Once Upon A River
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Director: Haroula Rose
Country: United States
Runtime: 1:32
Based on the best-selling novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell, Once Upon A River is the story of Native American teenager Margo Crane in 1970s rural Michigan. After enduring a series of traumas and tragedies, Margo (newcomer Kenadi DelaCerna) sets out on an odyssey on the Stark River in search of her estranged mother. On the water, Margo encounters friends, foes, wonders, and dangers; navigating life on her own, she comes to understand her potential, all while healing the wounds of her past.
Doc Shorts – USA Only
The Dreamer
Director: Manjula Varghese
Country: USA
Runtime: 5 minutes
Gabriel Mata came to the US as a child with his Mother. He shares with us his story of learning that he was undocumented and the fears that surrounded his status in this country. As a dancer, his art reflects on his status as an undocumented American and a DACA recipient.
Be My Voice
Director: Manjula Varghese
Country: USA
Runtime: 12 minutes
Despite a dire diagnosis of bulbar-onset ALS, Bernie Dalton finds a way to fulfill a lifelong dream of making an album.
Sadika’s Garden
Director: Chad Galloway & Julia Iriarte
Country: Canada
Runtime: 29 minutes
A refugee family must overcome a series of impossible obstacles to start their new life in North America.
Jared Dawson is The Church of Lavonia Elberton
Director: Adam Forrester
Country: USA
Runtime: 14 minutes
In this portrait film, we meet Jared Dawson, an Atlanta-based drag queen and spiritual leader. The film centers around Jared’s drag queen persona, Lavonia Elberton, and Lavonia’s crucifixion performance for Atlanta’s Curious Queer Encounters. Jared discusses how his family’s conservative values forced him out of his own childhood home, and how he now navigates a new sense of belonging and family within the LGBTQ community of Atlanta.
Our Bodies Our Doctors
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Director: Jan Haaken
Country: USA
Runtime: 1:17:30
Nearly 1 in 4 American women have an abortion during their lifetime, yet the doctors who perform this commonplace procedure are rarely talked about or seen. Our Bodies Our Doctors follows these quiet heroes behind the scenes and into the procedure room, showing their strength and compassion for women. It’s a journey into their world, why they do this work, and how they resist the threats, violence and intensified political efforts to criminalize abortion.
Stories in Rhyme
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Director: Lynn Rabren
Country: USA
Runtime: 1:24
Compiled from over thirty years’ worth of rare, never-before-seen footage, Stories in Rhyme is a journey through music history. Since 1984, the Gulf of Mexico’s famous Flora-Bama Lounge has played host to a gathering of songwriters from all over the world. From the country legends of old to the latest crop of budding troubadours, these are the voices behind the songs. This documentary isn’t just an ode to these characters, but to the timeless, unifying power of music itself.
CLOSING FESTIVAL FILM: Freeland
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Director: Kate McLean and Mario Furloni
Country: United States
Runtime: 1hr 18min
Forced to go legal, an outlaw pot farmer fights to preserve her way of life.
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