Margaret Mead Film Festival: May 2024 | AMNH (2024)

Welcome performanceandopening-nightfilm tickets are $15 ($13 for Members and students).

All other screenings and programsare $12 ($10 for Members and students).Purchase 5 or more films or special events at one time and receive a 20% discount (excludes welcome performance).

Weekend passesare available for $100 ($75 for Members) andinclude the welcome performance, and all other screenings.

Image: ICE COLD

All Day | Griffin Exploration Atrium, Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation| Film | Free with Museum Admission
Director:Karam Gill
2021| USA

This four-part documentary series serves as an exploration of one of rapmusic’s most elaborate forms of personalexpression—jewelry.ICE COLDdelves deeply into the cultural significance and craftsmanship behind hip hop jewelry, exploring its evolution from a symbol of status to a form of self-expression. In celebration of the Museum’s opening ofIce Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelryin the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery within the Museum’s new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, this documentary will be on view throughout the entirety of the Mead Festival.

Please note: This film contains adult language that may not be suitable for children.

Courtesy of Polygram Entertainment

Soundtrack '63

7 pm | LeFrak Theater | Welcome Performance

Soundtrack ’63is a live music and multimedia retrospective of the Black experience in the United States. It is an artistic survey of the past that gives context to the present and asks important questions about the future. The full sensory experience is a journey from the African continent through milestone events in African-American history. Immersive video of archival footage and animation accompany a sequential soundtrack of spirituals, protest songs, hip-hop, and other popular music performed by a dynamic ensemble and vocal chamber.

Following the performance, there will be a complimentary welcome toast for ages 21+.

8:30 pm |Griffin Exploration Atrium, Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation| Welcome Toast

Join us for a complimentary welcome toast after theSoundtrack ’63performance in celebration of the start of the Margaret Mead Film Festival. Engage with fellow film enthusiasts, filmmakers, and industry professionals.

This portion of the evening’s program is for ages 21+.

Image: ICE COLD

All Day | Griffin Exploration Atrium, Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation | Film |Free with Museum Admission
Director:Karam Gill
2021| USA

This four-part documentary series serves as an exploration of one of rapmusic’s most elaborate forms of personalexpression—jewelry.ICE COLDdelves deeply into the cultural significance and craftsmanship behind hip hop jewelry, exploring its evolution from a symbol of status to a form of self-expression. In celebration of the Museum’s opening ofIce Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelryin the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery within the Museum’s new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, this documentary will be on view throughout the entirety of the Mead Festival.

Please note: This film contains adult language that may not be suitable for children.

Courtesy of Polygram Entertainment

Image: Sugarcane

See Also

Angel Studios en croisade contre la « culture woke » d’Hollywood | Radio-CanadaStudio behind "Sound of Freedom" teams with Daily Wire for next filmNeue Nummer 1 auf Amazon: Umstrittenster Film aus 2023 erobert Prime-Video-ChartsStudio Behind ‘Sound of Freedom’ Teams With Daily Wire for Second ‘Anthology’ Film About Children in Need

7 pm | LeFrak Theater | Film
Directors:Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie
2024| 111 min | USA
New York Premiere| Director in Attendance

Saint Joseph’s Mission in British Columbia was one of over 500 so-called “residential schools” for Indigenous children in North America, designed to isolate children from their languages and cultural practices. Thirty years after its closure, authorities are finally ready to talk about what happened there. While investigators uncover craters of pain and abuse buried just under the surface, this film hints at a deeper journey—toward healing.

Image: ICE COLD

All Day | Griffin Exploration Atrium, Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation | Film |Free with Museum Admission
Director:Karam Gill
2021| USA

This four-part documentary series serves as an exploration of one of rapmusic’s most elaborate forms of personalexpression—jewelry.ICE COLDdelves deeply into the cultural significance and craftsmanship behind hip hop jewelry, exploring its evolution from a symbol of status to a form of self-expression. In celebration of the Museum’s opening ofIce Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelryin the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery within the Museum’s new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, this documentary will be on view throughout the entirety of the Mead Festival.

Please note: This filmcontainsadult language that may not be suitable for children.

Courtesy of Polygram Entertainment

All Day | Milstein Hall of Ocean Life | Shorts Program |Free with Museum Admission

Through these five family-friendly shorts,which will play on loop throughout the day,we celebratetheintricate relationship between humanity and the natural world andrememberour duty to cherish, protect, and preserve theEarthfor generations to come.

Image:AIKĀNE

AIKĀNE
Directors: Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
2023 | 14 min | Hawai‘i

Wounded in battle, a valiant island warrior discovers love in a mysterious underwater realm. Together with the shape-shifting octopus that saved his life, the warrior embarks on an epic adventure against colonial invaders. Rooted in Hawaiian legends, this love story explores “aikāne,” the Hawaiian term of respect for intimate friends of the same sex. This supernatural romance offers a vibrant vision of love's triumph over the forces of evil.

Image: Munkha

Munkha
Directors: Alexander Moruo, Markel Martynov
2024 | 11 min | Sakha Republic (Russia)

Experience the charm of the “Munkha," or ice-fishing ceremony, as Niukku, a lively toddler, tags along for the first time. Despite sibling squabbles and parental pressures, the family unites for a bountiful catch. Niukku learns that everyone has a role to play in the ceremony that sustains her community in the harsh landscape of far-eastern Russia. Join a heartwarming journey of community and tradition in this short, animated delight.

Image: Nangulvi

Nangulvi
Director: Wayra Ana Velásquez
2022 | 6 min | Ecuador

Follow the journey of an Andean bear and an Afro-Ecuadorian musician in a stop-motion animated short that blends folklore, friendship, and activism. The pair team up with a group of magical allies and embark on a quest to support the Indigenous women battling a mining corporation in the Intag-Ecuador valley. Nangulvi invites viewers into a whimsical world where storytelling and traditional music inspire a fight for environmental justice.

Image:Balam

Balam
Director: Guillermo Casarin
2023 | 11 min | Mexico

Itzel, a young girl of Mayan descent, joins her astronomy-obsessed father on a camping trip that turns into a perilous coming-of-age voyage. Bored and disinterested at first, Itzel wanders off into the jungle in search of Wi-Fi signal. Instead, she finds and rescues a jaguar held captive by a Catholic poacher. Guided through an ancient Mayan city by Balam, a magical jaguar spirit, Itzel must find her way back to her father and to herself.

Image:Hanina/Homesick

Hanina/Homesick
Director: Yasmin Moll
2023 | 8 min | Egypt

A young Nubian girl embarks on a journey back in time to reconnect with her drowned homeland. Guided by the Nile Egret, she travels underwater within the lake created by Egypt's Aswan High Dam to visit Nubia's mountains and palm trees, water wheels and houses, men and women. She bids farewell to her people as they board the boats that will take them to their resettlement villages. Returning to her own time, she carries the strength of knowing that Nubia will always live on inside her.

Image: Tiny

Tiny
Directors: Ritchie Hemphill, Ryan Haché
2023 | 16 min | Canada

‘Nakwaxda’xw Elder, Colleen Hemphill, tells the story of her childhood. The film portrays modern-day Colleen as she reflects on her past and re-enacts the stories she tells of her youth as a young girl growing up on a float-house in the wild and unpredictable Pacific Northwest and its waters. Colleen notices how different her way of life was when she was young and how much more harmonious her community was with nature.

Image: Ozogoche

12 pm |Kaufmann Theater | Film
Director:Joe Houlberg Silva
2023| 77 min | Ecuador
US Premiere|Director in Attendance

Many in the Ozogoche Lake Region of Ecuador feel pulled to migrate north in spite of the enormous risks associated with the journey. InOzogoche, filmmaker Joe Houlberg Silva draws a parallel between human and avian voyages and shows the annual migration of the mysterious “Cuvivi” sandpiper bird to the remote Andean lakes. Don’t miss this poignant story of cultural identity, trust, and the profound beauty of the Ecuadorian highlands.

Image: Pure Unknown

12 pm | Linder Theater | Film
Directors:Valentina Cicogna, Mattia Colombo
2023| 93 min | Italy / Switzerland / Sweden
New York Premiere| Directorin Attendance

Every night, anonymous bodies land in Dr. Cristina Cattaneo’s Sicilian autopsy room. She calls these bodies, their identities lost, “The Pure Unknown.” As thousands of migrants wash ashore every year in Italy, denied dignity in death, Cattaneo fights to restore their identities. Her quest to help the families of forgotten people find closure brings her to the highest halls of power in Europe.Pure Unknownpulses with urgency to confront the stories of marginalized people.

From left to right: Erica Tremblay, Sterlin Harjo, Steven Paul Judd

1 pm | Wallach Orientation Center | Special Event

With the critical and commercial success of series like FX’sReservation Dogs, AMC’sDark Winds, and Disney+’sEcho, Native-led series with Native-centered stories are hitting a stride in popular culture. What is the significance of this moment in Native storytelling? What kinds of narrative change does the streaming era make possible? What work lies ahead?Moderated by Mead Advisor, Billy Luther, thisdiscussion will include Erica Tremblay, Sterlin Harjo, and Steven Paul Judd.

Sterlin Harjo(Seminole/Muscogee) is an award-winning filmmaker from Holdenville, Oklahoma. Now based in Tulsa, Harjo is the co-creator and showrunner of FX’sReservation Dogs, a comedy series following four Indigenous teenage friends living on a reservation in Oklahoma. After its first season,Reservation Dogswon a 2022 Peabody award, 2022 Television Academy Honors award, 2022 Independent Spirit Award for Best Comedy Series, was an American Film Institute Awards Honoree, and won Best Breakthrough Series under 40 minutes at the 2021 Gotham Awards. The series completed its third and final season. Currently, Harjo’s seriesThe Sensitive KindandPoster Girlsis in development with FX Productions. Paramount+ recently acquired his seriesYellowbird, which he co-created with Erica Tremblay.

Erica Tremblayis a filmmaker from the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. Her feature filmFancy Dance, starring Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Apple Original Films. The film is set to be released in theaters and on Apple TV+ in 2024. Tremblay is currently writing for Season 3 ofDark Windsat AMC and has previously written for FX’sReservation Dogs, where she also directed two episodes. In 2021, she was accepted into the Sundance Directors and Screenwriters Lab, and was awarded the Walter Bernstein Screenwriting Fellowship, the Maja Kristin Directing Fellowship, the SFFILM Rainin Grant, and the Lynn Shelton "Of a Certain Age" Grant. Her short filmLittle Chief,premiered at Sundance in 2020. Tremblay lives on Cayuga Lake in upstate New York, where she studies her Indigenous language.

Steven Paul Juddis a prominent Kiowa-Choctaw visual artist, filmmaker, and writer known for his innovative and thought-provoking work that blends pop-culture and traditional Native American motifs into a unique perspective on contemporary Indigenous identity. Known for his work onSearch for the World's Best Indian Taco(2010),Dark Winds(2022) andEcho(2023), Judd is also the subject of the 2016 documentaryDig It If You Can.

Image: Nocturnes

2 pm | LeFrak Theater | Film
Director:Anupama Srinivasan, Anirban Dutta
2024| 82 min | India/USA
New York Premiere| Director in Attendance

High in the Eastern Himalayas, a team of biologists observes the mysterious world of moths. Through mesmerizing visuals and soundscapes,Nocturnesunveils the ecological importance and unexpected beauty of these creatures. The enchanting moths grace the screen like strokes from an impressionist painter’s brush, igniting curiosity about the limits of human understanding. Discover the resilience of a creature whose existence spans hundreds of thousands of years in this spellbinding film.

Image: ᏓᏗᏬᏂᏏ (We Will Speak)

2:30 pm | Kaufmann Theater | Film
Director:Schon Duncan, Michael McDermit
2023| 94 min | USA
New York Premiere| Director in Attendance

With fewer than 1,500 fluent speakers remaining, Cherokee activists rally against time to safeguard their endangered language.Shot over three years following the 2019 declaration of a Cherokee language state of emergency, this gripping film captures the passion of thosefighting to preservethe early written language of an Indigenous culture in North America.Through interviews and community scenes, we witness the resilience of a people determined to defy extinction and reclaim their heritage.

Image: Mother Suriname - Mama Sranan

2:30 pm | Linder Theater | Film
Director:Tessa Leuwsha
2023| 71 min | Suriname/Netherlands
US Premiere| Director in Attendance

Abandoned at birth in 1905,Fancelyne Cummings lived out her life as a mixed-race washerwoman in Dutch-controlled Surinam. Her granddaughter, filmmaker Tessa Leuwsha, celebrates her and some of the other women who forged a national identity in the shadow of European colonialism. The film interweaves Fancelyne's stories and songs with colorized archival footage of a twentieth century fight for racial equity and Surinamese independence.

Image: The Buriti Flower

5 pm | Kaufmann Theater | Film
Director:Renée Nader Messora, João Salaviza
2023| 124 min |Brazil/Portugal
New York Premiere

Shot across four villages in Brazil,The Buriti Flowerdepicts some of the pivotal moments in the history of the Krahô people of Krahôlandia. The film weaves land disputes in 1940 to the scars of dictatorship in 1960, and the contemporary movement for Indigenous rights. A dreamlike narrative which echoes the oral traditions of Indigenous storytelling introduces us to the young protagonists carrying the stories and rituals of resilience and faith to a new generation.

Image: This Is Going To Be Big

5 pm | Linder Theater | Film
Director:Thomas Charles Hyland
2023| 101 min | Australia
US Premiere| Director in Attendance

Step into a world of friendship, courage, and creativity at a school outside Melbourne, Australia, for kids diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. Thomas Charles Hyland’s heartfelt documentary takes us behind the scenes of the rural school’s production of “The Time-Travelling Trio,” a musical retrospective on the life of Australian pop icon John Farnham. Experience the magic of art and community as the students put their humor, grief, wisdom, and hope center stage.

Image: Meanwhile

6 pm | Wallach Orientation Center | Special Event
Director:Catherine Gund,Jacqueline Woodson (writer), Meshell Ndegeocello (composer), and Erika Dilday (producer)
2024| 89 min | USA
New York Premiere| Director in Attendance

“This is not a love letter to this country. But to us inside this country.” Author Jacqueline Woodson narratesMeanwhile, a docu-poem about white supremacy and a community of artists who share visions of resistance.Meanwhile, an immersive, nonlinear cinematic journey—where artists’ expressions blend with historical and observational footage—unveils the profound impact of white supremacy on our human connections.

The two-hour special eventwill feature in-process works by artists from the film, including dance by Shamel Pitts and Tushrik Fredericks, wisdom and cookies by Juli Vanderhoop,music by Mel Chin,and more.

This program will be from 6–8 pm on the fourth floor of the Museum.

This film is supported in part by Ford Foundation/JustFilms, National Endowment for the Arts, and Brown University/CSREA. Aubin Picture's programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Image: Porcelain War

8 pm | LeFrak Theater | Film
Directors:Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev
2024| 90min | Ukraine
New York Premiere| Director in Attendance

Meet Slava and Anya, porcelain artists whose ordinary lives are made extraordinary by the terrors of the war in Ukraine. InPorcelain War, their art serves as a poignant metaphor for the nation's resilience amid chaos. Filmed entirely by Ukrainians resisting Russian occupation, this visually stunning documentary earned the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Discover how, even in the bleakest moments, the flames of life and art burn bright.

Image: ICE COLD

All Day | Griffin Exploration Atrium, Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation | Film |Free with Museum Admission
Director:Karam Gill
2021| USA

This four-part documentary series serves as an exploration of one of rapmusic’s most elaborate forms of personalexpression—jewelry.ICE COLDdelves deeply into the cultural significance and craftsmanship behind hip hop jewelry, exploring its evolution from a symbol of status to a form of self-expression. In celebration of the Museum’s opening ofIce Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelryin the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery within the Museum’s new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, this documentary will be on view throughout the entirety of the Mead Festival.

Please note: This filmcontainsadult language that may not be suitable for children.

Courtesy of Polygram Entertainment

All Day|Milstein Hall of Ocean Life | Shorts Program |Free with Museum Admission

Through these five family-friendly shorts,which will play on loop throughout the day,we celebratetheintricate relationship between humanity and the natural world andrememberour duty to cherish, protect, and preserve theEarthfor generations to come.

Image:AIKĀNE

AIKĀNE
Directors:Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
2023| 14 min | Hawai‘i

Wounded in battle, a valiant island warrior discovers love in a mysterious underwater realm. Together with the shape-shifting octopus that saved his life, the warrior embarks on an epic adventure against colonial invaders. Rooted in Hawaiian legends, this love story explores “aikāne,” the Hawaiian term of respect for intimate friends of the same sex. This supernatural romance offers a vibrant vision of love's triumph over the forces of evil.

Image: Munkha

Munkha
Directors:Alexander Moruo, Markel Martynov
2024| 11 min | Sakha Republic (Russia)

Experience the charm of the “Munkha," or ice-fishing ceremony, as Niukku, a lively toddler, tags along for the first time. Despite sibling squabbles and parental pressures, the family unites for a bountiful catch. Niukku learns that everyone has a role to play in the ceremony that sustains her community in the harsh landscape of far-eastern Russia. Join a heartwarming journey of community and tradition in this short, animated delight.

Image: Nangulvi

Nangulvi
Director:Wayra Ana Velásquez
2022| 6 min | Ecuador

Follow the journey of an Andean bear and an Afro-Ecuadorian musician in a stop-motion animated short that blends folklore, friendship, and activism. The pair team up with a group of magical allies and embark on a quest to support the Indigenous women battling a mining corporation in the Intag-Ecuador valley. Nangulvi invites viewers into a whimsical world where storytelling and traditional music inspire a fight for environmental justice.

Image:Balam

Balam
Director:Guillermo Casarin
2023| 11 min | Mexico

Itzel, a young girl of Mayan descent, joins her astronomy-obsessed father on a camping trip that turns into a perilous coming-of-age voyage. Bored and disinterested at first, Itzel wanders off into the jungle in search of Wi-Fi signal. Instead, she finds and rescues a jaguar held captive by a Catholic poacher. Guided through an ancient Mayan city by Balam, a magical jaguar spirit, Itzel must find her way back to her father and to herself.

Image:Hanina/Homesick

Hanina/Homesick
Director:Yasmin Moll
2023| 8 min | Egypt

A young Nubian girl embarks on a journey back in time to reconnect with her drowned homeland. Guided by the Nile Egret, she travels underwater within the lake created by Egypt's Aswan High Dam to visit Nubia's mountains and palm trees, water wheels and houses, men and women. She bids farewell to her people as they board the boats that will take them to their resettlement villages. Returning to her own time, she carries the strength of knowing that Nubia will always live on inside her.

Image: Tiny

Tiny
Directors:Ritchie Hemphill, Ryan Haché
2023| 16 min | Canada

‘Nakwaxda’xw Elder, Colleen Hemphill, tells the story of her childhood. The film portrays modern-day Colleen as she reflects on her past and re-enacts the stories she tells of her youth as a young girl growing up on a float-house in the wild and unpredictable Pacific Northwest and its waters. Colleen notices how different her way of life was when she was young and how much more harmonious her community was with nature.

Roderick Mickens/© AMNH

11 am | Kaufmann Theater | Special Event

In this special showcase, we present exciting new ethnographic documentaries from emerging visual anthropology students.This screening is co-hosted by Faye Ginsburg, Director of NYU Center for Media, Culture, and History, and Kriser Professor of Anthropology, and Pegi Vail, Center for Media, Culture and History and documentary professor, Program in Culture & Media. It will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

Image: Fighting Blind

Fighting Blind
Director: Margarida Duque de Castela
2023| 24 min | USA

Brazilian jiu-jitsu martial artist and family man Angel Adorno shares the victories and challenges of being blind in a sighted world, on and off the mat. Designed for blind audiences, this film explores Angel’s resilience in overcoming a difficult past as he learns to trust himself and others.

Image:Women of the Stony Shore: Shinneco*ck Kelp Farmers

Women of the Stony Shore: Shinneco*ck Kelp Farmers
Director:Nathaniel Cummings-Lambert
2023 | 28 min | USA

A group of Indigenous women from the Shinneco*ck Nation fight for environmental restoration in the waters of their homeland through kelp farming. Their traditional ecological knowledge intersects with their struggle for sovereignty as these farmers protect lifeways and cultural practices for their tribe along the Long Island shore.

Image: Ralph and Bug

Ralph & Bug
Director: Christine Thomas Yoon
2023 | 17 min| USA

Ralph James has traded in the street name “El Diablo” for the title of “The Urban Dad.” Leaving behind a life of drug dealing, Ralph is now the sole caretaker of his daughter Bug and leader of his local dad’s group in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Weaving together snapshots from Ralph and Bug’s lives, this film highlights a father’s sacrificial love for his child, promising to overcome anything that stands in his way.

Image: #Darien

#Darien
Director: Tatiana Rojas Ponce
2023| 32 min| USA/Venezuela

Countless migrants make the treacherous journey from South and Central America to reach the United States—and many document it on social media. While Venezuelan filmmaker Tatiana Rojas Ponce struggles to find meaningful ways to help those arriving in New York from her home country, she meets Paola and Emily, who share stories, videos, and reflections about their harrowing passage through the Darien jungle en route to the United States.

Image: Homegrown

Homegrown
Director: Lee Emmerich
2023 | 17 min| USA

Leroy Emmerich bought some land in the 1960s with money he earned from filmmaking. Leroy’s son turned the land into a flower farm and now his grandson, Lee Emmerich, is making a film about the uncertain future of their family farm.Homegrownexplores family cycles, parental expectations, and the connections between filmmaking and farming.

Image:Rimana Wasi: Hogar de Historias - Rimana Wasi: Home of Stories

Rimana Wasi: Hogar de Historias - Rimana Wasi: Home of Stories
Directors: Ximena Málaga Sabogal, Piotr Turlej
2022 | 20 min | Peru

Quechua stories reach the far-flung highlands from the city center of Puno, Peru as Chaska attempts to balance her career in radio with familial obligations in some of the nearest highlands. Portraying a rich heritage through quotidian scenes blended with the modernity of present day, the film paints a tender portrait of community and a woman embracing modernity to promote her cultural roots. Produced by Watay Misita, a company born from a female film collective that highlights the stories of Andean women, the project won the Peruvian Bicentennial Shorts award and has screened in numerous festivals.

Co-presented by the New York University Center for Media, Culture, and History

Image: Above and Below the Ground

2:30 pm | Linder Theater | Film
Director:Emily Hong
2024| 86 min | Myanmar
New York Premiere| Director in Attendance

Indigenous women and Christian punk rockers form a surprising alliance as they join to thwart a multibillion-dollar megadam project imperiling the landscape of northern Myanmar. Despite backing by the Burmese military and the Chinese Communist party, the dam project was halted in 2011, largely by a karaoke album that catalyzed a country-wide environmental movement. Immerse yourself in the fight to save the Irrawaddy River in this tale of punk rock defiance and grassroots activism.

Image: 23 Mile

4 pm | Kaufmann Theater | Film
Director:Mitch McCabe
2024|78 min |USA
New York Premiere| Director in Attendance

Prepare for an eye-opening journey into the heart of the American Midwest. Filmmaker Mitch McCabe returns home to Detroit to capture the essence of a nation divided during and after the 2020 presidential election. From anti-lockdown protests to post-election chaos,23 Mileshows the unraveling of societal norms through the lives of everyday Americans. With captivating scenes and unfiltered voices, the film challenges our preconceptions and urges us to confront our biases.

Image: Rising Up at Night

5 pm | Linder Theater | Film
Director:Nelson Makengo
2024| 95 min | DRC / Belgium / Germany
US Premiere| Director in Attendance

In Kinshasa, a community fights to restore electrical power following the flooding of the Congo River. Shot during the week between Christmas and New Year's,Rising Up at Nightfeels like an Old Testament tale in which people shrouded in darkness and soaked in floodwaters unite around their faith and community. As residents raise funds to buy back stolen electrical cables, director Nelson Makengo captures their struggle for electricity as a symbol of hope.

7 pm | Kaufmann Theater | Film
Director:Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó
2024| 94 min | Bhutan
New York Premiere| Director in Attendance

Discover Bhutan, the “happiest country on Earth,” through the eyes of Amber, a bureaucrat who measures the nation's “Gross National Happiness.” As Amber treks the lush Himalayas, he assigns a happiness score to everyone he meets, from dairy farmers to urban dancers. Does his own search for fulfillment complicate his job? Explore the meaning of belonging and purpose in this touching portrait of a nation constitutionally mandated to promote the happiness of its citizens.

The MargaretMead Filmmaker Award recognizes documentary filmmakers who embody thespirit, energy, and innovationdemonstratedby anthropologist MargaretMead in her research, fieldwork, films, and writings.

Theawardis given to a filmmaker whose feature-lengthdocumentary displays artisticexcellenceandoriginalityin storytelling technique while offering a new perspective on cultures and communities.Filmmakers with works making their New York premieres at the festival are eligible.

• 23 Mile
• Above and Below the Ground
• Agent of Happiness
• Meanwhile...
• Mother Suriname - Mama Sranan
• Nocturnes
• Ozogoche
• Porcelain War
• Pure Unknown
• Rising Up at Night
• Sugarcane
• The Buriti Flower
• This Is Going to Be Big
• ᏓᏗᏬᏂᏏ(We Will Speak)