USA • 44 minutes Directed by Frederick DeShon Murphy
Film director, Sidewalk alum and mental health therapist Frederick DeShon Murphy brings together families of both the enslavers and enslaved connected to the Forks of Cypress plantation in Florence, AL, to share their deeply personal histories and to create an opportunity for community and reconciliation.
USA • 1 hour 31 minutes Directed by Nico Lopez-Alegría and ZZ
For those who couldn’t get enough of the successful Artemis II mission, comes a space documentary unlike any other. Director Nico Lopez-Algeria invites us along on a deeply personal journey and a look behind the curtain of what families of career astronauts experience when their loved ones dedicate their lives to space exploration.
USA • 1 hour 39 minutes Directed by Aaron Schock and Mark Becker
In a David-and-Goliath fight over one of the world's most recognizable toys, the widow of the Sea-Monkeys creator battles for control of her husband's legacy. What starts as a quarrel over quality control uncovers an unexpected history and the troubling affiliations buried beneath the packet of instant pets.
USA • 45 minutes Directed by Brian "B+" Cross and Eric Coleman
As a means to reframe outdated half-truths, this vibrant narrative illustrates a new chapter of Birmingham’s legacy. This story aims to linger beyond our stained reputation by highlighting the people and places that embody the essence of what makes this city “Magic.”
Ariel Gary - Screening Committee USA • 46 minutes Directed by Michele Forman Birmingham's Front Lawn explores the creation of Railroad Park in the heart of Downtown Birmingham. Watch as the park, which has become an integral part of life downtown, transforms from unassuming acreage to a lush urban green space and hear from the park's champions who turned their dream into a reality in order to uplift Birmingham.
USA • 1 hour 40 minutes Directed by Ken William Kwapis
After a father in rural New Hampshire is inspired by his own mother’s prophecy that his three daughters will be world famous rock stars. The problem was that the daughters, Dorothy, Betty, and Helen Wiggin, had no interest in playing music. This did not stop their father who bought them their own recording studio which produced music that was once called the worst band in rock history.
Mike Lobel of Degrassi: The Next Generation fame makes his directorial debut with this true crime tale about his own family. Lobel sets out to uncover the truth about his father that his parents kept hidden for 35 years. During his entire childhood, Lobel’s family had two major rules: Don’t ask what Dad does for a living and never go upstairs when he’s working.
A transgender teen and his family document the two-decade transitioning process with care and honesty. A counterpoint to the hostility often shown towards those in transition, this film shows the family and the thoughtful way they communicate their needs and their love of one another.
You may know Punkie Johnson from several seasons on SNL, but PUNKIE creates a raw, behind the scenes portrait of a stand up comedian and Saturday Night Live star as she deals with life, touring on the road, trying to protect her artistic voice, and true self.
When an Ohio man builds a fake Facebook profile mocking his local police department, the joke lands him in real legal trouble, escalating to the Supreme Court. To his rescue comes The Onion, a group familiar with parody, resulting in a legal brief so ridiculous that it became a legend.
Evacuating the 2025 California wildfires, director Tamra Davis unearthed long-lost tapes from 1995, featuring concert footage and backstage interviews she had shot of the Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Bikini Kill, and many others. This time capsule offers a rare glimpse of bands on the edge of fame.
For centuries, Stan Rennie’s family has worked the same stretch of coastline in northeast England. When a tide of poisoned crabs and lobsters washes up like a biblical plague, all signs point to an industrial development along the River Tees that empties into the once-teeming waters. Stan becomes a reluctant spokesman for his community, with a cool head and a heart of rage.
USA • 1 hour 24 minutes Directed by Noah Dixon and Ori Segev
After being forced to evacuate after a train carrying carcinogenic chemicals derails in the small community of East Palestine, Ohio, community members return to their homes with lingering doubts and questions about what their already struggling community will be like.
KEN • 1 hour 33 minutes Directed by Andrew H. Brown and Bea Wangondu
The central highlands in Kenya is one of the most verdant, fertile agricultural lands in the world. A land rights dispute attracts Kenya-based journalist Bea Wangondu to uncover the depths to which multinational corporations have exploited this veritable “Garden of Eden” and its inhabitants. The secrets she uncovers and the struggles she documents reveal the undying legacy of a wicked past.
USA • 1 hour 30 minutes Directed by Maya Annik Bedward
One of cinema’s greatest subgenres also has one of its most complex histories: the origin of the Zombie. Through the lens of cinema history, this doc chronicles the advent of the horror trope from spiritual Haitian Vodou rituals through the evolution of contemporary Hollywood horror. The film dispels rumors and attaches significance to the entity of the walking dead.
USA • 1 hour 34 minutes Directed by Kenny Dalsheimer and Rafael Samanez
An endearing look at Jazz musician Yusuf Salim through his voice and the artists he inspired over the years. Salim was the core force behind the development of a beautiful music community in Durham North Carolina. A community built on connection and support which shows the power of music.
USA • 1 hour 40 minutes Directed by Sienna McLean-LoGreco
Three Black men retrace the harrowing slave route, walking through sites of historical suffering and resilience. As they confront the lingering brutality of colonialism, they retrieve lost stories and power, transforming generational trauma into pride. Along the way, they connect with communities, honor their ancestors, and forge a vibrant, revitalized sense of connection and identity. Their journey evolves into a powerful act of remembrance, healing, and cultural affirmation.
USA • 1 hour 35 minutes Directed by Jacob Hatley and Tom Vickers
Glimpse into the lives of several regulars of Clovers, a strip-mall casino in Asheboro, North Carolina. The film follows a community grappling with their material conditions and the hope for a better future. With an incredibly honest portrayal of its subjects, the film presents a judgment-free, nuanced exploration of family, community, and the enduring pursuit of an ever-unreachable American Dream.
USA • 1 hour 37 minutes Directed by Kelsey Ianuzzi
When an Alabama court jeopardizes access to IVF and her own embryos, artist Abbey Crain refuses to surrender her creative power. In this triumphant tour de force, Crain and a group of fertility patients reckon with the threats to their family future, unearthing hope from an unsettled legal landscape.
USA • 1 hour 34 minutes Directed by Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel
In 1980, a gambler who'd lost a fortune at a Lake Tahoe casino decided to get revenge, forcing his two sons to help him build a bomb and hold the casino hostage for millions. What they assembled in the family garage became the most diabolical device the FBI had ever seen.
Ric Routledge covered the dog-show world for a living, mailing subscribers a VHS tape from every ring on the circuit, decades before streaming. When he died, his old friend Jesse Carfield inherited the entire archive and assembled the story of Ric's rise and fall, told in Ric's own voice.
AUS and USA • 1 hour 32 minutes Directed by Daniel Jarvis and John Kassab
The film follows Compton’s Clutch Gang mini-bike club after the death of their beloved leader in an illegal street race. Left fractured and grieving, the group’s unlikely hope rests with the club’s homeless black sheep, who must step forward if they are to stay together and compete in the GTS — the biggest mini-bike tournament of the year.
Star Wars fandom meets competitive fencing in this moving documentary. Part underdog sports story, part celebration of fandom, part touching story of friendship through competition. The best time you will have watching nerds whack each other with glowsticks.
Leaving Angola follows Justin Singleton, a man serving life without parole for murder at Louisiana's infamous state penitentiary, and Derek Moss, a young father preparing for early release who he has taken under his wing. When Derek returns home, he must put Justin’s life lessons to the test as both of the men’s lives take unexpected turns. Filmed over seven years with rare access inside America’s largest maximum-security prison, this film is a powerful exploration of family, redemption, and the realities of reentry in America's most incarcerated state.
Jessica Chriesman - Director of Education and Outreach
USA • 1 hour 17 minutes Directed by Rachael J Morrison
Meet the charming Josef Carl Engressia Jr, an early hacker aka a “phone phreak” from the 1960s, who although blind, could whistle with perfect pitch to make long distance phone calls for free. While definitely illegal, it enabled him to chat with and inspire people all over the world. (Audio description and captioning devices available upon request.)
USA • 1 hour 35 minutes Directed by Tommy Nickoloff
As a songwriter who gave us, in his own words, “one continuous thread” throughout his work, Jason Molina (1973-2013) meant so much to so many people. This film gives us the beginning of a haunted legend and quietly leaves us in the middle of his story, one that only his friends and collaborators can help decipher. “Every night pain comes from a different place,” indeed.
A sharp take on AI’s dark side—where eugenics fears and human worth clash in a tech-driven world. It dares us to ask: What happens to people’s value when those who build AI decide who matters? The risks of AI go far beyond what most expect.
