Now Showing @ ALA
The Now Showing @ ALA Film Program features films, shorts, trailers, and documentaries from the world over from Saturday through Monday.
See the full schedule and add films to your conference calendar!
Saturday, June 28
June 28: 8:00am-8:10am ET
Red Fire, Blue River
Executive produced by past ALA president Emily Drabinski and directed by filmmaker Nikita K. Carpenter Jr., Red Fire, Blue River is a short documentary film about the history of The O'Brien Memorial Library, from its founding as a lending library in 1928, to its moment in the spotlight as featured on Charles Kuralt's On the Road in 1983, to its destruction by fire in 2020 and subsequent rebuilding. Librarians and volunteers tell the story of how the Blue River Library's community banded together to raise funds to clean up and rebuild, and in November 2024, the library reopened for full service.
As Board of Directors President Connie Richardson explains, "For the community to see the library coming back, just the resiliency…of what a small group of people can do with the support of so many…it's like a lighthouse, like a beacon that says hey…we can do it, so can you."
Running Time: 7 minutes 10 seconds
Writers: Emily Drabinski and Leah Richardson
Production Company: American Library Association
June 28: 8:10am-10:00am ET
Razing Liberty Square
As rising seas threaten Miami’s luxurious beachfront, wealthy property owners are pushing inland to higher ground. Residents of the historically Black neighborhood of Liberty Square—the first segregated public housing project in the South—are the new target of an upcoming “revitalization” project due to their location 12 feet above sea level. RAZING LIBERTY SQUARE, a film by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Katja Esson (FERRY TALES, SKYDANCER, POETRY OF RESILIENCE, LATCHING ON), is a character-driven verité documentary that weaves personal stories with the larger social justice narrative of climate gentrification. Foremost, it is about a community fighting to save itself from being erased in a rapidly changing Miami. The film begins in 2017, at the very time when the first homes of Liberty Square are razed to the ground to make way for a new $300 million mixed-income development. Initially, the community is hopeful this development will be different than past urban renewal projects, but it soon becomes clear it will be yet another instance in Miami’s long history of broken promises.
Running Time: 8 minutes, 16 seconds
Director: Katja Esso
Production Company: RLS Film, LLC
Sponsored by: Women Make Movies
June 28: 10:30am-12:00pm ET
From Music Box Films, Hoopla and Midwest Tape: The Trouble with Jessica
Successful professional London couple Sarah (Shirley Henderson) and Tom (Alan Tudyk) are in deep financial trouble. Their situation takes a terrifying nosedive with the shocking behavior of uninvited dinner guest, Jessica (Indira Varma). Faced with the moral dilemma of their lives - and dragging their best friends Richard (Rufus Sewell) and Beth (Olivia Williams) with them - they make a series of choices that could either be their salvation or destruction. “A dark British comedy, as a group of increasingly desperate friends go to hilarious extremes to keep up appearances under intense circumstances. The sharp wit, snappy dialogue, and go-for-broke performances will have audiences laughing out loud.”
Running Time: 89 minutes
Writers: James Handel and Matt Winn
Director: Matt Winn
Production Company: Bright Pictures, Finite Films and Relevate Ventures
Sponsored by: Music Box Films, Hoopla Digital and Midwest Tape
June 28: 1:00pm-1:10pm ET
Red Fire, Blue River
Executive produced by past ALA president Emily Drabinski and directed by filmmaker Nikita K. Carpenter Jr., Red Fire, Blue River is a short documentary film about the history of The O'Brien Memorial Library, from its founding as a lending library in 1928, to its moment in the spotlight as featured on Charles Kuralt's On the Road in 1983, to its destruction by fire in 2020 and subsequent rebuilding. Librarians and volunteers tell the story of how the Blue River Library's community banded together to raise funds to clean up and rebuild, and in November 2024, the library reopened for full service.
As Board of Directors President Connie Richardson explains, "For the community to see the library coming back, just the resiliency…of what a small group of people can do with the support of so many…it's like a lighthouse, like a beacon that says hey…we can do it, so can you."
Running Time: 7 minutes 10 seconds
Writers: Emily Drabinski and Leah Richardson
Production Company: American Library Association
June 28: 1:10pm-3:00pm ET
Every Little Thing
Author and wildlife rehabber Terry Masear has an ambitious goal: to save every injured hummingbird in Los Angeles. But the path to survival is fraught with danger. This heart-expanding Sundance hit introduces audiences to Terry's diminutive patients through breathtaking slow-motion photography and emotional storytelling. Over the course of director Sally Aitken’s moving documentary, we become deeply invested in baby hummingbirds like Cactus and Wasabi, celebrating their tiny victories and lamenting their tragedies. Through Terry's eyes, each bird becomes memorable, mighty and heroic. Her compassion and empathy serves as a reminder that grace can be found in the smallest of acts and the tiniest of creatures.
Running Time: 93 minutes
Writer: Sally Aitken
Director: Sally Aitken
Production Company: Kino Lorber
June 28: 3:30pm-5:00pm ET
My Sextortion Diary
After receiving a chilling threat from an anonymous hacker demanding $2,400 to stop the mass distribution of her intimate photos, Pati’s world crumbles and she turns to the authorities for help—only to find them powerless to act. As the hacker begins leaking her private images, Pati realizes she must take matters into her own hands. Through text messages, emails, and self-recorded videos, MY SEXTORTION DIARY reveals a gripping, first-hand account of online blackmail that has become disturbingly commonplace. Combining elements of thriller and mystery, Pati’s journey transcends helplessness as she fights back with honesty, humor, and resilience, crafting a powerful story of bodily autonomy, dignity, and the global fight against digital exploitation.
Running Time: 1 hour, 4 minutes
Writer: Patricia Franquesa
Director: Patricia Franquesa
Production Company: Gadea Films, Ringo Media & 3Cat Sponsored by: Women Make Movies
Sunday, June 30
June 29: 8:00am-8:10am ET
Red Fire, Blue River
Executive produced by past ALA president Emily Drabinski and directed by filmmaker Nikita K. Carpenter Jr., Red Fire, Blue River is a short documentary film about the history of The O'Brien Memorial Library, from its founding as a lending library in 1928, to its moment in the spotlight as featured on Charles Kuralt's On the Road in 1983, to its destruction by fire in 2020 and subsequent rebuilding. Librarians and volunteers tell the story of how the Blue River Library's community banded together to raise funds to clean up and rebuild, and in November 2024, the library reopened for full service.
As Board of Directors President Connie Richardson explains, "For the community to see the library coming back, just the resiliency…of what a small group of people can do with the support of so many…it's like a lighthouse, like a beacon that says hey…we can do it, so can you."
Running Time: 7 minutes 10 seconds
Writers: Emily Drabinski and Leah Richardson
Production Company: American Library Association
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June 29: 8:10am-10:00am ET
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
This star-studded tribute brings into focus the dazzling, complex period of Liza Minnelli’s life starting in the 1970s, just after the tragic death of her mother, Judy Garland, as she confronts a range of personal and professional challenges on the way to becoming a bona fide legend. Over these years, Liza seeks out extraordinary mentors: Kay Thompson, Fred Ebb, Charles Aznavour, Halston, and Bob Fosse. With insightful participation from a coterie of colleagues such as Michael Feinstein, Mia Farrow, Ben Vereen, Joel Grey and the late Chita Rivera, along with the revelatory participation by the star herself, the film illuminates the contradiction of Liza Minnelli: her privilege and struggle, strength and vulnerability, unreal expectations and towering talent – the friction of which fueled her stunning rise, resilience and her enduring place as one of the greatest, most original performers in the history of entertainment.
Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Writer & Director: Bruce David Klein
Production Company: Kino Lorber with Zeitgeist Films
Sponsored By: Kino Lorber
June 29: 10:30 am-11:00am ET
The Invisible Enemy
During tours of duty in Nevada, enlisted men and women were repeatedly exposed to lethal radiation at the world's largest nuclear test site. But because exercises were “top-secret,” the U.S. government continues to conceal official records of their ever having served there. Now cancer-stricken and ineligible for benefits because of their classified designation, veterans are mobilizing to prove they served and to secure basic healthcare for themselves and their families.
Running Time: 14 minutes, 13 seconds
Writer: Mark Shapiro
Director: Douglas Brian Miller and Mark Shapiro Production Company: Backlot Docs
June 29: 11:00am-12:15pm, ET
From Film Movement, Hoopla and Midwest Tape: Joseph Campbell and the Power of the Myth - Episode 1 The Hero's Adventure
In this beloved 1988 PBS series, mythologist and storyteller Joseph Campbell joins Bill Moyers to explore what enduring myths can tell us about our lives. In each of six episodes Moyers and Campbell focus on a character or theme found in cultural and religious mythologies. Campbell argues that these timeless archetypes continue to have a powerful influence on the choices we make and the ways we live. In Episode One, Moyers and Campbell discuss the figure of "the hero." Including the stories of Jesus, The Buddah, Krishna, and more, Campbell explores the common themes within these stories, and reveals how we can make them the basis of our own journeys.
Running Time: 58 minutes
Writers: Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell
Director: Bill Moyers
Production Company: Film Movement
Sponsored by: Film Movement, Hoopla Digital and Midwest Tape
June 29: 1:00pm-3:00pm ET
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
A look at the life of poet Nikki Giovanni and the revolutionary historical periods through which she lived, from the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter.
Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Writers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson
Directors: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson
Production Company: Confluential Films; Bertha Doc Society Journalism Fund (in association with); Ford Foundation - Just Films (in association with); Rada Studio
Sponsored by: HarperCollins Publishers
June 29: 3:30pm-5:00pm ET
In the Shadow of Beirut
From the makers of Gaza, and executive produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, this documentary penetrates deep below the surface of Beirut, a still beautiful, yet deeply troubled city on the brink of financial collapse. Through intimate, character driven storytelling, the stark reality of life for the protagonists of the film is symbolic of the hundreds of thousands of others who fight for survival in the most diverse country in the Middle East.
Running Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Director: Stephen Gerard Kelly, Garry Keane
Production Company: Cyprus Avenue Films
Monday, June 30
June 30: 8:00am-10:00am ET
Are You a Librarian? The Untold Story of Black Librarians
Are You a Librarian? The Untold Story of Black Librarians is a dynamic new documentary that challenges the historical erasure of Black voices in American libraries. This groundbreaking film reveals how Black librarians not only defied segregation and systemic oppression but also played a pivotal role in preserving Black history—a history too often neglected or deliberately erased. With vivid storytelling and rare archival footage, the documentary chronicles the transformative journey of Black librarians from the era of Jim Crow to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. Are You a Librarian? is more than a film—it’s a call to action. By illuminating these hidden legacies, the documentary aims to ignite a national conversation about intellectual freedom, the power of education, and the urgent need to reclaim Black history in every corner of American life.
Running Time: 90 minutes
Writers: Rodney Freeman, Asia Harris, Zuri Danvenport
Directors: Rodney Freeman, Byron Williams
Production Company: Reminisce Preservation
June 30: 10:30am-10:40am ET
Red Fire, Blue River
Executive produced by past ALA president Emily Drabinski and directed by filmmaker Nikita K. Carpenter Jr., Red Fire, Blue River is a short documentary film about the history of The O'Brien Memorial Library, from its founding as a lending library in 1928, to its moment in the spotlight as featured on Charles Kuralt's On the Road in 1983, to its destruction by fire in 2020 and subsequent rebuilding. Librarians and volunteers tell the story of how the Blue River Library's community banded together to raise funds to clean up and rebuild, and in November 2024, the library reopened for full service.
As Board of Directors President Connie Richardson explains, "For the community to see the library coming back, just the resiliency…of what a small group of people can do with the support of so many…it's like a lighthouse, like a beacon that says hey…we can do it, so can you."
Running Time: 7 minutes 10 seconds
Writers: Emily Drabinski and Leah Richardson
Production Company: American Library Association
June 30: 10:30am-12:30pm ET
Free For All: The Public Library
Dawn Logsdon, a library lover who visited more than 100 libraries before she was a teen, takes us on a riveting journey through the past, present, and uncertain future of the U.S. public library. Along the way, she uncovers surprising stories - often led by women - behind this cherished civic institution. Free to enter, open to all, and rooted in the promise of democracy, libraries offer something few other places do: equal access to knowledge. Yet today this promise is under threat. From Ben Franklin’s first lending library to the frontlines of today's culture wars, Free for All: The Public Library makes an urgent and compelling case for saving these cornerstones of community. This personal and eye-opening documentary reminds us how far we have come and offers much-needed hope for our future.
Featuring interviews with Carla Hayden, Jill Lepore, Crosby Kemper, Wayne Wiegand, David Nasaw, John Palfrey, Abigail Van Slyck, Geraldine Edwards Hollis, and more.
Running time: 84 mins 46 seconds
Director/Producer: Dawn Logsdon & Lucie Faulknor
Production Company: Serendipity Films, LLC
June 30: 10:40am-12:15pm ET
Movie Screening: Rebel with a Clause
A grammar guru takes her pop-up grammar advice stand on a road trip across all 50 US states to show that comma fights can bring us closer together in a divided time.
Running Time: 85 minutes
Director: Brandt Johnson
Production Company: Syntaxis Productions
CANCELLED
June 30: 1:00pm-2:30pm ET
Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation
With never-before-seen material from Kerouac’s personal archive, KEROUAC’S ROAD: THE BEAT OF A NATION offers a poignant meditation on America as a nation, and the enduring myths and dreams of the road. The film explores how the legacy of Jack Kerouac’s iconic novel On the Road reflects in today’s America. The film interweaves stories of modern-day “on-the-roaders” who share connections to Kerouac’s life, alongside those influenced by him or knew and loved him. Featured participants include Josh Brolin, W. Kamau Bell, Natalie Merchant, Matt Dillon, David Amram and Joyce Johnson. On the Road remains as relevant today as it was in the 1950s, but both the book and Kerouac himself have never been explored in this way before. The documentary reveals a rarely-seen side of Kerouac—not just the iconic, all-American, handsome beat poet, but a writer deeply affected by his small-town immigrant upbringing, grappling with his sexuality and struggles with alcoholism.
Running Time: TBC
Writer & Director: Ebs Burnough
Production Company: Penguin Random House