THE MVFF EDUCATION PROGRAM IS NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION!

All MVFF Education programs are available for FREE exclusively to school groups and K-12 students. All programs will be available for the full duration of the Festival (October 8–18) and open to schools anywhere in the U.S., unless otherwise noted.

**Due to high demand, we cannot accept orders for more than 100 students per teacher per film/panel.

HOW TO REGISTER:

  • Review the full list of films and panels below.
  • Click on the REGISTER NOW button, and fill out the form to let us know which programs you’d like your class(es) to view and how many students will take part. 
  • You may choose more than one film or panel, but you must fill out a separate registration form for each one. 
  • Once we receive your registration, we will contact you to confirm the details of your order.
  • After your order is confirmed, we will provide voucher codes that allow for free access to the program(s) you selected.
  • If you will be teaching in person and your students will be viewing as a group, we will provide one voucher code for you to stream.
  • If you will be teaching remotely, we will provide individual voucher codes for you to distribute to each student. 
  • For live events, individual voucher codes will be sent to students directly.
  • Once you and/or your students receive the voucher code(s), it will be an easy click-thru process to view the programs on our secure screening platform. Pre-recorded Q&As will be available via the same link.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

ROUNDTABLE ON DEMOCRACY
*THIS IS A LIVE EVENT  |  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 • 4:00 PM
GRADES 6-12

Democracy is facing some significant challenges right now. Film has become a vital resource for information and deeper engagement in the democratic process. This roundtable discussion will feature filmmakers and subjects of Festival films that address both the tools and the threats to democracy including voter suppression, protest movements, and the spread of misinformation. In the spirit of civic engagement, the discussion will be streamed live to allow for audience Q&A participation.

PANELISTS:
JIMMEKA ANDERSON – Founder/Executive Director, I AM not the MEdia
LISA CORTÉS – co-director, ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY
JUDITH ERLICH – director, THE BOYS WHO SAID NO!
DAVID HARRIS – journalist, activist
MICHAEL SHERMER – founding publisher, Skeptic magazine; author, Giving the Devil His Due

EVOLUTION OF BLACK WOMEN’S ROLES ONSCREEN
AVAILABLE OCT. 12-18
GRADES 7-12

This conversation with film creatives, actors, and historians will chart the changing nature of the portrayal of Black women onscreen. By revisiting the simplistic type-casting of Black women in film since its inception, the speakers will discuss how the representation of Black women in Hollywood and beyond has moved towards a variety of depictions and voices.
Panelists to be announced.

PANELISTS:
RUTH CARTER – costume designer, Black Panther, Malcolm X, Amistad
EKWA MSANGI – director, FAREWELL AMOR
LORRAINE TOUSSANT – actor, The Glorias, Fast Color, Orange Is the New Black

MODERATOR: FARIDAH GBADAMOSI –  MVFF US Indies Programmer

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FILM PROGRAMS

5@5 BREAKOUT
Total Program 93 min  |  Grades 6-12

Often referred to as “digital natives,” today’s youth filmmakers display talent that extends far beyond their fluency in technology—it is evident in their storytelling, their innovation, their creativity, their fearlessness. This year’s collection of peer-reviewed youth-produced short films spans genres from animation to documentary, comedy to sci-fi and showcases an international cohort of storytellers eager to forge new paths for the future of film.

Recorded Q&As with directors Tsz Shun CHOW (Baskethood), Jared Fontecha & Iziyah Robinson (A Cure for Humanity), Sidney Kuehn (The Dummy), Theo Taplitz (Golem), Kallista Palapas (I’ll Be There), Kane Parsons (It’s Nicer Here), Ian Duncanson & Ethan Swope (Migrantes), Kai Tomizawa (No Fan of Andy). Vivian Blantz (The Painter), Jared Goudsmit & Olivia Squires (Potluck), Ashwati Ramaswamy, Ritika Kedia & Chris James Biju (Side EFX), and Talia Smith & Sophie Kerner (We Still Matter)

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW TRAILER

ALICE STREET
Director Spencer Wilkinson | US 2020 | 66 min | Grades 6–12

A portrait of modern activism, Alice Street lovingly captures the city of Oakland in the age of gentrification. Following a downtown mural project from start to finish as it is overtaken by plans for a new high-rise, Bay Area filmmaker Spencer Wilkinson documents a diverse community of artists and activists coming together to prevent its identity from being erased.

Recorded Q&A with director Spencer Wilkinson and film subjects Desi Mundo, Dr. Halifu Osumare, and Lailan Huen

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BANKSY MOST WANTED
*Available to schools in California only
Directors Aurélia Rouvier & Seamus Haley| France 2020 | 82 min | Grades 7–12
In English and French with English subtitles

Street artist Banksy’s meteoric rise to fame has left a huge lingering question: Who is the person behind the name? This in-depth investigation of the celebrated provocateur entertains many differing theories of who exactly is pulling the strings while looking at the overwhelming impact Banksy’s art has had throughout the world.

Recorded Q&A with directors Aurélia Rouvier & Seamus Haley 

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BINTI
Director Frederike Migom| Belgium 2019 | 90 min | Grades 4–8
In Dutch and French with English subtitles

Binti is a budding YouTube star who dreams of making a permanent home with her Congolese father in Belgium where they live without legal documentation. An incredibly charming cast and energetic storytelling provide a real-world look at immigration that brings a complex issue into relatable focus.

Recorded Q&A with director Frederike Migom

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THE BOYS WHO SAID NO!
Director Judith Ehrlich | US 2020 | 90 min | Grades 7–12

Oscar®-nominated director Judith Ehrlich combines breathtaking news footage and moving testimonials to offer a snapshot of America at a historical turning point. Ehrlich points her camera toward the nonviolent warriors who actively opposed the military draft during the Vietnam War, eventually leading to the end of both the draft and the war.

Recorded Q&A with director Judith Ehrlich and film subject David Harris

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CODED BIAS
Director Shalini Kantayya | US 2020 | 87 min | Grades 9–12

After Joy Buolamwini revealed the racial and gender biases built into facial recognition software, the MIT academic turned to activism. Following Buolamwini’s work as leader of the Algorithmic Justice League, documentarian Shalini Kantayya shows us the awesome power these computer algorithms already wield and how women like Buolamwini are leaning in for change.

Recorded Q&A with director Shalini Kantayya

COLETTE THE ARTIST
Available October 11-18
Total Program 50 min | Grades 3-6

Colette is a very special pig who lives in Todos Santos, Mexico. She’s a thinker, a pig-anthropist—and an artist of the world. She’s surrounded by people who love her, like Don Javier, her rescuer, who saved her from becoming bacon and recognized her true artistic calling. Cubism, installations, conceptual art, video art: Colette has dabbled her trotters in them all. And now, she’s out to conquer the world—and our hearts. (Directors The Colettivo, Mexico 2020, 14 min)

This special program will include the short film premiere, a Q&A with special guests, and an art-making workshop where students will be encouraged to make their own pig art and join in Colette’s online International Pig Art Challenge.

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THE FALCONER
Director Annie Kaempfer | US 2019 | 73 min | Grades 10–12

Rodney Stotts learned how to rescue and train predatory birds and, in the process, rescued himself from a life of violence. With a cinema vérité style, director-cinematographer Annie Kaempfer follows Stotts as he builds a bird sanctuary in rural Maryland to help others form these same healing bonds with nature.

NOTE: A traumatic and violent episode is depicted in graphic terms, including some crime scene footage.

Recorded Q&A with director Annie Kaempfer

NO TRAILER AVAILABLE

FIVE YEARS NORTH
Directors Zach Ingrasci & Chris Temple | US 2020 | 85 min | Grades 7–12
In English, Spanish, and Kaqchikel with English subtitles

Five Years North follow 15-year-old Luis from Guatemala to New York City as he attempts to forge a new life as an undocumented immigrant in the U.S. Juxtaposed with a portrait of Judy, a Cuban American ICE agent patrolling the neighborhood where Luis now lives, the film captures two sides of one of America’s most heated and complicated issues.

Recorded Q&A with directors Chris Temple & Zach Ingrasci and editor Alejandro Valdes-Rochin

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JACKIE & OOPJEN
Director Annemarie van de Mond | Netherlands 2020 | 90 min | Grades 4–8
In Dutch with English subtitles

Night at the Museum vibes infuse this charming, funny friendship tale between a precocious 12-year-old and a Rembrandt painting come to life. Oopjen steps out of her famous portrait in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum to search for her long-lost sister. Resourceful Jackie comes to her aid and finds an unexpected BFF from another era. North American Premiere 

Recorded Q&A with director Annemarie van de Mond and actor Sarah Bannier

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KINGS OF MULBERRY STREET
Director Judy Naidoo | South Africa 2019 | 87 min | Grades 4–8
In English and Hindi with English subtitles

In an impoverished South African neighborhood, two young Indian boys join forces to take down a local hoodlum in this exuberant, silly, sly, action-packed, sometimes gritty, and unexpectedly moving paean to boyhood, friendship, and classic Bollywood cinema.

NOTE: Some mild profanity, threats of violence, and references to drug use and drug dealing.

Recorded Q&A with director Judy Naidoo and actor Rizelle Jinuk

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LOS HERMANOS/THE BROTHERS
* Available to schools in California only
Directors Ken Schneider & Marcia Jarmel | US 2020 | 80 min | Grades 7–12
In English and Spanish with English subtitles

Geopolitical forces separate Cuban brothers and virtuosos Aldo and Ilmar López-Gávilan, even as their love of music unites them. Tracing their efforts to maintain their musical and familial bonds, Los hermanos is an exuberant and tender paean to the enduring power of music, family, and home. Featuring an original score by Aldo and Ilmar.

Recorded Q&A with directors Marcia Jarmel & Ken Schneider

LOVE AND TEAMWORK: ANIMATION FOR ALL
Total Program 68 min | Grades 1–5

This charming collection of uplifting animated shorts highlights the power of love, friendship, and collaboration with colorful and creative tales of foxes and pigeons, snails and whales, and kids discovering their own superpowers.

Recorded Q&As with directors Max Lang & Daniel Snaddon (The Snail & the Whale) and Jordan Bruner (For Estefani, Third Grade, Who Made Me a Card); and directors Aliza Fagen & Arna Selznick, producer Lynne Warner, and author Ashley Spires (The Most Magnificent Thing)

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SISTERS: THE YEAR WE FOUND OUR SUPERPOWERS
* Available October 13-18 and to schools in California only
Directors Silje Salomonsen & Arild Østin Ommundsen | Norway 2020 | 78 min | Grades 4–8
In Norwegian with English subtitles

Nine-year-old Vega and her rambunctious five-year-old sister Billie set out on a playful camping trip with their father, but must embark on an unexpected adventure to save dad after he takes a fall. Tested by the crisis, these remarkable sisters triumph by discovering the superpowers in their relationship and within their hearts. This beautifully crafted film set in the Norwegian wilderness strikes a perfect balance between scary, sweet, anxious and funny. North American Premiere

Recorded Q&A with directors Silje Salomonsen & Arild Østin Ommundsen and actors Vega Østin & Billie Østin

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TRUST ME
Director Roko Belic| US 2020 | 90 min | Grades 6–12

From confirmation bias to fake news, Trust Me examines the psychological effects and social ramifications of the spread of misinformation on society, democracy, and our mental health. Outlining both problems and solutions, Oscar®-nominated documentarian Roko Belic (Genghis Blues, Happy) explores how we consume and process media in the digital age, stressing the urgent need for media literacy and journalistic integrity.

Recorded Q&A with executive producer Joe Phelps and film subject experts Dr. Paul Zak & Dr. Sam Wineburg

NO TRAILER AVAILABLE

US KIDS
* Available to schools in California only
Director Kim A. Snyder | US 2020 | 101 min | Grades 9–12

From Parkland, Florida to inner city Chicago and beyond, Emma Gonzalez and her fellow high schoolers catalyze an unprecedented youth movement to end the gun violence epidemic in America. With the critical 2020 election looming ahead, Us Kids chronicles an 18-month epic coming-of-age story, giving voice to a generation of traumatized youth determined to honor the fallen and take back democracy.

Recorded Q&A with director Kim A. Snyder and film subjects Alex King and Samantha Fuentes

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VEINS OF THE WORLD
* Available to schools in California, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada & Washington only
Director Byambasuren Davaa | Germany/Mongolia 2020 | 97 min | Grades 5–12
In Mongolian with English subtitles

In this beautifully shot child’s-eye view of nomadic life on the Mongolian steppe, young Amra daydreams of appearing on Mongolia’s Got Talent. But after a sudden, tragic accident, he must grow up quickly to protect his family and carry on a legacy of defending his people and lands from threats posed by avaricious mining interests.

Recorded Q&A with producer Ansgar Frerich 

¡VIVA LOS NIÑOS!
Total Program 77 min | Grades 4–8
Nonverbal and in Spanish with English subtitles

MVFF’s ¡Viva el Cine! initiative continues its annual celebration of Spanish-language and Latin American films and stories with this festive collection of shorts for younger viewers. These kid-centric animated, narrative, and documentary films are a visual feast for bilingual, ELL and English-speaking students alike.

Recorded Q&As with directors Claudia Ruiz (Ailin on the Moon and 11:40), Ben Garfield (Spelliasmous), Katalin Egely (Land Without Evil), Luber Yesid Zuñiga Ordoñez (Champiñon), and Jorge Alberto Vega (The Cubicbird); director Natalia Bernal and producer Giselle Geney (Ramón);and director Alejandra López and actor Yanniel Arce Rivera (The Blue Cape)

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CFI EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT MVFF ARE MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM

NANCY P. AND RICHARD K. ROBBINS
FAMILY FOUNDATION

RESONANCE PHILANTHROPIES