Documentary

Out of Exile: The Photography of Fred Stein is the tale of a man caught up in one of history’s darkest moments; a man of conviction and courage, whose answer is to create an art that transcends bigotry. Filmmaker Peter Stein takes questions after the film. The film captures his resilience and optimism through a cascade of stunning photographs, while his son’s dedication ensures Stein’s art lives on. This portrait of courage, art, and the human spirit is both beautiful and uplifting.

As an unprecedented wave of book bans—focused largely on race and LGBTQIA+ issues—spreads across Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians find themselves on the front lines of a growing battle for intellectual freedom. In this powerful documentary, filmmaker Kim A. Snyder spotlights these unexpected heroes as they unite to defend democracy, the right to read, and the core principles of the First Amendment. An Official Selection of the 2025 Sundance, SXSW, and Full Frame Documentary Film Festivals.

VIVA VERDI! offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of celebrated opera singers and musicians living out their “third act” at Milan’s Casa Verdi—the unique retirement home built by composer Giuseppe Verdi in 1896. Among these remarkable residents, ages 77 to 107, are international singers, dancers, conductors, and composers whose stories are filled with music, magic, and passion. As they mentor young music students who live among them, VIVA VERDI! reveals why Verdi called this home his “best work” and how its spirit of creativity and care remains as visionary today as it was over a century ago. A Q&A with the filmmakers follows the film.

A Q&A with Tova Friedman and the filmmakers follows the screening. Behind Her Eyes is a 40-minute documentary short that tells the powerful journey of one of the youngest survivors of the Holocaust who uses the power of social media to bridge across generations. Born in Poland in 1938, Tova Friedman was one of the few Jewish children to survive the horrors of Auschwitz. Her early years were marked by unimaginable suffering—deportation, starvation, forced labor, and the loss of countless family members to Nazi cruelty. After liberation, she rebuilt her life, became a therapist and continues to be an unyielding advocate for education working against all forms of prejudice and bigotry.