FILM FESTIVAL
The mission of the BOOST Film Festival is to support the work of talented and dedicated filmmakers and to share their work so that it may inspire, educate, and transform youth and professionals in the youth work field.
The BOOST Film Festival strand offers attendees the opportunity to view films highlighting relevant topics in the education field including issues relating to today’s youth. Many of the featured films offer supplemental materials, such as curriculum, to take back and implement at your school or program. When available, the BOOST Film Festival strand also offers the opportunity for a post-film discussion with the filmmakers or representatives from the film company.
Wednesday, May 1
10:30AM-12:15PM
Another Word for Learning
Moderator: TBD
What does it mean for a young person to take charge of their education? ANOTHER WORD FOR LEARNING follows Aisha, an exuberant and creative 11-year old, of Kwakwaka'wakw descent, who has always hated public school: the mean kids, the academic pressure, the lack of artistic space - and the racism. She has only one year left at her elementary school in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, but she's had enough. Her dreams don't fit into the colonial curriculum, so she wants to leave school to pursue them. While most of her family and friends are worried about her, her mother Gunargie, a residential school survivor, sees this choice to “drop-out” as an opportunity for her and her daughter to reconnect with their culture - and with each other.
2:45PM-4:45PM
Always in Season
Moderator: TBD
ALWAYS IN SEASON explores the lingering impact of more than a century of lynching African Americans and connects this form of historic racial terrorism to racial violence today. The film centers on the case of Lennon Lacy, an African American teen who was found hanging from a swing set in Bladenboro, North Carolina, on August 29, 2014. Despite inconsistencies in the case, local officials quickly ruled Lennon’s death a suicide, but his mother, Claudia, believes Lennon was lynched. Determined to find answers about what happened to her son, Claudia moves from paralyzing grief to leading the fight for justice.
As the film unfolds, Lennon’s case, and the suspicions surrounding it, intersect with stories of other communities seeking justice and reconciliation. A few hundred miles away in Monroe, Georgia, a diverse group of reenactors, including the adult daughter of a former Ku Klux Klan leader, annually dramatize a 1946 quadruple lynching to ensure the victims are never forgotten and encourage the community to come forward with information that might bring the perpetrators to justice. As the terrorism of the past bleeds into the present, the film asks: what will it take for Americans to begin building a national movement for racial justice and reconciliation?
Thursday, May 2
10:00AM-12:00PM
Clarissa’s Battle
Moderator: TBD
CLARISSA’S BATTLE follows single mother and activist Clarissa Doutherd as she works tirelessly to build a powerful coalition. The coalition’s goal is to make local, state and national leaders understand a desperate need shared by families, parents and children across the country, from low-income to middle. What these families need is simple on the surface: child care and early education funds. Enough to allow parents to continue to work. Enough to keep families off the streets. Enough to give their children a chance at a productive, successful future. This film documents the movement for child care access, but also the tenacity of a woman who experienced the shock of financial insecurity after the birth of her son, and her determination to stop it from happening to anyone else. It’s about the struggle experienced by millions of families unseen and unspoken of by their communities. It is about what happens when a woman rises to grasp her power and says, “Enough.”
1:15PM-2:30PM
All That I Am
Moderator: TBD
After five years in the foster system, eighteen-year-old Emilie returns to her family home to rebuild a fractured relationship with her mother and younger half-siblings. She wants to heal the trauma that haunts her, and move towards a self-determined future. To do that, Emilie must gather the courage to reveal to her half-siblings the reason their father was imprisoned. Told with a commitment to emotional insight and dedication to Emilie’s subjective experience, this is the story of an extraordinarily courageous young woman finding the voice that was long denied to her.
3:45PM-5:15PM
Hungry to Learn
Moderator: TBD
HUNGRY TO LEARN introduces the faces behind an American crisis — college students so strapped to pay tuition that they don’t have enough money to eat or a place to live. A lack of food is just a symptom of a bigger problem, the American Dream of a college education slipping out of reach. It is the story of how colleges, once places for children of privilege, opened their doors to students of limited means but failed to provide enough financial aid to allow these new students to graduate without making painful choices. This documentary is not just about the devastating hunger crisis unfolding on American campuses, it is about what can — and should — be done about it.
Friday, May 3
9:15AM-11:15AM
Beyond Men and Masculinity
Moderator: TBD
This is not a film about men versus women. BEYOND MEN AND MASCULINITY explores how men see themselves, how they relate to the people they care about and how the personal affects the political. What happens when men are taught to shut themselves off from their feelings because they want to be strong and independent? What is the connection between shame and male violence? Why is it so difficult for us to appreciate kindness and compassion in men? And what role do women play in defining what is expected of men and masculinity? A discussion about these sometimes uncomfortable questions is more important today than ever. From the therapy room to the political battlefield, this provocative film offers a clear insight into why we need to look beyond traditional definitions of men and masculinity.
In partnership with:
GOOD DOCS are films that do good in the world. Their award-winning collection engages and inspires students by featuring rarely-heard stories about individuals and communities working towards a more equitable world. They champion creative expression and complex films that provoke critical thinking. GOOD DOCS represents established documentarians and passionate new filmmakers driven by their experiences as educators, academics, journalists, artists, social workers, community members, and activists. GOOD DOCS films and the GOOD TALKS speaker series offer powerful educational experiences to students and communities everywhere.
Film Festival Contact
Do you have any questions or suggestions about the BOOST Film Festival?
Melissa Perez, BOOST Leadership Team Lead
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Please note: Name badges are required to attend all BOOST Conference events including all meals and all workshops
