2025
Festival Films
Dive into an unforgettable collection of stories, voices, and visions. This year’s selection showcases bold filmmaking, diverse perspectives, and powerful narratives from around the globe. Get ready to discover new favorites, be inspired, and experience the very best in contemporary cinema.
| Title | Synopsis |
|---|---|
| A Kind Favor | In the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, ceramicist Jessie DuBois and her grandmother, Marcia, engage in a heartfelt conversation about life, death, art and the pottery school Marcia and her husband built in the 1960s. Honoring her family’s past, DuBois forages for clay among the ruins of her grandparents’ home which was tragically destroyed by a wildfire. |
| About Damn Time | Amidst the roar of rapids and the serenity of the Grand Canyon, ABOUT DAMN TIME chronicles the journey of trailblazing boatwomen who, guided by legacy and determination, challenge a male-dominated world, protect sacred rivers, and pass the oars to the next generation. |
| Aisha’s Story | “Food is the most precious part of Palestinian heritage.” Aisha Azzam and her husband started their family grain mill in Baqa’a refugee camp, Jordan, 35 years ago. Through food – harvesting, milling, cooking, and sharing – Aisha traces the story of Palestinian displacement and rebuilding family and community in exile. Aisha’s Story is an intimate glimpse of the loss, beauty, and resistance that define Palestinian lives. |
| ALL GOD’S CHILDREN | ALL GOD’S CHILDREN follows Rabbi Rachel Timoner, a reform rabbi and political activist, and Reverend Dr. Robert Waterman, a black baptist reverend and community leader, as they bring their congregations together to combat the entrenched racism and anti-semitism that plagues their communities… but sometimes the space between the idea and reality is too great to cross. |
| ARREST THE MIDWIFE | As their midwives are arrested, the Amish and Mennonite women of upstate New York break from their traditions as an insular community to become unexpected activists, fighting for systemic change. With exceptionally rare and intimate access, director Elaine Epstein crafts a powerful David-and-Goliath story of resilience and resistance. Set against the backdrop of America’s maternal health crisis and the erosion of reproductive rights, ARREST THE MIDWIFE is both a poignant portrait of a community in crisis and an urgent call to protect every woman’s right to choose how she brings the next generation into the world. |
| Baby Doe | At 22, Gail gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods. Decades later, she’s arrested for murder, even though she says the baby was stillborn. BABY DOE explores the fallout when young women cannot accept the reality of an unplanned pregnancy. |
| Bloody Mess | When filmmaker Megan Wennberg’s period went nuts, she thought her Uterus was out for revenge because she was almost 40 and hadn’t given it a baby. But it turned out she had fibroids. Bloody Mess is a short, personal, animated documentary following Megan and her Uterus (voiced by actor Susan Kent) on their harrowing but darkly funny journey through the medical system to try and stop the bleeding. |
| Classroom 4 | CLASSROOM 4 is the story of an award-winning History professor leading a group of students, half incarcerated and half free, in a class titled THE HISTORY OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT IN THE UNITED STATES. Through exploring concepts including masculinity, prison abolition, and mercy, the work challenges the invisibility of incarcerated people, reveals the consequences of mass imprisonment for everyone, and emphasizes the importance of these programs to bring together the incarcerated and free to meet and know one another. |
| Coexistence, My Ass! | COEXISTENCE, MY ASS! follows Israeli activist-comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi as she creates a comedy show by the same name. Shot over five tumultuous years, the film traces Noam’s personal, professional and political journey in tandem with the region’s steady deterioration. Raised in a bilingual Israeli-Palestinian village — the only intentionally integrated community in the country — Noam grows disillusioned with traditional peace activism. She pivots to stand-up and quickly attracts attention across the Middle East. But as her star rises, everything around her falls apart. With biting satire, Noam pushes her audiences to face difficult truths that aren’t always funny but do remind us that another reality is possible. |
| Danielle Scott: Ancestral Call | Danielle Scott, a legally blind Afro-Cuban, Polish-Jewish, and Asian mixed-media artist at the cusp of international fame, risks her wellbeing by exposing herself to the intergenerational trauma of the Atlantic Slave Trade. She traces her ancestors’ lives for a greater purpose: creating art that exposes the wretched pain and intense beauty of the era, while guiding her audience through an experiential journey towards healing and hope. |
| DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS | Diane Warren, a prolific songwriter with an unparalleled track record of writing mega-hits for industry giants, emerges as a force to be reckoned with in Diane Warren: Relentless. Boasting 15 Academy Award nominations, an Honorary Oscar along with Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards, Diane has etched her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is responsible for the soundtrack of our lives. In this intimate documentary, filled with Diane’s signature humor, audiences get a rarely seen glimpse into Diane’s life and underdog journey to where she is today. |
| Four Mothers | Edward, a novelist saddled with caring for his elderly mother, finally finds himself on the brink of literary success. With pressure to go on a US book tour mounting, the last thing Edward needs is his friends jetting off to Spain for an impromptu Pride holiday, leaving their mothers on his doorstep! Over a chaotic weekend, he has to juggle his burgeoning career with the care of four eccentric, combative, and wildly different ladies. An Irish twist on the acclaimed Italian hit Mid-August Lunch, this uplifting comedy and tender drama takes an unlikely found family on a journey to embrace life. |
| Girl Climber | Professional climber Emily Harrington has summited Everest, 8000-meter peaks, and dominated the competition circuit but, her greatest challenge extends beyond the physical. To cement her legacy in the male dominated world of elite rock climbing, she sets her sights on a career-defining 24-hour ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan. Caught between the pursuit of personal ambition and the ticking biological clock of life, a near-fatal fall forces Emily to reckon with what she’s willing to risk. Equal parts gripping survival story and intimate portrait, Girl Climber isn’t just about breaking records, it’s about breaking barriers. Amongst Yosemite’s legendary boy’s club, Emily isn’t just proving she is the best *Girl Climber– she’s proving she is one of the best. Period. |
| Her/Mine | At ten, Alexandra lost her mother to cancer – a diagnosis her mother hid from virtually everyone. Decades later, she embarks on a cinematic journey to explore a mother-daughter bond through its absence using a treasure trove of personal belongings. An intimate poetic meditation on memory, loss and motherhood. |
| I’m Carl Lewis! | I’M CARL LEWIS! unpacks the extraordinary and often misunderstood life of nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis—one of track and field’s most dominant yet polarizing figures. Celebrated as “The Greatest” and athletics’ first global commercial star, his relentless ambition, bold self-expression, and refusal to be pigeonholed shaped not only his legacy but the sport itself. Directed by Chris Hay and two-time Academy Award-nominated producer Julie Anderson, I’M CARL LEWIS! weaves candid modern-day interviews with Lewis, Nike founder Phil Knight, longtime coach Tom Tellez, late-career rival Mike Powell, Grammy and Emmy-winning music producer Narada Michael Walden, and more, alongside stunning archival footage, to offer an unfiltered look at an icon who broke records, defied norms, and changed the game on his own terms. A Noah Media Group production in association with Uninterrupted and Nike, the film delves into the consequences of his uncompromising drive—on and off the track. |
| It’s Dorothy! | Since Dorothy Gale started her epic journey down the Yellow Brick Road 125 years ago in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, she’s become a celebrity, a brand, and a beacon for marginalized voices across our culture. IT’S DOROTHY brings to life her timeless adventures in Oz through the human experiences of a new generation of star performers, infused with the spirit and influence of Judy Garland and more. With a chorus of cultural icons, unforgettable music, and a magical remix of archival and cinematic art, this film centers the perspectives of women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ voices. Exploring the meaning and evolution of a cherished character through the eras, we celebrate Dorothy as an enduring symbol of hope and a touchstone in our universal quest to fly over the rainbow and find home again. |
| Jane Austen’s Period Drama | England, 1813. In the middle of a long-awaited marriage proposal, Miss Estrogenia Talbot gets her period. Her suitor, the dashing Mr. Dickley, mistakes the blood for an injury, and it soon becomes clear that his very expensive education has most certainly missed a spot. |
| Jimmy & the Demons | A magical journey into the artistic life and inner mind of celebrated sculptor, James Grashow, who, at age 79, devotes four years to creating his magnum opus. |
| LOVE CHAOS KIN | An unexpected pregnancy compels an Indian immigrant mother to help her adopted twin daughters reconnect with their White birth mother and estranged Native American father, exposing raw class divides while transforming their understanding of identity and belonging. |
| MAGIC & MONSTERS | MAGIC & MONSTERS uncovers the long-buried story of widespread sexual abuse at America’s preeminent children’s theater. In the aftermath of litigation, four survivors attempt the unthinkable: working with the very institution that harmed them. The film examines the moral obligations of institutions when confronting historical abuse. It presents an intimate exploration of trauma’s ripple effects while demonstrating how organizational transparency—despite potential risks and short-term costs—represents the only path toward genuine healing. MAGIC & MONSTERS illuminates a path toward institutional courage, and offers hope for all survivors seeking justice and reconciliation. |
| Nawi | 13-year-old Nawi finds out her father is selling her to a much older man for a herd of goats. Instead of obeying tradition she chooses to fight her impending marriage and embarks on a journey to reclaim her dream of joining high school. |
| Other Side | OTHER SIDE is a deeply human and timely film that follows Connecticut-based activist Lynda Bluestein in her final year of life as she fights for the right to die on her own terms. After three separate cancer diagnoses and difficult rounds of treatment, Lynda challenged the legal system in Vermont to access medical aid in dying—and won. The film offers a poignant and intimate portrait of her journey as a matriarch, an advocate, and a fallible human being confronting mortality with courage and clarity. |
| Quaker | During the last Quaker meeting of the year, Brooklyn high school seniors share their unfiltered feelings with each other. |
| Searching for Augusta Savage | Searching for Augusta Savage is a portrait of one of America’s greatest sculptors and art educators, whose footprint in the art world seems to have been erased but whose influence continues to inspire artists today. Harlem Renaissance artist and educator Augusta Savage (1892-1962) was the first person in the U.S. to open a gallery dedicated to Black art, and the first Black woman elected to the National Association of Women Artists. She was also one of the first Black women art activists of her time who mentored a generation of Black artists, and fought for the funding of their work and their inclusion in mainstream art venues. The first documentary made about Savage’s life and legacy, Searching for Augusta Savage investigates why nearly half of the approximately 160 pieces of sculpture she created have been lost or are missing today. |
| Set Menu | Denied the coveted set menu for dining alone at a famously exclusive restaurant, Frances strikes an unexpected deal with a stranger to access both the menu and a night of peace and solitude. |
| Snow Leopard Sisters | SNOW LEOPARD SISTERS tells the inspiring story of an unlikely yet powerful friendship between two Indigenous women in one of the most isolated corners of the Himalayas. The film follows local snow leopard conservationist Tshiring Lhamu Lama as she mentors 17-year-old Tenzin Bhuti Gurung, who is desperate to escape a forced marriage. Together, they journey through the treacherous yet breathtaking landscape of the Himalayas in search of the last remaining endangered snow leopards. Through intimate verité footage and stunning cinematography, the film highlights the power of women’s voices in conservation, shaping a better future for themselves and the elusive snow leopards. |
| Speak. | Five top-ranked high school oratory students spend a year crafting spellbinding spoken word performances with the dream of winning one of the world’s largest and most intense public speaking competitions. |
| The Librarians | As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy. |
| The Pic | Single mom Jen (Frances Chewning) gets an unexpectedly provocative pic from her friend Steve (Dan Lippert, “Comedy Bang Bang,” “Hacks”). Through the course of a phone call, she tries to figure out what’s going on and is surprised to discover that context changes everything in this modern screwball company. |
| The Secret of Me | 19 year old Kristi discovers a secret her doctor and parents have kept from her all her life. Her search for truth uncovers a radical psychology experiment on a pair of identical twins that led to a global medical scandal. |
| The Shadow Scholars | Tens of thousands of young and well-educated Kenyans are hired online by undergraduates and doctoral students at Western universities to write their essays and theses, in a multi-billion dollar underground industry. Oxford professor Patricia Kingori embarks on a search for these ‘shadow scholars.’ |
| The Stolen | When a brutal dictatorship takes over Argentina, hundreds of young children go missing after the murder of their parents. The grandmothers of these missing children embark on a quest to find them, ultimately uncovering a state conspiracy to steal children. Found decades later, these children, now adults, must confront the dark truth of their origins. |
| They Call Me The Tattoo Witch | In Hanoi, Vietnam, tattoo artist Tran Ngoc specializes in the rare and challenging art of tattooing over scars. Despite the social stigma surrounding tattoos in Vietnam, Ngoc empowers her clients, including breast cancer survivors and women with self-harm scars, to reclaim their bodies, demonstrating that her work is a profound act of compassion and resilience. |
| Through Thin Ice | Along the shores of the Great Salt Lake, a scientist’s twilight run is upended when her dog plunges through rare lake ice, catalyzing a desperate series of choices. After an improbable rescue, she questions whether she always makes rational decisions. Told from two perspectives, the film explores how we assess risks, make decisions, and the role of chance. |
| UNDAMMED | After witnessing a massive fish kill on her ancestral home waters, Yurok tribal attorney Amy Bowers Cordalis dedicated her life to reversing the generations-long destruction wrought by the Klamath River dams. Undammed follows her journey to free the Klamath, from testifying before Congress to passing down fishing traditions within her young family. Now that the Klamath dams are finally coming down, she remains confident that the future of her tribe is bright. “It’s not a test,” Bowers Cordalis says of the largest dam-removal project in US history. “It will work.” |
| Uvalde Mom | Uvalde Mom tells the story of Angeli Gomez, the mother who captured national attention when she rushed into Robb Elementary to save her two sons from a mass shooting. With exclusive access to Angeli, the film spotlights an ordinary, working class, Latina single mom and centers her as an American hero while also uncovering a faulty system that has been exposed by one of the deadliest mass shootings of children in American history. |
| Vivien’s Wild Ride | After a long career in cinema, film editor Vivien Hillgrove starts losing her sight, forcing her to reexamine past traumas and relationships, and to reinvent herself and her art. |
| Who in the Hell is Regina Jones? | The extraordinary life of Regina Jones is one not only shaped by history, but also one that made history. From pregnant and married at 15, through the middle of the Watts Rebellion of 1965, to emerging as a groundbreaking newspaper publisher, Regina is a testament to the American experience. That lived experience, as a Black American woman raising a family of 5 children, stepping in places where she was not wanted, and navigating a world that offered her no favors, is one that is still too often overlooked. Who in the Hell is Regina Jones turns a lens on Regina’s remarkable journey – the invisible labor, the turmoil, struggle and the joy of a modern-day Black woman. |
| With Grace | Grace, a witty 13-year-old girl, with big dreams and the rare gift of making everyone around her laugh, takes us back to her early childhood years with her close-knit, loving farmer family in Kenya: a time with lots of fun, but also a time when disaster almost split her family apart. |
| Witness | A revered small-town imam faces a crisis of faith when he must choose between upholding the values of his mosque or protecting the safety and spiritual belonging of a trans man congregant. |
