A Workshop for Peace

OUT IN THE SILENCE follows the story of a small American town confronting a firestorm of controversy ignited by a same-sex wedding announcement in the local newspaper, this gripping documentary illustrates the challenges of being an outsider in a conservative rural community and the change that is possible when courageous people break the silence and search for common ground.

SPINNING PLATES is the story of three extraordinary restaurants and the incredible people who make them what they are. The first is a cutting-edge restaurant named seventh-best in the world, whose chef must also battle a life-threatening obstacle to pursue his passion. The second is a 150-year-old family restaurant still standing only because of the unbreakable bond with its community. And the third is a fledgling Mexican restaurant whose owners are risking everything just to survive and provide for their young daughter. Their unforgettable stories of family, legacy, passion and survival come together to reveal how meaningful food can be, and the power it has to connect us to one another. It's not what you cook, it's why.

ALIVE INSIDE is a joyous cinematic exploration of music's capability to reawaken our souls and uncover the deepest parts of our humanity. Filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett chronicles the astonishing experiences of individuals around the country whose minds have been revitalized and awakened by the simple act of listening to the music of their youth.

In the United States, more than 2500 individuals are serving life-without-parole sentences for crimes they committed when they were seventeen years old or younger. Children as young as thirteen are among the thousands serving these sentences. Directed by Joshua Rofé (who spent four intensive years on the project), LOST FOR LIFE tells the stories of these individuals, their families and the families of juvenile murder victims. This searingly powerful documentary tackles this contentious issue from multiple perspectives and explores the complexity of the lives of those affected. What is justice when a kid kills? Can a horrific act place a life beyond redemption? Could you forgive?

At the time of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the Mufti of Rwanda, the most respected Muslim leader in the country, issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from participating in the killing of the Tutsi. As the country became a slaughterhouse, mosques became places of refuge where Muslims and Christians, Hutus and Tutsis came together to protect each other. KINYARWANDA is based on true accounts from survivors who took refuge at the Grand Mosque of Kigali and the madrassa of Nyanza. It recounts how the Imams opened the doors of the mosques to give refuge to the Tutsi and those Hutu who refused to participate in the killing. The film interweaves six different tales that together form one grand narrative that provides the most complex and real depiction yet presented of human resilience and life during the genocide. With an amalgamation of characters, we pay homage to many, using the voices of a few. Winner of the World Cinema Audience Award (dramatic category) at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and the World Cinema Audience Award at AFI Fest.

A refreshingly original fairytale, Randa Chahal Sabbag's THE KITE follows sixteen-year-old Lamia - who must cross a border checkpoint between Lebanon and Israel to marry a cousin she has never met. Neither she, nor her betrothed, are eager to consummate a marriage to a virtual stranger. The situation is further complicated by Lamia's surprising admission that she is also in love with the Israeli soldier guarding the border. Sabbag's enchanting drama about marriage and tradition is underscored by delicate symbolism and artful references to politics of Lebanon's annexed territories. Lebanon's Official Submission to the 2003 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, THE KITE is a selection of the prestigious, award-winning Global Lens Collection, presented by the Global Film Initiative.

Ginger Baker is well-known for his smashing work in Cream and Blind Faith. But the world's greatest (and most volatile) drummer didn't really hit his stride until 1972, when he journeyed to Nigeria and discovered the sounds of Fela Kuti's Afrobeat. Following various periods of drug-induced self-destruction and countless groundbreaking musical works, this flame-haired musical madman eventually settled in South Africa -- where he currently resides with his much-younger bride and 39 polo ponies. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW, Jay Bulger's entertaining and acclaimed documentary also features rock superstars Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Johnny Rotten, Lars Ulrich, Carlos Santana, Stewart Copeland and many more. You've been warned: BEWARE OF MR. BAKER!