America ReFramed

THE AREA is the odyssey of a South Side Chicago neighborhood, where hundreds of Black American families are being expelled from their homes by a multi-billion-dollar freight company. The documentary film follows homeowner-turned-activist Deborah Payne, who vows to be "the last house standing," as she and her neighbors fight the displacement that looms ahead.

In the rural town of Pahokee, four teenagers experience the joys and heartbreaks of their last year in high school. This tightly knit community in the Florida everglades struggles with financial insecurity and pin their hopes for the future on their graduating seniors.

Through personal stories, BUSY INSIDE delves deeply into Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) - formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. A respected therapist specializing in the condition's treatment, and her patients, confront past trauma and embrace their different personalities.

BRING IT HOME tells the story of five families at a crossroads after the closing of the GM Lordstown auto plant. GM's decision forced thousands to decide between transferring out-of-state or staying put. If they stay, they risk loss of employment and benefits. As families wrestle these tough choices, they are left wondering why a company recording billions in profits is shuttering factories.

A quintessential post-industrial American city is seen through the efforts of a new generation. This film is an inspiring portrait of the people of Youngstown, Ohio who have chosen not to abandon their hometown, but to stay, rebuild and make a life for themselves. THE PLACE THAT MAKES US is a powerful testament of the resilience and dedication it takes to change a community.

Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault than all other American women, and 86% of the offenses are committed by non-Native men. SISTERS RISING follows six women who refuse to let this pattern of violence continue in the shadows. Their stories shine an unflinching light on righting injustice on both an individual and systemic level.

Charles Chiu and his family’s search for their roots takes them on an eye-opening journey through the Mississippi Delta, uncovering otherwise unknown stories and the racially complex history of Chinese immigrants in the segregated South. This Chinese American family’s unforgettable story offers a poignant and important perspective on race relations, immigration and American identity.

In New York City's Chinatown, the theater club of PS 124 is staging an adaptation of the film "Frozen.” As the 5th graders gear up and rehearse for the musical production, nervous excitement and flubbed lines brush up against cultural stereotypes, family expectations, and post-graduation uncertainties. CURTAIN UP! shares a kid’s-eye view of the wonders of discovering art, culture and identity.

Once known as a Polish Catholic town, Hamtramck, MI is now home to America’s first Muslim-majority city. As election season approaches, candidates set out to win hearts, minds and votes in this rapidly changing city. Going behind the scenes of small-town politics, HAMTRAMCK, USA explores the beauty and challenges that come with multiculturalism.

One of only a handful of African American falconers in the country, Rodney Stotts is on a mission to build a bird sanctuary and provide access to nature for his stressed community. This is a story of second chances: for injured birds of prey, for an abandoned plot of land, for a group of teenagers who have dropped out of high school, and for Rodney himself.

In the wake of the 2015 Charleston Massacre, a battle erupts in Orangeburg, South Carolina between the Sons of Confederate Veterans and an ice cream shop owner forced to fly the Confederate flag in his parking lot. MELTDOWN IN DIXIE explores the broader role of Confederate symbolism in 21st century America and the lingering racial oppression which these symbols help maintain.

From a young age, Yaya and Jack saw each other as they truly were, a girl and a boy, even though most of the world didn’t see them that way. As they grew older, they supported each other as they both came out as transgender. JACK & YAYA follows these two friends for a year and explores their unique, thirty-year relationship.

The Currys are raising twelve children, five of whom are adopted from overseas and have special needs. One of those children is Hayden, a young girl from China born with linear nevus sebaceous syndrome. Hayden becomes the thread to this intimate adoption journey as she, her new parents, and her siblings experience the complexities, jealousies and joy of becoming a family.

Father Khader El-Yateem, is campaigning to be New York City's first Arab American councilman. As a Lutheran Pastor and Palestinian American, El-Yateem's bid to make history reveals the aspirations and divisions of his multicultural district. With the support of local organizers and activists, including Aber Kawas and Linda Sarsour, can he bring his community together to win the race?