AFF 2023 Feature Films

A deep look into the crisis of anxiety and mental health in America, especially its crippling impact on kids and families.

The legendary pantomime Marcel Marceau inspires several generations of artists, among them his grandson and family, who cast a new light on his life’s work. As a child, Marceau experiences the execution of his Jewish father by the Nazis, a trauma that motivates him to join the French resistance and spurs his deep conviction in the art of silence.

Chronicles the journeys of broadcasters, educators and filmmakers who believed television could inspire a lifelong love of reading.

When international sport governing bodies rule that "identified" female athletes must medically alter their bodies, four champion runners fight back against racism, policing of women's bodies, and the violation of their human rights.

A continent-crossing hero’s journey story told through country music. The documentary intimately chronicles the remarkable ride of cousins Gazi “Dusty” Simelane and Linda “Stones” Msibi, a determined duo of struggling country singers from the tiny African Kingdom of Swaziland (now known as Eswatini) who long for their big break.

This collection of short films address ongoing water issues in our region, from pollution to fish conservation to sustainability.

Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent, and activist, shining a light on an untold chapter in the fight for racial diversity

Judy Blume and the generations of readers who have sparked to her work. It will examine her impact on pop culture and the occasional controversies over her frankness about puberty and sex.

A cinematic journey through the past, present and future of Appalachia, KING COAL documents coal’s cultural influence on identity, while telling a magically real tale of a girl who glimpses into a future beyond coal, observing the pain and beauty of a community on the brink of change.

Four women immigration attorneys endure a four-year odyssey as the U.S. Government under President Trump upends every law to protect those fleeing from violence and war.

From the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll to the whitewashed canon of American pop music, this explosive documentary reveals the true innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman.

Did you know there are more than 32,000 mothers in America, many from conservative, Christian backgrounds, who fully accept their LGBTQ+ children? They call themselves “mama bears” because while their love is warm and fuzzy, they fight ferociously to make the world kinder and safer for all LGBTQ+ people.

Buddy Melges won Olympic medals and World Championships. But sailing's biggest prize alluded him, The America's Cup.

Dorothy Foreman Cotton was a bold and highly effective civil rights leader, who educated thousands about their citizenship rights and inspired generations of activists with her powerful freedom songs.

After years of addiction and coming to terms with his accident, André Kajlich finds meaning in endurance sports and qualifies for the Race Across America, a sleep deprived, 12day, 3,082mile cycling race that spits out 50% of its competitors. André aims to be the first double amputee to complete it.

Chronicles the monumental task of curing cancer, as seen through the harrowing experiences of one young girl, her family, and a doctor on a mission.

Explores the rise and history of LGBTQ+ professional wrestlers and representation in the sport.

Can 3D printed houses solve the global housing crisis? Tech entrepreneurs test the limits of this new construction method as families' futures hang in the balance.

When a child can’t read, their chances of incarceration, homelessness, and unemployment increase. That's why Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver believes literacy is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time.