The Newburyport Documentary Film Festival will take place from September 16 – 18, 2016.
A local and region favorite for documentary film buffs, the weekend takes place in scenic Newburyport, MA at the Firehouse Theater and Screening Room movie house.
Since its inception over 10 years ago producers have screened more than 200 amazing, thought-provoking, and high quality documentary films.
Here is a sample of films – check out the website to find the subjects that move you and the directors who will elevate your understanding of the topic.
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Beyond the Wall
Bestor Cram; 91 min
Filmmaker Q&A
beyondthewallfilm.com/
Sunday, September 18 at 1:45 pm
Firehouse Center for the Arts
Most people will be released from prison, but what happens to them when they leave? Through the personal stories of six former prisoners documented over four years in Lawrence and Lowell, MA prisons, Beyond the Wall bears witness to the challenges of life on the outside.
Dog Power
Kale Casey; 33 min
Filmmaker Q&A
www.dogpowermovie.com/
Shorts Block #2, Sunday, September 18 at 1:45 pm
The Screening Room
An introduction to the world’s fastest sprint sled dogs, their human teammates, and the incredible variety of dog-powered sports they are involved in. The ultimate manifestation of the human-animal bond is within the reach of everyone. You don’t need fancy equipment, fancy dogs, or snow. All you need is your dog, a harness and you.
Food Fight: Inside the Battle for Market Basket
Jay Childs; 109 min
Filmmaker Q&A
www.foodfightfilm.com/
Sunday, September 18 at 4:00 pm
Firehouse Center for the Arts
Throughout the summer of 2014, a corporate food fight played out in dozens of communities impacting tens of thousands of workers and the economies of three states. When the faction of the Market Basket board headed by Arthur S. Demoulas fired his cousin and arch-rival Arthur T. Demoulas as long-time CEO of the successful supermarket chain, it set off a firestorm that sparked one of most unique corporate dramas in American history.
Hearing is Believing
Lorenzo DeStefano; 100 min
Filmmaker Q&A
Rachelflowersfilm.com
Saturday, September 17 at 2:30 pm
The Screening Room
Born 15 weeks premature, Rachel Flowers lost her eyesight due to Retinopathy of Prematurity. When she was two she began picking up melodies and was soon playing every song she heard by ear. She had perfect pitch and started her formal musical education at four. Rachel spent the next 10 years studying at the Southern California Conservatory of Music. This is a portrait of a tight knit American family living paycheck to paycheck in working class Oxnard, California, with Rachel’s stunning music as the soundtrack.
Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu Story
Brett Schwartz; 98 min
www.insatiablemovie.com
Saturday, September 17 at 10:30 am
The Screening Room
Filmed over a period of three years, Insatiable follows Chef Homaro Cantu at a pivotal moment in his career when he shifts from avant-garde celebrity chef into his final role — an idealistic humanitarian dedicated to solving some of the most vexing problems in the world. Insatiable takes you on a dizzying and thrilling ride with Cantu, in a story that moves from redemption and inspiration to tragedy and back again.
SINCE: The Bombing of PAN AM Flight 103
Phil Furey; 84 min
Filmmaker Q&A
www.since103.com/the-film
Saturday, September 17 at 4:30 pm
Firehouse Center for the Arts
270 lives ended in one horrific moment on December 21, 1988 when a terrorist bomb planted by Libya destroyed NY-bound Pan Am Flight 103 over the quaint, rural village of Lockerbie, Scotland. This film tells the story of a handful of those victims and their families, as well as the strong group of survivors who banded together for a difficult fight for truth and justice.
Pet Fooled
Kohl Harrington; 70 min
Filmmaker Q&A
Sunday, September 18 at 10:30 am
The Screening Room
Pet Fooled takes viewers on a journey with two Chicago-based veterinarians who help uncover the inner workings of the multi-conglomerate operated, billion-dollar pet food industry that has gone unchallenged until now.
Jackson
Maisie Crow; 91 min
Filmmaker Q&A
www.jacksonthefilm.com
Saturday, September 17 at 12:30 pm
The Screening Room
filmstrip_single.psdAbortion remains legal in the United States but anti-abortion efforts have succeeded in making it virtually inaccessible in some places and in the Deep South, often unthinkable. At one time Mississippi had fourteen abortion clinics. Now only one remains. Since the passage of Roe v. Wade more than four decades ago, the self-labeled “pro-life” movement has won significant cultural, political and legal battles. Now, the stigma of abortion is prolific in Mississippi and women in poverty and women of color are particularly vulnerable.
In Pursuit of Silence
Patrick Shen; 81 min
Sunday, September 18 at 6:30 pm
Firehouse Center for the Arts
As much a work of devotion as it is a documentary, In Pursuit of Silence is a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence and the impact of noise on our lives. From causing aggressive behavior to hundreds of thousands of heart attacks around the world, there is no aspect of human life that noise does not infringe upon. Silence as a resource for respite and renewal from the sensory onslaught of our modern lives is now more important than ever before.
***live, learn and enjoy the show***