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Film Competition Finalist screenings

Film Competition Finalist screenings

Runtime: 168 mins
October 12 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Eaton Cinema

1201 K. St. NW
Washington, DC 20005

Debuting in 2016, the Student and Emerging Filmmaker Competitions gives filmmakers the opportunity to use cinematic storytelling to answer important themes like “what’s your civil right?” and “speaking truth to power.” The annual short film competition receives over 150 submissions from across the world. An esteemed jury of civil rights, industry leaders, and established filmmakers select the winners, and the shortlisted films are screened during the festival. Now in its eighth year, the competition has continued to attract industry supporters, including a diverse portfolio of funders. Prizes for this competition are funded in part by the generosity of Deborah Zipser and Craig Emanuel. (see film descriptions under Film Competition Finalist Screenings Tab)

Student Narrative Shorts

Mon Afrique

Runtime: 4 mins
Director/Producer: Michael Thomas Solomon
Mon Afrique is an experimental student short, shot on film, that explores the experience of diaspora and longing through the journey of a hand-carved traditional African mask.

The Ally

Runtime: 11 mins
Director/Producer: Jennifer Marie
Jan Snyder is in love with black culture and hip-hop. She works her dream job at a record label as the Director of A&R’s assistant.

Anywhere the Wind Blows

Runtime: 18 mins
Director: Jay Liu; Producers: Dalton Zongshian Lu, Allegro Yang
Alex is an activist who moved from Hong Kong to the US in fear of political persecution. As he is trying to rebuild his life, his ex-boyfriend Brandon unexpectedly visits him, rekindling unresolved desires.

Student Documentary Shorts

For Those That Lived There

Runtime: 6 mins
Director/Producer: Shawn Antoine II
Amidst the gentrified remnants of Chicago's Cabrini Green, For Those That Lived There captures the haunting displacement of Black legacies and the emergence of migrant narratives, offering an evocative exploration of a community in metamorphosis.

Freedom Waders: The Struggle to Integrate Chicago’s Rainbow Beach

Runtime: 15 mins
Director/Producer: Alex S. Hinton
Inspired by sit-in campaigns of the South, Velma Murphy and Norman Hill organized wade-ins at Chicago's Rainbow Beach, braving mob violence.

Half-Brother

Runtime: 27 mins
Director/Producer: William J Jenkins
While documenting the birth of his niece, Director William Jenkins leads a series of intimate conversations with his father and half-brother — both named Ronald — as he confronts the impacts of Ronald’s incarceration on family dynamics.

Emerging Narrative Shorts

Fannie

Runtime: 10 mins
Director/Producer: Christine Swanson
Mississippi civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer gives an impassioned speech at the 1964 Democratic National Convention and a prophetic warning to America.

Lyrical

Runtime: 18 mins
Director: Carter M. Stewart; Producers: Tristan Daley, Carter M. Stewart
A privileged, Black law student, trying to escape pressure from his dad, finds himself in a potential police violence situation.

A Lien

Runtime: 15 mins
Director: Sam Cutler-Kreutz, David Cutler-Kreutz; Producer: Tara Sheffer
On the day of their green card interview, a young couple confronts a dangerous immigration process

Emerging Documentary Shorts

“I Identify as Me”

Runtime: 10 mins
Director/Producer: Tina Colleen, Monick Monell
Through the intimate lens of eight Black & Brown Trans, gender-diverse people, and masculine-presenting women, the social concept of gender is challenged.

The Purpose

Runtime: 10 mins
Director/Producer: Dan Abrusci
Born with a disability, a young music enthusiast is lured into a life of crime and spends a decade in jail after hanging with the wrong people. He discovers his purpose in jail: to help at-risk youth and prevent them from making the same mistakes he did

1001cuts

Runtime: 24 mins
Director/Producer: Sarah M Temkin
Explore the careers of the daughters of Title IX through the experiences of surgeons facing pervasive stereotypes and gender-based discrimination.

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