Table Of Contents
Lineup
September 29 - October 2, 2022
Shows
Guests
Films
Bring Them Home
Americans Emad and Bahareh Shargi never expected their family to be torn apart while visiting Iran, their country of birth. But when Iranian officials hold Emad hostage on bogus espionage charges, Bahareh and her daughters are forced into unlikely roles. They must navigate Iran’s authoritarian system and U.S. politics to try to free Emad from being a pawn in nuclear negotiations.
Street Reporter
Sheila White, 58, dreams of becoming a photojournalist and escaping her life of homelessness. Yearning to make this change, she studies at a local university while completing homework late into the night at the women’s shelter. Street Reporter is a deeply intimate, character-based film produced with community collaborators that provides a window into the power of community journalism in one woman’s life, casting a vision of the re-humanizing effects of life’s most basic need: a place to call home.
Of Medicine and Miracles
This compelling documentary follows two intersecting stories, both connected to curing cancer. The audience finds itself up close with the parents of Emily Whitehouse, desperately seeking a treatment that will save their young daughter’s life. The other story follows Dr. Carl June and his colleagues as we learn about their own tumultuous and painfully personal journey of experimental research his team has relentlessly executed to find a new solution to this old disease. Tied together by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ross Kaufman (Born into Brothels, Tigerland, E-Team and more), this film is an unexpected emotional and scientific journey that will instill a range of emotions; from sadness to empathy to ultimately, hope.
Na Ponta dos Pés (On Pointe)
The inspiring story of Tuany, a 23-year-old ballet dancer who started a dance company for young girls in the middle of one of Rio De Janeiro’s most dangerous favelas. She gives students hope for a better future and a safe space away from the violent world around them.
The Janes
These women were young and bold fifty years ago when they were hard at work providing safe abortions for women in the Chicago area. Now, they remain just as bold as they offer lessons from their own lives for the next generation of activists who will work to save lives in an unjust society.
The Price of Certainty
This short documentary explores the ideas of Dr. Arie Kruglanski, who in 1989 coined the theory of “cognitive closure” to describe how we close off our minds to new information once we subscribe to a belief system.
Belle River
In the spring of 2019 flooding throughout the gulf hit record highs, and residents of Pierre-Part, Louisiana prepared for the worst. Faith and resilience are the two best weapons they show in the face of uncertainty.