The School of Visual Arts’ MFA Social Documentary Film program teaches the artistic skills and techniques needed to tell compelling true stories that stimulate meaningful dialogue. SocDoc not only teaches the fundamentals of great storytelling, but guides students toward a career in the thriving documentary industry. The award winning-faculty is helmed by producer Maro Chermayeff […]
On the limits and potential of the human body. A cancer survivor and dancer turns her suffering and fears into a creative fight against the illness in Iridescence (Luxembourg, 6 min., Eileen Byrne). A Filipino filmmaker explores identity and indigenous tattoo art in Blood and Ink (UK, 15 min., Jill Damatac Futter). An independent pro […]
The ups and downs of city living. Dig It If You Can (USA, 18 min., Kyle Bell) creates a dialogue around Native American visibility, while Jordan Castell Paints Her Community (USA, 10 min., Orian Barki), showing an underrepresented side of black men. An after school improv class gives two teens Extra Credit (USA, 17 min., […]
On fulfilling dreams and reimagining the world. In a Cuban cigar factories, La Lectora (Bulgaria, 10 min., Yulia Piskuliyska) entertains workers by reading to them. Argentine Raul (USA, 17 min., Kristin Sztyk) achieves, and then loses, his American dream. South Asian men are Searching for Wives (Singapore, 12 min., Zuki Juno Tobgye), but can only […]
Inspirational everyday women and girls who inspire. Aura is an immigrant, housekeeper, domestic violence survivor and real estate entrepreneur in De Colores (USA, 17 min., Luz Marina Zamora), while Ana is Surviving New York (USA, 20 min., Megan Miller), fighting for children?s rights. Quadruple amputee Beatrice (USA, 9 min., Lorena Alvarado) defies all odds as […]
True crime and the criminal justice Seeking justice in a flawed system. A man on death row survives Seven Dates With Death (USA, 11 min., Mike Holland). A day in the life of four electronic monitoring devices, whose wearers enjoy (Almost) Freedom (USA, 8 min., Puck Lo). 15-year-old Robert (USA, 8 min., Sarah Fleming, and […]
Protecting the planet. Standing Rock (USA, 15 min., Markus Hoeckner) chronicles the resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Person of the Forest (USA, 16 min., Melissa Lesh, Tim Laman) profiles the orangutans native to threatened areas of Borneo. One noble fir, The Tree (USA, 15 min., Keith Wilson), illustrates modern cycles of use and waste. […]
Part of our Bring a Friend special – get 2 tickets for the price of 1! America, before and after 11/8/16. Adversary (USA, 17 min., Scott Cummings) profiles the controversial chair of Trump’s New York campaign. The viewpoints of two voters on opposing sides are interwoven to make Purpleland (USA, 6 min., Carly Lieberman). Two […]
The past looms large in these stories. In Three Red Sweaters (USA, 10 min., Martha Gregory), the filmmaker combs through her grandfather’s 16mm family films, while Nantucket (USA, 8 min., Dylan Filingeri) recalls the director’s estranged father. The singer/songwriter for successful 1970s band Richard Twice (USA, 10 min., Matthew Salton) walks away from it all. […]
Quirky real life stories. A podcast, broadcast from a closet, brings rest to its insomniac listeners in Sleep With Me (USA, 8 min., Summre Garber), while Small Talk (USA, 8 min., Georgia Krause) offers a trippy meditation on where we go when we dream. Peek into the underground market of those who sell and buy […]