2024 festival films

Stephanie Houser embarks on a grueling 147-mile run over 48 hours, each mile symbolizing a day her preemie baby, Zev, battled for his life in the NICU. As their stories entwine, Steph’s run and Zev’s fight for survival push the Hauser family’s hope to the limits.

399: Queen of the Tetons follows the famous Grizzly 399 as she struggles to raise an unusually large litter in the face of human encroachment, a rapidly changing climate, and disputes over her Endangered Species protections.

In the vast Norwegian wilds, five family members navigate grief and what “home” means after the loss of the mother who had served as the family’s glue.

A woman must decide whether to save her husband when he chokes on a sandwich during lunch.

Four journalists reveal the stories that propel them to amplify the voiceless, challenge the powerful, and answer the call to bear witness.

Young journalist Shiori Ito embarks on a courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country’s outdated judicial and societal systems.

A meditative exploration of time and mortality, Chasing Time follows photographer James Balog as he brings the 15-year Extreme Ice Survey project to a close. Accompanied by the Emmy-winning team behind Chasing Ice, the film unveils astounding visual evidence of climate change and spotlights the power of intergenerational collaboration in inspiring hope and action toward a sustainable future.

In the 21st century, our world is dominated by technology, data, and algorithms, yet we maintain the persistent myth that not everyone is a “math person.” Can changing our minds about math revolutionize who has power–and who is counted out?

Amid the glamour of Hollywood, a woman finds herself on a transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, unraveling a visually captivating and magical tale of love, fragility, healing, and the delicate beauty in tiny acts of greatness.

Gazing from one hundred feet above the forest, FIRE TOWER draws us into the lookouts’ world and invites us to contemplate how solitude can inspire a different connection with nature, community and our creativity.

This film reconstructs the life of a woman, the director, based solely on interviews of the people who loved her. Intimate first-hand accounts, mixed with old mementos, will reveal the universal path of love.

After years of estrangement, incarceration, and broken promises, how does one high schooler employ documentary storytelling and art of filmmaking to carry her family into spaces that can heal and reconcile?

A recently widowed woman works through the complexities of grief with the help of friends, strangers, and Tupperware.

How to Sue the Klan is the story of how five Black women from Chattanooga used legal ingenuity to take on the Ku Klux Klan in a historic 1982 civil case, fighting to hold them accountable for their crimes and bring justice to their community.

In the days leading up to his execution, Texas death row prisoner John Henry Ramirez seeks redemption from his victim’s son.

Abandoned on an Ethiopian church step with serious health complications, filmmaker Dulcinea Harrison traces her origin story from Addis Ababa to Colorado Springs, and in doing so, poses profound questions about what makes a family.

Filmed over 11 years, INHERITANCE follows Curtis, a young boy, as he grows up in rural Appalachia in a family and community surrounded by substance use disorder and poverty. Can Curtis break the cycle of addiction that has plagued his family for generations?

The LAST SONG FROM KABUL tells the riveting, heroic story of young orphaned girls whose music school was closed after the Taliban took over Afghanistan as they escape to Portugal to try and rebuild their fractured lives and begin to play music again.

A lifelong hobby becomes a lifeline for an unexpected Twitch streamer.

Filmmaker Stephanie Johnes’ thrilling documentary follows world-champion Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira, who battles against monster waves as well as chauvinism in the field of competitive surfing

Sofia and Louise are newly qualified midwives. They quickly encounter the challenges of everyday hospital life in a broken health-care system.

In the 1950s, Mary McGee found her sense of freedom when she became the first American woman to race motorcycles. Mary’s pioneering journey of conquering sexism and her own fears paved the way for the next chapter in motorsports.

NOBUKO MIYAMOTO: A SONG IN MOVEMENT is a sweeping documentary that follows the life of visionary artist-activist Nobuko Miyamoto and her work that changed Asian America forever.

After witnessing the 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay, John Francis is determined to travel across the United States on foot–and in silence.

PRECONCEIVED follows Maleeha in Texas and Maria in Colorado, two women misled to anti-abortion centers while seeking to terminate unplanned pregnancies. The film features voices from both sides of the debate, including CPC leaders and experts warning of problematic practices. Amid a shifting legal landscape, PRECONCEIVED explores the complex political and moral challenges of abortion access in America and highlights the importance of informed resources for pregnant individuals.

What happens when a liberal public defender represents right-wing January 6th rioters? PUBLIC DEFENDER takes on America’s epidemic of division and misinformation with humanity and comic relief, modeling how to restore trust and accountability one relationship at a time.

RECLAIM tells the story of young Honor as he follows in the footsteps of his older brother Hanalei in learning the Hawaiian tradition of hula. The brothers are proud of their role in reclaiming Hawaiian heritage, through dance as well as the meaningful power of language and custom.

Red Fever follows Cree co-director Neil Diamond on his journey to find out why the world is so fascinated with the stereotypical imagery of Native people that is all over pop culture.

Let us tell you a story about the boundary pushers who shape souls and give children strange dreams. The stars of STORY & PICTURES BY are picture book creators changing the narrative for the next generation, even when their own lives are not fairytales.

95-year-old Catherine Kuehn is a world record winning deadlifter. As she prepares for her last competition she reflects on the love, and the loss, that brought her to this moment.

An investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.

When 90% of Iceland’s women walked off the job and out of their homes one morning in 1975 the country came to a standstill. Unexpectedly funny and told for the first time, this is the true story of one day that catapulted Iceland to the world’s superpower of gender equality.

After being raised by a white family, a young girl is taken away and returned to the Aboriginal family she didn’t know. Decades later she is on a journey to discover where she truly belong

When young Litha is introduced to the magic of a game reserve by the last remaining ranger, they are ambushed by poachers. In the ensuing battle to save the rhinos, Litha discovers a terrible secret.

This unsung hero story celebrates trailblazing musician, Orin O’Brien, and the double bass she plays.

In a Boca suburb, a couple retire to a second marriage of freedom, play, and the world’s largest puzzle collection.

Queer Pakistani grad student Azra is worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother. When her father suddenly dies on a trip home to Pakistan, Azra finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories, both real and imagined; from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming- of-age in rural Canada.

The incredible untold story of the first Black woman of motorcycling, Bessie Stringfield, who defied expectations and discrimination to blaze a trail for thousands of women after her.

Jamshid, an Iranian American public school counselor, helps the children of immigrants and refugees find belonging on their way to compete in the world’s largest Ultimate Frisbee Tournament.

The daughter of a Holocaust survivor, embarks on an international quest to uncover answers about the plight of her mother and her six siblings who, as mere children, escaped Nazi Germany relying solely on their own youthful bravado and the kindness of German strangers.

A group of teens find belonging at a LARP camp, building a fantasy world facing climate disaster. Through roleplaying heroes facing apocalypse, they find strength to heal past trauma and emerge empowered in life.

Where Olive Trees Weep is a heartbreakingly beautiful and poignant new film about the struggles and resilience of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice. It features Dr. Gabor Maté offering trauma healing work for Palestinian women who have been tortured in Israeli prisons.