- Apaporis - Director/Writer: Antonio Dorado - 72 min. - Colombia
A journey through the Northwest Amazon shows that the indigenous Cabiyari and Cubeo people must work together to save their cultures and knowledge about nature, medicinal and psychotropic plants from extinction. Traditional secrets are revealed, including preparation of Yagé ("The vine of the Gods"), pulverized coca, and curare, as well as a magical practice to revive dead animals.
- Budrus - Director/Producer/Writer: Julia Bacha - 81 min. - USA/Israel/Palestinian Territories
Palestinian Ayed Morrar organizes a protest against Israeli plans to build a separation wall through Budrus, his village. Protests cause the Israelis to reroute the wall. The film presents Ayad, his 15-year-old daughter Iltezam (who organized women participants) and other protestors as pacifist victors, although Palestinians attack Israeli soldiers who, as soldiers will, respond violently.
- Colony - Directors: Carter Gunn, Ross McDonnell - 84 min. - Ireland/USA
Colony Collapse Disorder has emptied beehives across America, threatening the beekeeping industry and our food supply. Colony follows veteran beekeeper Davis Mendes and newbe beekeepers Lance and Victor Seppi trying to save their bees and businesses, while scientists strive to solve the problem.
- Family Affair - Director/Producer/Writer: Chico Colvard - 82 min. - USA
A personal documentary examining pedophilia and how it impacts a family. The film reveals the importance of resilience, survival and understanding a child's ability to handle a parent's past crimes to satisfy a need for family.
- For Once in My Life - Directors: Jim Bigham, Mark Moormann - 91 min. - USA
A group of singers and musicians with a range of mental and physical disabilities produce a great soundtrack, challenging perceptions of them by showing the greatness of the music within them and its healing power.
- Freedom Riders - Director/Producer/Writer: Stanley Nelson - 105 min. - USA
The first documentary feature about civil rights activists known as Freedom Riders challenged segregation in interstate transport in the American South during the spring and summer of 1961, causing the federal government to remove "whites only" and "colored only" signs and give all Americans the right to travel freely.
- HolyWars - Director/Writer: Stephen Marshall - 82 min. - USA/UK/Pakistan
Tracking religious fundamentalist to Pakistan, Lebanon, the UK and heartland America, the film follows a Christian missionary and a radical Muslim (converted from Catholicism) who believe in a future apocalyptic battle as their fanatic beliefs change during the post-9/11 "War on Terror" through Barack Obama's election.
- Louder Than a Bomb - Directors/Producers: Greg Jacobs, Jon Siskel - 100 min. - USA
Chicago high school poetry teams prepare compete in the world's largest youth slam, showing how they use words and their unique 'voices' to express joys and woes, and find release from the challenges of daily life.
- Most Valuable Players - Director/Producer: Matthew D. Kallis - 95 min. - USA
In Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, high school theater groups compete for "Freddy Awards," recognizing excellence in local high school musical theater. The film shows that arts education requires the same teamwork, camaraderie and confidence as high school sports.
- Music from the Big House - Director: Bruce McDonald - 86 min. - Canada
- My Perestroika - Director: Robin Hessman - 88 min. - USA/UK/Russia
Using rarely seen archival footage, the film follows five Russians who've lived through sheltered Soviet childhoods, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the tricky politics of post-Soviet Russia, painting a picture of dreams and disillusionment in those raised behind the Iron Curtain.
- Pushing the Elephant - Directors: Beth Davenport, Elizabeth Mandel - 89 min. US, Switzerland, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo
Rose Mapendo lost her family and home to ethnic violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but emerged to advocate peace and reconciliation. Now she must use her moral fortitude to teach her seventeen-year-old daughter, residing in Arizona, to forgive and embrace peace.
- Quest for Honor - Director/Producer/Writer: Mary Ann Smothers Bruni - 67 min. - USA/Iraq
In Iraq, Turkey and Jordan, "honor killing," when men kill daughters, sisters and wives who threaten "family honor," endangers tens of thousands women. Women's Media Center of Suleymaniyah, Iraq, has joined forces with Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) to end the practice. Runak Faranj works with lawmen, journalists and the KRG to solve the murder of a widowed young mother, protect the victim of a safe-house shooting, eradicate honor killing and redefine honor.
- Steam of Life (Miesten vuoro) - Directors/Writers: Joonas Berghäll, Mika Hotakainen - 84 min. - Finland/Sweden
Shot throughout Finland, the film follows men into saunas, where they discuss love, death, birth and friendship. Sitting naked, surrounded by sauna heat, the men cleanse themselves physically and mentally.
- Summer Pasture - Directors/Producers: Lynn True, Nelson Walker - 86 min.USA/Tibet/China
Filmed in the highlands of Tibet, a place seldom visited by outsiders, the film offers a glimse at the life of a young couple as they transition from a traditional nomadic lifestyle, embracing modernity ensure their infant daughter's future.
- This Way of Life - Director: Tom Burstyn - 88 min. - New Zealand
Set in a remote part of New Zealand's North Island, the film is an intimate portrait of a Maori family-Peter and Colleen Karina and their six children, ages 2 through 11-and their relationship with each other, nature and horses.
- Waste Land - Director/Writer: Lucy Walker - 81 min. - UK/Brazil
Brooklyn artist Vik Muniz returns to his native Brazil to create art works with catadores (garbage pickers) in Rio's Jardim Gramacho, the world's largest dump.
