This Saturday, October 18th, the 3rd annual Social Justice Film Festival (SJFF), co-sponsored by the LSJ program, will begin screening a variety of films related to global social issues.
This year’s films touch on a variety of topics ranging from immigration, race, disability, and the penal system.
Laura Brady, Assistant Director of the SJFF, says community involvement increased greatly this year, as well as the number of films submitted. The SJFF will only be screening 10 percent of the films submitted; last year they screened 50 percent.
“It was a very fierce competition this year,” Brady said. “When it comes to picking a favorite it is so much more challenging, I am completely wowed by all of them.”
The SJFF kick-off event on October 19th will screen ‘Invitation to Dance’ at the Northwest Film Forum. The filmmaker, Christian von Tippelskirch, will attend for a panel discussion following the screening.
Brady says this film was selected as the festival opener because of its messages of hope and positivity.
“I think it’s a really beautiful perspective on disability, it’s really pushing our notions of what it means to be differently abled,” she said. “People in wheelchairs are reclaiming their rights to be artists. It’s pretty radical and I think a lot of people don’t associate activism with the disability community.”
On October 24th the University Christian Church will host a night dedicated to issues in immigration. It will consist of two film screenings, keynote speaker and well-known immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas, and a panel with the top-immigration reform leaders in Seattle.
‘15 to Life: Kenneth’s Story’ will be screened Saturday, October 18th, 6:30 p.m. in William Gates Hall. This film emphasizes the errors in the justice system, especially for youth – who are serving sentences intended for dangerous criminals.
Similarly, ‘Natural Life,’ to be screened on the 27th at 6:30 p.m. in William Gates Hall, highlights the inequities in the juvenile justice system.
On October 20th at 7:40 p.m. the Ethnic Cultural Center will screen ‘Preempting Dissent with Will Potter.’ The program states this film “documents the rise of the militarization of public space and the new contours of free speech and public assembly.”
For information on more films or for the full SJFF program visit Socialjusticefilmfestival.org.
Kate Clark | Student Communications Assistant