The filmmakers’ will attend the screenings. Q&As moderated by Michael Fisher.
Click on the title links for dates and times.
Burned: Are Trees the Next Coal?
Directed by Alan Dater & Lisa Merton
Burned tells the little-known story of the accelerating destruction of our forests for fuel, and probes the policy loopholes, huge subsidies, and blatant green-washing of the burgeoning biomass power industry. A dedicated group of forest activists, ecologists, carbon scientists, and concerned citizens are fighting to establish the enormous value of our forests, protect their communities, debunk this false solution to climate change, and alter energy policy both in the US and abroad. It’s not too late.
The Crest
Directed by Mark Covino
Two cousins who live on opposite coasts in the U.S.–both surfers and both unaware of the other’s existence–discover they are descendants of An Ri, the last King of the Blasket Islands. A collection of rocky islands off the western-most point of Ireland, the Blaskets, surrounded by treacherous ocean, are home to a community of people whose culture was until recently untouched by outside influence. Exploring themes of family, emigration, and the value of tradition and culture, the film follows the cousins as they meet for the first time in Ireland on a quest to explore their shared heritage, to learn what has been passed down to them from those who came before, and to surf the waters of their ancestors.
It’s Criminal
Directed by Signe Taylor
It’s Criminal is a potent critique of the economic and social inequities that divide the United States. Shot in an intimate verite style, the film explores the life-changing experiences of incarcerated women and Dartmouth College students working together to write and perform an original play about the lives of the imprisoned women. It delves into privilege, poverty and injustice and asks viewers to think about who is in prison and why. While exploring disparities, the movie also shares poignant, personal stories about how empathy is a powerful force that can help bridge the divide.
Hidden Blueprints: The Story of Mikey
Directed by Jeremy Lee MacKenzie
A fighting praying mantis named Mikey, a prison uprising, hidden drawings, and classical mythology retold—all are elements in this story about the transformative power of art. Blending elements of documentary and narrative, this film is a memoir, a fable, and a unique commentary on incarceration and freedom.
Kairos Dirt and the Errant Vacuum
Directed by Madsen Minax
Kairos Dirt & the Errant Vacuum follows a middle school lunch lady and her multiple lovers, her religious co-worker, a gender-queer student, and a phone sex operator/psychic medium. Through collective dreams, a trans-worldly ghost invades the characters’ sleep to reveal an alternate realm of wanton, subconscious desire. Amid the post-industrial decay of the American South, television monitors, radio frequencies, orifices and dreams all become portals to access this mysterious carnal dimension.
Looking Back at Me
Directed by Alex Escaja
Sade Bolger is an 18-year-old musician from Vermont who has recently come out as non-binary. Looking Back at Me highlights Sade in relation to their passion for music, their unapologetic authenticity, and their life in Vermont. As part of a genuine effort to influence the future, both online and in person, Sade represents and gives voice to the trans and non-binary people in the world who constantly combat stigma and erasure. Sade’s story embodies the intersectionalitiy between identities, passions, and the places we call home.
Waking the Sleeping Giant: the Making of a Political Revolution
Directed by Jon Erickson & Jacob Smith
Waking the Sleeping Giant tells the story of building a 21st century progressive movement in the United States by focusing on five remarkable individuals who wrestle with issues of persistent racial injustice, growing economic inequality, and the corrupting influence of money in politics. From the presidential campaign trail with Senator Bernie Sanders to a local political race in the failing economy of rural West Virginia, from a mass sit-in on the U.S. Capitol steps to racially charged police commission hearings in Los Angeles, this first feature film about the 2016 election addresses with the state of American politics, Donald Trump’s dramatic electoral victory, and the challenges ahead for those hoping to build a re-energized progressive movement.