Welcome to Reel Sisters of the Diaspora

Section A
2023-10-21 13:00 - 14:49 (America/Halifax) | City Tech Theater, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
Sin Raices
Director/Writer: Gabriella Athena Moses
Producers: Lissette Feliciano, Charlie Schmidlin, Annalie Gernert, Shruti Rya Ganguly, Polina Buchak
Narrative, 15 min.
ALMA, a recently adopted 8-year-old refugee from El Salvador, spends a day preparing for her first red carpet appearance at an awards show with her new pop star mother, YAHAIRA. She learns from example and mirrors a series of routines as she absorbs that perhaps to cement her place in this new like she must be “liked” in more ways than one. As she takes in her new environment, she finds herself haunted by whispers of the life she left behind and awakened to the fragility of her new one after an innocent series of actions and encounters with her newfound fans on social media doesn’t go as planned.

A Homecoming I’ll Remember
Director: Jasmine Rene’ McCaskill
Producesr: Jasmine Rene’ McCaskill, Ciara Franklin
Documentary, 17 min.
There’s no telling what can happen when you meet with your memory. In this experimental documentary, Zoe Hinds and Pamela McKelvy remember their groundbreaking crownings that span nearly 30 years apart and tell of their journeys through the institutions at which they paved the way.

Sundown Road
Director/Writer: M. Asli Dukan
Producers: M. Asli Dukan, Nikki Harmon, Trevite Willis
Narrative, 20 min.
Three students get stuck on an isolated road after their car breaks down while driving back to college. With no phone reception, they argue with each other over what to do before separating to find help. In an unfamiliar area, they each experience a terrifying discovery that makes them feel like their lives may be in danger. Forced to take refuge in the car, the students resolve their personal conflicts just in time to face a new frightening reality when help finally reaches them.

Proximity Study (Sight Lines)
Director: Elizabeth M. Webb
Experimental, 5:40 min.
Proximity Study (Sight Lines) is an attempt to measure closeness despite temporal distance. My grandfather (whom I never met) worked as a longshoreman on the Brooklyn waterfront for 37 years. From Governors Island, I am able to look directly at his place of work; many years ago, he would have returned my gaze from the other side. I filmed the Red Hook docks on 16mm film from my perspective on Governors Island, and rowed in the Buttermilk Channel between these two locations. The physical film print trailed behind the boat, tracing our route, recording our sight lines, and reaching to bridge the distance across the channel. Yet, the longer we rowed, the more the water erased the image.

Reality Is Not Good Enough
Director/Writer: Rashayla Marie Brown
Producer: Jennifer Reeder
Experimental, 21 min.
Reality Is Not Good Enough is a moving tribute to Black women who dream of being reality TV stars, no matter how exploited they might become. This comedy-drama experimental short remixes never-before-seen documentary footage of a failed WeTV pilot featuring the director’s mother, a biracial adoptee from a Trumpmaniac family. The director’s sisters and nieces humorously flip stereotypes and tragic devices of unscripted TV with surprising dexterity, citing Josephine Baker to Oprah Winfrey. Set to a masterful jazz score by MacArthur Genius musician Tomeka Reid, RINGE shows Black women with power behind the camera as much as they are in front of it.

How Hair You
Producer/Director/Writer: Kennedy Marie Dunning
Documentary, 8 min.
Budding feminist comically criticizes the shame of body hair through an educational expedition of razor advertisements and femininity.

Section B
2023-10-21 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Halifax) | City Tech Theater, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
Hard
Writer: Eboni Price
Directed by: Eboni Price
Producer: Lauren E. Banks, Kristofer Cross, Dot McDonald, Musau Onwubiko
Narrative, 28 min.
12-year-old Javonte is currently struggling with the woes of puberty. She’s being bullied, she doesn’t think she fits in, her home life’s a mess and on top of that, she’s still grappling with the loss of her brother. We open on her fighting her bully, Imani and losing in front of her entire neighborhood. Her sister Renesha watches and takes Javonte home. Javonte’s mother sees her bruises and punishes her for losing and being “weak”. Meanwhile, we see Renesha is currently working to break the family cycle and get her GED. However, she can’t help but notice Javonte struggling and decides to toughen Javonte up, teaching her how to be hard in order to survive. In this process, Javonte and Renesha develop a close bond, providing Javonte with a sense of security she’s been missing since her brother’s death. In the midst of this, Renesha secures a job contingent on her GED, affording her the opportunity to move her and her kids out of the neighborhood and start a better life. This new life is threatened, however, when Renesha’s boyfriend, Jordan asks her to take the fall for a crime as he’s on his 3rd strike, stating it will be Renesha’s first and she’ll get off easy. Choosing for her kids to have their father in their life, Renesha agrees and gets arrested just as Javonte wins a brutal fight against her bully. Javonte is once again left alone, and we see a broken family cycle continue.
Wonders
Director/Writer: Huriyyah Muhammad
Producer: Okema Moore
Narrative, 15 minutes
Hardworking moms, Teeni and Cherice don’t ask for much. Like everyone else, they are on the grind, just trying to make a better life for themselves and their toddler. Struggling financially, things get worse when they come home to find an eviction notice plastered on their door. The solution however surprises even them when their cranky, constipated toddler poops three golden nuggets. While WONDERS is a response to the eviction crisis across the country, at its heart is a celebration of the wisdom of our elders and the magic of our babies.

Section C
2023-10-21 16:10 - 17:30 UTC | City Tech Theater, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
Jelly
Writer: Anndi Jinelle Liggett
Directed by: Anndi Jinelle Liggett
Narrative, 10 min.
Jelly is a magical-realist coming-of-age about Jelly Johnson, a young, Black girl with a peculiar fascination with death. While trying to solve the mysterious case of a missing neighbor, she comes to terms with a more personal disappearance in the process. Narrated by André Holland.

Champion
Writer: Kim J.Y. Han
Directed by: Kim J.Y. Han
Producer: D.J. Jiang and Diana Ward
Narrative, 13:09
It’s 1997, and 9-year-old Jimin just moved to California. Jimin refuses to speak to her father who stayed behind in Korea, but when a major financial crisis devastates their home country, all hopes that he can join them in America dissipates. Now, Jimin must gather the courage to take the next steps alone.

Slick Talk
Writer: Courtney Zhi-Xian Loo
Directed by: Courtney Zhi-Xian Loo and David Karp
Producer: Thrice Cooked Media
Narrative, 9:03 min.
Feeling the pressure of an important meeting with a potential music manager, Kiki struggles with her identity as an outsider in the Chinese-American community, a culture vulture in the hip-hop world, and a potential sellout for mainstream success. Slick Talk follows Kiki through a single day in her life, where we watch her battle an inverse conflict: the thing she tries to hide/avoid is the thing the music industry tries exploit.

Over the Causeway
Writer: Pablo Mejia
Directed by: Pablo Mejia
Producer: Pablo Mejia
Narrative, 15:51 min.
Over the Causeway is the coming-of-age story of Victoria, a twenty-year-old jazz musician born and raised in Galveston TX. As she ties up loose ends around town, she is confronted by doubtful neighbors, childhood friends, and dependant family members who question her decision to leave. Saying goodbye to the island that raised her, Victoria must reckon with complicated feelings about her community, career, and the sacrifices she must make to seek new opportunities over the causeway.

Section D
2023-10-21 17:40 - 18:40 UTC | City Tech Theater, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
Mind Yours
Writer: Rachel Hughes, Tiffaney Robinson
Directed by: Rachel Hughes, Tiffaney Robinson, Brittany Simone Daniels
Producer: Rachel Hughes, Tiffaney Robinson, Brittany Simone Daniels
Narrative, 5:14 min.
A short film initially created for the Collaboration Filmmakers Challenge based on the following quote: “Our lives begin to end the moment we stay silent about the things that matter.”

Funny Face (Invited)
Writer: Jude Hope Harris, Krista Fatka
Directed by: Jude Hope Harris
Producer: Genevieve Jones, Nick Vitale
Narrative, 15 min.
When country singer, Randy travels to take care of his sister Sophie as she recovers from facial feminization surgery, he meets her girlfriend, Morgan, for the first time. The three bond over family history, love, and an extremely chaotic home nurse.

Rumi
Director/Writer: Aisha Amin
Producers: Annie Ning, Meetra Javed, Cameron Morton, Underhill Films
Narrative, 13 min.
When Rumi, a budding actress, is scouted by an agent and invited to an open casting call for models, she comes face to face with a troubling industry.

Fake It Til You Make It
Director/Writer: Kimrie Lewis
Producer: Sonja Perryman
Narrative, 8:46 min.
Based on a true story, Fake It Til You Make It is a comedy that tells the story of a hustler-at-heart finally deciding to play by her own rules. In order to succeed as a black actress in 2005 Hollywood, Kira Lawson has to first take on the role of a white man.

Section E
2023-10-21 18:45 - 20:45 UTC | City Tech Theater, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
To the End
Writer/Producers: Rachel Lears and Robin Blotnick
Director: Rachel Lears
Producer: Sabrina Schmidt Gordon
Documentary, 95 minutes
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv2jtKboDi0&t=5s
Filmed over four years of hope and crisis, To the End captures the emergence of a new generation of leaders and the movement behind the most sweeping climate change legislation in U.S. history. The award-winning team behind Knock Down the House follows four exceptional young women— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, activist Varshini Prakash, climate policy writer Rhiana Gunn-Wright, and political strategist Alexandra Rojas— as they grapple with new challenges of leadership and power and work together to defend their generation’s right to a future.

Section A
2023-10-22 13:30 - 15:00 UTC | City Tech Theater, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
A Loving Tribute to Esther Duran
Friends and family honor the life of award-winning documentary filmmaker Esther Duran, the director of A Chocolate Conquest. The web series took viewers into the world of cocoa farming as seen through the eyes of fifteen rural communities in 30 videos about Cacao in Venezula. A Chocolate Conquest won Reel Sisters 2018 Best Web Series Award.
Reel Sisters will share clips of Esther’s short films and other works as a filmmaker, researcher, curator, activist, philanthropist and champion of artists and filmmakers.

Section B
2023-10-22 15:10 - 16:38 UTC | City Tech Theater, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
Brownsville Bred
Writer: Elaine Del Valle
Directed by: Elaine Del Valle
Producer: Leslie Cohen,Adrienne Lovette,Debbie Esko-Gold,Elaine Del Valle
Narrative, 20:00 min.
Set in 1980’s Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY– At the height of the crack and crime epidemics–A spunky Latina must find her own path as she comes of age to face the grim realities of the deteriorating neighborhood she calls home and the musician father she once idolized.

NEGRITA
Writer: Magdalena Albizu
Directed by: Magdalena Albizu
Producer: Ingrid Matias, Eddie Savoy Bailey
Documentary, 50 min.
NEGRITA is a feature documentary about diverse Afro Latinas who explore and confront culture and racism while defining their own identity in the United States. NEGRITA explores the ideology of Blackness, and how both American and Latino cultures perpetuate the belief that Blackness is to be destroyed. Through personal accounts, family pictures, old videos, and interactions with family and friends, NEGRITA will follow the director’s own struggle with identity.

Section C
2023-10-22 16:45 - 18:00 UTC | City Tech Theater, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
Dancing identities
Writer: Julia Martinez Heimann, Josefina Itoiz
Directed by: Julia Martinez Heimann
Producer: Natalia Laclau, Mariana Miño
Narrative, 13 min.
This short films series reflects on the construction of identity in terms of cultural diversity, and explores different social expressions based on dance and migrant experiences. With each dancer, it is investigated how dance is part of the historical-cultural heritage of people and their affective memory. In the experiences of the interpreters of this short film, these heritages are resignified and mixed, opening up new identity possibilities. Thus, with their words and movements they shape the multicultural identity of society.

Esperanza
Writer: Shruti Parekh
Directed by: Shruti Parekh
Producer: Laura Scarano,Shruti Parekh
Narrative, 18 min.
When an immigrant taxi driver in upstate New York takes an undocumented couple to the Canadian border, they find themselves at odds in the shared pursuit of a better life.

Speak Up Brotha!
Writer: James J. Johnson, Obbie West, Roderick Lawrence
Producers: Salma Qarnain, Roderick Lawrence, Ron Gillyard, Will Campbell, Cameron Carr, Ike Mbanefo, Obbie West, Dario Harris
Narrative, 15 min.
Grad student Ahmad Jones drives for a rideshare company. He receives a request from a mysterious woman — a poet. They connect over music, but she seems to ignore him. When the opportunity arises to see her again, Ahmad must learn how to communicate in ways beyond his understanding to win her heart.

Virtual Program 1 - Chaos & Magic
2023-10-28 - 2023-11-10 | Virtual Program
Daughter of the Sea
Writer: Alexis C Garcia
Directed by: Alexis C Garcia
Producer: Debora Perez
Narrative, 19:03
After the death of her grandfather, a young woman experiences a spiritual awakening when she is called by Yemaya, the orisha Goddess of the Sea.

Supa Hair
Director/Writer: Glenís Hunter
Producer: Ricky Rosario, Sara Seligman
Animation, 14:20 min.
After the death of her mother, Luna and her sister, Carmen move from Dominican Republic to Arizona to live with their estranged grandmother. There, Luna is confronted with bullying and her sister’s cold shoulder. At this point, Luna has neglected her hair as a manifestation of her grief. One night, Luna decides to comb her hair with an old comb she found in the river in the Dominican Republic prior to her exit. Unbeknownst to her, the comb is actually part of her family lineage that activates a magic power that had been lost for decades.

Grandma’s Magic Pills
Director/Writer: Jing-Yu Xiao
Narrative, 14:09 min.
A young girl discovers her grandmother’s mysterious magic pills. A beautiful story on a strong bond between a granddaughter and grandmother who loves dancing.

The Silence of the Seeds (INVITED)
Writer: Miguel Ángel López Hernández
Directed by: Elizabeth Pirela
Producer: Elizabeth Pirela
Documentary, 9:11 min.
The pandemic forces a Wayuu woman to return to her maternal territory in Alta Guajira-Colombia. This exile becomes a journey where she meets her own knowledge, and with her dead and close spirits.

Virtual Program 2 - UK & Beyond
2023-10-28 - 2023-11-10 | Virtual Program
A.V. Van
Writer: Morayo Akandé
Directed by: Morayo Akandé
Producer: Helen Gladders, Moyo Akandé
Narrartive, 12:17 min.
Two film-fanatic sisters try to reconnect with their estranged deceased father by selling his vintage porn collection.

Daddy’s Girl
Writer: Jessica Magaye
Directed by: Jessica Magaye
Producer: Koby Adom, Dola Araoye, Domenique Fragale, Danielle Goff
Narrative, 12:55 min.
After facing eviction, Sade, a young desperate carer enters the Influencer Olympics – a game that allows players around the world a chance at a large cash prize and internet stardom. However, the game soon takes a dark and twisted turn.

Yellow Fever
Writer: Shan Gao
Directed by: Shan Gao
Producer: Shan Gao
Documentary, 18:32 min.
Yellow Fever is an investigative documentary that uses participants’ first-hand tales of emotional abuse and pain in their interactions with racial obsessions to show viewers how the phenomena of Yellow Fever/Asian Fetish occur in contemporary culture. The setting is real life. This is the first investigative documentary that explores the specific forms of sexual and emotional abuse experienced by a large number of young Asian women and is worth the time and funding invested in its production.

Teju’s Tale
Writer: Teniola Zara King
Directed by: Teniola Zara King
Producer: Danielle Goff
Narrative, 14:49 min.
Set in the 1950s, Teju relocates to London from Lagos to study nursing but faces challenges when her colleagues demand to see her tail.

Impurrfection
Writer: Yen-Chiao Huang, Chiang Yao
Directed by: Chiang Yao
Producer: Yiju Chiang
Animation, 13:10 min.
Mr. Cat has aquaphobia, and he was too terrified to swim in the zodiac race to fulfill his dream of becoming the Guardian God of the Year. He has since lived regretfully by the sea, overlooking the race’s destination every day for countless years, until an accident brings him closer and closer to the water…

Virtual Program 3 - Phoenix: David's Dream
2023-10-28 - 2023-11-10 | Virtual Program
Phoenix: David’s Dream
Writer: Vinicius Donola, Roberta Salomone, João Rocha
Directed by: Vinicius Donola, Roberta Salomone, João Rocha
Producer: Roberta Salomone
Documentary, 74 min.
After helping to fight the fire that destroyed the National Museum, in Brazil, a firefighter decides to look for wreckage to transform them into art. The musical instruments are made with the help of artists such as Gilberto Gil, Paulinho da Viola and Hamilton de Holanda.

Virtual Program 4 - Pregnancies & Circumstances
2023-10-28 - 2023-11-10 | Virtual Program
Good Egg – USA (CA)
Writer: Mitra Shahidi
Directed by: Mitra Shahidi
Producer: Samara Al-Jumaily
Narrative, 8:29 min.
When a self-reliant woman is thrust into fertility treatments, she goes to painstaking lengths to become a mother.
Sitting the Month – USA (CA)
Writer: Rebecca Chu
Directed by: Felicity LuHill
Producer: Rebecca Chu, Felicity LuHill
Narrative, 18:20 min.
A new mother struggles with Chinese postpartum traditions. SITTING THE MONTH is a carefully considered story about the emotional and cultural complexities of postpartum motherhood, particularly in the absence of one’s own mother. Through Iris, we pivot between cultural experiences and attitudes; a Western perspective lauds new mothers for “bouncing back” while a Chinese belief system encourages rest and recuperation, and it’s between these two cultural points of view that Iris is torn.

The Best Time
Writer: Shaunic Stanford
Directed by: Shaunic Stanford
Producer: Shaunic Stanford, Edrei Hutson
Narrative, 18:29 min.
Sydney is doing everything she can to meet the demands of being a new mom. She feels the pressure to bounce back, care for the baby, and be the best wife. Exhausted from a lack of uninterrupted sleep, a never-ending stream of dirty laundry, and pumping. Sydney decides to return to the office as a means to feel “normal” again. However, unable to secure childcare, she remains tied to the house. Turning to her husband Derrick for comfort, who is blind to her unhappiness, a depressed and seemingly alone Sydney loses the battle within herself.

The Bond – USA (CA)
Director/Writer: Jahmil Eady
Producer: Jahmil Eady, Selena Leoni, Reina Higashitani
Narrative, 15:50 min.
Pregnant and incarcerated, Aria fights for her most precious connection against a system designed to isolate her.

Virtual Program 5 - King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones
2023-10-28 - 2023-11-10 | Virtual Program
King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones
Director/Writer: Harriet Marin Jones
Writers: Michel Fessler, Giles Gardner
Producers: Harriet Marin Jones, Quincy Jones, Debbie Allen
Documentary, 98 min.
A filmmaker searches for the truth about her grandfather Edward Jones, a charismatic African American who rose to the heights of financial and political prominence in Depression-era Chicago.  In shaping the destiny of a city, Ed Jones could not however escape discrimination. In conflict with both the mob and the Feds, he was forced into a life on the run.

Section A
2023-10-28 13:00 - 14:25 UTC | Columbia University, Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, United States
Dance In Circles
Writer: Yuming Zhang
Directed by: Yuming Zhang
Producer: Yuming Zhang, Ryan Rosenthal, Hanna Dzaferovic
Narrative, 8:55 min.
Two women dance a duet piece together, exploring their collective traumatic experiences through their movements.

I AM NOT OKAY
Writer: Tiffiney Davis
Directed by: Gabrielle Lansner
Producer: Ben Glickstein, Dean Taucher, Gabrielle Lansner
Documentary, 12:10 min.
A mother and son respond to the unending killings of black Americans amidst the backdrop of the protests that followed the death of George Floyd. Dance and archival photographs are woven together to evoke fear, outrage, and anger and the need for communities to come together and find solutions.

Here Is A Man
Writer: Jarvis D. Matthews
Directed by: Sideeq Heard
Producer: Jarvis D. Matthews, Joanna White-Oldham
Narrative, 18:32 min.
Donny, a young black musician, is on the cusp of becoming the greatest soul singer of the 1970’s, but the quiet dread within his own mind threatens to derail his future. This is film is inspired by the life, legacy, and music of Donny Hathaway.

City of Dreamz
Writer: Imani Celeste
Directed by: Imani Celeste
Producer: Imani Celeste
Narrative, 12:06 min.
City of Dreamz follows four Black art students telling stories of community, divine intervention, and the artistry that led them to this very moment…smoking weed in a cramped NYC apartment trying not to get caught.

RIP, LOL
Writer: Khaya Fraites
Directed by: Charles Coleman, Khaya Fraites
Producer: Hannah Looney
Narrative, 16:22 min.
, goes back home to Richmond, Virginia with her best friend Jackie as her support system, to see her parents and ‘celebrate’ what would have been her older brother’s 26th birthday. RIP, LOL is an examination of grief and how loss affects an entire family.

Section B
2023-10-28 14:30 - 16:15 UTC | Columbia University, Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, United States
Confirmation
Writer: Nana Duffuor
Directed by: Nana Duffuor
Producer: Yaél Bermudez
Narrative, 11:49
Maame is a God-fearing mother who wants nothing but the best for her son, Kojo. But when he befriends an out and proud, expressive young man in their church, Maame must confront her fear of accepting Kojo’s burgeoning sexual identity or risk losing him.

Sunday Dinner
Director/Writer: Monique Needham
Producer: Kashif Boothe
Narrative, 18:30 min.
On paper, life for Maya looks perfect: an athlete, popular, has a loving family, and is head over heels for her girlfriend Jasmine. However, she’s about to risk it all by inviting Jasmine around to Sunday Dinner. With the help of her grandmother, with whom she shares a special bond, will dinner with her quirky family go smoothly, or will they scare Jasmine off?

Ring Shout Let The Circle Be Unbroken
Writers: Olubayo Jackson, Christopher Miles, Iyabo Kwayana
Producer/Director: Olubayo Jackson
Documentary, 17 min.
The exploration of sacred dance in Africa and diaspora leads a NYC teacher on a worldwide journey to reconnect severed cultural ties. Her quest to document the Ring Shout, an age-old praise dance rooted in African Spiritual Traditions leds her to a rural Georgia museum where she discovers a long lost branch of her family and her Gullah Geechee roots. There she must decide if she will honor her elder cousin’s dying wish and embrace the mantle of carrying his legacy and these vanishing traditions forward.

With Woman
Producer/Director: Mia Harvey
Producer: Mia Harvey
Documentary, 27:45 min.
The long-established tradition of African-American home-birth midwifery has been outlawed in the State of Illinois. At the same time, Black women suffer massively disproportionate maternal mortality in US hospital settings. ‘With Woman’ follows Star, a Black, direct-entry midwife, who has taken up the cause of providing Black women with home-births. Star guides Raven through her last month of her pregnancy, from prenatal visits to the astonishingly intimate and agonisingly perilous experience of her birth on the kitchen floor. Felony charges and being separated from her four children are at risk for Star if there is a poor outcome for mother or baby. Through intimate observational black and white footage, the film documents an act of both defiance and radical self-empowerment by Black women—mothers and midwives—in a country so hostile to their very existence.

Section C & D
2023-10-28 16:30 - 20:00 UTC | Columbia University, Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, United States
Join Reel Sisters and While We Are Still Here for Starring Harlem, a daylong film festival, on October 28 from 1pm -8 pm at the Miller Theatre at Columbia University. The afternoon will include film and music celberating the Harlem’s rich film and arts heritage.
Section C – 4:30 p.m.-6:05 p.m. EDT
The Five Demands
Directors: Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss
Documentary, 75 min.
Directed by Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss, The Five Demands (2023) revisits the untold story of the explosive student takeover and proves that a handful of ordinary citizens can band together to take action and effect meaningful change. In April 1969, a small group of Black and Puerto Rican students shut down the City College of New York, an elite public university located right in the heart of Harlem. Fueled by the revolutionary fervor sweeping the nation, the strike soon turned into an uprising, leading to the extended occupation of the campus, classes being canceled, students being arrested, and the resignation of the college president. Through archival footage and modern-day interviews, we follow the students’ struggle against the institutional racism that, for over a century, had shut out people of color from this and other public universities.
Moderator: Karen D. Taylor is a writer, curator, and multi-genre artist who has lived in Harlem for over thirty years. She is the founder and executive director of While We Are Still Here, a Harlem-based, heritage-preservation non-profit. Inspired by the national discussion on “gentrification,” Karen is moved to steward the creation of programming that wraps the arts and humanities in a package that is a gift to the future.
Section D – 6:20 p.m.-8:00 p.m. EDT
Sundays at the Triple Nickel
(13 minutes)
Written by Jess Colquhoun and directed by Colquhoun and Adam Rachlitz, Sundays at the Triple Nickel(2020) is a documentary short that features Marjorie Eliot, a woman who is making sure her apartment building’s iconic jazz legacy lives on in the iconic neighborhood of Sugar Hill, Harlem. Marjorie and her son have been hosting jazz concerts in her apartment every Sunday for the past twenty-six years—a pursuit of overcoming grief through music. This film tells the story of the woman behind the piano, and how Marjorie’s generous vision came to be.
Mary Lou Williams: Lady Who Swings the Band
(70 minutes)
Directed by Carol Bash, Mary Lou Williams: Lady Who Swings the Band (2015) features the life and legacy of jazz pianist, Mary Lou Williams, a genius ahead of her time. From child prodigy to “Boogie-Woogie Queen” to groundbreaking composer to mentoring some of the greatest musicians of all time, she never ceased to astound those who heard her play. But for a Black woman in the early 1900s, life as a star did not come easy.

Section A
2023-10-29 13:00 - 14:40 UTC | Maysles Documentary Center, 343 Lenox Ave., Malcolm X Blvd., NY, 10027, United States
Saturday
Director/Writer: Shandrea Evans
Producer: Lexx Truss, Kendra Mitchell
Narrative, 8:35
Feeling homesick after moving to Los Angeles, a young woman begrudgingly visits her great-aunt where she discovers friendship, communal history, and her new city through a fresh lens.

Crown
Writer: Nofisat Almaroof, Karisma Jay
Directed by: Nofisat Almaroof, Karisma Jay
Producers: Nofisat Almaroof, Karisma Jay, Nirine S. Brown
Narrative, 20 min.
Consumed by ballet, Afro-PUNK , and futuristic style- the last thing on Nia’s mind is her hair. her ex 90s prom queen mother Robyn however, is a different story. After learning Nia’s mane needs to be slayed for a dance audition that could change their
lives, Robyn initiates Nia into the tense world of black hair. It’s giving Pandora’s box at the beauty supply store and rollercoaster ride on wash day, all towards the glory of the perfect stage bun. On audition day an unexpected malfunction pushes Nia to fight for her life on the dance floor. This struggle helps Nia and Robyn finally uncover who really wears the crown.

How I Got Over
Director/Writer: Valerie Udeozor
Producers: University Of Louisville and Valerie Udeozor
Documentary, 22 min.
Delores Gordon Alleyne now Age 90 is the first black woman to graduate from University of Louisville Medical School in 1957. In the short documentary narrated with rap music, her story is used to promote health professions in the black community.

Hearsay
Director/Writer: Banban Cheng
Producer: Sheena Alexis Suarez
Narrative, 17 min.
Set in a Chinatown beauty salon, “Hearsay” follows Lili, an outgoing and talkative hairdresser who gets herself in trouble when she gossips about a customer.

Heather’s Voice
Director/Writer: Shicong Zhu
Producers: Robin Wang, Kara Fein, Lameng Bei, Ihsanul Huq
Narrative, 17 min.
Tasked with promoting a tech company’s VR innovations, a young scientist risks her job when she decides to use her creations to faithfully serve a grief-stricken family – rather than follow the company’s wish to stage a publicity stunt.

Section B
2023-10-29 14:50 - 16:12 (America/Halifax) | Maysles Documentary Center, 343 Lenox Ave., Malcolm X Blvd., NY, 10027, United States
Blueberry
Writer: Stephanie Glover
Directed by: Stephanie Glover
Producer: Stephanie Glover
Animation, Short; 5 min.
A determined, practical boy has a change of heart when his favorite food comes to life.

Passenger Seat
Writer: Neha Gautam, Angbeen Saleem
Directed by: Neha Gauam
Producer: Saleem Gondal
Narrative Short, 18:13 min.
A young Pakistani girl from Queens, New York finds her relationship to her father shifting as his taxi business starts to decline with the rise of ride-share apps.

Look Like You
Director/Writer: Snigdha Kapoor
Producer: Pulkit Datta, Lauren Sowa
Narrative, 12:40 min.
While visiting the adoptive family of her eight-year-old biological son, Tara overcomes the hesitation of his parents to relay advice she gathered from growing up as a queer outcast.

Everything Goes Dark
Writer: Mackenzie Chang Russell, Alex Casimir
Directed by: Alex Casimir
Producer: Lexi Notrica
Narrative, 15 min.
A Black high school student prepares to take her senior yearbook photo when insecurities and a tense friendship push her towards a breaking point.

Blue Hour
Writer: J.D Shields
Directed by: J.D Shields
Producer: Diana Ward, Maya Korn, Lauren Avinoam
Duration: 15 min.
Two personal journeys intersect when a struggling young photographer is hired for a cheap last minute portrait gig. The unfolding photo session, while transient, leaves an indelible mark on both women.

Section C
2023-10-29 16:20 - 17:55 (America/Halifax) | Maysles Documentary Center, 343 Lenox Ave., Malcolm X Blvd., NY, 10027, United States
Reunion
Directors/Writers: Timothy S Naylor, Zainab Jah
Producers: Djaka Souaré, Timothy S Naylor, Zainab Jah
Narrative, 15 min.
Isata, a West African immigrant living in the Bronx, while watching a morning talk show recognizes the guest, bestselling author, Mamadou Kargbo. He triggers in her deep memories of surviving a civil war. She wonders, was he once the child soldier who destroyed her family? Setting out to find him, if she is right – will she seek vengeance or grant forgiveness?

Incomplete
Director/Writer: Zoey Martinson
Producer: Korey Jackson, Anne Troupe
Narrative, 10 min.
Evan is on house arrest in a haunted house. Or so he thinks? Evan’s sister went out of her way to rent him a house off the DOC database, in a boughie-ass suburban neighborhood so he could serve the remainder of his sentence in the Jail Diversion Program on house arrest. When his breathalyzer Machine starts to act strange, the Polaroid pictures it routinely prints suggest that Evan is not alone. A faceless figure is also occupying this suburban home. Evan must make a decision to either stay and face his fears or end up serving his remaining time in Jail.

Ghosted
Writer: Charles Lane, Eric Ables, Marquette Jones, Ariel Davis
Directed by: Marquette Kayleen Jones
Producer: Marquette Jones, Bailey Smith, Safiya Songhai, Marques Koranteng
Duration: 9:40 min.
It’s always hard to get your crush to notice you… especially when they have a thing for the un-dead.

Distance
Director/Writer: Jung-Hsin Hu
Animation, 4 min.
Category: Animation, Short, Student
Distance portrays our shared memories – social distancing. It reveals what medical staff undertook during the early Covid-19 time, and how they sacrificed their family time for a better world.

Pandemic Bread
DIRECTOR: Zeinabu Irene Davis
Writers: Marc Arthur Chery and Marivi Soliven
Producers: Nicoletta Vangelisti, Christina Ree and Wayne Yang
Narrative, 20 min.
A short drama about a Filipino interpreter taking an end-of-life call with a doctor and an elderly woman with COVID-19. A story of resilience and hope told through the eyes of the interpreter who bakes bread during the call.

The Love Machine
Director/Writer: Jasmine Lynea
Producer: Jackie Payton
Narrative, 10 min.
Inside of a sleeping ancestor’s memory or dream… Present-day, Philadelphia. Nasir Smith, a teenage scientist, and influencer, desperately wants to challenge intergenerational trauma, by healing his family’s past to welcome back love and compassion in their home. In his family’s basement, Nasir goes Live! presenting his new invention to the world, called The Love Machine. The Love Machine’s intentions resemble a time machine, but here, participants specifically go back to the past to reframe moments of their childhood that caused them trauma.

Section D
2023-10-29 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Halifax) | Maysles Documentary Center, 343 Lenox Ave., Malcolm X Blvd., NY, 10027, United States
In remembrance of our beloved friend and mentor Pearl Bowser, we will offer a special dedication and screening of Midnight Ramble and chat about her impact on our professional and personal lives. Film historian, curator, author and archivist, Pearl’s love for preserving the history of independent Black filmmaking and uncovering Oscar Micheaux’s legacy is unparalleled. Pearl’s Archives are at the Smithsonian National Museum of History and Culture.
Our dedication to Pearl will wrap up Reel Sisters season on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 6 pm. The screening and chat will be held at Maysles Documentary Center, 343 Lenox Ave. Please RSVP as space is limited.
Midnight Ramble
Directors: Pearl Bowser and Bestor Cram
Writer: Clyde Taylor
Documentary, 60 min.
A documentary about the history of African American race films during the Golden age of Hollywood. Featured artists include Toni Cade Bambara, Robert Hall and Elton Fax.
About Pearl
Filmmaker, scholar, preservationist, and collector Pearl Bowser was among the earliest proponents of reviving critical interest in the “race movies” of Oscar Micheaux and other early African American filmmakers, linking them to more contemporary work. This unique compilation inspired by Bowser’s collection (donated to the Smithsonian in 2012) includes short films by Julie Dash (Illusions), John W. Fletcher Jr. & Hortense “Tee” Beveridge (The Hands of Inge), Cheryl Dunye (She Don’t Fade, Untitled Portrait), Harry Gant (By Right of Birth (fragments), American Negro Theater (A People’s Playhouse), Charles Hobson (Soul Food for Christmas from Like It Is (outtakes)), and Bowser herself (The Guest).
Information courtesy of Film Forum and National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Reel Sisters Celebrates Women In Hip Hop
2024-05-17 17:30 - 20:30 UTC | Riverside Theater, 91 Claremont Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, United States
On Fri., May 17, 2024 at 5:30 pm, join Reel Sisters for an evening of readings, and screening of Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop (Netflix Docuseries, Ep. 4) and Black Love Manifesto written and directed by Liza Jessie Peterson. CR Capers, founder of the Hip Hop Film Festival, will lead a talk on women’s contributions to Hip Hop music with Crystal Whaley, co-executive producer of episode 4 of Ladies First, DJ Franchella, Liza Jessie Peterson, director/writer of Black Love Manifesto, and Evangeline Lawson, photographer and front cover artist of African Voices’ Hip Hop @50th Issue. The event will be held at Riverside Theatre, 91 Claremont Ave. in Harlem.

Reel Sisters Virtual Showcase 2024 - Program 1
2024-10-05 - 2024-10-31 | Virtual Program
Reel Sisters is proud to present our selection of fine virtual films that you can enjoy from your living room or couch! Each section is $5 and no extra charge for film lovers who purchased All Access Passes!
The collection will be available from Oct. 5 through Oct. 31, 2024 (11:59 pm EST)!
Invite friends over and have a watch party!

VIRTUAL PROGRAM 1

Melanie & Kyles
Producer: Robiii World, Tiara West, Marlena Robinson Director: Tiara West
Writers: Tiara West, Ashani Roberts
narrative, 7 min.
Amidst the captivating world of poetry, Melanie and Kyle’s love flourishes. They explore the depth of their emotions through verses that intertwine their souls, revealing a timeless bond of passion, trust, and poetic beauty that transcends their mortal existence.

A Dios
Producers: Christine Rodriguez, Jen Viens Director/Writer: Christine Rodriguez
narrative, 17 min.
A former jazz diva, forgotten by time, is spending the last years of her life in a seniors’ residence with an orderly as her only friend. Unfortunately, she fails to keep her diva ways in check and risks losing the only person she cares about, with time running out to make amends… A short film in English and Kreyol, set in Montreal (Tio’tia:ke), Canada. Available with English or French subtitles.

Hedgehog
Exec. Producers: Rakie Ayola, Adam Smethurst
Director/Writer: Adam Smethurst
narrative, 17 min.
Poised between adolescence and adulthood and living with the challenges of NF1, Josie’s only connection with the world is a love of Shakespeare. When new girl Ash shows up at drama class, Josie seizes the chance to change her story.

Breathe
Producers: Jamie Burton-Oare, Shannon E Riggs
Director/Writer: Jamie Burton-Oare
narrative, 16 min.
For Eric, it is a normal day in his life/neighborhood. For the world, it’s the day Eric faces the reality of taking his last breath.

Reel Sisters Virtual Showcase 2024 - Program 2
2024-10-05 - 2024-10-31 | Virtual Program
Reel Sisters is proud to present our selection of fine virtual films that you can enjoy from your living room or couch! Each section is $5 and no extra charge for film lovers who purchased All Access Passes!
The collection will be available from Oct. 5 through Oct. 31, 2024 (11:59 pm EST)!

Invite friends over and have a watch party!
VIRTUAL PROGRAM 2

Hogtown
Producer: Ania Jamila Director/Writer: Josiane Blanc
narrative, 21 min.
Forced to leave her hometown temporarily, Manuela finds it difficult to adapt to her new surroundings. She has only one thing on her mind: moving back to Toronto. However, an unexpected encounter turns Manuela’s life upside down, calling into question everything she’s known up to now.

Gods of the Universe
Producers: Cathy SitaRam, Charles Mawungwa
Director/Writer: Cathy SitaRam
narrative, 20 min.
Advanced beings must train star children to guide humanity to the next stage of evolution before a catastrophic event destroys Earth, but their methods differ and time is running out.

Melikhaya
Producers: Palesa Shangase, Katie Taylor Directors: Liziwe Damba, Mallory Myers
Writer: Liziwe Damba
narrative, 15 min.
Born into a culture that values male leadership above all, Melikhaya finds it difficult to find her place as a strong African woman. When her brother makes choices that impact the entire community, she is forced to make a tough decision.

Reel Sisters Virtual Showcase 2024 - Program 3
2024-10-05 - 2024-10-31 | Virtual Program
Reel Sisters is proud to present our selection of fine virtual films that you can enjoy from your living room or couch! Each section is $5 and no extra charge for film lovers who purchased All Access Passes!

The collection will be available from Oct. 5 through Oct. 31, 2024 (11:59 pm EST)!
Invite friends over and have a watch party!
VIRTUAL PROGRAM 3

The Narrows
Producer/Director/Writer: Stephanie Allison Daye
documentary, 87 min.
A harrowing account of Canada’s worst case of environmental racism- the displacement and destruction of the people of Africville. In this account, the people of Africville tell their own stories while the producers record the fall-out from a 30 year old case that has reached the ears of not only the present Mayor but all the way up to certain VIPs of the Canadian Parliament.

Reel Sisters Virtual Showcase 2024 - Program 4
2024-10-05 - 2024-10-31 | Virtual Program
Reel Sisters is proud to present our selection of fine virtual films that you can enjoy from your living room or couch! Each section is $5 and no extra charge for film lovers who purchased All Access Passes!
The collection will be available from Oct. 5 through Oct. 31, 2024 (11:59 pm EST)!

Invite friends over and have a watch party!
VIRTUAL PROGRAM 4 – Pregnancy & Birth

Ya Hanouni
Directors: Lyna Tadount, Sofian Chouaib
Writers: Lyna Tadount, Sofian Chouaib
narrative, 2:38 min.
While the Mom and the Dad try to put their baby to sleep, a competition arises between them: who will manage to get the baby to say the first word?

Await
Producers: Raúl Abner Samrah, Samara Pérez Santiago
Director/Writer: Samara Pérez Santiago
narrative, 14 min.
Lili was convinced by her doctor, boyfriend and parents to have a baby she did not plan or want. As she awaits in her birthing pool (her parent’s bathtub), Lili calls her loved ones and figures out that they will all be absent for absurd reasons.

Renacer
Producers: Kelsey McGee, Bobbie Green, Ximena Davis
Director/Writer: Jenniffer J Gonzalez Martinez
narrative, 19 min.
Renacer ignites a fiery exploration of women’s raw truths, casting a spotlight on the electrifying journey of Valeria, a Puerto Rican migrant who boldly embraces her right to choose with an abortion, only to collide head-on with the searing stigma society thrusts upon women who dare to own their bodies.

Reel Sisters Virtual Showcase 2024 - Program 5
2024-10-05 - 2024-10-31 | Virtual Program
Reel Sisters is proud to present our selection of fine virtual films that you can enjoy from your living room or couch! Each section is $5 and no extra charge for film lovers who purchased All Access Passes!

The collection will be available from Oct. 5 through Oct. 31, 2024 (11:59 pm EST)!
Invite friends over and have a watch party!
VIRTUAL PROGRAM 5

Hair
Producer: Amy E. Powell Directors: Wendy Mateo, Lorena Diaz
Writers: Wendy Mateo, Lorena Diaz
comedy, 6 min.
In Mari’s salon, it’s just another day where they spill the tea about life. But today Christina comes in late and through her hair mishaps they rally around her when the truth is revealed.

Petting Zoo
Producer: Alexus L. Addison Director: Malcolm Lott
Writer: Sherryle Kiser- Jackson
narrative, 15 min.
Petting Zoo is about a young African-American professional named Rochelle, who is adjusting to her new role as Assistant Director while navigating a manager who creates a hostile work environment through micromanagement and microaggressions regarding the appearance of her natural hair.

Have I Swallowed Your Dreams
Producer/Director/Writer: Clara Chan
narrative, 6 min.
A poetic conversation between an immigrant daughter and her mother about sacrifices and dreams.

Dragonfly
Producers: Julia Morizawa, James Babbin, Brian Sturges
Director/Writer: Julia Morizawa
animation, 13 min.
A young girl learns of her mother’s survival of the Tokyo Firebombing on March 9-10, 1945 through the eyes of her brother’s spirit.

KULTUR
Producers: Yety Akinola, Maya Gwynn, Alia Bennett
Director: Asari Aibangbee Writers: Asari Aibangbee, Natalie Miles
narrative, 19 min.
A well respected white therapist suggests a social media therapy app, called KULTUR, for two of her patients, both young and Black. One Trans/non-binary, the other Cisgender femme.

Reel Sisters Virtual Showcase 2024 - Program 6
2024-10-05 - 2024-10-31 | Virtual Program
Reel Sisters is proud to present our selection of fine virtual films that you can enjoy from your living room or couch! Each section is $5 and no extra charge for film lovers who purchased All Access Passes!

The collection will be available from Oct. 5 through Oct. 31, 2024 (11:59 pm EST)!
Invite friends over and have a watch party!
VIRTUAL PROGRAM 6

WELL
Producers: Toni Cunningham, Eden Sabolboro, Paige Wood
Directors: Toni Cunningham, Eden Sabolboro
Writer: Toni Cunningham
narrative, 12 min.
WELL depicts the story of one Black American family through 50 years as they fight to stay healthy through three different crises. Through the Tuskegee Experiment, the Flint Water Crisis, and now Covid-19, the family has survived amidst endless obstacles to their health. After losing a loved one to Covid-19, they must reckon with the harm and distrust that has permeated their family for decades.

FIR
Producers: Adéla Konečná, Barbora Smotlachová
Director/Writer: Xueni Yang
narrative, 21 min.
In a suburb of Prague, a lonely girl encounters a lost foreign young man. Despite the age difference, she finds a missing sense of belonging through their shared doubts about home.

The Golden Boy
Producer: Earleatha Oppon
Director/Writer: Elizabeth Peace
narrative, 15 min.
A family drama, about a non-verbal autistic six-year-old boy who with the help of his older sister, proves that his high support needs can’t stop his potential.

From Yard – “Same School”
Producers: Phaedra Benford, Norman Hamilton, Andrea Hamilton, Patrick A. Aitcheson, David Heron, David Walcott
Director: Leland Benford
Writers: Noel E. Dunn, Maya Hall, David G. Heron
narrative, 11:45 min.
A Jamaican immigrant now working in New York as a parole officer is forced to make the tough decision to take in one of his parolees despite them both growing up in the same city of Kingston.

Skate
Producer: Remi R.M Moses Director: Kasey-Anais Blondell
Writer: Kasey-Anais Blondell
narrative, 11 min.
Thea, a lonely 19-year-old girl, struggles to learn how to skateboard on her own. When Thea meets a welcoming community of skater girls at a house party, she is empowered to deal with her social anxiety through skateboarding.

Harlem Kick Off 2024 – Miller Theatre
2024-10-10 18:30 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Columbia University, Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, United States
Reel Sisters & While We Are Still Here Celebrates The Power of Love & Community
Evening Highlights Include Harlem Fragments, The Dancing Teacher, Superman Doesn’t Steal & It Was All A Dream!
On Thurs., Oct. 10, 2024 at 6:30 pm, While We Are Still Here & Reel Sisters will officially kick off our A State of Grace season in Harlem with a fine selection of shorts culminating in the feature presentation of dream hampton’s It Was All A Dream, an archival documentary featuring legendary rap artists The Notorious BIG, Snoop, Mobb Dee and Method Man from Wu-Tang. Tickets are only $5 for our community Harlem kick off!

Reel Sisters Showcase 2024 – Section A

The Dancing Teacher
Producer: Rui Dong-Scott Director/Writer: YuHan Tsai
narrative, 12 min.
Ballet student Nana discovers that her teacher, Julia, an Asian dancer is facing financial struggles that jeopardize her teaching. Nana’s admiration of Julia is tested when she witnesses Julia stealing from other students during the break. Nana decides to hold on to her secret, using it to manipulate Julia into giving her solo lessons.

Kurta Pants
Director/Writer: Chhaya Shirish Nene Producers: Chhaya Nene, Linda Palmer, Deon van Rooyen and Andrew Onochie.
comedy, 5 min.
A girl is bringing her boyfriend home for dinner. But will her family accept him for all of who he is? In this fast paced comedy, two people from two different backgrounds test their relationship like it’s never been tested before.

Superman Doesn’t Steal
Director/Writer: Tamika Lamison Producers: Chris Beal, Dominique DeLeon, Carol Shine, Ben Ephraim
narrative, 19 min.
Based on true events, Superman Doesn’t Steal is a coming of age story, set during the 1970’s Atlanta child murders- as seen through the eyes of 9 year old Harriet & her brother, who are fascinated with superheroes. However, when they experience a troubling series of events- the impact on their family leaves emotional scars and causes them both to grow up fast as they redefine their definitions of heroes, villains and yes- even Superman.

Harlem Fragments
Director: Cameron Tyler Carr Producers: Flor Tejada, Collin Meath, Ben Thompson, Salma Qarnain
Writers: Wes Andre Goodrich, Danielle Therese Dougé
narrative, 17 min.
An Afro-futurist scrapbook storytelling of a Harlem Black family’s beautiful destruction during the 2008 recession. A natural disaster so mesmerizing you can’t look away from the tragedy. Based on true events.

Oren’s Way
Director: Keika Lee Producer: Eun Bi Chang
Writer: Anna Thorup
animation, 17 min.
A clever princess must capture a magical Golden Fox in order to save her kingdom from eternal sadness but on her journey, she conquers obstacles – the last of which reveals a hidden truth about herself.

Two of Diamonds
Director: Katrina Montgomery Producer: Clairesa Clay
Writers: Katrina Montgomery, Sonya Davis
“Two of Diamonds” revolves around El, a woman coping with the recent loss of her mother.
About the Presenters
While We Are Still Here is a 501(c)(3) organization that includes long-term residents of 409 and 555 Edgecombe Avenue—the average number of years of residence is thirty. Non-resident members are interested in helping to preserve the grand history of these important sites.
When we began, in 2015, our work was, chiefly, focused on 409 and 555 Edgecombe Avenue, but, over time, due to the input of our neighbors, we broadened the scope to include Harlem, in general. And in including more of Harlem, we seek to expand the panorama of its historical narrative, because the lens continues to be tightly focused on the Renaissance of the 1920s; the ravages of 1960s/70s-era drug addiction and dealing (and later, the crack epidemic); the crime and poverty; and now gentrification—but Harlem, in reality, is so much more than all of these things.
Visit: www.whilewearestillhere.org
African Voices Communications, Inc. is a nonprofit arts organization devoted to presenting art, literature, and films by artists of color. African Voices publishes a literary magazine and presents literary readings, art exhibitions, and artistic workshops throughout NYC. Visit: www.africanvoices.com.
The organization sponsors Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series, the first Oscar-qualifying film festival in the nation devoted to women of color. Visit: www.reelsisters.org.

Oct. 10 - Section B - One Town At A Time
2024-10-10 20:15 - 22:15 (America/New_York) | Columbia University, Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, United States
Thursday, October 10, 2024, Columbia University Miller Theater
In celebration of Reel Sisters 27th Anniversary Season, we present an afternoon of films by women of color from across the globe.

SECTION B – One Town At A Time – 8:15 pm-10:15 pm
One Town At A Time
Producer/Director/Writer: Roxana Walker-Canton
documentary, 65 min.
One Town At A Time is a documentary for our time. In an era of political unrest and economic insecurity, Americans question American cultural and socio-political identity. Filmmaker Roxana Walker-Canton connects present political and economic struggles to a long history of African American protest against racial discrimination and disenfranchisement. One Town At A Time uses one small New England town’s struggles to change local politics to show the power of local organizing and the power of the ballot. If you want change in your community, you have to have a stake in the game.

Oct. 19 – Section A – Surviving the System
2024-10-19 13:00 - 14:25 (America/New_York) | Spike Lee Screening Room, 1 University Plz, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
Oct. 19, 2024 – Spike Lee Screening Room, LIU

SECTION A – Surviving the System – 1 pm-2:25 pm

How to Sue the Khan
Director: John Beder Producer: Raji Ramanathan, Ben Crump, Cameron S. Mitchell
documentary, 34 min.
From Producer Ben Crump. America’s first hate group, the Ku Klux Klan, dealt out hatred and violence for over a century without penalty – until five Black women and a young Black civil rights lawyer finally forced them to pay for their crimes. The strength of these women and the groundbreaking 1982 civil case set forth by their attorney established a legal precedent that paved the road for today’s fight against organized hate.

Judging Juries (Invited Film)
Producer/Director: Abby Ginzberg
Many criminal defendants are forced to stand trial without a true cross section of the community on a jury. In Oakland, CA this means there are often NO Black people in the jury pool. In California, jurors are only paid $15 per day, making jury service financially impossible for many working and low-income members of the community.

Resilience
Producer/Director: Julia O’Farrow
10 min., documentary
I have an on-going project “Tee-shirt tales” which examines stories behind tee-shirt wearers and creators. On this journey I’ve met a few creators of tees, mainly artists that create tee-shirts. The three artists featured in this documentary share the trait of overcoming obstacles in the pursuit of their dreams.
