Film Library

CODE documentary exposes the dearth of American female and minority software engineers and explores the reasons for this gender gap and digital divide. The film highlights breakthrough efforts that are producing more diverse programmers and shows how this critical gap can be closed. CODE asks: what would society gain from having more women and minorities code and how do we get there?

MAMA RWANDA examines a new generation of Rwandan women whose passion for entrepreneurship is transforming Rwanda into one of the world’s fastest growing economies. A tale of working mothers who endured genocide, Mama Rwanda is a deeply intimate portrait of two women on journeys to build peace through prosperity creation.

The danger is palpable as intrepid young filmmaker Nanfu Wang follows maverick activist Ye Haiyan (a.k.a Hooligan Sparrow) and her band of colleagues to Hainan Province in southern China, to protest the case of six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. Marked as enemies of the state, the activists are under constant government surveillance and face interrogation, harassment, and imprisonment. Sparrow, who gained notoriety with her advocacy work for sex workers’ rights, continues to champion girls’ and women’s rights and arms herself with the power and reach of social media.

The body of a homeless woman is found in an abandoned New Hampshire farmhouse. Beside the body, lies a diary that documents a journey of starvation and the loss of sanity, but told with poignance, beauty, humor, and spirituality. For nearly four months, Linda Bishop, a prisoner of her own mind, survived on apples and rain water, waiting for God to save her, during one of the coldest winters on record. As her story unfolds from different perspectives, including her own, we learn about our systemic failure to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

A multi-billion dollar American development is poised to engulf a small coastal community in Mexico with a mega hotel/condo complex. But local people are banding together to save their way of life and the delicate ecosystem on which they all depend.

A New Color is a joy-filled, heart-rending story about community, art and lives that matter. Bay Area artist and civil rights activist Edythe “Edy” Boone is a sprightly septuagenarian who seems only to gain energy over the years. Since she was a girl, this celebrated muralist (San Francisco Women’s Building) has aspired “to develop a new color no one has seen in life.” Edy paints walls to build bridges toward unity when the chokehold death of her nephew Eric Garner and his final words – “I Can’t Breathe” – ignite a national outcry for racial justice.

What do you think is the desire of every human being?

Coined the ‘Fat Letters’ by students, states around the country have begun mandating schools to send notification letters to kids whose body mass index (BMI) doesn’t fall within a narrowly “acceptable” range.  When a determined sixth­grader in Ohio voices her protest against the letters, student journalist Bailey Webber is inspired to take her fight to the highest levels of government. THE STUDENT BODY is a true underdog story of two brave girls who take a stand against government intrusion and hypocrisy while exploring the complex and controversial truths of the childhood obesity debate.

Where We Stand follows Abby Hansen, a stay-at-home mom turned vocal advocate for Ordain Women as she navigates the repercussions of her unpopular activism against her church in her predominantly Mormon suburb. Where We Stand is also the coming of age story of Ordain Women as an organization itself—from a humble website to an internationally recognized activist group. The film is not just for Mormons. It is not just for feminists. It is for anyone who has questioned what it means to believe and to belong.

Veronica is new to a modern dance company and must prepare a duet with another newcomer James. Serious and disciplined, Veronica keeps him at a distance, but while rehearsing they become friends. James sees Veronica looking at him one day, and he asks her out to a concert. She says no; she doesn’t want to complicate work. Tension builds between them as Veronica denies James’ advances and continues practicing for the final performance.

I AM YUP’IK tells the story of Byron Nicholai, a 16-year-old Alaskan Yup’ik teenager who leaves his tiny village and travels across hundreds of miles of frozen tundra to compete in an all-Yup’ik basketball tournament. Unskilled as a Yup’ik hunter, a tradition passed down over thousands of years, Byron is determined to prove himself by leading his village to a championship in the District Tournament.

Two-time Academy Award-Winner® Barbara Kopple follows R&B dynamo Sharon Jones during the most courageous year of her life. Often compared to the legendary James Brown because of her powerful and energetic performances, Sharon Jones is no stranger to challenge. For years her music career struggled, and after decades of working odd jobs, Sharon had a middle-aged breakthrough when she joined forces with The Dap-Kings. In 2013, Sharon was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Miss Sharon Jones! is a triumphant crowd-pleaser that captures an irrepressible human spirit battling back to where she belongs- center stage.