Winter's Bone, Leave No Trace) and Wes Studi (Last of the Mohicans , Dances with Wolves) to sign on to A Love Song, and striking a delicate balance in the film between the bittersweet notion of love lost, hope, tenderness and cosmic comedy. For updates go to: bleeckerstreetmedia.com/a-love-song For screenings go to: bleeckerstreetmedia.com/theaters-a-love-song

In Nana Mensah's beautifully realized feature film debut, QUEEN OF GLORY, Sarah Obeng (Nana Mensah), a doctoral student at Columbia University, a doctoral student at Columbia University, is weeks away from following her very married boyfriend to Ohio when her mother dies suddenly. Her inheritance? A small, but beloved, Christian bookstore in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx where she was raised in the tight-knit Ghanian immigrant community. Tasked with planning a culturally respectful funeral befitting the family matriarch, Sarah must juggle the expectations of her loving yet demanding family while navigating the reappearance of her estranged father all while grappling with what to do with the bookstore. Aided by an only-in-New York ensemble of Eastern European neighbors, feisty African aunties and a no-nonsense ex-con co-worker, Sarah faces her new responsibilities while figuring out how to remain true to herself. Director / writer / lead actor Nana Mensah joins us for a conversation on her belated decision to tackle her multi-hyphenated roles in making the film, spotlighting Ghanian culture and assembling a very talented cast of actors able to do justice to the poignant portrayals that lift Queen of Glory into the realm of something truly special.   For updates and screenings go to: filmmovement.com/queen-of-glory

Gina (Sally Phillips) is turning fifty and not feeling fabulous. When she is dismissed from her role in a liquidation company, she knows future job prospects for someone her age are slim. Gina despairs of what her future might hold. In this beguiling, sweet hearted comedy, HOW TO PLEASE A WOMAN, Gina is taken by surprise when for her fiftieth birthday a male sex worker, a gift sent by her girlfriends, offers to do anything she wants. She asks him to do for her what no one else will – she has him clean her house. Amused and delighted, her friends wish for a sexy cleaner themselves, sparking a new career for Gina who decides to employ the entire male removals team as house cleaners…with benefits. Written and directed by Renée Webster, and starring Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones's Diary, VEEP). HOW TO PLEASE A WOMAN is a precarious, often hilarious and revealing journey into the vulnerable world of what women really want and how hard it can be to get it right. For updates and screenings go to: how-to-please-a-woman

MY OLD SCHOOL re-tells the unbelievable story of 16-year-old Brandon Lee. In 1993 Brandon enrolled at Bearsden Academy, a secondary school in a well-to-do suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. What followed over the next two years would become the stuff of legend. Brandon had been privately tutored in Canada while he accompanied his mother, an opera diva, on tour before her tragic death. The preternaturally bright student surprised teachers by blazing toward his goal of entering medical school, displaying a wealth of knowledge beyond his years. Brandon found friends despite his initial awkwardness, taking bullied students under his wing, introducing classmates to seminal retro bands, and even starring in the school's production of South Pacific. But then his unbelievable secret was revealed. Filmmaker Jono McLeod returns to his old school for a nostalgic look at the strange but true story of his former classmate, Brandon Lee. Utilizing playful, period-specific animation, a pitch-perfect soundtrack, the memories of students and teachers, and the talents of Alan Cumming to bring the tale to life, MY OLD SCHOOL offers more than one surprise along the way. With so many shocking twists and turns, MY OLD SCHOOL pushes the idea of documentary storytelling beyond a traditional lineage.  For updates and screenings go to: magpictures.com/myoldschool

Co-directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West's latest documentary GABBY GIFFORDS WON'T BACK DOWN tells the extraordinary story of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, her relentless fight to recover following an assassination attempt in 2011, and her new life as one of the most effective activists in the battle for gun violence prevention and in promoting understanding of the language condition aphasia. Featuring extensive verité filming of Gabby and her husband, astronaut-turned-Senator Mark Kelly; interviews with President Barack Obama and other friends and colleagues; and exclusive access to stunning videos taken in the weeks following her near-death experience, this film is the story of a rising star transformed by an act of violence, and a close-up portrait of the marriage that sustains her. Co-directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West join us for a conversation on the indomitable spirit of a bright young woman who refuses to give up, the nexus of gun violence and American politics and their own commitment to using their journalism background to create compelling portraits of extraordinary people. For screenings and updates go to: briarcliffentertainment.com

Director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović latest film, MURINA, is set on a remote island along Croatia's Adriatic coast. Seventeen-year-old Julija (Gracija Filipovic) spends her days diving for eel with her domineering father Ante (Leon Lucev) and watching other teens party on a nearby yacht. Julija bristles at Ante's heavy handed cruelty and resents her mother Nela's (Danica Curcic) passivity. She longs for independence but is unsure how to achieve it, until the arrival of the rich and mysterious Javier seems to offer a way out. Once Ante's employer and Nela's lover, Javier (Cliff Curtis) flirts shamelessly with Nela and Julija, setting off a subtle battle of hyper-masculine one-upmanship that pushes Ante to humiliate and control Julija even more. Flattered by Javier's praise and stories of traveling the world, Julija sees him as the solution to all her problems. But does his affection portend freedom, or something more sinister? Winner of the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, lensed by award-winning cinematographer Hélène Louvart (THE LOST DAUGHTER), and Executive Produced by Martin Scorsese, MURINA features a ferocious, star-making central performance by Gracija Filipović and the most sumptuous images of the Mediterranean since THE BIG BLUE. Equal parts fiery feminist outcry and stirring coming-of-age drama, the film announces director Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović as a major new talent in world cinema. For updates and screenings go to: kinolorber.com/film/murina MURINA will open theatrically on Friday, July 8th at Metrograph in New York, and on Friday, July 15th at Laemmle Theatres in Los Angeles with rollout to select cities.

The harrowing story of the GOOD MADAM, begins with the death of her grandmother, the woman who raised her, Tsidi (Chumisa Cosa) and her daughter are forced to move in with Tsidi's estranged mother, Mavis (Nosipho Mtebe), who has lived and worked in the wealthy suburbs of Cape Town for most of Tsidi's life. Residues of apartheid-era domestic servitude confront legacies of colonial land theft in South African auteur Jenna Cato Bass's daring horror-satire. Jenna Cato Bass (High Fantasy, Flatland) transforms the legacies of South Africa's colonial land theft and Black domestic service to white bosses into a gutsy psychological thriller. Co-written with Babalwa Baartman, Mlungu Wam (Good Madam) grapples with the daily violence that haunts the nation's most pressing political issues, long after the end of apartheid. Summoning horror-satire references from Ousmane Sembène's Black Girl to Jordan Peele's Get Out, Bass and Baartman's suspenseful descent into complex, searing allegory insists on reckoning with the enduring presence of traumas deceptively labelled “history.” Director Jenny Cato Bass and co-screenwriter Babalwa Baartman join us for a conversation on the inspiration for GOOD MADAM, impact and legacy on today's South Africa, their on-going collaboration, and the superb cast of actors who helped them realize their vision. For more on Good Madam go to: shudder.com

Christos Nikou's beguiling new film, APPLES, takes place during a worldwide pandemic that causes sudden amnesia in growing numbers. A middle-aged man, Aris (Aris Servetalis), finds himself in a hospital and later in a recovery program designed to help “unclaimed” patients build new identities. Prescribed daily tasks on cassette tapes so he can create new memories and document them on camera, Aris slides back into ordinary life, meeting Anna (Sofia Georgovasili), a woman who is also in recovery. Through images deadpan, strange and surreal, Greek writer-director Christos Nikou posits a beguiling reflection on memory, identity, and loss, exploring how a society might handle an irreversible epidemic through one man's story of self-discovery. Are we the sum of the images we compile and display of ourselves, or are we something richer, and deeper? For news and screenings go to: cohenmedia.net/apples

CLARA SOLA drops us into a remote village in Costa Rica, 40-year-old Clara (Wendy Chinchilla Araya) who endures a repressively religious and withdrawn life under the command of her mother (Flor María Vargas Chaves). Clara is believed to have a special connection to God. As a "healer", she sustains a family and a village in need of hope, while she finds solace in her relationship with the natural world. After years of being controlled by her mother's repressive care, Clara's sexual desires are stirred by her attraction to her niece's new boyfriend. Tension builds within the family as Clara's younger niece (Ana Julia Porras Espinoza) approaches her quinceañera. This newly awakened force takes Clara to unexplored territory, allowing her to cross boundaries, both physical and mystical. Empowered by her self-discovery, Clara gradually frees herself from her role as “saint” and begins to heal herself. Director and co-screenwriter Nathalie Alvarez Mesén joins us for a conversation on her enthralling and beautifully drawn character study of a complex and determined woman, finding the right setting for the story, and eliciting a slew of captivating performances, led by Wendy Chinchilla Araya as Clara. For updates and screenings go to: clarasola.oscilloscope.net

In this acerbic part teen comedy, part drama, TAHARA, a funeral becomes a battleground between best friends Carrie Lowstein (Madeline Grey DeFreece) and Hannah Rosen (Rachel Sennott, breakout star of SHIVA BABY). When their former Hebrew school classmate commits suicide, the two girls attend her funeral as well as the "Teen Talk-back" session hosted by their synagogue, designed to be an opportunity for them to understand grief through Judaism. Hannah, more interested in impressing her crush Tristan (Daniel Taveras), convinces Carrie to practice kissing with her, unlocking feelings that turn Carrie's world upside down. Emotions heightened, the scene develops into a biting depiction of unrequited crushes, toxic friendships, and wavering faith, which ComingSoon calls "one of the most original films in the coming-of-age sub-genre in a long time.” Director Olivia Peace and Screenwriter Jess Zeidman join us for an in-depth conversation on the collaboration between them, the superb cast that was assembled for this exceptionally well executed story of love, death and teen angst. For updates and screenings go to: filmmovement.com/tahara

Co-directors Amélie van Elmbt and Maya Duverdier illuminating documentary film DREAMING WALLS takes us inside the legendary Chelsea Hotel, an icon of 1960s counterculture and a haven for famous artists and intellectuals including Patti Smith, Janis Joplin and the superstars of Warhol's Factory. The iconic structure is undergoing an extensive renovation. Soon it will reopen to the public as one of New York's most fashionable luxury hotels. Dozens of long-term residents, most in their later years, have lived amidst the scaffolding and constant construction for close to a decade. Against this chaotic backdrop, DREAMING WALLS: INSIDE THE CHELSEA HOTEL takes us through the hotel's storied halls, exploring its living body and the bohemian origins that contributed to its mythical stature. Its residents and the walls themselves now face a turning point in their common history. Co-directors Amélie van Elmbt and Maya Duverdier stop by to talk about their distinctive, dreamy and beautifully rendered look into the history, architecture, ambiance and denizens that have imbued the Chelsea with its power and glory. For updates and screening go to: magpictures.com/dreamingwalls To watch at home go to: magpictures.com/dreamingwalls

Katia and Maurice Krafft loved two things — each other and volcanoes. For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple roamed the planet, chasing eruptions and documenting their discoveries. FIRE OF LOVE tells a story of primordial creation and destruction, following two bold explorers as they venture into the unknown. FIRE OF LOVE tells the extraordinary love story of intrepid French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, who died just as explosively as they lived — capturing the most spectacular imagery ever recorded of their greatest passion: volcanoes. Director Sara Dosa and the filmmaking team fashion a lyrical celebration of the intrepid scientists' spirit of adventure, drawing from the Kraffts' spectacular archive. Ultimately, they lost their lives in a 1991 volcanic explosion, leaving a legacy that forever enriched our knowledge of the natural world. Director Sara Dosa (Audrie & Daisy, The Last Season) joins us for a conversation on the joy of learning about the couple, sifting through the trove of archival footage of their work, exploring personal / professional partnership they shared and giving the world an opportunity to appreciate the science and the spectacle they were willing to give their lives for. To watch at home go to: nationalgeographic.com In theatres starting July 6: neonrated.com/fire-of-love

ACCEPTED follows four high school seniors in rural Louisiana who are students at T.M. Landry, an unconventional K - 12 school housed in a sparse warehouse made famous for sending its graduates to elite universities like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. The students aim to meet the intense expectations of Mike Landry, the imposing founder of the school who charts a relentless course towards their college dreams. When the New York Times publishes an expose on Landry's controversial methods, the school buckles under the scrutiny. Each senior is left to contend with uncomfortable truths about their school and the college admissions system, and decide for themselves what they are willing to do to be accepted. Accepted offers a unique and intriguing look at the world of Ivy League college admissions and the true cost of getting that first foothold into elite American society. In his first documentary feature, director Dan Chen grounds a broader look at the inequities in the American education system with unbelievable access to T.M. Landry and the deeply personal stories of four dynamic students looking to overcome countless obstacles to achieve their dreams. greenwichentertainment.com/film/accepted For more go to: acceptedfilm.com

Directed by Emmy®-winning filmmaker James Jones (Mosul), CHERNOBYL: THE LOST TAPES, is the powerful and at times graphic film that tells the story of the disaster and its far-reaching ripple effects entirely through extraordinary and immersive footage, shot on site in the hours, days, weeks and months following the accident. As soldiers, pilots and miners were called on to help contain the radiation at huge physical risk, the Soviet apparat continued to deny and distort the enormity of the situation. Deeply personal witness testimony contextualizes the tragedy, providing an overview of life in Chernobyl before the meltdown and harrowing details of its aftermath. Government propaganda films illustrate the Soviet Union's pride in its nuclear program and news reports show President Gorbachev's delayed and mendacious announcements to his trusting countrymen. Thirty-six years after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded in Soviet Ukraine, newly uncovered archival footage and recorded interviews with those who were present paint an emotional and gripping portrait of the extent and gravity of the disaster and the lengths to which the Soviet government went to cover up the incident, including the soldiers sent in to “liquidate” the damage. CHERNOBYL: THE LOST TAPES is the full, unvarnished true story of what happened in one of the least understood tragedies of the twentieth century. Director James Jones (Mosul) joins us for a conversation on why this man-made disaster holds lessons for people today regarding disinformation and its deadly consequences, the very real dangers that shadow the hundreds of nuclear power currently operating around the world and the arrogance of unchecked power and unaccountable political leadership.   For news and screenings go to: hbo.com/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes

First-time feature filmmaker Rebeca "Beba" Huntt undertakes an unflinching exploration of her own identity in the remarkable coming-of-age documentary/cinematic memoir BEBA. Reflecting on her childhood and adolescence in New York City as the daughter of a Dominican father and Venezuelan mother, Huntt investigates the historical, societal, and generational trauma she's inherited and ponders how those ancient wounds have shaped her, while simultaneously considering the universal truths that connect us all as humans. Throughout BEBA, Huntt searches for a way to forge her own creative path amid a landscape of intense racial and political unrest. BEBA is a courageous, deeply human self-portrait of an Afro-Latina artist hungry for knowledge and yearning for connection. Director Rebecca Huntt joins us for a conversation on her collaboration with producer Sofia Gold and how that impacted her poetic, powerful and profound project. For news and screenings go to: bebafilm.com

The HBO Original six-part documentary series Mind Over Murder, directed by Nanfu Wang and produced by Vox Media Studios chronicles the bizarre and psychologically complex story of six individuals who were convicted for the 1985 murder of a beloved 68- year-old grandmother, Helen Wilson, in Beatrice, Nebraska. Despite five of the individuals originally confessing to the crime, the “Beatrice Six” as they became known, were exonerated by DNA evidence in 2009, a turn of events which divided the rural town and incensed the family of Helen Wilson. As the filmmakers track the case from the murder, through investigation, trial, exoneration and two civil suits, shifting perspectives cloud the truth; a stranger-than-fiction tale emerges that raises salient questions about the reliability of confessions and memory in criminal cases. Director Nanfu Wang (Hooligan Sparrow, One Child Nation, In the Same Breath) joins us for a conversation on her own journey to gain the confidence of a community convinced they already knew the truth, uncovering the venality of local government officials, and her ideas about how storytelling can be a way to break through to people traumatized by violence and misinformation. For updates and screenings go to: hbo.com/mind-over-murder

From Emmy-nominated Director Nadia Hallgren and producers Kenya Barris & Roger Ross Williams comes the NETFLIX documentary CIVIL/BEN CRUMP. CIVIL is an intimate vérité look at the life of maverick civil rights attorney Ben Crump and his mission to raise the value of Black life in America. CIVIL follows a year in the life of Crump as takes on the civil cases for the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Black farmers, and "Banking while Black" victims, in doing so challenging America to come to terms with what it owes his clients. Peeling back the many layers of Crump, Hallgren gives a behind-the-scenes look at his upbringing and his balance of work and family life. CIVIL also underscores other countless issues Crump is passionate about including environmental justice and banking while Black. Director / Cinematographer Nadia Hallgren joins us for a conversation on the profoundly significant role that Ben Crump has taken on, symbolically and practically for the African American community. Hallgren's multi-layered approach to storytelling provides the viewer with a window into Mr. Crump's world of rampant state sanctioned carnage, grief counseling and legal triage. To watch go to: netflix.com/CIVIL CIVIL is produced by Kenya Barris, Roger Ross Williams, Lauren Cioffi and Nadia Hallgren and executive produced by Erynn Sampson, Matthew Carnahan and Geoff Martz.

Beautifully layered and expressionistic, AFTER SHERMAN is a story about inheritance and the tension that defines our collective American history, especially Black history. Director Jon Sesrie Goff follows his father, a minister, in the aftermath of a mass shooting at his church in Charleston, South Carolina to understand how communities of descendants of enslaved Africans use their unique faith as a form of survival as they continue to fight for America to live up to its many unfulfilled promises to Black Americans. Goff's feature documentary debut, lays out intimate accounts of the lives of the Black community in the filmmaker's Black Belt hometown, on land that has been in his family for 150 years, where they were once enslaved. Now transformed, primarily on the backs and resourcefulness of Black people, and thriving as a wedding destination, it stands as a reminder of the painful, cross-generational consequences of racism, and a validation of life's beauty. Pure cinematic poetry informed by a history still to be conclusively reckoned with, AFTER SHERMAN foregrounds the Southern Black experience while posing complicated questions about home and ownership that it isn't so presumptuous to believe it can readily answer. Director Jon Sesrie Goff joins us for a conversation on the many ways that our country's hidden history, bigoted culture, blinding greed, deceitful religious leadership and cynically racist political system has failed an astonishingly resilient people. For news and updates go to: aftersherman.com

Award-winning filmmaker Emmett Adler's feature documentary END OF THE LINE is a character-driven political drama about the New York City subway crisis and a long overdue reckoning on infrastructure. Establishing the vital economic importance and grandeur of New York City's historic subway system, the film dives into its dire modern-day troubles picking up in the late 2010s when flooding, overcrowding, power failures, and derailments have become commonplace. After a particularly bad spate of disasters in the summer of 2017, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proclaims a state of emergency and hires a new international wunderkind executive named Andy Byford to save the subways. Byford, an earnest Briton with an impressive resume, enters as a charismatic would-be hero. As the political turmoil behind the subway's decline comes into sharp focus, scenes in barbershops, bodegas, and bakeries show the frustration and devastation among business owners and residents who are caught in the middle.  Director Emmett Adler seamlessly captures the hurly-burly of New York - State and City - politics, the daily miracle of moving nine million people across the five NYC burroughs, the immensity of the challenges facing anyone willing and able to “fix” the MTA and clashing politicos, bureaucrats and transportation engineers who all think they know what's best. For updates and screenings go to: endofthelinedoc.com

Emelie Mahdavian's sweeping documentary BITTERBRUSH follows Hollyn Patterson and Colie Moline, range riders who are spending their last summer herding cattle in remote Idaho. Totally off the grid with only their dogs as companions, Hollyn and Colie brave inclement weather and perilous work conditions while pondering their futures. A portrait of friendship, life transitions, and the work of two skilled young women in the isolated and beautiful landscape of the American West, BITTERBRUSH is an intimate portrayal of a way of life rarely seen on film that takes us beyond the “oh look” stereotypes of women's work and celebrates the excellence of their skill and expanding capacity to adapt. Director Emelie Mahdavian joins us to talk about the logistical challenges of capturing the stunningly beautiful and rugged terrain that Hollyn and Colie have to navigate, conveying the tension that comes from doing what you love in a potentially very dangerous “workplace” while highlighting the friendship and teamwork that is at the heart of this enthralling journey. For updates and screenings go to: magpictures.com/bitterbrush Watch at home: magpictures.com/bitterbrush

BRIAN AND CHARLES follows Brian, a lonely inventor in rural Wales, who spends his days building quirky, unconventional contraptions that seldom work. Undeterred by his lack of success, Brian decides to build a robot for company. ‘Charles' is not only Brian's most successful invention, but he appears to have a personality all of his own and quickly becomes Brian's best friend, curing his loneliness and opening Brian's eyes to a new way of living. However, Charles creates more problems than Brian bargained for, and the timid inventor has to face-up to several issues in his life; his eccentric ways, a local bully, and the woman he's always been fond of but never had the nerve to talk to. BRIAN & CHARLES is a feel-good comedy about friendship, love, and letting go. And a 7ft tall robot that eats cabbages. Director Jim Archer joins us for a conversation on how the project came into his life, finding the right location for evoking the off-kilter ambiance of the story and capturing the mixture of quirky, funny and endearing that has allowed BRIAN AND CHARLES take hold of audiences everywhere it has been screened. For news and screenings go to: focusfeatures.com/brian-and-charles

Tommy Walker and Ross Hockrow's documentary short KAEPERNICK & AMERICA takes us back to the summer of 2016, an election year with unrest rumbling through America. There were countless triggers – the murder videos of Philando Castille and Alton Sterling, the counterpunch of Alt-Right and Fake News, Black Lives Matter, Russian meddling – a discordant national cauldron ready to boil over. It was the birth of Trumpism, but no knew it yet. Then, Colin Kaepernick took a knee and America lost its mind. Kaep's knee touched down on the divide between America's Black and white tectonic plates, creating an earthquake in the eternal race debate. The aftershocks of his singular gesture have already rippled through our country for years. Kaepernick himself answered any and all thoughtful questions for a time, then stopped talking. And the resulting quiet has allowed for a thoughtful examination of the man and his story. It reveals layer upon layer of surprises and contradictions.  Raised in a white family, he became a Black quarterback, while in fact, he is an adopted, biracial man. Co-directors Tommy Walker and Ross Hockrow join us to talk about their deep dive into the story behind the headlines and in doing so provide us with insight into how and why this inherently shy young man became the center of attention still dealing with the scourge of racism in America. For updates and screenings go to: tribecafilm.com/kaepernick-america

From Award-winning filmmaker David Henry Gerson a documentary short, THE STORY WON'T DIE. It's an inspiring, timely look at a young generation of Syrian artists who use their work to protest and process what is currently the world's largest and longest ongoing displacement of people since World War II. THE STORY WON'T DIE was produced by Sundance Award-winning producer Odessa Rae (Navalny). and geature a wide variety of Syrian born artist that includes; Rapper Abu Hajar, post-Rock musician (Anas Maghrebi), members of the first all-female Syrian rock band (Bahila Hijazi and Lynn Mayya), break-dancer (Bboy Shadow), choreographer (Medhat Aldaabal), and visual artists (Tammam Azzam, Omar Imam and Diala Brisly). All of these talented artists use their art to rise in revolution and endure in exile in this new documentary reflecting on a battle for peace, justice and freedom of expression. It is an uplifting and humanizing look at what it means to be a refugee in today's world and offers inspiring and hopeful vantages on a creative response to the chaos of war. Director David Henry Gerson stops by to talk about his exploration of artists / activists forced to flee one of the world's most repressive regimes, away from family and loved ones, but still committed to their art, community and hope for a time when they can return to their beloved country. For updates and screenings go to: thestorywontdie.com To watch: thestorywontdie.com/screenings

Stranger at the Gate - Director Joshua Seftel Joshua Seftel's documentary short, STRANGER AT THE GATE, tells the story of U.S. Marine Richard Mac McKinney after returning home to Indiana, after 25 years of service, filled with an all-consuming rage toward the people he had been fighting against. Still fueled by his desire to fight for his country, he plans to bomb the local mosque. But when he comes face to face with the community of Afghan refugees and others of Muslim faith that he seeks to kill, his plan takes an unexpected turn. Director Joshua Seftel (Lost and Found, This American Life) joins us for a conversation on his pursuit of the people who opened their hearts to a man determined to carry out a heinous act, and came to find out that sharing their common humanity would prove to be the greatest gift that they could give to one another. For news and screenings go to: strangeratthegate.com

Divided into two chapters, director Bogdan George Apetri's MIRACLE begins with the young, beautiful Cristina Tofan (Ioana Bugarin) sneaking away from an isolated convent. Working in the style of the Romanian New Wave, Apetri withholds key information about her motives as we follow her enigmatic journey, allowing tension to steadily build to a wavering precipice. The film's second part follows Marius Preda (Emanuel Pârvu), a determined inspector retracing Cristina's steps days after her departure. Here, the narrative opens into both gripping police thriller and devastating social commentary, as Marius gradually uncovers clues and revelations leading not only to the unfathomable truth behind Cristina's mysterious actions, but possibly, to an actual miracle as well. Director / writer Bogdan George Apetri joins us for a conversation on the multi-part story, of which Miracle is one part, that he is in the process of telling, the decision to lean into long tracking shots, recruiting a superb cast of actors into Miracle and Unidentified and his love of cinema. For updates and screenings go to: filmmovement.com/miracle

NEPTUNE FROST is a multi-hyphenate, multidisciplinary from the hearts and minds of artists Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman. They bring their unique dynamism to this Afrofuturist vision, a sci-fi punk musical that's a visually wondrous amalgamation of themes, ideas, and songs that Williams has explored in his work, notably his 2016 album MartyrLoserKing. Co-directed with his partner, the Rwandan-born artist and cinematographer Uzeyman, NEPTUNE FROST takes place in the hilltops of Burundi, where a group of escaped coltan miners form an anti-colonialist computer hacker collective. From their camp in an otherworldly e-waste dump, they attempt a takeover of the authoritarian regime exploiting the region's natural resources – and its people. When an intersex runaway and an escaped coltan miner find each other through cosmic forces, their connection sparks glitches within the greater divine circuitry. Set between states of being – past and present, dream and waking life, colonized and free, male and female, memory and prescience,  Neptune Frost co-directors Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman bring an invigorating and empowering direct download to the cerebral cortex and a call to reclaim technology for progressive political ends. For updates and screenings go to: kinolorber.com/NeptuneFrost

Echoes of the Empire: Beyond Genghis Khan offers a stunning cinematic view of Mongolia's past and present. Film director and novelist Robert H. Lieberman takes us into this vast country little known by many. New York Times best-selling author Jack Weatherford opens the film, leading us through the remarkable evolution of Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire. Intimate portraits of today's Mongolians provide us with rare and revealing insights into the minds of these former warriors and nomads and the challenges they face in their post Soviet world. Echoes of the Empire: Beyond Genghis Khan is the third in the trilogy of films from the creative team at PhotoSynthesis Productions that includes the acclaimed Angkor Awakens and They Call It Myanmar - hailed as New York Times Critics' Picks. Director Robert Lieberman (Angkor Awakes, They Call It Myanmar) stops by to talk about largest and most consequential empire in human history led by a man who commanded a disciplined army, deployed brilliant military tactics, elevated the status of women within the empire and created an enduring legacy that continues to inform the lives of modern Mongolian society. For news, updates and screenings go to: echoesoftheempire.com

REBELLION is the first feature-length documentary to tell the behind-the-scenes story of Extinction Rebellion, following a group of unlikely allies as they come together to confront the climate emergency. In the decade since the Financial Crisis, action on climate change had slipped right down the political agenda. In 2018 a new group emerged, Extinction Rebellion (XR), with a bold tactic to break through the deadlock: mass civil disobedience on a scale not seen for decades. Rebellion follows the journey of XR co-founders as well as Farhana Yamin, an international environmental lawyer who played a key role in negotiating the Paris Climate Agreement, as she decides to break the law for the first time in her life. For them, climate change is not just an environmental issue but is rooted in - and reinforces - social inequalities. REBELLION crucially tells a story about the health of our own democracy, as we witness moves to restrict the power of peaceful protest - including a government bill threatening 10 year jail sentences for those causing ‘serious annoyance or inconvenience.' REBELLION poses uncomfortable and important questions about what it means to be an active citizen. First time filmmakers Maia Kenworthy and Elena Sanchez Bellot join us for a conversation about the civil rights issues as they related to protest, the urgency that so many feel regarding the climate crisis and the pressing need for proactive, not reactive actions. We also talk about the internal dynamics that come when a group of political activists begin to experience the spotlight of success.

“18½” humorously crafts its own narrative into the notorious gap in Nixon's Watergate scandal. Taking place in 1974, “18½” is about  a fictional White House transcriber finds the only copy of the infamous 18½-minute gap in Nixon's Watergate tapes but her attempts to leak it to the press run afoul of hippies, swingers and nefarious forces. “18½” acclaimed cast is led by stars Willa Fitzgerald (Amazon's Reacher), John Magaro (First Cow), Vondie Curtis Hall (Harriet), Catherine Curtin (Netflix's Stranger Things), Richard Kind (Argo), Sullivan Jones (The Gilded Age), Alanna Saunders, Claire Saunders, and the legendary voices of Ted Raimi (Spider-Man) , Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead) as President Richard Nixon. Directed by Dan Mirvish, "18½" features a screenplay by Daniel Moya, story by Mirvish and Moya, with classic cinematography by Elle Schneider. Director Dan Mirvish (Between Us, Bernard and Huey) and a Slamdance Film Festival Co-founder joins us to talk about the superb cast of actors he assembled for this historically inspired story that is one part comedy, one part 1970s paranoia, and wholly entertaining. For news and updates go to: 18andahalfmovie.com To watch 18 1/2 go to: 18andahalfmovie.com/screenings

The story behind MIDWIVES is the story of Hla and Nyo Nyo, both living and working side-by-side in a country torn by ethnic conflict. Hla is a Buddhist and the owner of a makeshift medical clinic in western Myanmar, where the Rohingya (a Muslim minority community) are persecuted and denied basic rights. Nyo Nyo is a Muslim and an apprentice midwife who acts as an assistant and translator at the clinic. Her family has lived in the area for generations, yet they are still considered intruders. Encouraged and challenged by Hla, who risks her own safety daily by helping Muslim patients, Nyo Nyo is determined to become a steady health care provider for her community. The filmmaker's gentle, impartial gaze grants unique access to these courageous women who unite to bring forth life. Filled with love, empathy, and hope, MIDWIVES offers a rare insight into the complex reality of Myanmar and its people. Director Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing (Burmese Butterfly) joins us for a conversation on her own journey, that included filming in Myanmar for over five turbulent years, witnessing the vilification and ostracized by the international community for their brutal treatment of the Rohingya people and gaining the trust and respect of the women who have made the clinic an integral part of the communities they serve. For updates and screenings go to: dogwoofsales.com/midwives Winner - World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Excellence In Verité Filmmaking - Sundance 2022

PLAGUE AT THE GOLDEN GATE takes us back over 100 years before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world. Back to a time when an outbreak of bubonic plague in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1900 unleashed a wave of fear and anti-Asian sentiment. It was the first time in history that civilization's most feared disease — the infamous Black Death — made it to North America. Two doctors — vastly different in temperament, training and experience — used different methods to lead the seemingly impossible battle to contain the disease before it could engulf the country. In addition to overwhelming medical challenges, they faced unexpected opposition from business leaders, politicians, and even the president of the United States. Fueling the resistance would be a potent blend of political expediency, ignorance, greed, racism, and deep-rooted distrust of not only federal authority but science itself. Scapegoated as the source of the disease early on, the Chinese community fought back against unjust, discriminatory treatment. The gripping story of the desperate race against time to save San Francisco and the nation from the deadly disease, Plague at the Golden Gate is based in part on David K. Randall's critically acclaimed book, Black Death at the Golden Gate. Director Li-Shin Yu and Producer James Q. Chan join us for a conversation on the social, political, economic and medical reasons that this little known, potentially devastating outbreak disproportionally impacted the San Francisco's Chinese community and just how close that their callous bigotry came to unleashing a catastrophic scourge on the entire country. For more news go to: pbs.org/americanexperience/plague-golden-gate

Ninja Thyberg's debut feature film PLEASURE is a journey into the Los Angeles porn industry through the lens of newcomer Bella Cherry (Sofia Kappel). A strong, self-confident and determined, Bella leaves behind her small Swedish town and embarks on a mission to become the best adult performer at any cost. PLEASURE was written and directed by Ninja Thyberg and showcases a forthright and fearless performance by Kappel. PLEASURE also features an ensemble of well known adult industry actors. Director Ninja Thyberg (Pleasure (short), Catwalk) joins us for a conversation on the place porn occupies in our public and personal space, the predominance of a male perspective in commercial pornography, the power dynamics that track Bella's journey through porn's titular capital, the San Fernando Valley and the celebration of personal sexual pleasure. For updates and screenings go to: neonrated.com/films/pleasure 2021 Sundance Film Festival Nominated, Grand Jury Prize World Cinema - Ninja Thyberg 2022 Independent Spirit Award Nominated, Best Director - Ninja Thyberg

HOLD YOUR FIRE takes on a deep dive into an incident that has become a touchstone of hyper-aggressive police tactics and community relations. In 1973, four young African-American Muslim men entered a sporting goods store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to steal guns. They were soon cornered by a score of New York police. The bungled robbery triggered a response of deadly force by a then mostly-white police force and led to the longest hostage siege in NYPD history. The stand-off eventually became, could a visionary police psychologist,  Harvey Schlossberg, convince his superiors to do the unthinkable –  negotiate with “criminals” – and save twelve hostages from a violent bloodbath? In never-before-seen film and eye-opening interviews, HOLD YOUR FIRE is a look into a policing regime that could revolutionize the ways that American law enforcement protects the citizenry and saves lives in the process. Director Stefan Forbes, (Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story) producer Fab Five Freddy (Grass is Greener) and their team reconstruct what took place through the Rashomon-like perspectives of the robbers, hostages, and cops.  For updates and screenings go to: holdyourfirefilm.com

EMERGENCY follows college seniors Kunle (Donald Elise Watkins) and his best friend, Sean (RJ Cyler), as they ready themselves for an epic night of Spring Break parties. Sean has the whole night planned out, including every party they will hit on their “legendary tour.” Kunle is down, yet mostly concerned with finishing up his mold experiment in his lab, as his acceptance to Princeton is hinging on the results. They return to their apartment to pre-game, yet find that their roommate, Carlos (Sebastian Chacon), left the door open. As they enter with trepidation, Sean and Kunle discover a drunk, semi-conscious White female they don't know on the floor and an oblivious Carlos, who didn't hear her come in over the videogame blaring in his ears. The moral and practical dilemma of what these three men of color should do with the incapacitated white girl sets in motion a wildly fraught journey through the social, political and racial landscape of America in 2022. Director Carey Williams (Cherry Waves, Emergency (short)) joins us for a lively conversation on his collaboration with screenwriter KD Davila, and how he pulled together an amazingly talented cast newcomers to help him deliver a multi-layered, funny, terrifying, and thrilling cinematic ride.   For updates and screenings go to amazonstudios.com/emergency For theatre tickets go to: emergencymovie.com For more on Carey Williams go to: cdubfilms.com

In Chris Sivertson's latest film, MONSTROUS, a terrifying new horror awaits Laura (Christina Ricci) and her seven-year-old son Cody when they flee her abusive ex-husband and try to settle into a new life in an idyllic and remote lakeside farmhouse. As they begin to settle into their new life, they encounter a bigger, more terrifying horror that threatens their already fragile existence and pushes their physical and mental well-being to the limit. MONSTROUS stars Christina Ricci (Buffalo 66, Monster, The Opposite of Sex), with Colleen Camp ( Always Shine, American Hustle) Santino Bernard (Penny Dreadful), Don Balderamos and Nick Vallelonga (Green Book). MONSTROUS director Chris Sivertson (All Cheerleaders Die) joins us for a conversation on his collaboration with screenwriter Carol Chrest, working with award-winning actor Christina Ricci and striking a balanced approach between psychological thriller with an illuminating character study. For news and updates go to: screenmediafilms.net/Monstrous To watch Monstrous go to: monstrousmovie.net

THE WILL TO SEE shadows the old-time war reporter, philosopher and writer, Bernard-Henri Lévy as he accept a dangerous and essential assignment, in the pandemic year 2020, from a consortium of newspapers that includes Paris Match, La Reppublica, The Wall Street Journal, to bear witness and report from hotspots around the world disrupted by war with the most challenging geopolitical disasters. From the trenches in Donbas, Ukraine and the resistance in the Panjshir Valley fighting the Taliban to the Kurdish fighters combating ISIS, THE WILL TO SEE is an unflinching look at the world's most unreachable war zones and urgent humanitarian crises and has one message: pay attention and care for common humanity. Co-director Bernard-Henri Lévy (Peshmerga, The Oath of Tobruk) joins us to reflect on our collective human history of warfare and cruelty, usually visited upon the most vulnerable amongst us, as well as the state of a world being torn apart by war and violence that is seemingly unable or willing to see it. For updates and screenings go to: the-will-to-see For more: bernard-henri-levy.com/the-will-to-see

Lonnie Frazier's intimate and endearing documentary film, BOX OF RAIN, asks and answers the question… What do you do when you're seventeen, suicidal, and believe that the only thing the world has to offer you is violence and pain? You get in your car and drive across the United States to go see the Grateful Dead, of course. At least, that's what you do if you're lucky.  In 1985, Lonnie's life was spiraling out of control. Through a twist of fate she found healing in an unexpected place: the Deadhead community. It all started with a road trip and free tickets to see the Grateful Dead at Red Rocks in Colorado. BOX OF RAIN is an exploration of the Deadhead family, past and present, and the qualities that make it unique. We follow Lonnie as she reconnects with the women she traveled with in her youth, and makes new friends along the way. Through wide ranging interviews, she seeks to dispel the common stereotypes about Dead-heads and document the beauty of the community. We learn how the Grateful Dead touched the lives of so many people, the healing they found through the music, and the memories they cherish most. Twenty-five years after the road trip that started it all, Lonnie returns to Red Rocks in her quest to complete this film. On this journey, she discovers healing, and the power to write her own story. Director Lonnie Frazier joins us for a conversation on the enduring power of the Grateful Dead's music to inspire, and connect people to another for their own long, strange trip through life.   For updates and screenings go to: boxofrainfilm.com

In the riveting documentary film, THE WOBBLIES, Filmmakers Deborah Shaffer and Stewart Bird weave history, archival film footage, interviews with former workers (in their 80s and 90s during the making of the film), cartoons, original art, and classic Wobbly songs (many written by Joe Hill) to pay tribute to the legacy of these rebels who paved the way and risked their lives for the many of the rights that we still have today. “Solidarity! All for One and One for All!” Founded in Chicago in 1905, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) took to organizing unskilled workers into one big union and changed the course of American history. This compelling documentary of the IWW (or “The Wobblies” as they were known), narrated by Roger Baldwin, one of the founders of the ACLU, tells the story of workers in factories, sawmills, wheat fields, forests, mines and on the docks as they organize and demand better wages, healthcare, overtime pay and safer working conditions. In some respects, men and women, Black and white, skilled and unskilled workers joining a union and speaking their minds seems so long ago, but in other ways, the film mirrors today's headlines, depicting a nation torn by corporate greed. Co-directors Deborah and Stewart Bird join us for a conversation on their own journey of making THE WOBBLIES, more than 40 years ago, their reflections on the significance of that nascent labor movement, the deadly violence brought down on those men and women who dared to ask for a fair wage and a decent life and what lessons we can glean from the first labor movement that could be successful in today's virulently anti-labor workplace. For updates and screenings go to: kinolorber.com/film/the-wobblies

Director Maris Curran's feature documentary, Jeannette, is a striking and intimate vérité, this portrait of competitive bodybuilder and queer single mother Jeannette Feliciano. The story unfolds as a nuanced story of balancing the relentlessness of daily existence with the realities of living through trauma. In the wake of Orlando's Pulse Nightclub shooting, Jeannette continues to coach other survivors at the gym while raising her son. Life seems calm again, until Hurricane Maria hits Puerto Rico and Jeannette is thrown back into crisis mode. Skirting headlines to instead focus on the tenderness of healing, Maris Curran (Five Nights in Maine) delivers her feature documentary debut with the World Premiere of JEANNETTE. Director Maris Curran and the subject Jeannette Feliciano joins us for a conversation on the process of becoming comfortable with each other as Jeannette facilitates Maris's camera and crew into every aspect of her life why it was important for both of them to give the horrifying reality of the Pulse Club mass shooting the appropriate perspective in the sweep of Jeanette's complex and rewarding life. For updates and screenings go to: thefilmcollaborative.org