Cinemafile

Wendy (Dakota Fanning) believes she's perfectly happy in her relationship, until her older boyfriend, Jack (Jake Johnson), who is divorced with children, insists they take a break to make sure she's truly okay giving up on the idea of marriage and babies. During this time, Wendy unexpectedly runs into her ex, Chuck (Cory Michael Smith), who reignites her carefree and spontaneous side, and suddenly seems to want a family. The three of them navigate a chaotic, confusing, and often funny relationship triangle, reminding us that the pursuit of love is beautiful and messy all at once. The film was shot on 35mm on location in Alaska. One of the greatest truly independent filmmakers Director, Writer, and Editor Joe Swanberg joins us to talk about his latest film, The Sun Never Sets.About the filmmaker - Joe Swanberg is the director of over 20 features, including HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS, DRINKING BUDDIES and HAPPY CHRISTMAS. He co-starred in and co-directed NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS with Greta Gerwig and AUTOEROTIC with Adam Wingard, in addition to acting in and directing one of the segments of the original V/H/S film. He has directed episodes of television for HBO, 20th Century Studios and Netflix, where he created the series EASY and wrote, directed, produced and edited all 25 episodes over three seasons. As an actor he has appeared in lead roles for Josephine Decker, Ti West, Mickey Keating and Adam Wingard, and he has produced features for Lynn Shelton, Alex Ross Perry, Dustin Defa and Zach Clark, amongst many others. He lives in Chicago.

Hanging by a Wire recounts the true story of a routine school commute that turned terrifying when a makeshift cable car's wire snapped, leaving eight passengers — including six schoolboys — suspended hundreds of feet above a ravine in the remote foothills of the Pakistani Himalayas. With the clock ticking before the remaining cable was expected to fail, an unlikely band of local rescuers raced against time to bring them home safely. Drawing on firsthand testimony and remarkable on-the-ground footage, the film is a tense, true-life portrait of courage, community, and the class divides that complicated the rescue effort. Hanging by a Wire premiered on opening day of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition, where it played to sold-out crowds. Abramorama will release the film in North American theaters in August 2026, with the film arriving for its streaming debut in late 2026.About the filmmaker - Mohammed Ali (Mo) Naqvi is an award-winning director, producer, and writer, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Television Academy. His latest film, Hanging by a Wire, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Mo produced two seasons of the Netflix Original Top 10 docu-series Turning Point and received the inaugural Emmy's Television Academy Honor for the Showtime Original Shame. His acclaimed directorial work includes the Emmy-nominated Among the Believers (PBS/Netflix), Insha'Allah Democracy (Lionsgate/STARZ/BBC), the Emmy-nominated and Asian Media Award–winning The Accused: Damned or Devoted? (BBC/PBS/ARTE), and Pakistan's Hidden Shame (Channel 4 UK), which won the Grand Jury Prize at the United Nations Association Film Festival. As a producer, his fiction credits include Big River (Berlin Film Festival), produced by legendary Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano's Office Kitano, and I Will Avenge You Iago, starring Giancarlo Esposito. Naqvi has received two Amnesty International Awards and earned nominations for an Independent Spirit Award, a Cinema Eye Honor, and the UNESCO–Fellini Prize. Beyond filmmaking, Mo is a founding member of the Crescent Collective at the Cannes Film Market and has served as Chairman of Pakistan's Academy Awards Selection Committee (2023–2025) and as the former Artistic Director of the Tasveer Film Market, part of Tasveer, North America’s only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival. Originally from Karachi, his work and collaborations span the US, Europe, and Japan.

From the producers of Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually comes the heartfelt new romantic comedy FINDING EMILY. Sensitive musician Owen (Spike Fearn) meets the woman of his dreams during a late shift at the Manchester City University Student Union. They flirt, they drink, they dance, then suddenly, she’s whisked off into the night by her friends, heading out to the next party. Thinking quickly, Owen asks for her name and number, but when he texts her the next morning, he discovers one digit is missing. Determined to reconnect, Owen sets out to find her using the only information he has - her first name. A cynical, headstrong American psychology student Emily Raine (Angourie Rice), who sees in Owen the makings for a perfect case study for her thesis on the futility of romantic attachment. Together, they inadvertently spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that turns the lovesick Owen’s world upside down, forcing Emily to question her own choices as each half of the unlikely duo ponders what the future might hold.About the filmmaker - Known for her distinctive brand of comedy, character-focused narratives and stellar cinematic visuals, director Alicia MacDonald has joined The Corner Shop roster for commercial representation in the UK and US. From the very beginning Alicia excited audiences with her well-observed short films (‘Otherwise Engaged and Domestic Policy’) and popular sketches (‘Bad News and Taxing’) that demonstrated her impressive ability to balance comedic satire with grounded emotional depth. She went on to work with comedy giants Stephen Merchant (‘The Outlaws’ for BBC) and Lena Dunham (‘Too Much’ on Netflix) in which she provided the same level of confidence and care in capturing nuanced and honest performances for high-end tv. Her hotly anticipated debut feature film ‘Finding Emily’ (made with Working Title Films and Focus Features) is released in UK cinemas on 22nd May and in the US on 29th August.

LEARNING TO FLY follows former competitive runner turned photographer Aisha McAdams as she embarks on a journey to document the triumphs and struggles of some of the biggest names in ultra running, such as Jim Walmsley, Eszter Csillag and Vincent Bouillard, as they compete at the Western States Endurance Run in the Mountains of Eastern California and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in the French Alps. While photographing and interviewing these elite runners, Aisha confronts her own painful and complex past, and the reasons why she had to step away from racing, a pursuit that had once brought her a much-needed sense of freedom, joy and belonging. LEARNING TO FLY had its world premiere at last year's Telluride Film Festival and will be released in theaters in the US beginning August 21 including the Angelika Film Center in New York and the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Los Angeles.About the filmmaker - Director / Producer Max Lowe is known for his ability to capture deeply human stories on some of the most exposed edges of the world, Max Lowe has honed his skill as a director and photographer in his search of narratives unheard. From his home in the mountains of Montana to now countless countries and landscapes across the globe, Max has been witness to stories spanning the gap of the human experience. Max directed his first feature doc “Torn” which premiered at Telluride Film Festival in 2021 and is now available on Disney+ and Hulu with National Geographic Docs, and followed that with the short documentary "Camp Courage" which is available on Netflix and was shortlisted for the 95th Academy Awards for best short doc. Max has since partnered with Academy Award winning producer Evan Hayes on his follow up feature doc “Learning to Fly.” With a background in observational journalistic style storytelling honed over years of telling human driven narratives around the globe. Max has emerged with a distinct style by which he crafts his narratives unheard.

Set against the backdrop of suburban New Jersey golf courses, MOOCH is about Shane, played by Jeff Ryan, at nearly thirty and still the oldest caddy at his local golf club, he has mastered the art of getting by without ever quite growing up. When a botched theft of four hundred dollars unexpectedly lands him a job digging up dirt for a charismatic New Jersey nightclub owner, he finds himself navigating amateur investigations, broken relationships, and increasingly questionable decisions. Equal parts heartfelt and absurd, MOOCH is an offbeat golf crime comedy about friendship, ambition, and the long road toward adulthood. MOOCH showcases a wide variety of wild characters with terrific acting. Director, writer and lead actor joins us for a spirited conversation on the challenges and the rewards of a debut feature film and working with a slew of talented collaborators.

From Oscar®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Poh Si Teng, AMERICAN DOCTOR follows three American physicians— Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian—united by a single oath to save lives. American Doctor is a vérité documentary following three prominent physicians-Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian-friends who couldn't be more different but are bound by the shared oath to save lives. Dr. Thaer Ahmad is measured and strategic, Dr. Mark Perlmutter is blunt and wears his heart on his sleeve, and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa is media-savvy and prolific. Filmed in unfolding, on-the-ground scenes, the story follows them from a Gazan hospital under siege, to the halls of Congress. Together they fight to keep a promise to their Palestinian colleagues and patients, to continue the struggle where it matters most: the United States. Upon returning home, they make a determined effort to fight for the patients and colleagues they left behind, taking their battle from the front lines of war to the halls of Congress.About the filmmaker - Poh Si Teng is the producer of the Oscar®-nominated ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN and Emmy® Award–winning executive producer of PATRICE: THE MOVIE. She is a former creative executive for ABC/Disney, documentary commissioner for Al Jazeera, IDA grants director, and New York Times journalist. She is the founder of Tiny Boxer Films, which produces non- fiction feature docs, and docu- and unscripted-series for the US and global majority markets. AMERICAN DOCTOR marks her debut as a feature documentary director.

Vilnius, 2022. High-flying executive Marija (Zygimante Elena Jakstaite) chooses the worst possible moment to inform her husband Vytas (Vee-tus) (Marius Repsys) she wants a divorce: just one day before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Suddenly the couple must navigate the process of separation as it collides with a refugee and mid-life crisis. A struggling film director, Vytas is put into a tight spot by having to move in with his Russophile parents, while Marija struggles to find her footing as the war affects both her business and home life. Packed with surprises along with much heartache and soul searching, Andrius Blaževičius’ nuanced and timely family drama skillfully depicts the fallout of a marriage against the backdrop of extraordinary events with humor and compassion. already a 2026 Sundance Award-Winner, How To Divorce During the War, was selected as 2026 Lithuania's Oscar entry for this year's Best International Feature Film.About the filmmaker - Director Andrius Blaževičius was born in Vilnius, June 26, 1985, studied Culture History and Anthropology at Vilnius University. After a while, Andrius switched to Film Directing studies at KIMO, Lithuanian National Film School, where he graduated with an MA in 2011. Blaževičius’ debut feature film THE SAINT (2016) premiered at Warsaw IFF and Busan IFF, won six national awards and became one of the most appreciated Lithuanian independent films at the national box office with 47K admissions in total. His sophomore film RUNNER (2021) premiered at Karlovy Vary IFF with the main actress Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė being awarded as a Shooting Star by European Film Promotion. RUNNER received two Lithuanian Film Academy awards - for the main and the supporting actresses. His third feature fom HOW TO DIVORCE DURING THE WAR (2026) premiered at Sundance Film Festival's, World Dramatic Competition.

In the immersive documentary Never Stop Chasing, legendary storm chaser Reed Timmer pursues a life hunting the world’s most violent weather. Haunted by the tragic death of his mentor, Tim Samaras, in the historic 2013 El Reno tornado, and the sudden loss of his best friend and long-time chase partner, Joel Taylor, Reed’s life on the edge takes a severe emotional toll. Driven by an unshakeable compulsion, he pushes his mind and body to the absolute limit in pursuit of the perfect storm. Operating the custom-built, armored "Dominator 3," Reed and his eclectic crew—Connor, Mike, Edgar, and "Local Man"—plunge directly into the impact zones of apocalyptic supercells. Despite holding a Ph.D. in meteorology, Reed’s highly aggressive intercept tactics constantly put him at odds with a traditional scientific establishment that frequently dismisses his controversial approach. The film captures the duality of their extreme lifestyle: the euphoric highs of intercepting a tornado alongside an embedded New York Times reporter, and the terrifying lows of being overtaken by a massive wedge tornado inside their vehicle.About the filmmaker -Reed Timmer is one of the world's most recognized and accomplished storm chasers, known for pioneering extreme intercepts with his armored vehicle, the Dominator 3. A meteorologist with over 8.6 million social media followers, Timmer, who has a Ph.D. in meteorology, rose to global fame on Discovery Channel's “Storm Chasers “and has since set records in close-range tornado intercepts. His work and persona directly inspired the Tyler Owens character in the 2024 blockbuster Twisters.About the filmmaker - Ken Cole is a documentary filmmaker who holds a degree in meteorology and has spent more than two decades chasing severe weather alongside Reed Timmer. His prior films include the PBS documentary Tornado Glory (2003) and the hit independent documentary series 'Tornado Chasers' (which streamed across Hulu, Prime Video, and Tubi), drawing on two decades of footage, friendship, and firsthand experience inside the world's most dangerous storms.

In 1982, six rural communities across the United States were notified that all of the nation’s nuclear waste might be buried beneath them forever. Faced with a mandate to isolate the waste for 10,000 years, the Department of Energy mapped, analyzed, and assembled its assessments, while the unsuspecting stewards of sacrificial territory found themselves fighting for their homes, health, history and dignity. Against the impassive logic of government analysis and archives, TO USE A MOUNTAIN assembles a people’s history of resistance and stewardship through a visceral journey across the landscapes, ecologies, and personal histories of the candidate sites. Farmers, miners, citizen scientists, Native American leaders, and activists—each with a story bound to this enduring threat—stand in stark contrast to the cold, silent machinery of bureaucracy, in a meditation on resistance, memory, and the timeless struggle between power and place.About the filmmaker - Casey Carter is a filmmaker and interdisciplinary designer whose work engages nonfiction storytelling in film and video, photography, data visualization, and cartography. His work centers on themes of governmentality, geography, environmentalism, and personal subjectivities. His short films, TWO BOYS AND A DREAM (2023), TWO PRISONS (2020), and THE RIGHTS OF NATURE (2019), have screened at festivals including Revolutions Per Minute, SF Shorts, Salem, Ashland Independent, and Hong Kong Film Art. He holds a B.S. in Physics and B.S. in Photography from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan. His work has been supported through grants and fellowships from institutions including Sundance Documentary Film Program, IDA, UnionDocs Center for Documentary Art, New York Foundation for the Arts, The Marble House Project, Monson Arts, The Redford Center, SFFILM, Flies Collective, and others. He is the director, cinematographer, and editor of his first feature film, TO USE A MOUNTAIN, which premiered at the prestigious Visions du Réel, where it won a Special Jury Award, and has gone on to collect accolades at film festivals across the globe.

The audacious coming-of-age story that expertly balances pitch-black humor with a sense of creeping menace, Our Hero, Balthazar is an engrossing modern fable about the influence of social media, isolation, and glorified violence on modern adolescence. Showcasing “the superb acting” (Deadline) of Jaeden Martell (St. Vincent, It) and “transformative” (Deadline) Asa Butterfield (“Sex Education,” Ender’s Game), the directorial debut of Oscar Boyson (producer of Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems and Good Time) is a must-see conversation-starter that will be available for digital rental and purchase on all major platforms on August 11, 2026 from WG Pictures and Radial Entertainment. About the filmmaker - Oscar Boyson is a director and producer whose work explores the intersections of culture, technology, and urban life. He is known for his creative collaborations and innovative approach to storytelling. As a producer, his credits include several acclaimed films with directors like the Safdie Brothers and Noah Baumbach. In addition to his film work, Oscar has directed numerous short films and documentaries that investigate global trends and the future of cities. Our Hero, Balthazar marks a significant entry in his directorial career, blending his unique visual sensibility with a deeply human story. Boyson is a writer, director, feature film producer, and co-founder of Elara Pictures, NY. Having produced for Casey Neistat in the early days of YouTube he went on to produce iconic indie hits ‘Frances, Ha!’ And ‘Mistress America’ for Noah Baumbach and the acclaimed ‘Good Time’ and ‘Uncut Gems’ for The Safdie Brothers with 2022’s ‘Funny Pages’ on this years festival circuit. A true cinephile with an encyclopaedic knowledge of film and art, Oscar is able to pivot between documentary and scripted narrative.About the filmmaker - Ricky Camilleri is a host of HuffPost Live, The Huffington Post's award-winning live streaming network, where he specializes in leading conversations with members of the TV and film community. As a filmmaker, Ricky co-founded CamLin Productions in 2010 and his work has been showcased at film festivals around the world. When he's not on HuffPost Live, Ricky can be seen on CBS, NBC and various other TV networks discussing Hollywood and entertainment news.

Will Poulter and Noah Centineo give pitch perfect performances in Adam Meeks's Sundance hit, Union County. Playing brothers Cody and Jack Parsons, each navigating a court-mandated drug rehabilitation program in a pocket of rural Ohio hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Provided with hope for the first time since their struggles began and with the support of a tireless counselor (Annette Deao), the brothers work toward a brighter, sober future. Poulter and Centineo blend seamlessly with a supporting cast composed predominantly of non-professional actors as they share their actual experiences, pain, and optimism as they, themselves, navigate the program. Ohio-born director and screenwriter Adam Meeks creates a film imbued with realism for an honest, compassionate portrait of a battle being fought across America and the solidarity that flowers on its front lines.About the filmmaker - Writer & Director Adam Meeks is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker. His short film Union County (2020) premiered at the 70th Berlinale and screened at festivals worldwide. He is a 2023 Film Independent Screenwriting Lab Fellow, a 2021 Yaddo Artist-in-Residence, and a graduate of NYU Tisch. Union County (2025) is his first feature film.

WINTER HYMNS takes shape in a single hospital room on a gray winter day, Dr. Linda Vobernik (Colleen Madden) meets a series of patients and families confronting the end of life. Among them are a farmer who refuses to accept his failing body, an English teacher clinging to her students’ futures, and a young electrical line worker whose cancer has stolen his own. As the day unfolds, the room itself feels suspended - somewhere between hospital and afterlife - while Dr. Vobernik’s encounters grow increasingly intimate, testing her faith in the work and revealing the strange beauty that can emerge when life narrows to its final moments. Director and screenwriter Nathan Deming joins us for a lively conversation on casting Colleen Madden and how he was able to bring together the cinematic elements needed to actualize his superbly empathetic and probing film on the inevitable. About the filmmaker - Director, screenwriter Nathan Deming is a filmmaker from Wisconsin, based in Los Angeles. A graduate of the London Film School where he studied with British filmmaker Mike Leigh, his work blends European and American influences with a focus on character and place. His feature “Speaking in Tongues” premiered at the Austin Film Festival and is available on Amazon and Apple TV. Alongside other features, he is in the midst of a decade-long film series called The Year Project, exploring life in Wisconsin month by month, most recently with “February”.

Erica and Matt Hinton's are the filmmaking team behind this endlessly fascinating documentary Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp. It is the first feature documentary to explore the history, music, and traditions of Sacred Harp singing, the oldest distinctively American form of music. This haunting music has survived over 200 years tucked away from sight in the rural deep South and occurs mostly at community singing events, which typically include anywhere from a dozen to a couple of hundred singers. The events, called “singings," emphasize participation over consumption since they are not generally performed for an audience. Sacred Harp singers begin each song by intoning syllables which are represented by specific “shapenotes” in their hymnal. To the casual observer, it is some foreign, unintelligible language, but to the Sacred Harp singers, it is the key that unlocks mysteries: songs of both beauty and sorrow, of life and of death, songs that cause feet to stomp and tears to flow, often at the same time.What is Sacred Harp Singing? Sacred Harp singing is a form of a cappella shape-note hymn singing that preserves some of the earliest distinctively American music. Sacred Harp has persisted for almost two centuries in the Deep South, particularly in the context of community singing events that emphasize participation over consumption, as it is not generally performed for an audience. The tradition uses shape notes, in which triangle, circle, square, and diamond shapenote heads are paired with the syllables fa, sol, la, and mi to represent the notes in the scale. Sacred Harp is one of the open secrets of American music. A New Revision - Awake, My Soul originally aired nationwide on PBS in 2008 and was been featured in TIME, Paste Magazine, NY Times, Pitchfork, SPIN and on NPR. Awake, My Soul, the 2025 Revision, is the result of the long-term desire to make the film available again for a new generation. “The original film was released at precisely the best time and worst time," according to co-director/ editor, Matt Hinton. “It was the best time because there was still a strong monoculture: if a film aired on PBS, lots of people saw it. It was also a period of physical media, so we sold tons of DVDs. But on the other hand, it was the worst time to have made a film– from the time we began production to the end of post-production, the culture was moving from standard definition to high definition, so within a year of its release, very many people owned high definition TVs. Nothing makes a standard definition film look standard like high definition.

A PARADISE LOST is the enchanting, yet harrowing tale of the yellow finch of Palila v. Hawaii, a landmark case where nature took humanity to court to stave off extinction. The film unfolds through the POV of the animated Palila called Anuenue who stood as the client in 1979 court trials. The legal battle leveraged the Endangered Species Act to protect mamane forests where 2,500 Palila competed with introduced sheep & goats. He explains how they won in court, but are still in jeopardy; in 2024, only 300 Palila remain. Today, a Native Hawaiian conservationist struggles to save them amidst escalating threats of climate change, wildfires, introduced predators, diseases, and governmental neglect. Through interviews, archival, vérité, nature footage, and animation created by artist and director, Laurie Sumiye, the film artfully weaves non-human perspectives, science, myth, and indigenous conservation insight collected over the last decade into a spellbinding fable of hope & survival. Directed by Hawaiian nature artist Laurie Sumiye, A PARADISE LOST sweeps audiences to a Pacific island wilderness straight into the struggle of Palila on Hawaii Island, journeying into misty sub-alpine forests.About the filmmaker - Laurie Sumiye is a Japanese-American artist, animator and filmmaker born and raised in Mililani, Hawaiʻi. She was selected as an inaugural Jackson Wild Multicultural Alliance Fellow in 2021, Firelight Documentary Lab Fellow in 2018-20, Sundance Institute/Women in Film Documentary Fellow in 2020, and UnionDocs Collaborative Fellow in 2010. Her short animated documentaries, STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE, about endangered Hawaiian birds, and OF MEMORY & LOS SURES, an oral history of a Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, have won awards and screened at festivals DOCNYC, BAMcinemaFest, and DOCUTAH. The film was part of an acclaimed transmedia documentary produced by UnionDocs, LIVING LOS SURES, which premiered at NYFF and exhibited at PS1MoMA. She started her career in documentary media creating artwork for PROJECT KASHMIR by Geeta V. Patel & Senain Kheshigi and MY BROOKLYN by Kelly Anderson. A PARADISE LOST is her first feature, which received funding and support from Pacific Islanders in Communications, Firelight Media, Doc Society and Blue Mountain Center, receiving their 2021 Harriet Barlow Commons Award. Laurie has an MFA in Integrated Media Arts from CUNY Hunter College and a BA in Art and BS in Communications from Bradley University, and studied art at Istituto Lorenzo de Medici in Italy. She has exhibited her artwork internationally in galleries, art fairs and museums, and been commissioned for business, nonprofit and private collections. Laurie was selected as an Artist-in-Residence at Digital Artist Studios (N. Ireland), Sacatar Institute (Brazil), Artfunkl (UK), A Studio in the Woods (New Orleans) and Bishop Museum (Hawaii). She taught filmmaking as Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu. Laurie was awarded a Sony Camera Grant and Honorable Mention at IF/Then Shorts x The Redford Center Nature Access Pitch at DOCNYC for animated short doc, MAKANA.

A SAD AND BEAUTIFUL WORLD is a sweeping love story that spans three decades of friendship, passion, heartbreak, and hope. Nino, an eternal optimist, and Yasmina, an impulsive pragmatist, drawn together by a magnetic relationship. Struggling with universal choices of adult life in the extraordinary circumstances of a country constantly ravaged by war, they are confronted with an impossible choice between love and survival. They must decide if they can build a family and chart a path to happiness in Lebanon, despite the tragedies ravaging their country, or if they should seize the opportunity for reinvention far from home. “A Sad and Beautiful World” premiered at the 2025 Venice film Festival where it won the Giornate Degli Autori Audience Award, and went on to play at the BFI London Film Festival, SF International Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Sao Paolo FF, Red Sea Film Festival, Marrakech International Film Festival among others. It was Lebanon’s entry for the Academy Awards Best International Feature Film.About the filmmaker - Lebanese writer-director, Cyril Aris’s feature documentary The Swing (2018) premiered in Karlovy Vary. His second feature documentary Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano (2023), recipient of a grant from the Sundance Institute, premiered in the main competition of Karlovy Vary, won a special jury mention, and played in BFI, CPH DOX, DOC NYC and over 80 festivals. His short film The President’s Visit (2017) premiered at TIFF and played in over 100 festivals. He holds an MFA from Columbia University and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Director Kerry Mondragon takes us deep in the dense jungles of the Yucatan, where the air hums and the ground seems alive. A film that is destined for Midnight Movie acclaim, WETIKO follows Aapo, a young Mayan man trying to survive the modern hustle without losing his roots. When he takes a quick-cash job for his family-owned pet store delivering hallucinogenic bufo toads to a remote jungle ceremony, it feels like an easy score. One trip in, one trip out. What begins as a promise of transcendence inside a shady eco-village quickly reveals itself as something far more dangerous. Led by Zake Zezo (Neil Sandilands), a smooth-talking, bloodthirsty shaman who feeds on belief, fear and control, the ceremony peddles enlightenment to Western spiritual tourists and new age seekers. But as the powerful drugs kick in, reality fractures -- time bends, the jungle pulses, and Aapo is trapped in a hallucinatory war zone. As paranoia spikes and alliances collapse, Aapo realizes WETIKO isn’t a myth but a sickness -- greed, consumption, and spiritual rot spreading fast. Hunted, high and unraveling, he must choose whether to become another casualty -- or break the cycle before the jungle swallows him whole. About the filmmaker - Kerry Mondragon is a writer, director, and producer known for Tyger Tyger (2020) and Meet Me at a Funeral (2015). Mondragon was born and raised in the ancient haunts of the Sonoran barrios and borderlands of the Mexican desert, a landscape populated by wild poets, peyote roadmen, and saintly Mexican grandmothers. He wrote poetry at an early age and corresponded with Allen Ginsberg at age ten, until Allen's death. After his biological father left, he was raised by his mother and step-father (turned-father,) they relocated to Marin County, California where he was blasted by the culture shock of a very different world. He discovered the dark shadow side of the wealthy county - a youth scene of bullying, trauma, drugs, alcohol – and was disgusted by the spiritual pretense of their culture. Bullied out of middle school and unable to adjust to high school, he lived the life of the youth underworld of one of the nation’s wealthiest towns. Throughout, he honed his artistic skills, he dropped out of college, worked at an ad agency and used that money to jump onto a crowd-funded Spike Lee feature film where he assisted the legendary director in prep and principal photography. This served as his film school. Upon returning to California and after significant life experiences, he resolved to make something pure, honest, and true - something stripped of all Hollywood illusions that was recognizable to those still lost in the pain of addiction - something to give hope to the hopeless.

Director Ry Levey’s wildly entertaining documentary BOUTIQUE: TO PRESERVE AND COLLECT chronicles the remarkable resurgence of collectible Blu-ray culture and the specialty labels around the world dedicated to preserving, restoring, and reintroducing long-lost obscurities and cinematic landmarks to new generations of audiences. Featuring filmmakers, performers, label representatives, historians, collectors, and devoted fans, the documentary is a heartfelt celebration of cinephilia and the people ensuring film history remains accessible and appreciated. To coincide with the Blu-ray release, the film will embark on an accompanying theatrical tour featuring special event screenings, filmmaker discussions, and community celebrations of physical media culture. About the filmmaker - For more than two decades, Ry Levey has used innovative and original strategies to elevate the profiles of independent and international cinema throughout North America and the world with multi-pronged film marketing, distribution and PR services. A specialist in documentary, LGBTQIA+, foreign, and genre cinema, Mr. Levey has spearheaded PR for filmmakers including documentary master Frederick Wiseman, Oscar-nominee Kirby Dick, Oscar-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Oscar-nominee Christian Frei, acclaimed documentarian Sophie Fiennes (THE PERVERT’S GUIDE TO IDEOLOGY) and Oscar nominee and Tony-winning powerhouse Julie Taymor. He has also handled theatrical distribution campaigns for films including MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE, MINE 9, VIOLET, DRONE, SLEEPLESS IN NEW YORK, NOWHERE TO HIDE, TWO LOVERS AND A BEAR and THE CREEPING GARDEN. He also brings a keen insight as a filmmaker himself, under his RBL Films production banner, having produced and directed the multi-award-winning documentary OUT IN THE RING and the upcoming BOUTIQUE: TO PRESERVE AND COLLECT.

In the wake of yet another mass shooting, this time at The Covenant School in Nashville, Ketch Secor, lead singer of the popular country-bluegrass band Old Crow Medicine Show, decided it was time to speak out on gun reform. He wrote an op-ed in the New York Times entitled, “Country Music Can Lead America Out of Its Obsession with Guns.” It caught the attention of Ketch’s friend, David Greene, former NPR reporter and host of KCRW’s “Left, Right & Center,” and the two set out to kickstart an open dialog about gun rights and gun violence in America. Film director Doug Pray followed Ketch and David as the band toured rural and urban communities, creating the documentary LOUDER THAN GUNS named after a song Ketch wrote for the victims of the Covenant shooting. Smashing stereotypes, LOUDER THAN GUNS brings together the frustrations and hopes of citizens who are asked to listen to one another and try to find common ground.About the filmmaker - Doug Pray’s candid portraits of American subcultures and maverick individuals have led him to numerous festivals, critical raves, and awards. His feature documentary films include “Love, Lizzo” (HBO Max), “Big Rig” (a 21,000-mile road film about independent truck drivers), and the Emmy Award-winning “Art & Copy.” His first two films, “Hype!” the definitive story of the Seattle music scene, and “Scratch,” about DJs and the birth of hip-hop, are ranked among the best music docs of all time. In television, Doug executive produced Netflix’s 3-part series, “Arnold,” about Arnold Schwarzenegger; he won a Grammy for Best Music Film (plus 5 Emmy nominations) for his work as executive producer, writer and editor of HBO’s “The Defiant Ones.” He also executive produced “From Cradle to Stage” with Dave Grohl and the popular AppleTV+ series “Home.” Doug was born in Denver, raised in Wisconsin, and lives in Los Angeles.

Robert Goodwin wrote, produced, and directed this lost gem of American independent cinema. Opening during a tense meeting between members of an underground Black Power group that leads to a stunning foot chase, Goodwin’s film weaves past and present to tell the story of the social awakening of a character only referred to as “the drifter” (screen legend Bernie Casey in his first starring role!). Shot on both 35mm and video and boasting a fierce, early performance from L.A. Rebellion icon Barbara O. Jones, Black Chariot is a fascinatingly iconoclastic revelation. Though world-premiered at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in 1971, Black Chariot has remained under-screened for decades — until now.Film distributor Kino Lorber is releasing the 4K Restoration by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) with funding from the National Film Preservation Foundation. Additional funding provided by NMAAHC’s Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts. The all new 4K Restoration of Black Chariot opens at Anthology Film Archives in New York on July 10th before expanding the all new 4K Restoration of Black Chariot opens at Anthology Film Archives in New York on July 10th before expanding to select theaters nationwide.

Renowned Icelandic poet and author Andri Snær Magnason is chasing something elusive. As the glacial ice of his homeland melts, he constructs a cinematic time capsule to hold onto this moment and send it to the future, before everything he loves slips away. Using his own collected archives, his grandparents’ photographs, and films, as well as traditional songs and folktales, Andri interlaces his family’s story with that of the land around him. From Academy Award®-nominated director Sara Dosa, TIME AND WATER is a universal reflection on the power of home and what it means to be alive amid profound epochal change. Oscar nominated (Fire of Love) director Sara Dosa joins us to talk about her frighteningly relevant clarion call to action.About the filmmaker - Sara Dosa is an Oscar®-nominated nonfiction filmmaker whose work centers on the human relationship with more-than-human nature. The films she has directed, “Fire of Love” (2022), “The Seer & The Unseen” (2019) and “The Last Season” (2015), have won numerous awards, including a Peabody and the Directors’ Guild of America Award, and were nominated for over 40 awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, Emmy and an Independent Spirit Award. Dosa’s work has been shown at festivals worldwide, including Sundance, SXSW, New Directors/New Films, CPH:DOX and Visions du Réel, and has screened in partnership with museums such as the MOMA, BAMPFA and the Louvre. In 2018, Dosa was named to the inaugural class of DOCNYC’s “40 under 40” and inducted into the Academy of Motion Pictures’ documentary branch. She graduated from Wesleyan University with a double major in sociology and anthropology and has a joint master’s in anthropology and international development studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Dosa lives and works in California.

WELCOME SPACE BROTHERS is a feature documentary about The Unarius Academy of Science, an extraterrestrial-channeling spiritual school and self-healing community established in the 1970s in El Cajon, California that became a wildly prolific filmmaking collective under the direction of outlandish spiritual leader and filmmaker Ruth E. Norman, AKA “Archangel Uriel.” About the filmmaker - Jodi Wille is a filmmaker, curator, and book publisher known for her in-depth work exploring American subcultures and visionary artists. She directed and produced the acclaimed documentary THE SOURCE FAMILY (2013), which world-premiered in competition at SXSW Film Festival and had a 60-city theatrical run. WELCOME SPACE BROTHERS is her second feature documentary. Wille is an award-winning book publisher and author who recently released the coffee table book FAMILY: THE SOURCE FAMILY SCRAPBOOK (Sacred Bones/Otherworld). She has curated national museum and gallery exhibitions internationally featuring the art and films of outsider artists and alternative spiritual communities. She recently curated a major exhibition at the Museum of Sex, New York City, titled “Utopia Now! Three Centuries of Sexuality in American Cults and Communes. The exhibition has been lauded as “a force majeure on multiple fronts” by Artforum. The New York exhibition ran October 10, 2025 through April 2026 and is traveling to Museum of Sex Miami to open May 7, 2026 and run through November 30. She has been presenting the films and artwork of The Unarius Academy of Science at museums, galleries, international film festivals and cinematheques since 2014 and has been actively documenting them since 2014.

MIDDLE LIFE follows Andie, a perfectionist wedding planner in her mid-thirties and a new mother, who has meticulously crafted her life but still feels unfulfilled. Fresh off maternity leave, she saves Ryan, a blue-collar plumber, from a roadside accident. As their paths intertwine over the next year, her craving for change and his newfound perspective on life spark an unexpected connection, leading her to discover that life could be great. MIDDLE LIFE is a throwback romantic dramedy inspired by the character-driven relationship films of the 1970s and '80s, like An Unmarried Woman (Mazursky), Broadcast News (Brooks), When Harry Met Sally (Reiner), and Crossing Delancey (Silver). The film stars two acclaimed musicians from the Canadian Alt-rock band July Talk, frontman Peter Dreimanis, (Ryan) who made his big screen debut last year as Bert in Ryan Coogler's SINNERS, alongside his bandmate Leah Fay Goldstein, (Andie), who was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for her starring role in Moondi's DIAMOND TONGUES.About the filmmaker - Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Pavan Moondi (pronounced “Pav-in”) is a Los Angeles-based writer and director originally from Toronto. He has written and directed three critically acclaimed feature films, including the Canadian Screen Award-nominated Diamond Tongues, which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival, and Sundowners, which co-stars Tim Heidecker. In television, Pavan directed all eight episodes of the CBC single-camera comedy Four in the Morning and worked in the writers’ room on Schitt’s Creek, which was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series. Middle Life is his fourth feature film, which he wrote, directed, edited, and produced.

What would happen if a captive-born owl with no survival skills tried to make it on his own in New York City? In WILD INSIDE, we discover the answer is more incredible, and more consequential, than we could have ever imagined. In February 2023, a Eurasian Eagle-Owl named Flaco escapes from the Central Park Zoo and sets off on a magical odyssey through the island of Manhattan. Flaco answers the call of the wild – and discovers he was wild inside all along.WILD INSIDE is an underdog story of resilience and self determination as Flaco the Owl beats the odds and accomplishes the impossible. The remarkable story of Flaco raises some questions: is it right to keep a bird in a cage? Is there any real distinction between “zoo animals” and “wild animals”? How can we be better to our non-human neighbors?About the director - Penny Lane has been making award-winning, innovative documentaries for over a decade. This includes 8 feature films, most recently CONFESSIONS OF A GOOD SAMARITAN(Netflix, 2023), LISTENING TO KENNY G(HBO, 2021) and HAIL SATAN? (Magnolia Pictures, 2019). A 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, Lane has received grants and awards from the Sundance Film Festival, Cinereach, Creative Capital, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Tribeca Film Institute, Wexner Center for the Arts and many others. She has been honored with mid-career retrospectives at the Museum of the Moving Image, San Francisco DocFest, Open City Documentary Festival and Cinema Moderne. She co-owns the Brooklyn-based production company Spinning Nancy and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. And yes, Penny Lane is her real name.

Filmmaker Rustin Thompson journeys into the American West on a search for traces of what was once a center of small-town life: the movie theater. On the trip, he finds long abandoned and forgotten cinemas; movie houses that have fallen into disrepair; theaters recently closed, theaters struggling to hold on, and theaters that—thanks to their thoughtful caretakers—are not only surviving but thriving. Between the stops along the way, Rustin poetically intersperses excerpts from Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 classic film, The Last Picture Show, as well as reflections on past and present hardships facing the film exhibition industry. The Last Picture Shows is not only a timely portrait of an industry in crisis, one facing the headwinds of consolidation, streaming, and the diminishing theatrical experience, but it also reminds viewers that even in vast cinema deserts, there are oases of community and gathering that remain, where the movie house continues to be a place of wonder, contemplation, and connection.About the filmmaker - Director Rustin Thompson is a writer, filmmaker, and deejay based in Seattle. His recent films include The Last Picture Shows and Died Without Issue. His hybrid essay film, Slow Revolution, played in several international film festivals, and his film My Mother Was Here won Best Documentary at the Tacoma Film Festival. His very first documentary, made in 2000, 30 Frames A Second, won several Best Documentary awards, was named one of the Top Ten films of the year by the American Library Association, and one of the Best Undistributed Films of 2001 by The Village Voice. Rustin’s first book, Get Close: Lean Team Documentary Filmmaking is available from Oxford University Press. Rustin is a volunteer deejay for KBCS 91.3FM in Seattle, where he hosts Road Songs and the world music show, Night Train.

American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez chronicles how writer /playwright / director Luis Valdez illuminated the Mexican American experience on stage and screen and transformed the American cultural landscape. Born in Delano, California in 1940, Valdez wrote his first plays in grammar school, had his first play produced when he was a student at San Jose State University, and created El Teatro Campesino alongside the United Farm Workers, helping to inspire a broader Chicano theater movement. His “Zoot Suit” was the first Chicano play on Broadway. Despite critical rejection that killed the show, he persevered, creating “La Bamba”—a breakout blockbuster that authentically depicted Mexican-American life to the worldAbout the filmmaker - David Alvarado is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who brings to life stories of trailblazers in science, the arts, and human rights. His journey began as a high school dropout interning at Dallas PBS affiliate KERA, where he climbed from marketing to production, discovering his calling behind the camera. He co-founded Structure Films in New York City with Jason Sussberg. His feature documentaries include THE IMMORTALISTS (2014), BILL NYE: SCIENCE GUY (2017), WE ARE AS GODS (2022), and AMERICAN PACHUCO: THE LEGEND OF LUIS VALDEZ (2026). For television, he directed BLOOD SUGAR RISING (2020) for PBS, directed and produced the NOVA films WHO’S IN CONTROL (2023) and SECRETS IN YOUR DATA (2024), and produced the three-part Independent Lens series MATTER OF MIND (2023-2025). He also hosted and produced an eight-part Audible Original podcast on environmental technologist Stewart Brand. A Stanford Documentary Film MFA graduate, Alvarado has earned fellowships at the WGBH Producers Academy and Sundance’s Producers Workshop and was named one of DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 Filmmakers to Watch. A decade-long NALIP member and Chicano filmmaker, Alvarado has dedicated his career to making the world more thoughtful through documentary storytelling, a mission that began twenty years ago when Luis Valdez showed him what was possible, at an event that ultimately culminated in this film.

Sia: Nostalgic for the Present is a bold, genre-defying experience that trades pop pageantry for pure artistry. Awe-inspiring vocals, breathtaking choreography, and iconic performances, captured cinematically and soundtracked by an unmatched catalog of hits. In 2016, Sia toured the world mirroring this film live on stage, frame for frame. Remastered for its tenth anniversary, it stands alone for the first time – not as a concert film, but as a visual masterpiece unlike anything in music since. The film which was directed by Sia and Daniel Askill features stunning performances from Maddie Ziegler, Kristen Wiig, Paul Dano, Ben Mendelsohn, Gaby Hoffmann, and Tig Notaro. Coming exclusively to select cinemas around the world from July 23rd, the limited theatrical event coincides with the ten-year anniversary of the unforgettable set in which the 9x GRAMMY® Award-nominated pop icon redefined what live music could be. siamusic.netAbout the filmmaker - A multi-disciplinary creative force, Daniel Askill is known for his work as a filmmaker, visual artist, and creative director with a portfolio including film, music videos, commercials and video installations. His work, which The New York Times has described as “visually stunning,” is noted for its transportive, music-driven, and emotional visual storytelling—at times disruptive and always arresting. Askill is probably best known for his two-decade creative collaboration with Sia, which is credited with introducing a new visual language for what a popstar looks like. Their work together spans eight music videos, including “Chandelier,” “Elastic Heart”, “Cheap Thrills”, and their latest, “Beautiful People,” billions of YouTube views, a retrospective that was showcased as an installation in Semi Permanent’s headquarters in Sydney.

After her mother’s illness returns, 22-year-old Margarita, a young woman with autism, discovers the world of hobbyhorsing and sets out to prove her independence to her mother—stick horse and all. HORSEGIRLS stars breakout newcomer Lillian Carrier (“Everything's Gonna Be Okay”) and Gretchen Mol (Millers In Marriage, American Gigolo), who is featured in Taylor Sheridan’s hit Paramount+ drama series “Tulsa King.” The cast also includes Jerod Haynes (Native Son) and Tony Hale (Love Simon, Toy Story 4). Written and directed by Lauren Meyering, the film is produced by Alix Madigan (Winter’s Bone, Hold Your Breath), Michael Sherman (The Truffle Hunters, Her Smell) and Mackenzie Breeden (Dad's Dead Damnit, Praying Mantis). HORSEGIRLS premiered in competition at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival and recently led the winners at the Seattle Film Festival, taking home the Grand Jury Best Feature Film award, with Gretchen Mol awarded Best Actress and Lillian Carrier winning Outstanding Performance. Horsegirls also won the Cordillera International Film Festival Best Feature Film Audience Choice award.About the filmmaker - Director and writer Lauren Meyering is passionate about creating content that is visually compelling, female-driven, and thought-provoking. Her work often follows characters on a “coming-of-age” journey—regardless of what that age may be. In addition to narrative work, Lauren has filmed across five continents with global nonprofits, crafting documentaries rooted in empathy and human connection. Her script Horsegirls was featured on the 2020 Black List. Lauren’s work has been recognized by the Women at Sundance Financing Initiative and screened at festivals nationally and internationally.She is a freelance writer and director based in Los Angeles, and also works as a film educator, mentoring youth across the LA and Orange County area.

Thirty years ago, Gail Ritchey, a young woman from a conservative Christian community in rural Ohio, gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods. Now a devoted mother of three, her quiet suburban life shatters when DNA evidence links her to the infamous cold case of “Geauga’s Child. ” Arrested for murder and vilified in the media, authorities dismiss her claim that the baby was stillborn. Facing a possible life sentence, Gail and her family must confront religious stigma, community judgment, and long-buried shame in the fight for her freedom.. Directed by Jessica Earnshaw (JACINTA), BABY DOE looks beyond the headlines to reveal the human complexity of Gail’s case, exploring how women’s health, justice, and powerful outside forces shape stories like hers.About the filmmaker - Jessica Earnshaw is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and photojournalist. Her work focuses on criminal justice, familial relationships, and women. Her photography has appeared in National Geographic, The Marshall Project, Mother Jones Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR, amongst others. Her first documentary feature, JACINTA (Hulu/ABC News, 2021), won the Albert Maysles Best New Documentary Director Award at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020. JACINTA has received nominations from the International Documentary Association for best feature documentary and best director, as well as two Cinema Eye nominations for best debut feature and a spotlight award. Her film BABY DOE (2025, Impact Partners), a feature documentary, will premiere in competition at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival. Jessica was named one of DOC NYC’s “40 under 40” in 2020, she’s a graduate of the International Center of Photography and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Director Andy Mundy-Castle's Shoot The People is an intimate documentary capturing photographer and activist Misan Harriman’s journey documenting global protest movements that drive social change. Following Harriman as he highlights the resilience of grassroots activists fighting for equality, civil rights, and social justice, the film showcases the intersectionality of these movements and their collective power. With historical context, interviews with activists, and explorations of digital activism, the documentary reveals how Harriman’s lens brings the world’s activism to light, inspiring viewers to recognize their own power in shaping a more just society. About the subject - Misan Harriman is a renowned photographer, filmmaker, and social activist celebrated for his powerful imagery that captures pivotal moments in contemporary history. As the first Black photographer to shoot a British Vogue cover in the magazine’s 104-year history, Misan has gained international acclaim for his work documenting social justice movements, including the Black Lives Matter protests, as well as his striking portraits of influential figures like Rhianna, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, and Cate Blanchett. Misan’s 2023 short film ‘The After,’ produced by Nicky Bentham (Neon Films), was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. His work has been featured in Vogue, TIME, and The Guardian, solidifying his place as a leading voice in visual storytelling. Beyond his photography, Misan is a passionate advocate for change, using his platform to spotlight issues of inequality and human rights. With a keen eye for emotional depth and cultural significance, he approaches each project with a mission to inspire and provoke thought, creating images that resonate deeply with audiences around the world.About the filmmaker - Andy is the Founder of award-winning indie production company Doc Hearts, known for producing high-end content, especially TV that authentically represents diverse communities with nuance and impact. Andy is a BAFTA- and RTS-winning producer whose credits include the critically acclaimed ‘White Nanny, Black Child’ (Channel 5/BFI), ‘Jimmy Akingbola: Handle With Care’ (ITV/ Peacock), ‘Lenny Henry: The Commonwealth Kid’ (BBC1) and The Fade (Netflix). After being a staffer at the BBC, Andy created numerous TV formats including ‘Go Green With The Grimwades’ (C5), ‘Reu & Harper’s Wonder World’ (C5), ‘The Black Lesbian Handbook’ (Channel 4), ‘Britain’s Abandoned Playgrounds’ (C4) and ‘What Did I Do Last Night?’ (Current TV / Al Jazeera) which was voted pick of MIPCOM and won best format at the Content Innovation Awards. He is currently creating his first animated IP with the former president of the Jim Henson Co. Peter Schube. Andy has an MA in Documentary Filmmaking, he was elected to the inaugural Board of the UK’s Documentary Film Council in 2024. He has also been a recipient of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Award and alumni of the IDFA Academy.

Each summer they bring together over 3,000 attendees to watch movies under the stars through their Free Summer Series at Ojai’s iconic Libbey Bowl, making it one of the largest free event series. For nearly four decades, the Ojai Film Society (OFS) has presented Free Summer Series with quality independent, foreign, documentary, and classic films to the Ojai Valley, making us one of the largest free event series in the Ojai Valley. Their audience is a true cross-section of the people who live in this community, with attendees ranging in age from infants to 96+ years of age. We welcome everyone — no matter one's age, race, gender, economic background, political views, or physical capabilities — outdoors, in community, for FREE.About our guest - Ojai Film Society President Nicholas Weissman is an EP and director at Vacationland, a documentary studio that makes uncommon films on common ground. With over 15 years of experience in production, Weissman has led projects for major print and network news outlets. He is passionate about telling stories that help make the world make sense, collaborating with a community of award-winning filmmakers across the globe. He has worked with commercial clients such as Amex, Land Rover, Cadillac, Volvo, British Airways, Ray Ban, Visit California, Nike, Levi's, Microsoft, and Intel; and traveled to more than 20 countries to capture and share diverse perspectives and experiences. His feature, “For Ahkeem, “premiered at Berlinale Film Festival and won a 2018 Cinema Eye Honors Award. Recent films include “We the Power” for Patagonia, “Havana Libre,” “A Wonderful Kingdom,” and Soraya Simi’s “Row of Life”. He is a Sundance Producing Fellow, DOC NYC 40 under 40, and active member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective.About our guest - Ojai Film Society Vice President Brady Hahn is an award-winning consultant and Founder of The Noodle Collective. She has over fifteen years of experience advising organizations and individuals on developing and scaling impactful programs, over 150 B2B partnerships, and 800 multi-lateral activations reaching millions of professionals globally. Her client work has contributed to PRWeek and Iris Awards nominations, and a MarCom Award Honorable Mention. Brady's forthcoming book, Women of the Valley: A Biographical History of the Ojai, California, will be published in the summer of 2026. She is also the editor of the Amazon best-selling workbook, “Choose Yourself: A 12-week Journey to Becoming the God of Your Own Heart” and co-author of The Women's Professional Conference Experience & Impact Study. Her research and advocacy work has ensured 1,200 women have spoken at professional conferences and provided over 1,000 event organizers with equity tools. Brady has appeared in Inc.com, Convene Magazine, and "Your Network Is Your Net Worth" (Atria Books, 2013) and spoken for The Female Quotient, Create & Cultivate, Social Media Week, Boston University, and University of Southern California.

Color Congress is an ecosystem-builder that is committed to organizations led by people of color that serve nonfiction filmmakers, leaders, and audiences of color across the United States and US islands. We are a membership organization that includes film festivals, artist support and narrative change entities, micro cinemas, filmmaker collectives, and public media. We serve this ecosystem by supporting, resourcing, connecting, and championing these organizations to build their collective power. Our vision is to actualize a reimagined documentary landscape toward one that strengthens people of color visibility, voice, and power, laying the groundwork for a future of the field that is a more powerful force for social change.Elev8Docs is a Color Congress learning initiative supporting research for over two dozen nonfiction films by directors of color, all nominated by our member organizations. This initiative exclusively focused on Color Congress member-supported films and sought to address Color Congress members’ concerns about the film distribution crisis. Designed as a series of eight experiments, Elev8Docs focused on distribution barriers that filmmakers of color face, from a lack of cultural competency among mainstream marketing and PR agencies to a lack of data on diverse audience tastes and nonfiction consumption habits. The initiative offered a unique opportunity to advance solutions that help films reach their intended audiences and to lay the foundation for an effective distribution infrastructure in a changing landscape.

After the death of her son, Amanda Bellaconda seeks the help of Dr Jack Forteo to understand why teenagers are suddenly taking their own lives after taking a medication for acne. Carinaderm is the goose that keeps laying golden eggs, an acne medication bringing in a billion dollars a year for the Renzon Pharmaceutical Company. When Dr. Forteo sees a potentially lethal side effect of their blockbuster acne pill, Renzon doesn’t hesitate to pull out the stops with personal attacks and accusations of fraud, bringing Forteo’s marriage and career to the brink of destruction. With nothing left to lose, Forteo goes on a journey to revisit a tragedy from his own past. When he unearths painful secrets and deceptions that parallel those he has discovered in the pharmaceutical company, his voyage of self-discovery gives him strength to resume his struggle, leading to the ultimate conclusion.About the filmmaker - Douglas Bremner is professor of psychiatry and a researcher. He did brain imaging research on the effects of an acne medication, isotretinoin (Accutane), on the brain, and as a result became an expert witness in multi-district litigation related to depression and suicide in teenagers who had taken the drug. The research was funded by private donations from affected families. THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGG is a fictionalized story with elements of truth. In reality, the plaintiffs settled with the drug manufacturer and part of the settlement was that they couldn’t talk about the settlement.

Sherman’s March - Director Ross McElwee - Armed with a 16mm camera and a grant to make a documentary about the lingering aftermath of William Tecumseh Sherman’s 1864 march to the sea, Ross McElwee gets sidetracked. After his girlfriend breaks up with him, Ross shifts his attention from the historical to the personal, to the battlefield of modern love, and embarks on a sociological chronicle that documents the courting rites and rituals of the New South. Remake - Director Ross McElweeIn Remake, filmmaker Ross McElwee turns his lens on the passage of time and the uneasy space between documenting life and understanding it. The film traces McElwee’s relationship with his son Adrian, and the fragile bond the camera created between them while Adrian was alive, and now that he’s gone. About the filmmaker - Ross McElwee has made eleven feature-length documentaries as well as a number of shorter films. Sherman’s March has won numerous awards, including Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. Sherman’s March was also chosen for preservation by the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2000 as a “historically significant American motion picture.”Bright Leaves" premiered at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight and was nominated for Best Documentary by both the Director’s Guild of America and the Writer’s Guild of America. McElwee’s In Paraguay premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2008, and he returned to Venice in 2011 to premiere Photographic Memory. In 2005, complete retrospectives of McElwee’s films were presented at the Museum of Modern Art in New Y ork and later in Paris, Brussels, Milan, Lisbon, New Zealand, Seoul, Quito, and Nyon, Switzerland. Four of his films were featured in a selection of western documentaries shown for the first time in Tehran, and in 2015, McElwee presented his films in Changchun, Guangzhou, and Beijing, China.

If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated bestseller, Pulitzer Prize winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America’s unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly 50 years in order to open herself – and her readers – to the known and unknowable world. Featuring interviews with her close friends, including John Waters, never-before-seen personal photos, notebooks, and correspondence from her archive, and recitations of her work by Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi, and Oprah Winfrey, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World considers the poet’s long lifetime of work in context, capturing the uniqueness of her world and the natural beauty that inspired her.About the filmmaker - Director, Producer, Co-editor Sasha Waters is a moving image artist trained in photography and 16mm cinema. Her films pursue ecstatic, metaphorical realism from the relations and materials of ordinary life. Her 2018 feature Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable won a Special Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival, and her 2024 short Ghost Protists had its premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. She is a 2026-2027 recipient of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship and a Professor of Film at VCU’s School of the Arts in Richmond, VA. Her other films include; This American Gothic (2008), Chekhov for Children (2010, feature), You Can See the Sun in Late December (2010), An Incomplete History of the Travelogue, 1925 (2012), Our Summer Made Her Light Escape (2012), An Incomplete History of Pornography, 1979 (2013), Burn Out the Day (2014), A Partial History of the Natural World, 1965 (2015), Garden of Stone, (2015), dragons & seraphim (2017).

For the first time, band members Boy George, Roy Hay, Mikey Craig, and Jon Moss come together to share their complete story, offering candid insights into their creative process, personal relationships, and the cultural impact that defined a generation. At the heart of the documentary is the previously unexplored love story between George and Moss — a relationship that inspired some of the band’s biggest hits but also contributed to their eventual breakup. Director Alison Ellwood joins us to talk about her insightful and entertaining look at the band’s musical and lasting cultural impact.About the filmmaker - Alison Ellwood is an award winning documentary director, producer and editor. Most recently, she directed a feature-length documentary about the rise and demise of the classic American rock & roll band, The Eagles (title TBD). In addition, Ellwood directed a follow-up film on The Eagles covering the years between the break up of the band through their reunion and up to present day. A long time collaborator with Alex Gibney, in 2011, she directed with him the offbeat feature-doc, Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search for a Kool Place, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Other feature-documentary film credits include producer/editor for Gibney’s Academy Award nominated Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. She was also producer/editor of Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S Thompson, My Trip to Al Qaeda, Casino Jack and the United States of Money and Catching Hell for ESPN films, which was nominated for a Sports Emmy Award. Alison’s television documentary directing credits for television documentaries include the Emmy Award winning series American High, TheTravelers and Sixteen. Her television producing credits include The Human Behavior Experiments, The Residents, 30 Days and Brick City. As an editor, Ellwood earned her first Emmy Award for Frontline’s “Living Below the Line,” a cinema verité exploration of the impact of the welfare system. The film was also awarded an Emmy for best single current story, the Grand Prize of the RFK Awards and a blue ribbon at the American Film Festival. She has also edited award-winning films for Bill Moyers, American Experience, the Discovery Channel, Sundance Channel, Showtime and HBO: America Undercover.

Director Advik Beni's winsome and unconventional narrative drama "mother, you have not died yet. but you will. and when you do, you will finally be alive again" takes place in Cato Manor, Durban, where Lishana has spent over two decades caring for her elderly mother, Leela. Their lives unfold through ordinary rituals: preparing meals, tending the garden, watching television, praying before bed, feeding the cat, and reciting favorite scenes from old films. Together they inhabit a world governed by repetition, where time seems to linger rather than pass. Yet the film begins from a different understanding of reality. Leela is both alive and dead, present and absent. What begins as a personal practice gradually expands into an encounter with the histories carried by the people and places around her. Portraits converse with family archives, historical photographs, paintings, and fragments of collective memory, revealing a landscape where the violences of apartheid continue to shape the present long after its official end.About the filmmaker - Advik Beni (director) is a South African filmmaker and curator currently based in Los Angeles. Through a practice steeped in South African traditions of orality, their work aims to create imagined spaces for marginalized people to express grief and trauma. They are interested in how these non-hierarchical, hybrid models of filmmaking can encourage a collective mutability amongst rhisomatic pathways—that may lead to an actuality of positive impact on communities; whilst preserving a cultural tradition eclipsed by Western modes of storytelling. Advik is focused on how we can witness each other’s existence, and all that entails, in an attempt to facilitate a tangibility of cross-border solidarity that prioritizes care. Their work has been supported by San Sebastián International Film Festival, Sundance, FIDMarseille, Prismatic Ground, New Orleans Film Festival, Flaherty Film Seminar, Points North Institute, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival amongst others.

THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH is a thrilling, nine-year journey into the heart of Sumatra’s Leuser Ecosystem—a 2.6-million-hectare rainforest where tigers, elephants, rhinos, and orangutans still roam free. Filmed by a dedicated mostly Indonesian crew, this investigative documentary follows a group of extraordinary wildlife activists as they risk everything to save one of Earth’s last untouched wildernesses from the devastation of the illegal palm oil industry. From dramatic animal rescues and high-stakes arrests of poachers to the reforestation of thousands of hectares, each victory underscores the power of human determination in the face of overwhelming odds. “The Last Place on Earth” reveals the urgent need to protect our planet’s most irreplaceable treasures before it’s too late. Director David Booth Gardner joins us in conversation.About the filmmaker - A visionary entrepreneur, David Booth Gardner possesses a diverse professional background in sports PR/management and as a writer, director and producer. Having produced hundreds of hours of programming for leading networks and Fortune 500 companies, Gardner knows exactly what it takes to successfully execute media projects for brands of all sizes. CEO & CO-FOUNDER, LIKUID ART

THE WELCOME TABLE, directed by Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox (“Gasland”), tells the story of climate refugees across six continents, celebrating the voices and experiences of people living at the forefront of the climate crisis, displaced from their homes by climate disasters. Featuring John Boutté, John Cameron Mitchell, and celebrated New Orleans musicians, the film weaves together stories of migration and resilience through music, performance, and the installation of a 1,000-foot table along the New Orleans levee, where communities gather in conversation, solidarity, and celebration. From the United States to the Caribbean, Italy, Kenya, Peru, Brazil, and Australia, the film traces the devastating human consequences of a changing climate – from hurricanes and floods to droughts, rising seas, and the impact of extractive industries on Indigenous communities. Through intimate first-hand accounts, THE WELCOME TABLE captures the resilience and perseverance of communities amid life-altering upheaval and a world which increasingly chooses to build walls of exclusion in response. The film culminates in a massive singing celebration on the New Orleans levee, where a 1,000-foot table serves as a powerful expression of connection and resistance. About the filmmaker - JOSH FOX is an independent filmmaker and founder and artistic director of International WOW Company, a film and theater company working closely with actors, filmmakers, theater-makers, writers, activists, and artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, including activist communities in sustainable energy and design, creating work that addresses current national and global environmental, social and political crises. Josh's work is known for its mix of gripping narrative, heightened imagery and its commitment to socially conscious themes and subjects. Founded in 1996, International WOW has premiered new work in 8 countries with a rotating network over 100 actors, dancers, musicians, technical, and visual artists spanning 30 countries on 5 continents. With International WOW Company Josh received a Drama Desk Nomination, an Otto Award, five grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, five prestigious MAP Fund Grants and an Asian Cultural Council Fellowship among many other awards and honors. As a filmmaker, Josh's work has been featured on HBO and Netflix and have premiered at the Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals. His debut film, Gasland, earned a Special Jury Prize at Sundance as well as an Oscar nomination. As a theatrical director, Josh established himself as a significant force New York theatre. The New York Times hailed him as "one of the most adventurous impresarios of the New York avant-garde," and Time Out NY has called him "one of downtown's most audacious auteurs," citing his "resourceful mastery of stagecraft."

When Alabama's Supreme Court declares IVF embryos are legally children, the immediate fallout devastates families. For acclaimed reproductive journalist and visual artist Abbey Crain, this ruling disrupts half a decade of fertility treatments, placing her dreams of motherhood — and her embryos — in constitutional crossfire. But Crain refuses to surrender her creative power. With a pen and paintbrush, she embarks on a journey to uplift the voices of other grieving families. Driven by unheard stories of joy, anguish, and determination — including her own — Crain invites everyday Alabama women to congregate for a daring demonstration of resilience. SHOW ME THE LINE cuts through the noise of sensational headlines to reveal intimate portraits of the lives behind them. Unpacking history and fertility science, the film reaches the heart of reproductive care across the South. Through the unbreakable spirit of a community in reckoning, SHOW ME THE LINE celebrates connection and hope.About the filmmaker - Kelsey Ianuzzi is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, artist, and IVF baby with deep Alabama roots. She directed and produced the Emmy Award-winning documentary series MONOGRAPH for Alabama Public Television, where she also served as editor and cinematographer across multiple seasons. Her documentary work has featured storytelling visionaries including George Saunders, Willie Nelson, and Wanda Jackson, and has screened at AFI Docs, DOC NYC, and the PBS Film Festival. She is also a recipient of the Media Arts Fellowship and the Gay Burke Photography Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts.About the filmmaker - Stacey Davis is a mother, wife, filmmaker, and advocate. She has written and produced five short films (directing four), screening at over 60 festivals on four continents. In various producer roles, her films include BIRD IN HAND (Tribeca 2025), MCVEIGH (Tribeca), JOCKEY (Sundance), SWORD OF TRUST (SXSW), LITTLE SISTER (SXSW), and 1985 (SXSW). As an entertainment lawyer, Stacey has represented A24, MUBI, Hartbeat, and others on projects including Jim Jarmusch’s FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER, Maude Apatow’s POETIC LICENSE, and A24’s THE DRAMA, MOTHER MARY, THE MOMENT, ETERNITY, MINARI, MAXXXINE, and THE IRON CLAW. She is the past president of the Board of Directors for The Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Stowe Story Labs.

In this light-and-dark comedy, HONEYJOON, June and her Persian-British mother Lela travel to the romantic Azores islands for a grief anniversary, with contrasting ways of coping. A charming surfer takes them on a tour as we surf the waves of life, loss, flirting… an unforgettable ride. A surprisingly sexy, darkly funny, emotional rollercoaster. We are joined in conversation with Director, Producer and Screenwriter Lillian T. Mehrel. *WINNER: SFFilm Rainin Award**WINNER: Audience Award, Top 3, Tribeca AT&T Untold Stories Award – 2025 Tribeca Festival**WINNER: Audience Favorite US Cinema – 2025 Mill Valley Festival**WINNER: Audience Choice Narrative – 2025 New Hampshire Film Festival**WINNER: Jury Award: Best Feature – 2025 Three Rivers Film Festival**WINNER: Narrative – 2026 Spokane Film Festival**WINNER: Jury Award: Best Feature – 2026 El Dorado Film Festival**WINNER: Jury Award: Best Feature – 2026 Spokane International Film Festival**WINNER : Jury Award: Best Feature, Women Director, Official Selection – 2026 Poppy Jasper International Film Festival*About the filmmaker - Director, Writer, Producer Lilian T. Mehrel is an award-winning writer & director with a visionary sense of feeling and humor. She is the winner of the Tribeca AT&T Untold Stories Award for her debut feature, Honeyjoon, which premiered at Tribeca. Lilian’s films have also screened at Palm Springs, Sao Paolo Mostra, Clermont-Ferrand, and the AmPav Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes. She was selected for the SFFILM Rainin Grant, TorinoFilmLab ComedyLab, Film Independent Episodic Lab, Sloan Award, Nancy Malone Directing Award, Geri Ashur Screenwriting Award, NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship, CineQuaNonLab, Film Fatales Episodic Directing Shadow Workshop, TFI Labs with YouTube/Google and Warner Media, and the Marcie Bloom Fellowship. Lilian earned her MFA from NYU Tisch Grad Film with a PDS Fellowship, and her BA from Dartmouth with a Senior Fellowship. She also enjoys hip hop dance.

As a young boy, H.N. Shantha Murthy ran away from home to escape the extreme poverty of his Indian village. He travelled the country in search of work, holding onto the belief that one day his life would change. It did, following a serendipitous encounter with a Texan couple. With a sponsored visa, he travelled to the US, but his American Dream was not to be fulfilled. Karla Murthy’s film weaves together home videos and phone conversations recorded during her father’s stint as a gas station attendant, while also reflecting on her own identity as a first-generation American. What emerges is an intimate love letter – a meditation on a complicated father-daughter relationship and a poignant tribute to the immigrant working class. - Emmy-nominated director Karla Murthy's The Gas Station Attendant, world premiering in Sheffield Doc/Fest's International Competition (as the only American film). Executive Produced by Carrie Lozano, Geeta Gandbhir (The Perfect Neighbor), Rekha Maholtra, Stanley Nelson, Marcia Smith, Stephen Gong, Donald Young.About the filmmaker - Karla Murthy is a director and Emmy-nominated producer. She began her career working for the veteran journalist Bill Moyers and has been a producer, shooter and correspondent for several news programs on PBS. Her award-winning work was described in the Columbia Journalism Review as “compelling, informative and compassionate.” Her directorial debut, the feature documentary The Place That Makes Us won Best of the Festival at Arlington Film Festival, Best Feature at Better Cities Festival and Emerging Documentary Filmmaker at Woods Hole Film Festival, and screened at the United Nations World Cities Day Event. The film had its national broadcast premiere on the WORLD Channel/PBS series America ReFramed. Most recently, she directed and edited the short film Love, Jamie about a transgender artist incarcerated in Texas which premiered at OUTFEST LA and won the Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Documentary Short and was called “one of the best short documentaries” by Texas Monthly. The film is now streaming on PBS American Masters. Karla is of Filipino and South Asian descent. She studied classical piano at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston and graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in Religion and Computer Science. Her work has been supported by Women Make Movies, the New York State Council of the Arts, Vital Projects Fund, the Firelight Media Residency at Slough Farm on Martha’s Vineyard, and the Yaddo artist residency.

Set in the small farming community of Three Oaks, Michigan — home to the nation’s largest Flag Day parade — Flag Day is a verité portrait of ritual, identity, and belonging in an era of deep political division. Somewhere between tradition and transformation lies this village, whose annual parade has become a pageant of American aspiration and memory. Over the course of Flag Day weekend, the film immerses viewers in the lives of a diverse cross-section of townspeople: veterans, local business owners, marching bands, and volunteers who, for one weekend each June, create an event that is at once nostalgic and reflective of the tensions of our time. Their stories reveal both the beauty and the fragility of community life in a time of polarization. Flag Day was filmed in an observational, verité style, capturing moments of humor, conflict, and grace as the community prepares for its defining ritual. The film offers a ground-level portrait of civic life — a portrait that holds both the good and the hard truths of being American. The project asks what binds us together today and whether those bonds can still be renewed.About the filmmaker - Andrew Shea (Director, Producer, Editor) is an award-winning director, producer, and screenwriter who has enjoyed success in film, television, and theatre. His films have screened at several of the most prestigious and selective film festivals in the world: the Cannes Film Festival Critics Week, the Sundance Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, DOC NYC, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the Austin Film Festival, and SXSW. Andrew is a professor in the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. About the filmmaker - Melissa Shea (Director, Producer, Editor) is a creative and versatile filmmaker who worked in commercials in Los Angeles before making the switch to feature films. Her narrative and documentary work has screened at major film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), DOC NYC, Austin, and Tribeca. Her creative partnership with co-director Andrew Shea began at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where they collaborated on the short film Take My Breath Away, which was invited to screen in the International Critics’ Week section at the Cannes Film Festival.

In this wildly entertaining documentary Cabali & the Tiki Mug Obsession Director Joshua Dragotta explores the colorful subculture of Tiki enthusiasts who celebrate and collect ceramic drinking vessels known as Tiki mugs as well as the artists that create them. The film follows Doug “Fini” Finical – a man with a dream – as he assembles a team of craftsman and artists to build a Tiki bar dedicated to his overwhelming collection of mugs. At its core Cabali and The Tiki Mug Obsession is about community, passion, and purpose.About the filmmaker - Josh Dragotta has been directing and editing films over the past two decades. His films have been selected in festivals both nationally and internationally and his editorial work has garnered him Clio Awards in theatrical advertising. His editorial career started in short form documentaries including such titles as Murder On The Orient, The Magnificent Seven, and La La Land. His theatrical and television marketing creative work has included such titles as Percy Jackson and The Olympians, and Bullet Train. His last film Satan’s Angel: Queen of The Fire Tassels was an official selection of Outfest. As an editor his most recent work includes short films for The Carter Center celebrating the late President’s 100th birthday, The Kennedy Center Honors honoring Barry Gibb, Renée Flemming, and The Grateful Dead as well as The Mark Twain Prize For Comedy honoring Kevin Hart and Conan O’Brien. Josh was honored to be part of the editing team that brought the 2026 Oscars In Memoriam to life.

This enthralling music documentary traces the turbulent, transcendent life of Gregg Allman — from a childhood ruptured by his father’s murder to the soulful emergence that reshaped American music. Through archival recordings, candid interviews, and electric performances, the film follows Gregg’s musical awakening amid the blues he worshipped, the creation of the Allman Brothers Band with his brother, Duane that would birth Southern Rock, and the grief that followed Duane’s fatal motorcycle crash. The Music of My Soul explores Gregg’s lifelong battle with addiction, his seven marriages, and the late-life sobriety that allowed him to reckon with his past. The film examines not just the artist’s private wounds but the wider American psyche — race, loss, longing, and reinvention — during Gregg’s lifetime. Musicians, friends, and family illuminate how an integrated band in the segregated South challenged boundaries while forging a sound that was both raw and redemptive. Anchored by Gregg’s gritty, emotive vocals, the Band’s brotherhood, and never before seen interviews, the documentary offers a profound portrait of Gregg Allman: a luminous figure whose life and songs mirror his struggles and salvation.

Set in the shadowy underworld of 1990s Saigon, Skin of Youth follows San, a transgender sex worker navigating desire, survival, and the fight for self-determination — all while a dangerous oligarch closes in on her relationship with her underground cage-fighter lover. It's a rare film: a queer love story rooted in Vietnamese history, told with uncompromising intimacy by one of Asian cinema's most distinctive voices. Ash Mayfair is an award-winning writer-director based in Los Angeles and Ho Chi Minh city. In 2020, Ash’s debut feature film, THE THIRD WIFE earned three Spirit Award Nominations. SKIN OF YOUTH is Ash’s second feature film, is being released by the distributor Film Movement, making its North American premiere on June 26th.About the filmmaker - Ash Mayfair is an award-winning writer-director based in Los Angeles and Ho Chi Minh city. After receiving an MFA in filmmaking at NYU, Ash wrote, directed and co-produced her first feature, THE THIRD WIFE. The screen play was a recipient of the Spike Lee Film Production Award 2016. The film premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in 2018 and won the NETPAC Jury Award. THE THIRD WIFE has garnered more than 20 awards worldwide, screened at over 70 film festivals and received distribution in 30+ territories. In 2020, THE THIRD WIFE earned three Spirit Award Nominations in the US including the Someone To Watch nomination for Ash. SKIN OF YOUTH is her second feature. SKIN OF YOUTH is one of 4 winners of the NYU Purple List for the best unproduced screenplays written by graduates and is a semi-finalist of the Academy Nicholls Competition in 2020. Ash is also an alumna of the Sundance Film Two Lab 2020 and a recipient of the Berlinale Nipkow Fellowship 2020.

Groundbreaking when it was made and still fiercely innovative today, BY HOOK OR BY CROOK chronicles three weeks in the life of a handsome, gender-bending, small town dreamer with a nagging messiah complex. Emotionally defeated after the death of his father, SHY heads to the big city to sink himself into a "life of crime." He is quickly distracted by VALENTINE, a deliriously expressive, wise-acre adoptee on a misguided search for her birthmother. The two freaky grifters join forces and learn the true meaning of "poise under pressure" in this visually stunning and wonderfully acted, anti-authoritarian tale of friendship, trust and redemption. BY HOOK OR BY CROOK is a trans-butch queer classic film, groundbreaking when it was made and still fiercely innovative today, and is one of the first successful and critically acclaimed queer indie films shot on Mini-DV. It was an immediate sensation upon its initial screenings at Frameline in 2001 and Sundance in 2002, galvanizing audiences of all stripes with its never-before-seen portrayal of two working-class, trans/butch buddy grifters willfully existing on the margins of society. The film has been digitally restored in 4K by the Academy Film Archive and UCLA Film & Television Archive in conjunction with Frameline, Outfest, Steakhaus Productions, Inc., and the Sundance Institute. The film was remastered using the latest technology with improved color correction to achieve the filmmakers' original cinematic vision. BY HOOK OR BY COOK had an acclaimed World Premiere 4K Restoration Screening in 2024 at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, and this release marks the newly restored film’s availability for audiences throughout the U.S. joining us to talk about the restoration and the high regard that By Hook or By Crook is held, 25 years since its release are the co-directors, co-writers, co-producers and co-lead actors, Howard Silas and Harry Dodge.

On the Amazon rainforest island of Marajó, 13-year-old Tielle lives in an isolated riverside enclave with her family. She idolizes her older sister, who escaped the area with “a good man” (according to her mother) on one of the commercial river barges. But as she matures and learns the true price her sister paid to leave, she fears for the safety of her younger sister and resolves to challenge the normalized abuse of women and girls in her community. Filmmaker Brennand, who spent 10 years researching Indigenous tribes of the Amazonian rainforest, based this feature debut on true stories to create a sensitive and stirring portrait of cycle-breaking resilience. Director / Co-screenwriter and Co-producer Marianna Brennand joins us for an in-depth conversation on her multi-award winning exploration of systemic sexual abuse of girls and young women in Brazil’s Amazonian rainforest region and how this scourge of abuse is happening in all corners of the world. About the filmmaker - Marianna Brennand Fortes was born in Brasília, Brazil. She is a cultural producer and filmmaker, having graduated with a B.A. in Film Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2002. She founded Inquietude in 2007 with the aim of preserving and promoting Brazilian cultural values through audiovisual productions. At the moment Marianna is working on Manas, her first fiction feature about the sexual exploitation of children in the Marajó Archipelago, PA, Brazil. 2012 Francisco Brennand (Documentary) São Paulo IFF WIN Best Brazilian Documentary (São Paulo IFF) WIN Brazilian Association of Film Critic's Award for Best Brazilian Film 2007 2007 O Coco, A Roda, O Pnêu e O Farol (Documentary) premiered at Biarritz Festival Latin America WIN Gilberto Freyre Trophy for Best Film at CinePE Audiovisual Festival (Recife, PE, Brazil)

An Ivorian pastor and former journalist, Marie, opens her home in Tunisia to three generations of migrant women: Naney, Jolie, and Kenza. A mother desperate to obtain residency status in Tunisia, Naney seeks a better life for herself and her daughter. Jolie, in Tunisia on a student visa, feels burdened by her family’s expectations for her future. Kenza, an orphaned child and the only survivor of a shipwreck carrying refugees to Tunisia, is lost and in need of a mother. Marie struggles with her role as a spiritual leader while assuming the role of Kenza’s caregiver and supporting Naney and Jolie. As the four women grow closer in this makeshift family, they must grapple with poverty, conflict, and alienation. Our guest is an Un Certain Regards Award nominee at Cannes in 2025 for her film PROMISED SKY, director Erige Sehiri.About the filmmaker - Erige Sehiri is a French-Tunisian director, producer, and former journalist whose work bridges documentary realism and narrative cinema. Sehiri began her film career in documentary, directing the acclaimed RAILWAY MEN (2018), which captured the daily struggles of Tunisian railway workers. In 2022, she wrote, directed, and produced her first feature, UNDER THE FIG TREES, an intimate portrait of youth, labor, and fleeting moments of connection set in a rural fig orchard. The film premiered at the 54th Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and was selected to represent Tunisia at the 2023 Academy Awards. It has since screened at major international festivals and been released theatrically in over twenty countries. Beyond her work in film, Sehiri is an active advocate for freedom of expression and media literacy. She is the co-founder of the media INKYFADA and the Tunisian NGO Al KHATT. She is also a founding member of the Rawiyat Sisters in Film collective, which supports women filmmakers across the Arab world and diaspora. PROMISED SKY, her second feature film, premiered at Cannes Film Festival 2025 as an Official Selection in the Un Certain Regard section.

Haunting and unforgettable, THIS ORDINARY THING tells the story of non-Jews who helped save Jewish people across Europe during The Holocaust. The film combines never-before-seen archival footage with the testimonies of over forty different people who, operating independently and at great risk to themselves and their families, saved thousands of Jewish strangers from almost certain death. THIS ORDINARY THING is a timely reminder of the pockets of goodness that can rise in a sea of evil: everyday people helping others who were "different" from them. Notably, none of the people featured in the film thought of themselves as heroes. And yet the film, with immense contemporary resonance, causes each of us to ask ourselves “What would I have done?” The film employs some of the world’s greatest actors, performing excerpts translated from the original transcripts. The cast, including Helen Mirren, F. Murray Abraham, Carrie Coon, Jeremy Irons, Ellen Burstyn, Stephen Fry, Bill Camp, Harry Hadden-Paton, Marcia Gay Harden, Bill Irwin, Kasia Kółeczek, Anna Krippa, Natasha Landow, Camillo Lareczyk, Donal Logue, Martha Plimpton, Rufus Sewell, Hope Davis and Lily Tomlin.About the filmmaker - An accomplished writer, director, and producer, Nick Davis got his start in film and television by interning on Ken Burns’ Baseball. His first task was to build a desk. In addition to his work with Burns, which included jobs on Cornerstone and The West, Davis worked for filmmaker David Grubin—co-producing The Language of Life with Bill Moyers for PBS and producing Money and Power: The History of Business for CNBC. In 1993, he directed the Emmy Award–winning Jack: The Last Kennedy Film, produced with his father, Peter Davis. In 1998, Nick wrote and directed 1999, a black-comedy feature starring Jennifer Garner, Dan Futterman, and Amanda Peet. The film aired on the Sundance Channel and screened at more than 20 festivals worldwide. In 2001, he founded Nick Davis Productions. Having seen Young Frankenstein ten times as a child, Nick was thrilled that the company’s first job was producing a Bravo Profile of Gene Wilder. Since then, NDP has produced more than 80 hours of television—and, over the past two decades, more than 300 commissioned films for organizations, institutions, and private clients. Meanwhile, Nick’s public-facing documentary work has continued to grow. In 2018, he produced and directed the PBS American Masters film Ted Williams: “The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived,” narrated by Emmy- and Golden Globe–winner Jon Hamm. In 2021, he directed the acclaimed Once Upon a Time in Queens, a multi-part 30 for 30 documentary on the 1986 Mets, in partnership with ESPN Films, Kimmelot, ITV America, and Major League Baseball. In 2024, he won an Emmy Award for executive producing Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox for Netflix. In 2025, Nick organized his work into two distinct entities: Series of Dreams, a boutique production company for films made for wide audiences, founded with his wife, novelist Jane Mendelsohn — and NICK DAVIS PRODUCTIONS, his commissioned-film studio. A filmmaker whose work is known for its humanity, humor, and emotional depth, Nick has a particular love for the private films, where the stakes are personal and the storytelling can be intimate, funny, and deeply meaningful. Prior to his work in film and television, Nick performed improv comedy in New York City nightclubs and co-wrote the novel Boone (with Brooks Hansen), published in 1990 and named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His book Competing With Idiots—a dual portrait of his grandfather Herman Mankiewicz and great-uncle Joseph Mankiewicz—was published by Knopf in 2021 and shortlisted for the LA Times Book Prize (Biography).

Charlie and Erin escape to the desert to navigate an unexpected and challenging new phase of their relationship. Magic Hour is a story of love, perception, regret and acceptance. Director, writer, co-lead actor Kate Aselton joins us for a conversation on the making of Magic Hour, the early days of indie filmmaking, working with her husband / collaborator Mark Duplass and the brilliant co-lead, Daveed Diggs.About the filmmaker - Katie Aselton is an acclaimed actor and filmmaker working across television and film. Her breakout acting role was in the indie hit THE PUFFY CHAIR, directed by Mark and Jay Duplass, and she is known for her starring role as ‘Jenny’ in the FX comedy series, THE LEAGUE.MAGIC HOUR is Aselton’s fourth feature as a director. She made her directorial debut with THE FREEBIE, in which she also stars alongside Dax Shepard; the film premiered to critical acclaim at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Katie also directed and starred in the survivor thriller BLACK ROCK opposite Kate Bosworth and Lake Bell, which also premiered at Sundance in 2012. She directed the iconic Diane Keaton in MACK & RITA in 2022. Her short film OH, CHRISTMAS TREE, starring Mark Duplass and her daughter Ora Duplass, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024. She recently wrapped her fifth feature, THEIR TOWN starring Ora Duplass and Chosen Jacobs. As an actor, Aselton has appeared in numerous roles on the big and small screen. Her TV credits include: the FX series LEGION, created by Noah Hawley; HBO’s indie hits ANIMALS and TOGETHERNESS; long-running favorites like CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, VEEP, and THE OFFICE; Netflix's acclaimed anthology series ROOM 104, and Hulu’s CASUAL. She can next be seen in Apple TV’s upcoming GOVERNMENT CHEESE. In the feature space, Aselton’s acting credits include Netflix’s OLD DADS, the Paramount favorite BOOK CLUB, Lionsgate’s BOMBSHELL, Warner Brother’s FATHER FIGURES, and the acclaimed horror/sci-fi films SHE DIES TOMORROW and SYNCHRONIC.