Disclaimer:
These films are not rated and may contain violent/graphic/offensive language/content/etc. that may be inappropriate for children. The Hope and Freedom Film Festival is not responsible for keeping children out of the theater while such content is playing. We reserve the right to refuse entry for any reason.
Click on each film titles to view it's trailer
Director: Kevin McKiernan’s
BRINGING KING TO CHINA is a father’s “love letter” to his adult daughter,
a young woman struggling to bring Mr.Luther King’s dream to China, and then
back to the U.S. Her life is thrown intoturmoil when she learns, mistakenly, that her father,a journalist covering the war in Iraq, has been killed by a suicide bomber. The film documents a cross-cultural dialogue about the current relevance of Dr. King’s philosophy of peace and nonviolence, and documents the first time in the modern history of Chinese theater that Chinese and African-American actors have shared the same stage.
Director: Bill Brummel
ERASING HATE is anunforgettable story of transformation and redemption. Violent skinhead Bryon Widner’s face, neck, and hands were covered with intimidating, racist tattoos. Then he began a series of painful and extensive laser tattoo removal procedures. But the tattoo removal was just the outward sign of an inner transformation. This film presents a firstperson look inside the dark world of racist skinheads, yet offers hope in the story of one man’s escape from a life of violence, addiction, and bigotry.
Director: Kevin Breslin’s
#WHILEWEWATCH is the gripping portrait of the #OccupyWallSt media revolution. Citizens came together at Zuccotti Park with energy, intelligence, and guts to impassion their message, “We are the 99%.” The film discovers the #OWS media team who had no fear of a critical city government, big corporations, hostile police, or a lagging main stream media to tell their story. This film provides witness to a new dawn of the power of social media and captivatingly covers the intelligence, imagination, information, and raw emotion that ruled every second of the gathering at Zuccotti Park in NY.
Director: Angeline Swee
On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh. The war was over but instead of celebrating the end of the conflict, all citizens of the capital were ordered to evacuate their homes. Life was perilous. This film captures the story of a family’s harrowing escape from Cambodia under the rule of the Khmer Rouge. A journey through Cambodia, Vietnam, France, and America unfolds. Sometimes the end is the beginning of something precious. Hope may be fragile but the human spirit is strong and fearless.
Director: Tiffany Shlain
Have you ever faked a restroom trip to check your email? Slept with your laptop? Or felt so overwhelmed that you unplugged from it all? In this funny, eye-opening, and inspiring film, we are taken on a rollercoaster ride to discover what it means to be connected in the 21st century. From founding the Webby Awards to being a passionate advocate for The National Day of Unplugging, Shlain’s love/hate relationship with technology serves as the springboard for a thrilling exploration of modern life...and out interconnected future. It may be time for us to declare our interdependence.
Director: Beth Gage and George Gage
“The brave are those who see imminent danger and then still walk into it.” That’s how Maureen Fanning, widow of NY Firefighter, Battalian Chief Jack Fanning, describes the selfless sacrifice the FDNY made on September 11, 2001. FROM THE GROUND UP is the story of their widows. It is the story of trying to make sense of madness, of comforting their children and mourning their losses while the world watches. It’s the journey, taking two steps forward and one step back, through tears, depression and laughter, to triumph through tragedy.
THE MOVEMENT: ONE MAN JOINS AN UPRISING
Directors: Kurt Miller and Greg I. Hamilton
Narrated by Robert Redford and Warren Miller, THE MOVEMENT is the story of one man returning to the mountain where his life was changed forever. He receives inspiration in his quest from four people who overcome physical disabilities to discover the freedom of movement. Peppered with humor and drama, this is a story of people who face adversity with an intense inner fire. As Redford stated, “Our movement started with the word never ‘You’ll never walk again...You’ll never see...You’ll never live to age five.’ Never? Our heroes refused to accept that word.
GOOD THINGS ARE ALWAYS HAPPENING
Director: Steve Ledoux
It was a good thing when Steve Ledoux and Mark Becktold met in 2005 and later decided to become a family. They consider themselves marriage pioneers since they legally married in West Hollywood, California before Proposition 8 passed. Here, they share their story and testify to the importance marriage equality holds in their lives. Since they met, good things are always happening. This is a short 3 minute film that is upliftingand inspiring for the struggle for marriage equality.
Director: Chris Downs
“The Economic Fall” has brought hunger, war, and despair to what is left of society. A solitary man in search of work and food, rummages his torn down city, encountering other survivors of the crash. A silent movie, with a riveting soundtrack, this film artistically posits the irony of de-developed countries.
Click here to view synopsis of the films that were
selected and those that won last year's event.
