Azúcar is the story of a mother and son searching for a better life. They have traveled more than 1500 miles from Honduras to the US border and tonight they will attempt to cross the Rio Grande. However, nothing goes as planned.

Anniversary is a short film about a young couple whose way of loving is deeply affected by the circumstances caused by the sudden border closure between their respective countries.

Nura and her family have been relocated multiple times since fleeing Syria. They are now welcomed by a social worker to their newly assigned shelter - an isolated cabin hidden amidst the Austrian alps. When Ali, the father, heads out to run errands in the village, Nura has to face the consequences of her resistance to accept her new reality.

After Fred is the story of a miraculous escape and how it’s never too late to change. Charlotta’s violent marriage was brought to an abrupt end after 40 years when a shop assistant witnessed her being attacked and called it out. Two years on she is free and, aged 82, is blossoming as a warrior advocate, supporting women decades younger than her to face the court system after making their own escapes from domestic violence.

Documentary (short) Film addressing the diet industry’s contribution to the obesity epidemic, body image and Americans generational, disordered relationship with food and the TMC solution.

Sugar Coated is a collaborative youth-produced social justice documentary film created by high school students across New York City participating in EVC’s flagship program. Eating disorders are a mental health issue and have the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric diagnosis, outranked only by opioid disorders. Why hasn’t this been said publicly? How does mental health correlate with eating disorders? How can you cope with mental health issues during a pandemic? How has living through the pandemic increased mental health and eating disorders? 97 percent of individuals hospitalized for an eating disorder were also diagnosed with a mood disorder. Many people in New York City are not concerned about living a healthier lifestyle. In this documentary, we will present how mental health correlates with eating disorders.

The story first introduces mental health issues by showing its history. Then, we show how it evolved over the pandemic. The segments included are different perspectives from a healthcare professional and a mental health advocate, interviews from individuals with personal experiences with eating disorders and mental health diagnoses. We also feature anonymous stories and how social media has an effect on teen mental health. Within our film we profile our classmate, Dulce as she talks about her struggle with an eating disorder. We also created an anonymous survey so everyone can share their story as this topic is not often wanted to be disclosed. One of our interviewees is therapist Laura Van Wyk who also had a personal experience battling her own mental health issues. We present statistics on mental health for our audience to see how important this topic is.

When watching this documentary people will get a deeper understanding about how mental health correlates with eating disorders. People will know that they’re not alone and mental health should be normalized. Our hope is that this documentary helps others seek help for their mental health disorders. Eating disorders are a real life issue, and people can use this documentary as an example to find support. While this documentary is generally for everybody, it is mostly for teenagers who feel like they’ve been ignored, parents whose children have been struggling with eating disorders , and people who haven’t been through mental health issues to understand others who have. People are going to be interested in seeing this documentary because it includes personal stories and is created by students.

Log Line: Through a series of interviews with the homeless and their advocates, a filmmaker strives to raise awareness about critical issues involving the unhoused, their need of shopping carts, and the injustice surrounding their criminalization.

Short Synopsis: Shopping Cart People presents an unflinching exploration of people living in today’s world as homeless and those advocating for them. Stories are told, lives are shared, as a filmmaker delves into a community’s efforts to help those without a voice and protect their belongings. You’ll see interviews with community members and activists as they grapple with this controversial issue.

When life is dark and you feel like you are losing your loving spirit, where do you go? Where do we go when everything hurts? Faced with expensive, debilitating surgery, director Robin Burke sought out aquatherapy in Louisville, Kentucky. Affirming and quiet, sorrowful and joyous, ripples and pools shares intimate portraits and perspectives, dissolving grief, while holding you like your grandmother.

A small team filmed this buoyant documentary in just seven days, oftentimes completely submerged in the 92 degree saltwater. The film effortlessly guides us through the pool, into the shared experiences of pain from which you can’t look away, woven with immersive perspectives of kicking feet, cannonballs, and slow, supported movements.

Giggles and squeals echo as babies and toddlers learn to swim with their caregivers in the shallow end. The patient and firm voice of swim teacher, BJ, is intersected by an exuberant group of elders, who have become dear friends. They move gracefully alongside each other as we listen to them talk about how they’ve healed physically, how their bodies are changing because of the water, and how happy they are to have found hope and renewed health.

Fighting back tears, Abby’s dad Jeff speaks about his daughter’s autism diagnosis, his transformational journey of loving her, and their shared tender moments of play in the pool. Immersive underwater photography captures an elderly man exercising with barbells. We track a young girl walking with assistance and join Darryl, who is blind. Physical therapist, Mickey, is explaining her movements as she guides Darryl through therapeutic exercises to help him heal from a car accident. They both agree his walking has gotten much better.

ripples and pools features an original music score by four-time grammy winner Eugene Friesen and performances from Carly Johnson, Elizabeth Cotten, and Elizabeth Rogers. Integrated with environmental sounds and water recordings, the music encourages us to breathe, grieve, and bear witness. ripples and pools embraces the hopeful and refreshed possibilities for healing ourselves, each other, and the world we occupy.

2022, U.S., DCP, 32 minutes. Recommended for all ages.