Community Cinema Announces a New Season of Free Screenings

Are you a fan of indie films? Be sure to check out Community Cinema, a free monthly screening series that showcases films from the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens. In over 50 cities nationwide, screenings are followed by lively discussions and activities that bring together community members, leading organizations and public television stations to encourage dialogue and action around important and timely social issues. From interactive workshops and forums, to live performances and discussions featuring filmmakers and local experts, Community Cinema offers the unexpected. This year’s line-up features stories from around the world and delves into topics as diverse as music sampling in the hip-hop industry to origami enthusiasts who bridge science and art. Discover powerful stories that continue to shed light on the lives devastated by Hurricane Katrina. And see personal stories such as one family’s unorthodox quest to help their severely autistic son to one man’s search for a living organ donor while trying to make it big as an indie rock star. These stories and many others will be coming to Community Cinema, starting this September. Visit the Community Cinema Web site for more information >> Join the conversation and become a fan on Facebook >> Check out the season line-up... D TOUR By Jim Granato Pat Spurgeon has big dreams to make it as an indie rock musician. Just as his career is about to take off, he suffers an incredible setback when one of his kidneys begins to fail. Follow Pat on his emotional search for a living organ donor. But can he balance his health with a rock n’ roll lifestyle? BETWEEN THE FOLDS By Vanessa Gould Think origami is just paper planes and cranes? Meet a determined group of theoretical scientists and fine artists who have abandoned careers and scoffed at graduate degrees to forge new lives as modern-day paper folders. Together they reinterpret the world in paper, creating a wild mix of sensibilities towards art, science, creativity and meaning. YOUNG@HEART By Stephen Walker Get ready to rock with the most entertaining golden oldies you will ever meet in the senior citizen's choir Young@Heart. With a show only weeks away, they must learn a slate of new songs ranging from James Brown to Coldplay. The chorus’ director leads them through tough rehearsals, proving that rock and roll can be hard work––especially if you’re hard of hearing! Climaxing in a triumphant performance, their inspiring story celebrates the unbreakable bonds of friendship and the life-affirming power of music. COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS By Benjamin Franzen and Kembrew McLeod Can you own a sound? As hip-hop rose from the streets of New York to become a multibillion-dollar industry, artists such as Public Enemy and De La Soul began reusing parts of previously recorded music for their songs. But when record company lawyers got involved everything changed. Years before people started downloading and remixing music, hip-hop sampling sparked a debate about copyright, creativity and technological change that still rages today. MINE By Geralyn Pezanoski During the evacuation for Hurricane Katrina, people were forced to leave behind more than just their homes. Thousands of stranded pets were rescued and then adopted into new homes across the United States. As residents slowly returned to try and rebuild their lives, these "Katrina pets" became the center of full-blown custody battles, with people on both sides struggling to do what was right in the midst of an impossibly complex situation. DIRT! The Movie By Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow It’s under our feet and under our fingernails, but what is it? And how did it get there? Inspired by William Bryant Logan’s acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, find out how industrial farming, mining and urban development have led us toward cataclysmic droughts, starvation, floods and climate change. Dirt is a part of everything we eat, drink and breathe. Which is why we should stop treating it like, well…dirt. THE HORSE BOY By Michel Orion Scott How far would you travel to heal someone you love? For one Texas couple it means a spiritual journey halfway around the world to Mongolia. When their son is diagnosed with autism, they seek the best treatments but nothing works. Until they discover their son’s connection to horses and the effect it has on him. Part travel adventure and shamanic quest, this is the story of how one family found a gateway into understanding their son’s life. A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES By S. Leo Chiang Welcome to Versailles, New Orleans––home to the densest ethnic Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam. For over 30 years, its residents lived a quiet existence on the edge of New Orleans. But then came Hurricane Katrina, the immense garbage piles and the shocking discovery of a toxic landfill planned in their neighborhood. Watch as they fight back, turning a devastating disaster into a catalyst for change and a chance to build a better future.