Tickets
hosted in partnership with Blackbird
Join us for our fifth annual pitch session where a selection of filmmakers will pitch their short nonfiction projects in front of a panel of judges to receive feedback and have an opportunity to win a grand prize of $75,000 cash. Get a behind the scenes look at what it takes to develop a short documentary film and listen into how leading decision makers evaluate projects.
Learn more about the judges and selection committee here.
Please note that this is a private event made available to invited guests only. See your email invite for the code to RSVP.
PITCH FINALISTS
The School of Hope
Amy Martinez, director
Chelsea Hernandez, producer
With unique access to outspoken teacher-founder Felicia Rangel-Samponaro THE SCHOOL OF HOPE will explore the fragile equilibrium of The Sidewalk School at the Mexico-Texas border which, against seemingly insurmountable odds, continues to strive to support and provide stability and education for vulnerable child asylum seekers in Matamoros.
Searching for Saturn
Drew McCrary, director
Xan McCrary, producer
In a captivating blend of documentary and speculative fiction, Searching for Saturn embarks on a soul-stirring trip through rural Alabama to uncover the enigmatic legacy of jazz icon Sun Ra and the Afrofuturist philosophy to map out a path toward queer liberation in the South.
Halal Bodies
Nausheen Dadabhoy, director
Heba Elorbany, producer
Do Muslim American parents have a sex talk with their kids? And if they don’t, how do young Muslims learn about sex, relationships, intimacy and their own sexual identities?
Exodus
Nimco Sheikhaden, director
Sara Chisiti, director
EXODUS is a humanizing portrait of two women who face unique challenges following decades of incarceration. The film bears witness to their impassioned attempts to rebuild their lives and ultimately restore their humanity.
UNLEASHED! The Legacy of Tongues Untied
Odu Adamu, director
Alexander Langford, Ricky Tucker, producers
Unleashed explores Marlon Riggs' groundbreaking film, Tongues Untied, and its unparalleled impact on Black, gay, queer, and same-gender loving men who create with a sense of community— and urgency.
Highways
Zeshawn Ali, director
Aman Ali, producer
Highways tells the story of a truck stop in the midwest which has become a hub for immigrant cross- country truck drivers. Through an observational lens, this film follows these men as they build lives in this new country and try to find home on the open roads.
