AFI DOCS Special Presentation of REBUILDING PARADISE; Virtual World Premieres of AND SHE COULD BE NEXT

Details: Category: Entertainment News; Published on Saturday, 20 June 2020 10:21; Written by AFI

AFI DOCS presents a full schedule of Saturday's events including the special presentation of REBUILDING PARADISE, live conversations of AND SHE COULD BE NEXT and AKASHINGA: THE BRAVE ONES, and day four of AFI DOCS Forum.

These events and festival screenings further the mission of AFI DOCS: to bring filmmakers, our nation's leaders, and audiences together.

WHAT: REBUILDING PARADISE – Special Presentation

On November 8, 2018, tucked in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the picturesque town of Paradise would be changed forever. The Camp Fire, California's deadliest and most destructive fire in history, displaced over 50,000 residents, leaving the community in ashes.

In the aftermath of the haunting images of thick smoke and raging fires, Ron Howard's documentary follows a group of residents as they struggle to rebuild their lives. While coping from the trauma and grieving their loved ones, they must wrestle with the logistics and bureaucracy of rebuilding their community. A sincere portrait of humanity, REBUILDING PARADISE is a tribute of resilience in the face of uncertainty.

WHO: Director Ron Howard and Subjects Michelle John and Steve "Woody" Culleton.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. ET Screening Begins *Space is limited for the screening*

AFI DOCS 2020 Forum to Feature Sessions In Rapidly Changing World Events, Filmmaker Panels, Networking Opportunities

COVERSATIONS

3:30 p.m. ET - AND SHE COULD BE NEXT Live Discussion

*Join directors Grace Lee and Marjan Safinia and special guests for a live discussion*

A sweeping chronicle of the 2018 elections and the unprecedented rise of women of color running for — and winning — office throughout the U.S., AND SHE COULD BE NEXT follows the historic and dramatic stories of six candidates from throughout the country as they fight to represent their constituents and uplift disenfranchised communities.

Filmed, directed and produced by a team of women filmmakers of color, this riveting two-part series offers a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at Stacey Abrams' game-changing campaign for Governor of Georgia; three battles for the U.S. House of Representatives (Rashida Tlaib, Lucy McBath and Veronica Escobar); Maria Elena Durazo's race in Los Angeles for the California State Senate; and 19-year-old Bushra Amiwala's run for the Cook County Board of Commissioners in Chicago.

The series is also an incisive look at the deeply troubling voter suppression tactics that are being employed to undermine our democratic system and the transformative organizational politics required to make real change in the U.S.

5:30 p.m. ET - AKASHINGA: THE BRAVE ONES Live Discussion

*Join director Maria Wilhelm, Akashinga founder Damien Mander and Akashinga ranger Nyaradzo Hoto for a live discussion with Washington Post on-air reporter Nicole Ellis*

Single mothers, abandoned wives and survivors of sexual and domestic violence enroll in an intense training selection to join rangers protecting elephants from poachers across Africa.

AFI DOCS FORUM: DAY FOUR

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET Festival filmmakers and industry professionals will gather virtually for day four of the five-day AFI DOCS Forums. Each day, the forums will explore a unique topic with keynote presentations, conversations, and panel discussions. Friday's schedule will include:

1:30 p.m. ET - BEHIND THE DOCUMENTARY WATERFALL: GAINING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF FINANCING STRUCTURES, INVESTOR AGREEMENTS AND PROFIT SHARING

Covering financing basics, standard investor agreements and the overall picture of profit sharing/waterfall in documentary, this highly informative session featuring Susan Margolin and Yael Melamede of the Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA) will focus on these critically important but somewhat mystifying aspects of the documentary film business. No need to bring your slide rulers, but do bring your questions.

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OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS

(The following films are available 24 hours starting at 12am ET – unless otherwise noted):

AND SHE COULD BE NEXT - Virtual World Premiere

*Two episodes screening on Saturday, June 20. Join directors Grace Lee and Marjan Safinia and special guests for a live discussion on Saturday, June 20, 3:30pm ET*

CITY SO REAL (Available on demand, June 18-21)

*Following the film, watch a recorded discussion led by journalist Trymaine Lee (MSNBC) with director Steve James and producer Zak Piper*

There may be no better match between filmmaker and locale than Steve James and the city of Chicago. From HOOP DREAMS to THE INTERRUPTERS and the 10-part AMERICA TO ME, James has created a vibrant portrait of contemporary Chicago. But not until CITY SO REAL, a fascinating four-part episodic, has the celebrated filmmaker focused his lens on the epic sweep of Chicago's multifaceted neighborhoods.

Filmed during the explosive trial of the Chicago police officer who killed Laquan McDonald, CITY SO REAL uses the wide-open 2019 mayoral election as the primary vehicle for doing what James does best: engaging with people, allowing them to express themselves as complex human beings and capturing the small, as well as the seismic, moments that define the places we come from and who we are as individuals and as members of a diverse community.

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CODED BIAS

*Following the film, watch a recorded discussion with director Shalini Kantayya*

While working on a project, MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini discovers issues with facial recognition programs. Investigating deeper into algorithms and the data in artificial intelligence, she discovers the large gender and racial bias in software created by tech companies. But her findings are only the beginning to much more disturbing revelations. As many of these AI technologies creep into our everyday systems, everything from college application screenings to the type of medical treatment one receives is affected.

Researcher turned advocate, Joy leads a team of women to raise awareness and push for legislative protection. With personal stories of prejudice and those fighting against it, CODED BIAS sharply reveals the urgent threats to privacy, civil rights and democracy that are not in the daily headlines.

FREEDIA GOT A GUN - Virtual World Premiere

*Following the film, watch a recorded discussion led by journalist Tre'vell Anderson with director Chris McKim and subjects Big Freedia and Dr. Ashonta Wyatt*

Devastated after learning her brother Adam was murdered, New Orleans bounce legend Big Freedia uses her platform to raise awareness about the complexities of gun violence, a nationwide epidemic that continues to disproportionally harm Black communities. As Freedia shares her personal journey from growing up gay in the projects through Hurricane Katrina and chasing her musical dreams, she delves deep into the first-hand experiences she and the community have had with gun violence, seeking to uncover the causes behind it.

She is not alone in her quest to make the streets of New Orleans safer for the next generation: mothers, teachers, students and others personally affected reveal the collective trauma left in the wake of this violence. Her brother's murder still unsolved, Freedia leads us through a courageous and necessary dialogue about the origins of this American epidemic.

FREEDOM ON MY MIND (Available on demand, June 18-21)

*Following the film, watch a recorded discussion with directors Connie Field and Marilyn Mulford*

This Academy Award®-nominated account of the Mississippi Voter Registration Project produced and directed by Connie Field and Marilyn Mulford combines extraordinary archival footage and in-depth interviews with traditional folk songs in a powerful tribute to the black activists and white allies who, from 1961 to 1964, descended upon the South determined to register black voters. After Herbert Lee, a local man who had been escorting voting rights organizer Bob Moses around Amite County, was shot and killed by a Mississippi state representative, the organizers were forced to acknowledge that this was a journey from which they may never return. Firm in their commitment to democracy, even under the threat of violence, they built powerful coalitions and their campaign, which culminated in the 1964 Freedom Summer and 1965 Voting Rights Act, was a triumph of political organization. The lesson learned – that freedom is a constant struggle – is one that still reverberates today.

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NATIONTIME – GARY (Available on demand, June 18-21)

*Following the film, watch a recorded discussion led by Louis Massiah with David Greaves, Byron and Sylvia Lewis*

In March 1972, an estimated 10,000 black politicians, activists and artists congregated at the National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana, with the express purpose of establishing a black political agenda. Attendees included Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, Coretta Scott King, Amiri Baraka, Richard Hatcher, Charles Diggs and H. Carl McCall. Also in attendance was prolific documentarian of black history, culture and politics William Greaves (SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM).

His filmed account of this historic event, narrated by Sidney Poitier with poetry recited by Harry Belafonte, was at the time thought to be too radical for television broadcast and was drastically edited. Now restored to its original cut, in a 4K restoration from IndieCollect, with funding from Jane Fonda and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, this rousing and revelatory documentary celebrates a diversity of black voices, finding support and solidarity even amid expected tensions and divisions.

ONE LIFE

*Following the film, watch a recorded discussion with director Josh Turnbow, producer Akshay Shah and subject Renan Asad*

In October 2016, in response to the Myanmar government's promised political reforms, President Obama ended decades of U.S. sanctions against the country. What Obama didn't anticipate was that his actions would inadvertently open the door to the Myanmar military's all-out assault on the country's Rohingya people. With a population of nearly one million, the predominantly Muslim Rohingya people were targeted, terrorized and killed. Within a matter of weeks, nearly 700,000 Rohingya were driven from the country.

Shedding light on the long term persecution of the Rohingya, tracing their forced migration to neighboring Bangladesh and illustrating their current conditions, Josh Turnbow's moving – and infuriating – documentary screens at AFI DOCS on United Nation's World Refugee Day. The U.N.'s World Food Programme has taken responsibility for feeding the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in a massive refugee camp in Bangladesh.

THE REASON I JUMP

*Following the film, watch a recorded discussion led by Disability Rights Activist Lawrence Carter Long with director Jerry Rothwell, producer Jeremy Dear and subjects Elizabeth Vosseller, Ben and Emma*

Opening a window into the sensory universe of five nonspeaking autistic people from around the world, THE REASON I JUMP takes the audience on a uniquely cinematic journey that is both revelatory and inspiring. Based on the remarkable best-selling book by 13-year-old Naoki Higashida, the film brilliantly blends its portraits with Higashida's own insights into autism.

Acutely observed moments in the lives of each of the five people are connected by passages from Higashida's writing, which comes to life in scenes featuring a young Japanese boy. As the boy travels through an epic landscape, he gradually discovers what his autism means to him and why he acts the way he does: the reason he jumps. Winner of the Sundance World Cinema Documentary Audience Award.

SHORTS PROGRAM 1 (Available on demand, June 18-21)

*Following the program, watch a recorded discussion with the directors*

Featured Films:

LAKE – Director Alexandra Lazarowich

THE PAINT WIZARD – Director Jesse Auritt

ELEVATOR PITCH – Director Martyna Starosta

MIZUKO – Director Kira Dane

DAFA METTI (DIFFICULT) – Director Tal Amiran

FLOWER PUNK – Director Alison Klayman

SHORTS PROGRAM 2 (Available on demand, June 18-21)

*Following the program, watch a recorded discussion with the directors*

Featured Films:

OUT OF THE BLUE – Director Steve Hoover

STILL HERE (還在) – Director Sean Wang

PAMPAS – Director Jessica Bishop

808: HOW WE RESPOND – Director Ian Bell

THE FOREST CHURCHES OF ETHIPOIA – Director Jeremy Seifert

MOTHER – Director Jas Pitt

ALL THAT PERISHES AT THE EDGE OF LAND – Director Hira Nabi

SHORTS PROGRAM 3 (Available on demand, June 18-21)

*Following the program, watch a recorded discussion with the directors*

Featured Films:

ABORTION HELPLINE, THIS IS LISA – Director Mike Attie

NOW IS THE TIME – Director Chris Auchter

DO NOT SPLIT – Director Anders Hammer

PATTY ARE YOU BRINGING IN WEED FROM JAMAICA – Director Matthew Salton

SAN DIEGO – Director Laura Hinman

SHORTS PROGRAM 4 (Available on demand, June 18-21)

*Following the program, watch a recorded discussion with the directors*

Featured Films:

BROKEN ORCHESTRA – Director Charlie Tyrell

SEE YOU NEXT TIME – Director Crystal Kayiza

MEMOIRS OF VEGETATION – Director Jessica Orek

HUNSTVILLE STATION – Director Chris Filippone

THE DEEPEST HOLE – Director Matt McCormick

THE LOST ASTRONAUT – Director Ben Proudfoot

BLACKFEET BOXING: NOT INVISIBLE – Director Kristen Lappas

SISTERS OF '77 (Available on demand, June 18-21)

*Following the film, watch a recorded discussion with directors Cynthia and Allen Mondell*

In 1977, over the course of four days, approximately 20,000 women would congregate in Houston, Texas, to attend the first ever National Women's Conference, as presided over by Congresswoman Bella Abzug. In an effort to promote equality between men and women, a series of eye-opening and impassioned debates sought to achieve resolutions on major topics, ranging from domestic violence, employment and reproductive rights to the specific experiences of lesbians and women of color and the ultimately unsuccessful Equal Rights Amendment.

Filmmakers Cynthia Salzman Mondell and Allen Mondell combine incredible archival footage and insightful interviews with attendees to present an inside look at the historic event that defined the guiding principles of gender equality in politics today.

THE VOTE - Virtual World Premiere (Available on demand, June 18-21)

*Following the film, watch a recorded discussion with director Michelle Ferrari and subject Martha Jones*

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, this PBS American Experience documentary is a comprehensive and captivating look at the arduous 72-year struggle that culminated in permanently enfranchising women with the right to vote. Bringing to life the incredible suffragists who led this movement and the difficult path that they tread – one rife with infighting, splintered in radicalism and marred by complex alliances – this important historical documentary is a fascinating look at issues that would become near-universal to major progressive social and political movements. Their strategies, means of mobilizing, protests and demonstrations would create a framework of necessary persistence. Though many would not live to see their efforts rewarded, the ramifications of this fight affirm voting as a right that is integral to democracy.

WHITE NOISE - Virtual World Premiere

*Following the film, watch a recorded discussion with director Daniel Lombroso*

The Atlantic's WHITE NOISE is the definitive – and disturbing – inside story of the alt-right. With unprecedented, exclusive access, first-time filmmaker Daniel Lombroso tracks the rise of far-right nationalism by focusing on the lives of three of its main proponents: Mike Cernovich, a conspiracy theorist and sex blogger turned media entrepreneur; Richard Spencer, a white-power ideologue; and Lauren Southern, an anti-feminist, anti-immigration YouTube star. Lombroso's intrepid camera takes the viewer into the terrifying heart of the alt-right movement: explosive protests, riotous parties and the private spaces where populist and racist ideologies are refined and weaponized. Easy to dismiss as extremists and provocateurs, the alt-right's leaders adroitly wield the tools of social media to great effect, demonstrating that this dangerous movement is to be ignored at our democracy's peril.

About AFI DOCS

AFI DOCS is the American Film Institute's annual documentary festival historically held in Washington, DC. Presenting the year's best documentaries, AFI DOCS is the only festival in the U.S. dedicated to screenings and events that connect audiences, filmmakers and policy leaders in the heart of our nation's government. The AFI DOCS advisory board includes Ken Burns, Davis Guggenheim, Chris Hegedus, Werner Herzog, Barbara Kopple, Spike Lee, Errol Morris, Stanley Nelson and Frederick Wiseman. Now in its 18th year, the festival will be held online June 17-21, 2020. Visit DOCS.AFI.com and connect on Twitter.com/AFIDOCS, Facebook.com/AFIDOCS, YouTube.com/AFI and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

About the American Film Institute (AFI)
Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation's non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI's pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at AFI Festivals across the nation; workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community; honoring today's masters through the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI AWARDS; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films that uphold film history for future generations. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, Twitter.com/AmericanFilm and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

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