2017 | USA | 107 min.

Director David France
Writers David France, Mark Blane
Producers L.A. Teodosio, Kimberley Reed, David France
Executive Producers Joy A. Tomchin, Sara Ramirez, Alan Getz, Stanley Tomchin
Co-Executive Producers Mike C. Manning, Terrence Meck
Co-Producers Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Ted Snowdon, Duffy Violante, Tyler H. Walk
Associate Producers Mark Blane, Dan Silver, Clelia Simpso, Jared Ruga, Andrew Tobias
Editor Tyler H. Walk
Cinematographers Thomas Bergmann, Adam Uhl
Music Bryce Dessner
Cast Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Victoria Cruz

ABOUT THE FILM:
Who killed Marsha P. Johnson? When the beloved, self-described “street queen” of NY’s Christopher Street was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992, the NYPD called her death a suicide. Protests erupted but the police remained impassive and refused to investigate. Now, twenty-five years on, Academy Award® nominated director and journalist David France (How to Survive a Plague) examines Marsh’s death—and her extraordinary life—in his new film.

Marsha arrived in the Village in the 1960s where she teamed up with Sylvia Rivera when both claimed their identities as “Drag Queens,” to use the vernacular of the times. Together, the radical duo fought arrests, condemned police brutality, organized street kids, battled the intolerant majority within the gay community, and helped spearhead the Stonewall Riots.

In 1970 they formed the world’s first trans-rights organization, STAR (Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries). Despite their many challenges over the years—bias, homelessness, illness—Marsha and Sylvia ignited a powerful and lasting civil rights movement for gender nonconforming people.

Now, a quarter century later, at a time of unprecedented visibility and escalating violence in the transgender community, a dynamic activist named Victoria Cruz has taken it upon herself to reexamine what happened at the end of Marsha’s Life. THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON follows as this champion pursues leads, mobilizes officials, and works to get to the bottom of Marsha’s death.

FESTIVALS
2017: Tribeca (World Premiere)

FESTIVAL TERRITORIES
The World

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Blu-Ray, DVD

MORE INFO:
Tribeca Film Institute Website

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2017 | USA / Philippines | 94 min.

Writer & Director Ramona S. Diaz
Producers Ramona S. Diaz, Rey Cuerdo
Executive Producer Brillante Mendoza
Co-Producer Leah Marino
Line Producer Chris Rodriguez
Editors Leah Marino, Ramona S. Diaz
Cinematographers Nadia Hallgren, Clarissa De Los Reyes

ABOUT THE FILM:
MOTHERLAND takes us into the heart of the planet’s busiest maternity hospital in one of the world’s poorest and most populous countries: the Philippines. The film’s viewer, like an unseen outsider dropped unobtrusively into the hospital’s stream of activity, passes through hallways, enters rooms and listens in on conversations. At first, the surrounding people are strangers. But as the film continues, it’s absorbingly intimate, rendering the women at the heart of the story increasingly familiar. Three women—Lea, Aira and Lerma—emerge to share their stories with other mothers, their families, doctors and social workers. While each of them faces daunting odds at home, their optimism, honesty and humor suggest a strength that they will certainly have to summon in the years ahead.

FESTIVALS
2017: Sundance (World Premiere), Berlinale

AWARDS
World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Commanding Vision (Sundance)

FESTIVAL TERRITORIES
North America

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Blu_Ray, DVD

MORE INFO:
motherland-film.com

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2017 | USA | 89 min.

Writer & Director Cullen Hoback
Producers Cullen Hoback, John Ramos, Nitin Khanna
Editors Cullen Hoback, Geoffrey Richman
Cinematographer Vincent Sweeney
Cast Dr. Marc Edwards, Dr. Rahul Gupta, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Cullen Hoback, Randy Huffman, Dr. David Lewis, Maya Nye, Dr. Andrew Whelton

ABOUT THE FILM:
In this detective story, filmmaker Cullen Hoback investigates the largest chemical drinking water contamination in a generation. But something is rotten in state and federal regulatory agencies, and through years of persistent journalism, we learn the shocking truth about what’s really happening with drinking water in America.

What Lies Upstream is a powerful document for the world at large on the perils of believing government organizations and corporations will take care of the human species. Slamdance is proud to present this world premiere and encourage audiences to honor what Cullen Hoback has discovered, as we should with the protestors at Standing Rock, the Flint activists and the unsung heroes of environmental groups. We all must join in the movement to protect water now and for generations to come.

FESTIVALS
2017: Slamdance (World Premiere, Opening Night), Hot Docs

FESTIVAL TERRITORIES
The World

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Blu-Ray, DVD

MORE INFO:
whatliesupstream.com

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2017 | USA | 100 min.

Director Katherine Fairfax Wright
Producers Brian Robbins, Matt Kaplan, Todrick Hall, Katherine Fairfax Wright
Executive Producers Brett Bouttier, Paula Kaplan, Robyn Marshall
Editor Katherine Fairfax Wright
Cinematographer Katherine Fairfax Wright
Sound Nathan Ruyle
Music Todrick Hall, WiiDOPE, Jeeve, Jon Mandabach
Cast Todrick Hall, Teresa Stanley, Wayne Brady, Chester Lockhart, Jesse Pattison, Brenda Cornish, Vonzell Solomon, Jenni Thomasson, Jazlyn Nicole Miller

ABOUT THE FILM:
Todrick Hall launches his most ambitious project yet: the full-scale original musical, Straight Outta Oz. From a small town in Texas to big-time show business, comes an inspiring documentary of grit, perseverance and the redemptive power of art.

We watch him struggle to write songs about growing up gay and black in small-town Texas, his difficult relationship with his mom, and the harsh realities of trying to make it in show business.

With limited time and budget the odds are against him, but Todrick’s passion and his team of talented performers overcome all obstacles to bring this story to the world.

FESTIVALS
2017: SXSW (World Premiere)

FESTIVAL TERRITORIES
The World

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Blu-Ray, DVD

MORE INFO:
Production Company Website

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2017 | USA | 84 min.

Director Jamie Meltzer
Writers Jamie Meltzer, Jeff Gilbert
Producers David Alvarado, Kate McLean, Michael May
Executive Producers Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin, Adam Spielberg, Seth Gordon, Lois Vossen
Executive Producer for ITVS Sally Jo Fifer
Co-Producers Peter Jordan, Steve Bannatyne
Associate Producer John Montague
Editor Jeff Gilbert
Additional Editing Ben Sozanski
Cinematographer David Alvarado
Music Joshua Abrams
Cast Christopher Scott, Johnnie Lindsey, Steven Phillips

ABOUT THE FILM:
Christopher Scott was released from prison after serving 13 years of a life sentence for a murder he didn’t commit.

This sounds like a nightmare, but it’s more common than you think. More than 30 people like Chris have been exonerated in Dallas County. Most of them are black men locked up in their youth who emerged in middle age looking for a way to make sense of what happened.

One day at an exoneree support group meeting, an idea came to Chris: exonerees could become detectives, find other wrongfully convicted people sitting in prison, investigate their cases and prove their innocence. TRUE CONVICTION follows Chris and his team (Steven Phillips and Johnnie Lindsey) as they work to realize this dream of becoming detectives, while also trying to understand their own tangled and unjust experiences.

On its face, this is a simple, hopeful story about a group of exonerees seeking redemption, attempting to right the wrongs they experienced. However, underneath the narrative surface this is a story of struggle and long odds. Chris Scott has faith that he can make a difference in the criminal justice system, but that faith is challenged as he and his fellow detectives come up against the almost impossible task of freeing a wrongfully convicted person.

They have to track down eyewitnesses, try to find the real perpetrators of these crimes, and challenge the original investigations. In these complex cases, they could do many things correctly, but have one missing piece, and a man could still be trapped behind bars.

It’s daunting. But throughout the challenges, they remain committed to investigating cases until they crack one.

FESTIVALS
2017: Tribeca (World Premiere)

FESTIVAL TERRITORIES
The World

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Blu_Ray, DVD

MORE INFO:
trueconvictionfilm.com

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2017 | India / USA | 94 min.

Directors Sarita Khurana, Smriti Mundhra
Writers Jennifer Tiexiera, Smriti Mundhra, Sarita Khurana
Producers Smriti Mundhra, Jennifer Tiexiera, Sarita Khurana
Executive Producers Cal Amir, Ken Castelino
Editor Jennifer Tiexiera
Cinematographers Andre de Alencar Lyon, Naiti Gamez
Music Gingger Shankar
Cast Dipti Admane, Amrita Jhanwar, Ritu Taparia, Seema Taparia

ABOUT THE FILM:
A SUITABLE GIRL follows three young women in India struggling to maintain their identities and follow their dreams amid intense pressure to get married. Ritu, Dipti and Amrita represent the new India. Educated, financially stable and raised with a mix of traditional and contemporary values in the urban cities of Mumbai and New Delhi, they have access to the world in ways their mothers did not. Yet their lives take a dramatic turn when the pressure to settle down and get married hits. Career aspirations become secondary to the pursuit of a husband, and the women struggle with the prospect of leaving their homes and families to become part of another.

Documenting the arranged marriage and matchmaking process in vérité over four years, the film examines the women’s complex relationships with the institution of marriage and the many nuanced ways society molds them into traditional roles and makes it nearly impossible to escape.

FESTIVALS
2017: Tribeca (World Premiere)

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Blu-Ray, DVD

FESTIVAL TERRITORIES
The World

MORE INFO:
Facebook Page

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2017 | USA / Canada / Ireland / Northern Ireland | 108 min.

Directors Tim Golden, Ross McDonnell
Writer Tim Golden
Producer Trevor Birney
Executive Producers Alex Gibney, Amy Entelis (CNN Films), Kate Townsend (BBC Storyville), Mary Callery (Irish Film Board), Andrew Reid (Northern Ireland Screen), Greg Phillips (Content Media), Jonathan Ford (Content Media), Maiken Baird, Brendan J. Byrne, Richard Perello, Stacey Offman
Co-Producer Erin Edeiken
Associate Producer Oisín Kearney
Line Producers Jenny Kubo
Financiers CNN, Content Media, Northern Ireland Screen, the Irish Film Board and The Silver Fund
Production Companies Fine Point Films, Jigsaw Productions
Editors Michael J. Palmer, Hannah Vanderlan
Cinematographer Ross McDonnell
Music McKenzie Stubbert

ABOUT THE FILM:
As the new millennium began, one news story captured the attention and hearts of nearly every American. On Thanksgiving 1999, a young Cuban boy named Elián González was found floating in the Florida Straits by himself after his mother drowned trying to seek refuge in the United States. Before long, the 5-year-old González became the centerpiece of an intense custody battle between his father back in Cuba and his relatives in Miami, which, in turn, brought attention to the long-brewing tensions between Fidel Castro’s Cuba and the U.S. Throughout the news coverage, though, one voice was too young to join the heated international conversation: that of Elián himself. Eighteen years later, in the wake of Fidel Castro’s monumental death last November, ELIÁN lets the now 23-year-old tell his story, along with the other key players, of one of the biggest news events in modern times. Executive produced by Alex Gibney, Tim Golden and Ross McDonnell use Elián’s intimate details as the jumping-off point for a powerfully relevant historical account.

FESTIVALS
2017: Tribeca (World Premiere)

FESTIVAL TERRITORIES
United States Only

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Blu_Ray, DVD

MORE INFO:
IMDb Page

Email us for screeners or streaming links.