This coming-of-age story follows four black teenagers from adolescence to adulthood who tap dance for tips in New Orleans, showing the joys and pains of growing up fast in the incarceration capital of the world.

Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice

Witnessing firsthand the disparities of our city, I’ve become passionate about shining a light on the crushing impact of carceral policies on Black communities. At its core, the goal of this film was to tell a coming-of-age story singular to New Orleans. In doing so, we give a face to the individuals most affected by the systemic injustice of Louisiana, where 95% of the youth arrested are Black. We watch the hopelessness and anger that flows directly from seeing authority figures presume them a threat to society (and punishing them as adults). For many Black youth here in New Orleans, being incarcerated is almost treated as an inevitability. As Deymond says in the cold open: “There’s two things to do down here: go to jail or die.” One Buck Won’t Hurt is an unambiguous affirmation of just how much Black lives matter and exactly why we still need to say so. – Christopher Stoudt

Wood Hood follows DeVaughn, a 15-year old kid from New York City as he takes a weekend trip with Camping To Connect, a BIPOC-led mentorship program that teaches leadership, brotherhood, and inclusion in the outdoors.

Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice

We hope that [audiences] come away believing that nature belongs to everybody, and that more access, diversity and representation in the outdoors is critical for a more just and equitable society (and critical for the health and well-being of urban youth). We’d like for them to support our efforts at Camping to Connect. www.campingtoconnect.com

– Alex Cullen

A Syrian migrant working as a crane operator in Beirut volunteers to cover a shift on one of the most dangerous cranes, where he is able to find his freedom.

During the Israeli Occupation of Palestine in 1948, Ahmad, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy, faces the consequences of the war in his hometown that forces him to give up his dream of being a professional football player.

Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice

I want the audience to know the suffering and struggle that the Palestinian people faced during the Israeli occupation of Palestine in 1948. I want to introduce them to the Palestinian Nakba and let them know the Palestinian side of the story.

Resources: Ahmed Saffouri’s (The director’s grandfather) diaries, A cassette recording of Ahmed Saffouri, and “The story of my life in Palestine and Kuwait” book by Khair Aldeen Abuljobain

Centered on DC native Sheila White, Street Reporter is an intimate story about the power of community journalism and the courage to never stop searching for a place to call home.

Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice

Street Reporter seeks to break down stereotypes of people experiencing homelessness, to create empathy and build a vision for a world where all people have a place to call home.

To learn more, visit:

www.StreetReporterFilm.com
www.StreetSenseMedia.org

– Laura Waters Hinson

An exploration of the relationship between dancers and music through the lens of the Gallaudet Dance Company, where every member is either deaf or hard of hearing.

Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice

I wanted to create something, in partnership with the Gallaudet dance company, that addresses deaf people as complex and complete people with real lives and aspirations. While simultaneously creating something interesting and engaging for community members who may have never had the opportunity to meet a deaf person. My intended outcomes are to have people walk away having learned more about deaf culture, deaf community, and social stigmas still in place today.

Because I grew up bilingual in American Sign Language and English I was able to explain my project to the dancers in the company. I asked them to contribute anything they wanted the larger public to know about deaf and hard of hearing people. I emphasized how much I wanted their input and involvement, since it has often been a history of storytellers deciding the narrative for this community without one, ever asking them and two, often getting it wrong.

To learn more about Deaf communities:

Documentary – Signing Black in America

To learn more about Deaf history:
https://www.gallaudet.edu/museum/exhibits

Local deaf owned businesses to check out:
Mozzeria – H St. (Washington, D.C.); Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. (Hyattsville MD)

– Sarah Goolishian

Mizu discovers a small bud in the forest, everyday she goes back to water it. Over the years, Mizu and the small tree grow together. One day, the forest is flooded and the tree helps to save her life.

Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice

Enjoy and listen to the earth 😉 – Paulina Muratore

Janwaar celebrates a rambunctious group of kids whose lives are transformed when a skatepark is built in their small village in India, breaking down generations of caste and gender barriers in the process.

Impact // Filmmaker’s Voice

My only hope for audiences watching the film is to feel something positive – to see the smiles on the faces of the kids and feel that infectious happiness themselves. Our world is full of stories and documentaries that leave you feeling hopeless, and I just wanted to tell a story that offered something different, if only for 10 minutes or so. I also hope the people feel enticed to turn their viewing experience into impact for the kids. You can learn about their nonprofit, here: https://rural-changemakers.com – Danny Schmidt

A bored middle-aged woman, desperate for an adrenaline rush, becomes entangled with a crew of dangerous diamond thieves.

A loving portrait of Welsh shepherd Wilf Davies, who has never left his valley, eats the same meal every day, and works his farm alone, where his family of over 100 black-spotted sheep rely on him.