Inspire Action

Act Up!

Act Up! is a clearinghouse of resources made available for those wishing to take a deeper dive into ideas, issues, and other interests INSPIRED by watching Encircle Films documentaries and/or participating in the audience panel discussions following film screenings. Click on the movie headings below – they are linked to individual resource pages.
Looking to get involved, be proactive, take action locally or cast a wider net? Take a look at the listings linked to resources below. If there are additional resources you would like to recommend, please do so at info@encirclefilms.org

SEASON 11

2023 / 2024

Gratitude Revealed Resource Page Here!

September 21, 2023

Louie Schwartzberg

Gratitude Revealed is an epic journey forty years in the making. Acclaimed filmmaker, Louie Schwartzberg, the director of Fantastic Fungi, takes us on a transformational, cinematic experience of how to live a more meaningful life full of Gratitude through his intimate conversations with everyday people, thought leaders, and personalities such as Norman Lear, Jack Kornfield, Luisah Teish, Alex Grey and other luminaries.

October 19, 2023

Krista Loughton and Jennifer Abbott

US & THEM is a powerful documentary composed of striking portraits of four extraordinary individuals as they struggle with homelessness and addictions. Directed by Krista Loughton and Jennifer Abbott (THE CORPORATION), the story follows Loughton’s ten-year journey exploring the worlds of Dawnellda, Stan, Eddie and Karen, who she attempts to help.

Filmed over a decade, US & THEM is a visceral documentary that explores homelessness, addiction, and transformation through human connection. Punctuated with First Nations wisdom and Dr. Gabor Maté’s insight into the root causes of addiction, the film shows there is no difference between ‘us’ and ‘them’.

November 16, 2023

Sue Williams

Our food has a huge carbon footprint. FIXING FOOD tells five stories of creative new ways to lower the cost.

FIXING FOOD tells stories of people who are working to lower our carbon footprint with impactful new ways to gather and prepare the food we need. The series looks at five important areas where we can make changes—farming in the ocean and the air, finding new food sources, learning from Indigenous agriculture, and rescuing the food we already have. Their stories challenge us all: If we change the way we eat, can we save our planet?

An Oregon Story Resource Page Here!

January 18, 2024

Jim Gilbert & Joe Wilson

“An Oregon Story: Saving our Beaches, Farmland and More” is an engaging documentary that celebrates Oregon’s pioneering conservation efforts. It tells the fascinating story of the farsighted and dedicated individuals who saved Oregon’s beaches, farmland, and ranches from urban sprawl and other development.

Oregon’s pioneering and innovative land-use planning program is still unique in the nation. The film features archival footage and interviews to honor those legislators, government officials, farmers, and ordinary citizens who protected Oregon’s beaches, created its land-use planning program and defended it for the past 50 years.

Agriculture is the second largest sector in Oregon’s economy and the film showcases the vital role of farmland protection in ensuring the success of Oregon’s farmers and ranchers. “An Oregon Story” is a tribute to Oregon’s enduring commitment to protecting its picturesque beaches, its iconic places and preserving its fertile farmland and ranches for generations to come.

A Storm Foretold Resource Page Here!

February 15, 2024

Christoffer Guldbrandsen

With a colossal cigar dangling from the corner of his mouth, a libation in hand, and an unmistakable disdain for his political adversaries, Roger Stone emerges as the quintessential ally to Donald Trump. Revered as a right-wing powerbroker, Stone’s influential journey traces back to the era of President Nixon, a legacy inked onto his own back. In a film marked by unparalleled access, Christoffer Guldbrandsen captures the tumultuous final months of the Trump administration, centering on the heart of power and climaxing with the unprecedented storming of Congress.

Guldbrandsen finds himself amidst the chaos as Trump supporters converge on Washington, witnessing firsthand Roger Stone’s strategic retreat from his hotel suite as the ‘Stop the Steal’ campaign spirals into a riot. “A Storm Foretold – Roger Stone and Die” unfolds the narrative of a once-established political party metamorphosing into an anti-democratic movement, where impassioned rhetoric evolves into tangible violence. 

Into The Canyon Resource Page Here!

March 21, 2024

Pete McBride and Kevin Fedarko

Filmmaker/photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedarko set out on a 750-mile hike through the entire length of the Grand Canyon. From the outset, the challenge was far more than they bargained for. More people have stood on the moon than have completed a continuous through hike of the Canyon. McBride and Fedarko took a sectional approach, achieving a feat that many adventurers have taken decades to complete. Others have lost their lives trying. But their quest was more than just an endurance test — it was also a way to draw attention to the unprecedented threats facing one of our most revered landscapes.

Throughout their passage, McBride and Fedarko encountered an astonishingly diverse and powerful landscape, rich in history, that is now facing perhaps the gravest crisis in the 98-year history of the Grand Canyon National Park.

INTO THE CANYON is a story of extreme physical hardship that stretches the bonds of friendship and a meditation on the timeless beauty of this sacred place. It is an urgent warning about the environmental dangers that are placing one of America’s greatest monuments in peril and a cautionary tale for our complex relationship with the natural world.

The Janes Resource Page Here!

May 16, 2024

Tia Lessin and Emma Pilde

In the spring of 1972, police raided an apartment on the South Side of Chicago – arresting and charging seven women who were part of a clandestine network. Using code names, fronts, and safe houses to protect their identities and their work, they built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable abortions in the pre-Roe v. Wade era – a time when abortion was a crime in most states and even circulating information about abortion was a felony in Illinois. They called themselves “Jane.”

Oscar-nominated Tia Lessin and Emmy-nominated Emma Pildes’ revelatory documentary could not be more timely – The Janes offers first-hand accounts from the women at the center of the group, many speaking on the record for the first time. This galvanizing documentary tells the story of our past and, potentially, our future.