“American Agitators” tells the story of legendary organizer Fred Ross, who helped interned Japanese-Americans organize for better living conditions, taught Cesar Chavez and Delores Huerta how to organize farmworkers, and was instrumental in getting the first Latino elected to the L.A. City Council since the 1800s.

American Agitators shows how Fred Ross Sr. for decades mobilized communities to challenge segregation, fight for voting rights, and empower labor movements. The film also shows how Fred Ross Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps as an organizer, and introduces organizers of today who continue Ross’s work, tackling issues such as fair wages, workers’ rights, and systemic inequality.

“We are at a crucial moment in history where understanding the power of organizing is more important than ever,” said Telles. Fred Ross Sr.’s story is a testament to the fact that change doesn’t happen overnight—it’s built through persistence, dedication, and the collective strength of everyday people.

Seen primarily through the eyes of women and children of color living through housing insecurity in California’s Alameda County, A RISING TIDE aims to identify how and why homelessness occurs.

The film juxtaposes the perspectives of various stakeholders affected by the “affordable-housing industrial complex,” capturing the adversity faced by homeless families in Oakland and exploring the plight of service providers and social workers on the frontlines of the housing crises.

In the Bay Area minimum wage employment doesn’t afford families—particularly those of color—the basic necessities for raising their children in decent housing with childcare, food, transportation, and adequate health care. The consequences of this deprivation increase wildly when homelessness is prolonged due to systemic failures and policy-based deficiencies.

The film highlights the historical context that has directly caused and continues to exacerbate the demographics of segregation in California.

Ultimately, A RISING TIDE aims to shift the narrative, challenging a commonly held misconception—including by some professionals working on affordable housing solutions—that unhoused individuals are all addicts or suffering from mental health issues. It also asks what considerations should be addressed to serve the unhoused when cities and counties are planning new housing.

One fall day, Ellen Jovin set up a folding table on a Manhattan sidewalk with a homemade sign that said “Grammar Table.” Right away, passersby began excitedly asking questions, telling stories, and filing complaints.

What happened next is the stuff of grammar legend.

Ellen and her filmmaker husband, Brandt Johnson, took the table on the road, visiting all 50 states as Brandt shot the grammar action. But this story transcends grammar. It’s the story of an epic quest in a divided time to bring us all closer together.

Director’s Statement: When my wife, Ellen Jovin, first started setting up her Grammar Table, I would sit nearby and watch the hilarious and heartfelt interactions she had with people from every imaginable background. In a time of social and political division, the Grammar Table was a place of unity and connection. I needed to share with the world what I was witnessing, so I began filming. 

In early 2023, filmmaker Larry Weinstein sets out to make a documentary about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. It is supposed to be about how far we have come in the two hundred years since it was written. But when world events pull Larry into his own film, the question becomes a deeply personal one.

BEETHOVEN’S NINE is a documentary about music, but also about war and hope. It follows nine unique individuals, including Ukrainian musicians, a deaf composer, a Polish rock star, a best-selling author, a legendary cartoonist and Weinstein himself, as they try to better understand the legacy of Beethoven’s Ninth, the composer’s own struggles, the inspiration music can provide, and how humanity continues to look for hope even in the darkest times.