Section

Human Rights Spotlight

This powerful selection highlights the fight for justice and equality, with documentaries like Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round, which chronicles an interracial civil rights protest, and The Strike, focusing on a hunger strike by men in solitary confinement. These films give voice to marginalized communities and highlight the ongoing struggles for human rights across the globe.

Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Shorts Competition

1001cuts

Film 1001cuts Directed by Sarah M Temkin “1001cuts” explores the careers of female surgeons who benefited from Title IX, a law that opened doors for...

Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Shorts Competition

13 Driver’s Licenses

Film 13 Driver’s Licenses Directed by Ryoya Terao The discovery of 13 confiscated driver’s licenses from 1938 leads a band of high-school students and their tenacious...

Asian Focus, Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Shorts Competition

A Move

Film A Move Directed by Elahe Esmaili Elahe returns to her hometown in Mashhad, Iran, to help her parents move to a new place after...

Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Race in America, Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition

Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round

Film Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round Directed by Ilana Trachtman Follow the story of five Howard University students who sat on a carousel in 1960 and those who...

Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, QFest LGBTQ Spotlight, Shorts Competition

Alok

Film Alok Directed by Alex Hedison Filmmaker Alex Hedison presents a compelling portrait of her friend, Alok Vaid-Menon, an acclaimed non-binary author, poet, comedian,...

Asian Focus, Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, QFest LGBTQ Spotlight, Shorts Competition

Amma’s Pride

Film Amma’s Pride Directed by Shiva Krish “Amma’s Pride” chronicles Valli’s trials and tribulations as she watches her trans daughter Srija, fall in love, marry,...

Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, QFest LGBTQ Spotlight, Shorts Competition

Bender Defenders

Film Bender Defenders Directed by Ira Putilova Four members of the queer martial arts club “Bender Defenders” in East London celebrate trans people in sports...

Cinema for Students Programs, Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Shorts Competition, Spanish-Language Focus, Women in Film Spotlight

Boy’s things

Film Boy’s things Directed by Raquel Colera Every summer Marta enjoys an idyllic routine of football, swimming, and riding her bike with her all male...

Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight, Race in America, Show-Me Cinema

Catching Bullets

Film Catching Bullets A generation ago, Darren sold dope. Behind a gun and a bullet-proof vest, he once made a name...

Fine Arts Spotlight, Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Robert French and French-Language Focus

Dancing On The Edge Of A Volcano

Film Dancing On The Edge Of A Volcano Directed by Cyril Aris After the devastating explosion on August 4th, 2020, in Beirut, a film crew faces a tough choice: continue...

Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Shorts Competition

Destined To Play: The Untold Story of Saudi Women’s Football

Film Destined To Play: The Untold Story of Saudi Women’s Football Directed by John Ford For the girls who dreamt of one day representing their nation and for the women who wouldn’t take...

Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Shorts Competition, Spanish-Language Focus

Dimension of Absence

Film Dimension of Absence Directed by Sjors Swierstra Visual artist Aimée Zito Lema, who grew up under the shadow of Argentina’s violent past, uses her work...

Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Race in America, Spanish-Language Focus

Emergent City

Film Emergent City Directed by Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Kelly Anderson Emergent City chronicles a decade in a working class neighborhood at the edge of a changing Brooklyn. As...

Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight, Race in America

Family Tree

Film Family Tree Directed by Jennifer MacArthur North Carolina’s sustainable forestry movement is a rare gesture towards community-based climate action. Seen through the stories of...

Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight, Race in America

Farming While Black

Film Farming While Black Directed by Mark Decena Leah Penniman, a young Black farmer and co-founder of Soul Fire Farm, knows all too well the plight...

Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Race in America, Shorts Competition

How to Sue the Klan

Film How to Sue the Klan Directed by John Beder Learn the story of the five Black women and a young civil rights lawyer who took on the...

American Indie Spotlight, Human Rights Spotlight, Women in Film Spotlight

Lady Parts

Film Lady Parts Directed by Nancy Boyd Lady Parts” follows Paige, an aspiring screenwriter in Los Angeles who, just days before landing her dream job,...

Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight

Lions of Mesopotamia

Film Lions of Mesopotamia Directed by Lucian Read The Iraqi soccer team unites players from warring factions to become 2007 Asian Cup champions, briefly unifying the...

Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Shorts Competition

More Than Brothers

Film More Than Brothers Directed by Andrea von Siebenthal Following the retreat of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban is now hunting down and killing...

American Indie Spotlight, Fine Arts Spotlight, Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition

Porcelain War

Film Porcelain War Directed by Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev Under roaring fighter jets and missile strikes, Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey stay behind to fight, grappling...

Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight

Ray of Hope

Film Ray of Hope Directed by Nikila Cole, Ryan Singh Ray of Hope follows Rathika Sitsabaiesan, a former Canadian MP who fled Sri Lanka’s conflict as a child,...

Cinema for Students Programs, Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Race in America, Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition

Rising Hope

Film Rising Hope Directed by Theo Avgerinos In this cinematic portrait of the forgotten Mississippi Delta, inspired citizens share vibrant testimonies of hope in the...

Human Rights Spotlight, Oscar® Submissions, Women in Film Spotlight

Santosh

Film Santosh Directed by Sandhya Suri A government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural...

Environmental Focus, Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight, Human Ties, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition, Women in Film Spotlight

Searching for Amani

Film Searching for Amani Directed by Debra Aroko, Nicole Gormley A 13-year-old aspiring journalist investigates his father’s murder in Kenya’s largest wildlife conservancy. As a severe drought worsens,...

Human Rights Spotlight, QFest LGBTQ Spotlight, Shorts Competition, Women in Film Spotlight

Sixteen

Film Sixteen Directed by Naomi Iwamoto When a Japanese American teenage girl is faced with the reality of being sent to conversion therapy, she...

Fine Arts Spotlight, Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight, Human Ties, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Race in America, Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition

Songs from the Hole

Film Songs from the Hole Directed by Contessa Gayles This Documentary tells the story of a 15 year old musician who took a life and then lost...

American Indie Spotlight, Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, New Filmmakers Forum

Stampila

Film Stampila Directed by David Larson Determined to overthrow the powerful oligarch who controls her country, a middle-aged woman, armed with only her wit...

Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, QFest LGBTQ Spotlight, Shorts Competition

The Callers

Film The Callers Directed by Lindsey Dryden “The Callers” blends anonymous Documentary testimony with creative scenes to capture the experiences of those who have reached...

American Indie Spotlight, Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Race in America, Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition

The Calling

Film The Calling Directed by Asako Gladsjo “The Calling” tracks a diverse group of medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx...

Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Shorts Competition, Spanish-Language Focus

The fishing boats of Kayar

Film The fishing boats of Kayar Directed by Álvaro Hernández Blanco After 15 years in Spain, Thimbo returns to his Senegalese fishing village, feeling nostalgic, disoriented, and frustrated. He...

Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight, Human Ties, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Race in America, Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition

The People’s Way

Film The People’s Way Directed by Ashley Tyner, William Taft Tyner Grappling with the impact of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis, three community organizers, Jeanelle Austin, Toshira Garraway, and...

Human Rights Spotlight, International Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Shorts Competition

The Presidents’ Tailor – From Auschwitz to the White House

Film The Presidents’ Tailor – From Auschwitz to the White House Directed by Rick Minnich Martin Greenfield learned to sew while mending Gestapo shirts in Auschwitz, and went on to make suits for...

Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight

The Strike

Film The Strike Directed by JoeBill Muñoz, Lucas Guilkey The Strike is a Feature Documentary that tells the story of a generation of California men who endured...

Human Rights Spotlight, Shorts Competition

Where the Bullets Go

Film Where the Bullets Go Directed by Cody Duncum When a young boy shoots at a bird and misses, he embarks on a search to find where...

Human Rights Spotlight, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, Race in America

White With Fear

Film White With Fear Directed by Andrew Goldberg An explosive deep dive into the cynical, decades-long strategy of Republican politicians and conservative media to exploit America’s...

Cinema for Students Programs, Free Films, Human Rights Spotlight, Human Ties, Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight, SLIFF/Kids Family Films, Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition

Without Arrows

Film Without Arrows Directed by Elizabeth Day, Jonathan Olshefski Filmed over the course of thirteen years (2011-2023) Without Arros tells the story of Delwin Fiddler Jr.’s return...