These beautifully realized recent AFS-supported short films by women documentary filmmakers contain whole worlds within the scope of their brief running times, from a communist summer camp in 1930s upstate New York to the streets of Brasilia, to a tiny Texas Panhandle newsroom. This screening will be followed by a post-film Q&A and will feature the following short films:

KINDERLAND, directed by Amy Grappell

KINDERLAND tells the story of two rival Jewish summer camps – one Communist, the other Socialist – founded in upstate New York in the 1920s and still in existence today. Camps Kinderland and Kinder Ring were established by secular Jews to inspire social-mindedness in their youth and have cultivated new generations of activists for nearly a century, helping to shape America’s progressive movement. AFS-supported project.

FOR THE RECORD, directed by Heather Courtney

FOR THE RECORD follows what may be the last months in the life of the small-town newspaper The Canadian (Texas) Record. An oil bust in this once oil boomtown, coupled with wildfires more than two years ago that ranchers are still recovering from, have slowed the economy. A slow economy means less ad revenue for the paper, as businesses move to free advertising on social media. Can the paper, family owned and run by Laurie Brown, now in her 70’s, survive – and what will it mean to this small community if it ceases to publish. AFS supported project.

THE PAINT WIZZARD, directed by Jessie Auritt and Jessica Wolfson

THE PAINT WIZZARD follows Millie, a larger-than-life trans woman who recently came out, as she paints houses in Austin, Texas, and shares the struggles and joys of embracing her true self. AFS Grant supported.

DISRUPTED BORDERS by Alejandra Aragon

DISRUPTED BORDERS is a coming-of-age story about two best friends living on the Texas-Mexico border who embark on extraordinary journeys in 3D innovation and artistic creativity to heal themselves, their families, and their community. AFS Grant supported.

MEN WHO TALK by Cristin Stephens

Often touted as a paragon of diversity, Brazil’s relationship with race is complicated by its longstanding myth of a racial democracy. With heightened media attention to the violent policing of Black Brazilians in the past few years, this social myth has begun to unravel. Men Who Talk is an intimate portrait of Black men in Brasília, Brazil who strive to find their place in a hostile society. They meet regularly in the circle, a salve as a space to share, reflect, grieve and uplift one another. AFS Grant supported.

DOC DAYS FESTIVAL PASSES
Purchase an AFS Doc Days pass for tickets to all 11 Doc Days screenings, taking place Thursday, May 25–Sunday, May 28, and receive 25% off the full ticket purchase price.

AFS Members receive additional discounts on passes and individual tickets. The Doc Days pass includes one ticket to each premiere Doc Days film screening.