Career Channels is sponsoring a free documentary film series in the fall in collaboration with POV, the award-winning independent non-fiction film series on PBS.

Films will be screened in Richardson Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Sept. 9, 7 p.m. - Thirst (2004), a film by Alan Snitow & Deborah Kaufman. Population growth, pollution, and scarcity are turning water into “blue gold,” the oil of the 21st century. Global corporations are rushing to gain control of this dwindling natural resource, producing intense conflict in the US and worldwide where people are dying in battles over control of water. (60 minutes)

Sept. 23, 7 p.m. Pier Kids (2019), a film by Elegance Bratton and Chester Algernal Gordon. (96 minutes).

What does life look like for LGBTQ+ youth fifty years after Stonewall? Pier Kid transports audiences to New York City’s historic Christopher Street Pier where homeless queer Black youth navigate the streets to find safety and stability. The film shines a light on an underground community of Pier Kids, showcasing the intricate ways queer people of color utilize public space to build chosen family. This hopeful portrait exposes a side of New York City many often choose to ignore.

Pier Kids received an award for Best Documentary Feature from aGLIFF (All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival) in 2020. Director Elegance Bratton was the recipient of the ‘Truer Than Fiction’ Independent Spirit Award (2021).

Filmed over the course of five years (2011-2016), the LGBTQ+ community are at the heart of Pier Kids, offering brief glimpses into many individuals’ lives. While Pier Kids introduces many regulars to the Piers, the film provides intimate access to the lives and feelings of Casper, Desean, and Krystal. The sudden appearance and disappearance of new faces mimics the reality of The Piers, a place that offers something close enough to home, and is regarded as a ‘safe zone’ by the vulnerable young people who frequent the area. The film also illustrates the precarity of a heavy police presence in a community where sex work is the only means of survival for many.

Oct. 29, 7 p.m. Inventing Tomorrow (2018), a film by Laura Nix. (105 minutes).

Inventing Tomorrow follows young scientists from Indonesia, Hawaii, India, and Mexico who propose innovative solutions to fix some of the most complex environmental issues facing humanity today – right in their own backyards. The students are preparing original scientific research projects they will defend at ISEF, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of the Society for Science & the Public. The students travel to Los Angeles from all corners of the world to participate in ISEF 2017. Throughout the week we watch them participate in social activities, field trips, and the gauntlet of judging. No matter who wins a prize, they all make connections many call life changing. These young scientists invite a worldwide role reversal, where the youth show us the way towards a more sustainable future.

Inventing Tomorrow received the 2019 Peabody Award for Documentary Film.

Nov. 11, 7 p.m. Mayor (2020), a film by David Osit. (89 minutes).

Mayor follows Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, during his second term in office. His immediate goals: repave the sidewalks, attract more tourism, and plan the city’s Christmas celebrations. His ultimate mission: to end the occupation of Palestine.

Rich with detailed observation and humor, Mayor offers a portrait of dignity amidst the madness and absurdity of endless occupation while posing a question: how do you run a city when you don’t have a country?

Dec 2, 7 p.m. The Last Out (2020), a film by Michael Gassert & Sami Khan. (90 minutes)

Three Cuban baseball players leave their families and risk exile to chase their dreams of playing in the United States. At the shadowy nexus of the migrant trail and pro sports, The Last Out chronicles their harrowing journey, from immigration obstacles to the broken promises of dubious agents. Against all odds, these young athletes try to hold onto their hope while fighting for a better life for their families.