Cabrini (7:00-10:00 PM)

140 minutes / Alejandro Monteverde / US

The powerful epic story of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who arrives in New York City in 1889 and is greeted by disease, crime, and impoverished children. Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to convince the hostile mayor to secure housing and healthcare for society's most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world had ever seen.

Director Alejandro Monteverde will be present for this special presentation and participate in a q&a following the film.

In partnership with Angel Studios, Justice Film Festival presents a very special advance gala screening of the forthcoming feature film Cabrini

REGAL TIMES SQUARE CINEMA

247 W. 42ND ST., NEW YORK NY 10036

Subject to change

“A NIGHT FOR UKRAINE”—ON THE 2-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE WE LOOK BACK at the atrocities of this war and celebrate those who are offering hope and justice for its people

LITURGY OF ANTI-TANK OBSTACLES (5:30-7:00 pm)

12 minutes / Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk / UKRAINE

Sculptors in western Ukraine who used to make religious statues retrain to fight the Russian invasion.

On the 19th Day of the War

6 minutes / Odveig Klyve / NORWAY

The Norwegian poet, Odveig Klyve, wrote this poem on March 14, 2022, the 19th day of the war in Ukraine, and published it on social media the same day. The poem was quickly shared several thousand times. Spontaneously people started to translate this poem, and it has now been translated into more than 100 different languages and dialects.

SUNFLOWER FIELD

4 minutes / Polina Buchak / UKRAINE

Under the shadowy threat of war, a young Ukrainian girl awaits a call from her father. As she waits, the day turns into night and she sinks into various dreamscapes from which she must find her way home.

INDOMITABLE

21 minutes / Sonia Lowman / UKRAINE

Narrated and executive produced by Sienna Miller with original music by Ben Harper, Indomitable tells the story of the emotional wounds of the war in Ukraine, centered on the besieged town of Chernihiv. There, at the country’s central neuropsychiatric hospital, hundreds of patients and staff rode out one of the worst chapters of the war, hunkered together in the basement for 37 days without power or heat. Their experience tells the larger story of the mental health crisis that Ukrainians will now face for years to come.

Talkback with director Sonia Lowman and Grammy Award winning musician and composer Ben Harper following the film

20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL (7:00-9:00 PM)

97 minutes / Mstyslav Chernov/ UKRAINE

An AP team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only international reporters who remain in the city as Russian forces close in, they capture what become some of the most defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more.

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM

Schedule is subject to change

FIT / KATIE MURPHY AMPHITHEATER

FIT can be reached by subway: 1, A, C, E, F, R, or W, and the M on weekdays only. Take the 1, R, or W to the 28th Street Station. Take the A, C, E, F, or M to the 23rd Street Station.

Located at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street, New York City

First week out (1:30-3:30 pm)

21 minutes / Charles Fritschner / US

In 1979, Larry Williams entered prison and was released 42 years later. First Week Out follows Larry’s pivotal first week of freedom as he tries to make sense of his past, navigate life in a re-entry home, and forge a path forward.

Awakening to justice

35 minutes / UNTAMED / US

When a historian discovers a forgotten abolitionist manuscript dated from 1839, he and his fellow researchers uncover a text that sheds light on the reality of racism today — and the history of faith and race in America.

Talkback with film subjects Dr. Douglas Strong and Dr. AG Miler

Pine Grove: More Than a School

18 minutes / Janelle Proulx, Tyler Kirby / US

Told by members of the community and former students, More Than a School documents the story of Pine Grove, one of few remaining Tuskegee-Rosenwald Community Schools. Built in 1917 to educate African American children in the South during the Jim Crow era, the historic schoolhouse is now listed on America’s “Most Endangered Historic Places.”

Join or Die (3:30-5:00 pm)

103 minutes / Rebecca Davis and Pete Davis / US

Join or Die is a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America may depend on it. In this feature documentary, follow the half-century story of America's civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking "Bowling Alone" research into America's decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy's present crisis. Flanked by influential fans and scholars — from Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to Eddie Glaude Jr., Raj Chetty, and Priya Parker — as well as inspiring groups building community in neighborhoods across the country, join Bob as he explores three urgent civic questions: What makes democracy work? Why is American democracy in crisis? And, most importantly…What can we do about it?

Talkback with filmmakers Rebecca Davis and Pete Davis following the film

Schedule is subject to change

FIT / KATIE MURPHY AMPHITHEATER

FIT can be reached by subway: 1, A, C, E, F, R, or W, and the M on weekdays only. Take the 1, R, or W to the 28th Street Station. Take the A, C, E, F, or M to the 23rd Street Station.

Located at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street, New York City

DIE LAUGHING (5:30-7:00 pm)

19 minutes /JL Pomeroy, Tom Broecker / US

A documentary short that illuminates the power of comedy, and the lengths comedians will go to inspire laughter while expressing the truth—where freedom of expression is a literal fight for freedom.

Talkback with filmmakers JL Pomeroy and Tom Broecker following the film

The ABC’s of Book Banning

27 minutes / Sheila Nevins / US

In recent years, more than 2,500 books have been removed from school districts around the US, labeled as banned, restricted, or challenged, and made unavailable to millions of students. By no accident, the themes targeted are the usual scapegoats of the American Right—LGBTQ+ issues, Black History, and women’s empowerment—impeding the power of future generations to develop their own thoughts and opinions on critical social issues. By weaving together a lyrical montage of young readers and authors, The ABC’s of Book Banning reveals the voices of the impacted parties, and inspires hope for the future through the profound insights of inquisitive youthful minds.

Talkback with filmmakers Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic following the film

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM

Bobi Wine: The People’s President (7:00-9:00 PM)

118 minutes / Christopher Sharp & Moses Bwayo / UGANDA

In Uganda’s 2021 presidential election, music star, activist and opposition leader Bobi Wine, together with his wife Barbie, rallies his people in a dangerous fight for freedom from President Museveni’s oppressive 35-year regime.

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM

Schedule is subject to change

FIT / KATIE MURPHY AMPHITHEATER

FIT can be reached by subway: 1, A, C, E, F, R, or W, and the M on weekdays only. Take the 1, R, or W to the 28th Street Station. Take the A, C, E, F, or M to the 23rd Street Station.

Located at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street, New York City

SHORT films! (12:30-3:15 PM)

FEATURING: 100 Million Displaced / A Clean Slate / A'ai / Arivals / Deserted / Echoes of the Rio / Forbidden to See Us Scream in Tehran / I am Because You Are / Mobile / Olive Tree / Renegade Running / Runaway / The Test

Periodical (3:30-5:00 PM)

95 minutes / Lina Lyte Plioplyte / US

The unexpected story of the human body exploring the marvel and mystery of the menstrual cycle. Periodical includes interviews with experts, activists, doctors, journalists, and celebrities including Gloria Steinem, Megan Rapinoe, Naomi Watts and Anna Konkle. Periodical is told through innovative mixed media storytelling for everyone who wants to know more about the menstrual cycle, and especially for those who don’t.

Talkback with director Lina Lyte Plioplyte following the film

Schedule is subject to change

FIT / KATIE MURPHY AMPHITHEATER

FIT can be reached by subway: 1, A, C, E, F, R, or W, and the M on weekdays only. Take the 1, R, or W to the 28th Street Station. Take the A, C, E, F, or M to the 23rd Street Station.

Located at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street, New York City

“care in common” an evening of films that celebrate and challenge the culture of care in the united states, presented by caring across GENERATIONS (6:30-9:00 PM)

Free To Care /  Involuntary / Take Me Home / Matriarch / Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó / Pedicito de Carne

Justice Film Festival: “Care in Common” presented by Caring Across Generations, who are leading an intergenerational movement to transform the way we care, with additional support from Here to Honor.

Schedule is subject to change

DCTV FIREHOUSE CINEMA

By Subway: N, R, Q, W, 6, J, A, C, E to Canal Street

By Foot/Car: On the east side of Lafayette Street between Walker & White Streets

Love Thy Neighbor’Hood (2:00-3:30 pm)

What is a home? How do we view the communities that shaped us into who we are today? 

For Black History Month, Justice Film Festival has partnered with FIT students from the Black Student Union to present films that embody the spirit of: Love Thy Neighbor’Hood, an exhibition that illustrates the dynamics of home and what that means to each artist. From an outside perspective, many predominantly black neighborhoods are viewed as dangerous and scary places, where nothing good ever comes about. These filmmakers and artists are challenging that narrative through their work. The exhibit and films feature works of varying mediums created by people of a wide-range of backgrounds across the diaspora.

FEATURING: Last Lap / Speak / I Identify as Me / Mixed Memories / I Am Not OK / In Honor of a Purple Heart / Saint Leroi

NEW YORK STORIES (4:00-5:00 pm)

A selection of short films that celebrate the spirit and diversity of New York City.

FEATURING: Queens Pride / Interception / Songs for You, Always / Chasing Light / Alien Numbers

Schedule is subject to change

FIT / D207 THEATER

FIT can be reached by subway: 1, A, C, E, F, R, or W, and the M on weekdays only. Take the 1, R, or W to the 28th Street Station. Take the A, C, E, F, or M to the 23rd Street Station.

Located at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street, New York City

40th anniversary celebration of ‘beat street’ (6:00-9:00 PM)

PRESENTED BY

106 minutes / Harry Belafonte and David V. Picker / US

With dreams of breaking out of their South Bronx existence, an erstwhile DJ, breakdancer, and graffiti artist see a ray of hope when local composer and choreographer takes an interest in their talent. But these friends will find that dreams are hard won in the epicenter of New York’s hip-hop and breakdancing culture.

Celebrating the influence and legacy of the 1984 classic directed by Harry Belafonte and David V. Picker, Beat Street is revered for introducing hip-hop, breakdancing and urban style to a generation of young people across America. The sounds, dancing, art and fashion in this film broke down barriers and invited everyone, no matter their race our background, to participate in this new movement that celebrated and honored the culture from which it emanated.

This very special screening of Beat Street presented by Lee will include a panel conversation following the film with musicians Melle Mel & Scorpio from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Jon Chardiet who plays "Ramon" in the film, and visionary breakdancer and filmmaker Tony Wave as well as critics of music, art and fashion who will help break down how Beat Street had such a profound impact in the 1980’s that still resonates today.

Schedule is subject to change

FIT / KATIE MURPHY AMPHITHEATER

FIT can be reached by subway: 1, A, C, E, F, R, or W, and the M on weekdays only. Take the 1, R, or W to the 28th Street Station. Take the A, C, E, F, or M to the 23rd Street Station.

Located at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street, New York City

A moving and intimate portrayal of one father’s fight to save his son, Ithaka exposes the brutal realities of the campaign to free Julian Assange.

The world’s most famous political prisoner, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, has become an emblem of an international arm wrestle over freedom of journalism, government corruption and unpunished war crimes.

Now with Julian facing a 175-year sentence if extradited to the US, his family members are confronting the prospect of losing Julian forever to the abyss of the US justice system.  This David-and-Goliath struggle is personal – and, with Julian’s health declining in a British maximum-security prison, the clock is ticking.

Following the screening there will be a q&a with producer Gabriel Shipton and film subject John Shipton.

Session 8

America’s longest, wrongfully-held exonerated person, Rickey Jackson, returns to the prison where his 39-year journey of survival began and guides his younger self from death row to freedom. A true story about the triumph of hope, forgiveness, and perseverance through the darkest and most dire of circumstances that begins in violence and ends with love.

Following the screening there will be a q&a with filmmaker Matt Waldeck and film subject Rickey Jackson.

Session 9

From National Geographic Documentary Films, Academy Award-winning director Cynthia Wade, award-winning director Sharon Liese and executive producer Giannis Antetokounmpo, THE FLAGMAKERS, a meditation on the American dream, follows workers at the country’s largest maker of American flags and flagpoles, including the refugees and immigrants who have risked everything to come to the USA. (30 minutes)

Following the screening there will be a q&a with the filmmakers (via ZOOM).

MTV Documentary Films Presents ANGOLA DO YOU HEAR US? Voices From a Plantation Prison, which tells the story of playwright Liza Jessie Peterson, whose acclaimed play "The Peculiar Patriot" was shut down mid-performance at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly known as Angola Prison.

Directed and edited by Cinque Northern, the film examines how one woman's play challenged the country's largest plantation prison and impacted the incarcerated men long after the record of her visit was erased by the institution's administration. (30 minutes)

Following the screening there will be a q&a with producer Catherine Gund.

Session 10

“The smell of money” — that’s what Big Pork calls the stench of pig waste in the air in eastern North Carolina, where much of the world’s bacon and barbecue is made. But to Elsie Herring and others who live near the state’s giant pig factories, the revolting odor is a call to battle against generations of injustice.

When a corporate hog farm moves in—uninvited—on land her grandfather had purchased after claiming his freedom from slavery, Elsie Herring decides to fight back. But as her rural community becomes the epicenter of the pork industry’s explosion in America, Elsie’s struggle to save her family’s home and heritage turns into a battle against one of the world’s most powerful companies and its deadly pollution.

This screening will be followed by a live podcast recording with filmmakers Shawn Bannon, Michelle Cho and Kate Mara hosted by Nick Laparra from Let’s Give A Damn.

Justpeace Film Lab hosted by unRival Network

Justice Film Festival and unRival Network are excited to announce the launch of the Justpeace Film Lab for presenting filmmakers and FIT students, on Friday, March 3, and Saturday, March 4, from 2-3 pm. 

Story is at the core of who we are and how we understand ourselves. The people who raised us, the places we’ve been, our suffering, our success, our chosen communities—those people and experiences exist in an unfolding narrative for each of us. This lab gives us a chance to meet, to share our stories, and to move forward together on our journeys as storytellers who long to create a better world for all.

Saturday. Session II featuring Tyler Huckabee. 

The Lab digs in with the co-creation of an art installation. We’ll explore complexity and contradiction in a safe space while collaborating and improvising to create an art piece representing the stories, values, and hopes which live inside each of us as humans and artists.

Tyler Huckabee is a news and pop culture writer who specializes in film, TV, music, comic books, and religion. Tyler has profiled people like Lupita Nyong'o, Ryan Reynolds, and Aubrey Plaza, among many others, for publications such as the Washington Post, RELEVANT, Fathom Magazine, Bright Wall Dark Room, and IGN. You can keep up with his writing on Twitter @TylerHuckabee. 

We’d love to have you at each session, but they are structured independently. Attending one is better than none!

About unRival Network:

unRival exists to nurture hope, inspire collaboration, and overcome destructive rivalries in a nonviolent struggle for justpeace. We gather artists, activists, and academics from diverse contexts and experiences in spaces of creativity and healing where everyone belongs equally. The Justpeace Film Lab is a design of unRival’s Artisans of Peace program, a research-backed initiative supporting leaders in conflict transformation and justice work. 

Billy Price will be facilitating. Billy is unRival’s Chief Creative Officer and a JFF alum with 19 years of experience in filmmaking, the arts, and Justpeace work.

unRival Invitation

FREE EVENT — TICKETS NOT REQUIRED

Session 7

Justice Film Festival SHORT FILM SHOWCASE. A collection of short films from around the world on various topics related to social justice.

Ibach—Rachel Weinberg / Palmer Morse

Light—Karla Santa Anna

Wating, Hoping—Tim Kressin

Infinite Blue—Christian Schultz

Overtown's Living Legacy—Gina Margillo

Breathe—Joana vieira da costa, Ana Fernandes

Inseperable: Myia—Andrew Harrison Brown / Brooke Jackson

Session 6

Family, football and history come to life in an intimate portrait of the Dean family, longtime residents of the historic town of Pahokee, Florida. We take a journey back home, with filmmaker Ira McKinley, to the land of sugarcane, as he reconnects with his niece Bridget and nephew Alvin and explores their shared family history that spans seven generations. Told through stories that transcend space and time, OUTTA THE MUCK presents a community, and a family, that resists despair with love, remaining fiercely self-determined, while forging its own unique narrative of Black achievement.

Following this screening there will be a q&a with filmmaker Ira Mckinley with a special guest host to be announced.

Session 5

STRANGER AT THE GATE tells the remarkable true story of U.S. Marine Richard McKinney who plotted to blow up the Islamic Center in his hometown of Muncie, Indiana. Upon entering the mosque, he came face to face with people he intended to kill, and was transformed by their kindness and acceptance. And, in a true, nearly unbelievable twist, Richard converts to Islam and becomes president of the mosque! (30 minutes)

Following this screening there will be a q&a with producer Suzanne Hillinger and film subject Zaki Bahrami hosted by Simran Jeet Singh, Executive Director for the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program and author of The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life.

STREET REPORTER follows an aspiring photojournalist who discovers the power of her own voice while struggling to survive homelessness. (30 minutes)

Following this screening there will be a q&a with film subject Shiela White (via Zoom)

Session 4

Nestled in the trees of western Georgia, the town of Tskaltubo was a former vacation destination for the Soviet elite.  After the collapse of the USSR, ethnic confrontations in the Abkhazia region of Georgia escalated to a civil war. Georgian families were forced to leave their prosperous lives and take shelter in Tskaltubo’s abandoned sanatoriums. Thirty years since the war, these now crumbling hotels remain home to hundreds of internally displaced refugees who patiently await a promised home.

Following this special ‘Work In Progress’ screening of PATIENCE there will be a q&a with filmmakers Gio Kvelidze and Charlotte Savage hosted by JT Royston of Never Whisper Justice.

Justpeace Film Lab hosted by unRival Network

Justice Film Festival and unRival Network are excited to announce the launch of the Justpeace Film Lab for presenting filmmakers and FIT students, on Friday, March 3, and Saturday, March 4, from 2-3 pm. 

Story is at the core of who we are and how we understand ourselves. The people who raised us, the places we’ve been, our suffering, our success, our chosen communities—those people and experiences exist in an unfolding narrative for each of us. This lab gives us a chance to meet, to share our stories, and to move forward together on our journeys as storytellers who long to create a better world for all.

Friday. Session I featuring Suzanne Hillinger and Matt Waldeck.

We’ll have a panel conversation about growing your audience after a film festival and building your own story as a filmmaker to find success and sustainability in your career and mission.

Suzanne Hillinger is an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has been featured on FX, Hulu, Discovery Channel, PBS, Viceland, CNN, and MSNBC. She is also the producer of Stranger at the Gate, screening Friday evening at JFF.

Matt Waldeck heads Zodiac Features, a world-class media entertainment company specializing in film/television/audio finance, development, and production. He is the director of Lovely Jackson, screening Saturday afternoon at JFF.

Monique Taylor is an Emmy Award-winning Television Executive and Producer with over 15 years of experience delivering top-rated programming for networks including Netflix, VH1, MTV, E! Entertainment, ABC, NBC, Bravo, NatGeo and TLC.

There are two sessions (Friday & Saturday) and we’d love to have you at each session, they are structured independently. Attending one is better than none!

About unRival Network:

unRival exists to nurture hope, inspire collaboration, and overcome destructive rivalries in a nonviolent struggle for justpeace. We gather artists, activists, and academics from diverse contexts and experiences in spaces of creativity and healing where everyone belongs equally. The Justpeace Film Lab is a design of unRival’s Artisans of Peace program, a research-backed initiative supporting leaders in conflict transformation and justice work. 

Billy Price will be facilitating. Billy is unRival’s Chief Creative Officer and a JFF alum with 19 years of experience in filmmaking, the arts, and Justpeace work.

unRival Invitation

FREE EVENT — TICKETS NOT REQUIRED

Session 3

Justice Film Festival SHORT FILM SHOWCASE. A collection of short films from around the world on various topics related to social justice.

Elevated—Palmer Morse / Rachel Weinberg

#ThroughOurLens—Shiko Njoroge / Timothy Richardson

SEEN—Jed Thunell / Adam Thomason

We Are Here—Dominca Castro / Costanza Castro

Cancer Alley—Brian Ivie

Miles To Go—James Saunders / Matt Mikkelson

Together—Marco Espirito Santo, Del Reginato

Over—Aria Swarr

Session 2

SENTENCED is an immersive and vulnerable exploration of the epidemic of childhood illiteracy through a series of braided character driven stories. Filmed from the point of view of ethnically diverse adults and children who have never learned to read, the film is a forceful yet tender tale of how literacy can free children from the cycles of generational poverty.

Panel following featuring writer/producer Tony Kriz , Richard Rivera from I Have A Dream Foundation, Mr. Michael Coppotelli, New York City Deputy Superintendent of Catholic Schools and Mary Cantwell from Enriched Literacy Education.

Session 1

BAD AXE captures a closely-knit Asian American family living in rural Michigan during the pandemic as they fight to keep their local restaurant and American dream alive. With rising racial tensions, the family uses their voice and must unite as they reckon with backlash from a divided community, white supremacists, and intergenerational trauma from Cambodia's "killing fields."

38 AT THE GARDEN chronicles the extraordinary ascendance of point guard Jeremy Lin during his landmark 2012 season with the New York Knicks. Lin, an undrafted Harvard graduate, shocked fans, stunned his teammates and galvanized the Asian American community when he scored 38 points at Madison Square Garden against the Los Angeles Lakers. A decade later, Lin’s stature as a groundbreaking, cultural icon stands in stark relief to the recent hate crimes against the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community.

UNCONDITIONAL is a slice of life of three families as they discover the challenges of caring for their loved ones living with disabilities. These family caregivers give so much of themselves, they develop emotional wounds of their own. Together, they learn that it’s okay not to feel okay. That therapy is like going to the gym. To embrace not knowing what’s next. It’s a unique window into a trending topic of our time. Of what more than 50 million Americans are facing today.

"Breakthrough Voices: how showcasing AAPI films can change the headlines" a panel with directors Frank Chi, David Siev, and Richard Lui moderated by NBC News Studio, Head of Documentary, Molly O'Brien will take place between 38 at the Garden and Unconditional in the program.

This event is sponsored by AARP, Asian American Documentary Network, Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience and the Center for Asian American Media.

5:00 — Bad Axe (1 hr 40 mins)

short food break

7:00 — 38 at the Garden (38 mins)

7:40 — Panel with David Siev, Frank Chi & Richard Lui hosted by Molly O'Brien

8:10 — Unconditional (1 hr 25 mins)