2. Immigrants and Refugees – Las Hijas & Leaving Africa

New immigrants and refugees face steep challenges coming to the U.S. Rarely, though, do we hear candid conversations between immigrant kids and their families. In Las Hijas, filmmaker A. Pena de Niz crafts a deeply intimate portrait of first-generation daughters from Mexico while Rose Nseya (Leaving Africa) recounts the harrowing odyssey of fleeing one’s homeland in search of safer lives.

3. Blindness and Autism – Blind Sighted & A Lonely Highway

Representations of Americans with disabilities are in desperate need of a refresh. Even as assistive technologies help people adapt, the stigma associated with blindness and autism, in particular, continue to sting. Filmmakers overcome numerous obstacles with humor and humanity as they seek a deeper sense of belonging.

4. Protecting Families – Skinned Knees & Kik-Me!

At least 1 in 7 kids have experienced child abuse in the past year. Especially when perpetrated by a parent, abuse is often difficult to report. Equally frightening is the ease with which online predators lure teens into abusive relationships. Filmmakers tackle child abuse head on, looking for reconciliation within their families while healing themselves.

5. Trans Youth in America – Transforming Media & Re-Framing

One third of transgender youth in America have reported a suicide attempt last year. Behind this chilling statistic is a specter of trans representation in the media that veers from the pathological to the horrific. Filmmakers Amber Young (Transforming Media) and Delaney Mauve (Reframing) tackle trans representation in very personal stories, allowing families to talk openly about gender.

6. Colorism in America – Shade & Out of Our Heads

Racial stereotyping has a long and insidious history in the U.S. While gains in civil rights have increased significantly, younger generations continue to perpetuate harmful labels, often subtle ones, that undermine people of color. Filmmakers take on the current monikers of colorism and challenge white norms that pervade our society.