From 1967 to 1973, in the midst of the Cold War, the Bancoult family and nearly 2,000 other Chagossians were taken from their archipelago, in the Indian Ocean, by Great Britain and the United States. The latter set up one of their most important military bases on the main island, Diego Garcia. It is from Diego Garcia that the B52s leave for the Middle East. Uprooted, but not resigned, Rita Bancoult, the matriarch, and her children Olivier, Ivo and Mimose have chosen to fight against this injustice and the drama that is affecting their people. This is their story.

Directed by Douglas Muller & composed by John Wineglass, commissioned by the Monterey Symphony for Concertmaster Christina Mok, the film is dedicated to the many victims of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

A dying man and his nurse have one last conversation. It changes her life forever.

Three grandchildren of Armenian Genocide survivors respond to its haunting legacy and issues of Armenian identity. Guitarist Aram Bajakian, painter Kevork Mourad, and writer Alan Semerdjian present individual compositions in their respective disciplines that come together in this animated short film highlighting the power of artistic collaboration as a meaning-making tool in response to intergenerational trauma and the refusal of a people to be erased from history.

Bird’s Eye View is an art-science exploration of interspecies friendship between young people and birds for a survivable future that is looking up. This film integrates their embodied movement with science, words, puppets, and music from the imaginations of our Boulder City’s youth and is filmed on Boulder’s majestic Open Space Mountain Park trails.

Where did the Chinese sit on the bus during segregation? Director Crystal Kwok complicates the narrative and digs deep into the roots of racism that speak to today's Afro-Asian tensions.

A short animated documentary featuring a Chinese immigrant mother recounting her life growing up during the tumultuous 1950’s communist China to her American son during the COVID-19 pandemic. Faded memories of the Chinese Cultural Revolution are brilliantly rendered using groundbreaking technology, while drawing striking connections to the spate of violence towards the Asian community in America.

A US marine wounded in combat returns from Afghanistan to confront the defense contractor who manufactured the weapon that disfigured him.

Kathy receives a text from her daughter that there is a shooter at her school, then the line goes dark. Kathy will spend the next few hours desperately trying to contact her daughter, or she may never see her again.

A man struggling with addiction and isolation finds hope in a kindred spirit.

The eyes of the world were forced to turn their gaze upon Lebanon, not only because of the Beirut Port explosion that devastated this ancient city on 4th August 2020, but also because, sadly, Lebanon stands as an allegory for kleptocratic regimes that have seen a resurgence across the globe, and their catastrophic impact. Seen through the eyes of Lebanese-Australian journalist and filmmaker, Daizy Gedeon, this film is the wake-up call for all people to stand against oppression and corruption by using their voice and democratic right to VOTE FOR CHANGE! Exclusive and controversial interviews with many of the key political leaders (Prime Minister Saad Hariri, former Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, Dr. Samir Geagea, Hezbollah Minister Mohammad Fneich, Former Justice Minister Salim Jreissati, Governor of the Central Bank, Riad Salame, among others) prior to the explosion feature in the film. These are the very men responsible for much of Lebanon's desecration.

Ghost Dance for America, 1890 is about the birth of America, the violent history of the 1800’s and how it presages today’s political climate in the United States. The Ghost Dance was a religious movement of the Native Americans in response to the U.S. government’s westward expansion and terrorism against them. The Ghost Dance died out in 1890 after the bloody Battle of Wounded Knee.

Kate Gray struggles with a full-time career as a therapist, raising four young children, past personal traumas, and marriage. She spirals down through the “gray area” of addiction and anxiety.

It's an afternoon like any other when a man leaves home for a short jog through his neighborhood. Little does he know that his jog will become a race for his life.

A Trilogy that explores the backgrounds of women who have a meaningful impact on their communities or countries, the film shows perspectives on the work and turning point in their lives to give up everything they had to empower others. We follow the footsteps of women leader on each continent, women with various backgrounds, culture and religions who made a difference in their communities and around the world.

A troupe of 9 dancers and 3 poets tour from Jackson, MS to Chicago, dialoguing with audiences and Civil Rights veterans about the power of telling the truth and love as a way to enlighten and uplift.

We live in a hectic and chaotic world that relentlessly stresses our planet, humans and animals alike. joyful is a unique audio-visual exploration of finding joy in all the turmoil that surrounds us. This short film uses videos, timelapses, hyperlapses, drone shots, slow motion, astrophotography and satellite images from around the world with dramatic sound design and music overlay to depict life as we know it and simple moments of joy and calm that provides us respite in all the chaos…

A groundbreaking documentary containing never-before-seen subversive facts, blowing the lid off secrets behind the big business of LEGALLY killing endangered species for pride, pleasure and profit. It contains attributable contributions from Sir Roger Gale MP (UK), Tippi Hedren (Los Angeles), Priscilla Presley (Los Angeles) Queen Elizabeth II (House of Lords, London) 2019 Albert Schweitzer Award winner John Thompson (Washington DC) , former NCA covert operative Reg Dickason (Brisbane Australia) , John Mitchell-Adams of Destinations Africa (Sydney Australia) Derek Joubert (South Africa) and the unsung hero of the piece who saved thousands of animals on the front lines in Africa, Meryl Harrison (Zimbabwe). The film, narrated by Stargate’s Cliff Simon (who passed in a sudden tragic accident shortly after filming the narration), is dedicated to Cliff’s memory. The musical score has been composed specially by the incredible Mzansi Youth Choir of Soweto, whom Cliff called “The soul of Africa”.

The stories of loss and persistent survival are just under the surface in the community of an all-Armenian apartment complex. When the adults are at work, seven-year old Khatchig’s disastrous attempts to impress his neighborhood crush will have far-reaching repercussions. Featuring Nora Armani SRFF Founding Artistic Director.

The untold story of COVID-19. The city that never sleeps wakes up to a new reality. A visual documentary of Manhattan during the pandemic.

Lee's marriage is failing. She and her husband decide to call it quits, but they're too broke to live separately. Join Lee as she juggles motherhood, civility with her new ex, and the introduction to online dating where the men come to life as though they were having an in person conversation, and see how that works out.

In a world where words cost money, a woman saves up for her first word in the hope of standing up to her abuser.

Vaughn is a street performer. On the way home, he gets stopped and frisked by two undercover police officers, one of whom throws him down the ground. Ray is curios to what know what happened.

An intimate look at the personal journeys of LGBTQ+ hate crime survivors who, by choosing to take their recovery public, inspire the survivor in all of us. The film juxtaposes the inspirational stories of recovery each of the film’s subjects (including transgender activist and Stonewall Riots survivor Victoria Cruz, and Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of India) have experienced with the powerful connections their public actions have produced. Their stories take us to New York City, Denver and India to witness how intersectionality and speaking your truth can build a support community and even spark global change.

Gia and her best friend Lila survived a rough childhood in a neighborhood where every kid has a sad story to tell. Now, as teenagers, Gia struggles to use her gift of writing to reclaim what the world has brutally taken away.

Through their own personal expressions of music and sculpture, two ambassadors bridge the chasm between the generation that endured the nightmare of World War II and today’s bright-eyed, tech-savvy young people who have only a limited grasp of what happened just decades before they were born.

Steve Hilfiker, a heart transplant survivor and single father of four, describes his experience facing death, and how his perspective on life has forever changed following the fateful operation.

This short documentary follows three men of Jamaican descent as they come together to speak about Jamaican & American culture, and finding a way to balance the two in their lives.

While staying overnight, Jane visits a small-town motel’s covert clinic. But when her boyfriend wakes up to find her gone a police officer’s arrival threatens to expose their underground operation.

Heavy Metal music is simply unique in Latin America. Whether inspiring support for rural schools in Guatemala, engaging in environmental activism in Ecuador, or working for peace in Colombia, heavy metal music has become a form of decolonization activism in Latin America; a force to be reckoned with beyond the stage, taking to the streets and tackling the problems of post-colonialism (poverty, dictatorships, neoliberalism) like no other musical genre. Spanish with English subtitles.

Native American teen activist Daunnette Moniz-Reyome (age 17) shares her family’s journey to retain the sacred rituals and values of their culture in the wake of centuries of loss from disease, war and government policies.

After Angie escapes the horrifying world of sex trafficking, she struggles to heal from the atrocities she’s endured as she mourns her stolen innocence. Eventually, she must confront her shame and fear to save the girls she left behind.

Gamal is a new immigrant who washes dishes at a diner in suburban New Jersey. Fritzie is a retired teacher and a recent widow. Both are lonely people experiencing uncharted emotional territory. Despite differences in age, race, religion and class, Gamal and Frieda forge an unlikely relationship that explores our universal need for connection and laughter. English and Arabic with English subtitles.

Two adults who grew up in the slums of Delhi strive to give new wings to the kids bounded by the shackles of poverty, drugs, and society. Hindi with English subtitles.

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Judith Ehrlich tells the story of a mass movement of war resisters who choose conscience over killing. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. visits Joan Baez in Santa Rita Prison and links the racial justice and peace movements in an impassioned speech. The film chronicles a youth-led movement of draft resisters who ended the draft and helped end the brutal war

Three migrants leave home in their teens to embark on a years-long journey to Spain. Crossing the Sahara Desert by foot, spending months to years living in the forests of Morocco, and finally making the dangerous crossing to the Spanish mainland, these three distinct immigration stories have one thing in common: their incredible optimism in the face of inconceivable adversity.

After years of accepting the status quo Jane Dunlap reaches her tipping point. Set in 1971 Northern California, "Corked" is inspired by the true story of her struggle to break into the male dominated wine industry.

On the US/Mexico border, an undocumented mother’s quest to save her son relies on a troubled American Vet, building a wall out of junk, whose duty is to keep her out.

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the world, we set out to create a film in partnership with 20 producers from around the world. We gathered over 50 incredible positive stories. As they began unforlding, we quickly realized that this film was not just about positivity, but about the humanity in people; the everyday heroes amongst us. Chinese, English, French, Italian, Persian, and Spanish with English subtitles.

When will the "last" time be the last time? Four months after its Juneteenth 2020 release, Chris Oledude's single George Floyd has now been re-presented in the video entitled George Floyd: Say Their Names.

In near-term future America, the word “citizen” has come to define a narrower portion of the population, and elite corruption goes unchecked. A luxury condo in Brooklyn begins the day staged for an open house to lure wealthy buyers, but by night becomes a brief refuge for a family targeted by immigration enforcement.

This 15-minute documentary spotlights the efforts of urban farmers Arthur and Nancy Culbert whose mission is to eliminate hunger within their own community by growing organic produce. They partner with a neighborhood school giving students the opportunity to plant and harvest vegetables and fruit for those in need.

Two young women in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, struggle to fulfill their dreams of obtaining an education while also serving a vital role in earning a living for their families. The survival of children in indigenous Chiapian Mexico is both fragile and resonant with community. English and Spanish with English subtitles.

Monologues of immigrant women tell the various immigrant experiences of women who find themsleves in a foreign country away from their loved ones. This was a play presented on Zoom with actors from 5 cities and three contients, possible only because it was presented on Zoom due to the pandemic.

Actor Nick Pain is booked on a film and when he shows up for work, he is the only one on set. Hell, he is the only one at the studio. The crew is working from home.

Jay, an editor at an astronomy magazine, is filming the rare celestial event, the Venus Transit. As the event is about to take place, Jay receives a call from his estranged father, Madhu, telling him that his grandmother is on her deathbed in India. This leads to a meaningful encounter between father and son at an airport restaurant.

An endearing short by 16 year old newcomer Julia Ward. As big sister to Spencer, a tween with special needs, she asks Hollywood's elite how to include more characters like her brother in film and why it is important.

A homeless young man struggles to find his place in the world while trying to make sense of a traumatic childhood.

A touching and hopeful film about a medevac helicopter pilot who found peace within himself and with his mortal enemies when he tries to build a peace garden at the Khe Sanh Combat Base where he was stationed during the Viet Nam war.

New York City is the largest and most ethnically diverse metropolis in the United States yet its public schools remain among the nation’s most racially segregated. Fed up with the status quo, teenage activists and best friends Alex and Marcus lead a movement to integrate the city's high schools demanding social change while interrogating the society that puts them in the position of having to do so.

An open and honest discussion about race in America through personal stories and experiences of discrimination.

The fate of our species is highly dependent on what we do to the earth which feeds us. Our soil is being rapidly depleted by conventional farming practices, which in addition to being harmful to the soil are poisoning us with the chemicals that are used as fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.

Led by Lindsey Deaton, co-founder and first Artistic Director of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, choristers, many of whom have no musical training, come together to hone their craft and find their voices. Some have the added challenge of coping with changes in their vocal range brought about by hormones they take for the transition. The stakes are high as they prepare for their concert debut.

Produced during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic in NYC, "Quaranteens" follows the experiences of a group of highschoolers as they navigate familial relationships, frontline work, racism, healthcare and economic injustice.

Through emotional interviews and visual storytelling, the film offers a look at an often misinterpreted topic. Kristy Childs is a former sex worker and works alongside Lucy, a survivor. Tatyana is a former victim of sex trafficking and helps survivors. Alice and Imogen are both active sex workers, Alice being the highest-paid prostitute in the United States.

Shaw, the oldest black university in the South, rises from the Civil War, segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement to confront the future of education and social justice in America.

This film serves as a collective grief ritual. A journey of reckonings and resilience. Experience a celebration of the power of the human heart amid the aftermath of atrocities in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Both survivors and perpetrators, collectively and individually, source forgiveness and peace from within.

Vimal Kumar is the son of a sweeper, or “untouchable” in India’s cruel caste system. This film profiles his efforts to provide different options and more hope for other children of sweepers through education. We follow him around India as he manages his “Movement for Scavenger Community” and observe his challenges... and his success. English and Hindi with English subtitles.

K. Gene Simmonds, a high school music teacher, started the Southern California Youth Chorale in 1965, at the height of the hippie zeitgeist not only to bring Americana music to other countries but, also, to expose his students to other cultures and languages. The Southern California Youth Chorale traveled to 27 different countries on four continents over a twelve-year period enriching lives, building lifetime friendships and memories.

Three decades after the world's most infamous nuclear disaster, illegal hiking adventurers aka "stalkers", extreme sports afficionados, artists and tour companies have begun to explore anew the mysterious, ghostly, post-apocalyptic landscape. They are the underground culture of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

The stress of war is so severe and prolonged, it can become toxic. Scientists and humanitarians work to provide hope in what can seem like a pretty hopeless world. Syrian families raise their children in the face of unimaginable violence and oppression, their past defined by terror, their future driven by hope. Neurological and behavioral teams from Harvard, Yale and Hashemite University; young researchers and humanitarian volunteers put science to work for the oppressed and vulnerable.

Just about everything we own is delivered by trucks. Truck drivers, once known as the mavericks of the open road, are facing changing working conditions, new privacy regulations, and new forms of monitoring, with the rise of artificial intelligence and the speed of the Amazon economy. The less visible artificial intelligence is built into the cabs of the 1.8 million long haul truck drivers in the US, a clear example of human-machine coalescence.

Ava has to overcome her prejudice with the help of Tarec, a homeless man who is parked in front of her house.

One the nation’s most critical health laws, the Clean Air Act, with current day stories of environmental injustice and community action, weaves historical milestones. Nearly half of all Americans still live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, particularly those in poorer communities. Asthma is the number one health issue for children in the U.S today.

The story of one woman’s personal discovery, empowerment, and triumph in a quest to overcome one of the biggest obstacles of her life. Metra Lundy simulates a walk to freedom by re-tracing the steps of the great American heroine, Harriet Tubman and discovers who she really is.

A short documentary that exemplifies how America ignores its dying suburbs. These beloved hometowns are the canaries in the coal mine when measuring the true economic and racial health of communities, and of America.

Metal music in Latin America is simply unique. It has tackled head-on the ongoing aftermath of coloniality (poverty, dictatorships, neoliberalism) like very few other musical genres. Inspiring support for rural schools in Guatemala, engagement in environmental activism in Ecuador, and work for memory and peace in Colombia, metal music has become a form of decolonial activism in Latin America.

Black is Black is a short film sparking a much-needed conversation about colorism, a large issue within the black community, as well as many other communities. Colorism is the prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.

Filmmaker Ching Juhl documented thousands of people joining protest and march in New York City, on June 2, 2020. Meeting at Foley Square, near the city hall, people marched through lower Manhattan, Chinatown and rallied at One Police Plaza , NYC police headquarter. "I Can't Breathe!" they shouted.

Marcus a recently released Ex con has difficulties integrating back into his ever-changing community. He quickly becomes enticed to return to his old life but meets an older woman who welcomes him to work in a garden where he finds redemption and peace.

The video, filmed in the heart of Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant community, highlights the perspective of women -- victims, witnesses, survivors, and those left behind to address the consequences of police brutality. It represents the action agenda that will be pursued by everyone is seeking real changes by law enforcement in this nation.

Monologues of migrant women are juxtaposed to tell the various immigrant experiences of women who find themselves in a foreign country away from their loved ones and as the sole means of providing for them. Presented on Zoom in July 2020 with actors and a creative team from seven cities and three continents, made possible only because it was presented on zoom during the pandemic lockdown.

In 2010, heavily armed officers of the University of Florida police responded to a 911 call from a neighbor who heard screams, broke into the campus apartment of Ghanaian graduate student, Kofi Adu-Brempong and shot the disabled student in the face. This was part of an ongoing pattern of police brutality against Blacks and a stark reminder of increasing militarized campuses.

Photographer Mark C. explores his process while reflecting on his viral photo of the Black Lives Matter protest in front of the Trump Tower.

Rejoice Resist is a film that celebrates and shows Black Joy and Black pleasure as the ultimate form of resistance. It highlights the importance of allowing yourself to feel joy especially in the face of adversity.

The story of renowned Brooklyn visual artist and activist Sophia Dawson. An intimate and powerful portrait of a brilliant young woman determined to use her creative gifts to enlighten and empower her community.

Ava, a young business woman, has to overcome her prejudice with the help of Tarec, a black homeless man who camps outside her house. This is a film about two very different humans, from very different backgrounds, that come together and experience a change of heart. A powerful message about equality, justice, humanity and a very special friendship that comes out of it.