The Accused: Damned or Devoted?1 ·

By Gorilla Web

By Gorilla Web

SYNOPSIS In Pakistan, the blasphemy law prescribes a compulsory death sentence for disrespecting The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and life imprisonment for desecrating the Holy Quran. The Accused: Damned or Devoted? follows the stories and fate of four people accused of blasphemy. The most famous of them is Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who claims she Read More...

Advocate2

By Matt Heywood

SYNOPSIS Since the early 1970s, attorney Lea Tsemel has made a career out of defending Palestinians in Israeli courts: feminists and fundamentalists, non-violent demonstrators and armed militants. As far as most Israelis are concerned, she defends the indefensible. As far as Palestinians are concerned, she’s more than an attorney, she’s an advocate. Advocate follows Tsemel’s Read More...

The Art of Dissent3

By Matt Heywood

SYNOPSIS The Art of Dissent celebrates the power of artistic engagement and inspired resistance in Czechoslovakia before and after the 1968 Soviet-led invasion. The documentary’s main protagonists – playwright Václav Havel, banned singer Marta Kubišová, and the underground rock group the Plastic People of the Universe – became the most recognizable dissidents during the 1970-80s. Read More...

August4

By Matt Heywood

SYNOPSIS Cuba, summer of 1994. In the midst of “período especial”, one of the greatest economic crises in the country’s history, thousands of Cuban rafters try to reach the United States illegally, never sure if they’ll make it out alive. With holidays starting, Carlos plunges into a carefree August, wandering around with his friends and Read More...

Birth Wars5

By Matt Heywood

SYNOPSIS Told through deeply personal stories in the trenches of the healthcare sector, “Birth Wars” chronicles a power struggle between doctors and midwives in Mexico about whose vision of childbirth should prevail. The film follows midwives and doctors in Guerrero and Chiapas, two of Mexico’s most marginalized and violent states, as they fight against huge Read More...

Colewell6

By Matt Heywood

SYNOPSIS For thirty-five years, Nora Pancowski, played by Karen Allen, has been the postmaster of Colewell, Pennsylvania. When the USPS decides to close her office, she must choose whether to relocate for a new position or face retirement in Colewell. ONLINE AVAILABILITY Dates: Thursday, August 27 – Thursday, September 3 Time: All hours Access to Read More...

Desert One7

By Matt Heywood

SYNOPSIS In April 1980, the U.S. government launched Operation Eagle Claw, their response to the hostage crisis that was happening in Iran at that time. Helmed by then-President Jimmy Carter, the Delta Force tried unsuccessfully to rescue the 52 hostages that were detained in the U.S. Embassy and Foreign Ministry buildings in Tehran. This film Read More...

Down a Dark Stairwell8

By Matt Heywood

SYNOPSIS When a Chinese-American police officer kills an unarmed black man in a darkened stairwell of a New York City housing project, it sets off a firestorm of emotion and fractured calls for justice. When he becomes the first NYPD officer to be convicted in a decade, the meaning of justice itself becomes complicated, pitting Read More...

The Fight9

By Matt Heywood

SYNOPSIS An inside look at the legal battles that lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union are waging during the Trump administration. When a mother is separated from her child, a soldier is threatened with the loss of his career, a young woman’s right to choose is imperiled at the pleasure of a government official, Read More...

Finding Yingying10

By Matt Heywood

WINNER: Best Documentary Feature SYNOPSIS Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old Chinese student, comes to the U.S. to study. In her detailed and beautiful diaries, the aspiring young scientist and teacher is full of optimism, hoping to also be married and a mother someday. Within weeks of her arrival, Yingying disappears from the campus. Through exclusive access Read More...