Screened at the Second Annual Our City Film Festival

February 3, 2009

I.  OUR BODY

The Game Comes Home (1 hour 26 min)

Dir. Jeffrey Herberger

With Major League Baseball back in the Nation’s Capitol after a void for nearly forty years, The Game Comes Home chronicles the legendary stories of Washington

baseball through the family members of the great players, the writers and sportscasters who have and still cover the games, and the fans who have never gone away. 

Extreme Commuting (28 min)

Dir. Andrea Bloom

A driver, train rider, and bicyclist each ride 90 minutes or more to get to work in Washington, DC.  The documentary follows the daily paths of these three professionals as they negotiate

their way through one of the most congested cities in the nation, shedding light on this ever expanding subculture of people who are forced in to or choose to do this extreme type of commute. 

 II. OUR MIND

Green Hair Grey Hair (28 min)-

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY

Dirs. Katrina Taylor & Rachel Williams

What happens when you take a group of punk rockers and a group of African-American senior citizens and you put them in a room together. 

The answer is the documentary, Green Hair Grey Hair which attempts to capture the current gentrification of Washington, D.C.

Carousel of Memories(26 min)

Dir. Cintia Cabib

From an amusement park ride, to a symbol for the civil rights movement, to an endangered work of art, this documentary captures the stories of

Washingtonians young and old about Glen Echo Park’s historic Dentzel carousel in Glen Echo, Maryland.

Demand the Vote (4 min)

Dir. DC VOTE

A music video created and produced by DC Vote for the original go-go song entitled “Demand the Vote”.  The song is perfomed by Joe L Da Vessel and his band Melodic,

featureing more than 100 DC residents, including local elected officials Del. Eleanor Norton and Vince Gray. 

 III. OUR HEART (4:00pm)

Making Mothers (25 min)

Dirs. Ben Crosbie & Tessa Moran

The Family Health and Birth Center in Northeast DC is more than a place for pregnant women to come; it’s a place for women to become mothers.  The story follows one of the center’s Midwives

who strives to provide peaceful home births and a Breast Feeding Peer Counselor who imparts her experience as a teen mom as they pursue their passion in empowering

the women they encounter, the community they work in themselves.

U Street (23 min)-

BEST NARRATIVE

Dir. Kevin T. Simms

After the loss of his father, James, a student at University of DC finds himself lost and apathetic to the world around him.  After being assigned a history paper on a DC landmark, James uncovers the rich history of U Street,

known as “Black Broadway”, and rediscovers himself through his city’s history.  Through beautiful reenactments of U Street’s heyday, James travels back in time to such landmarks as Ben’s Chili Bowl

and the Lincoln Theater and witnesses the riots of the 1960s.

Redemption Stone (30 min)

Dir. Tom Dziedzic

Redemption Stone introduces Tom Lewis, a storyteller of quiet power who brings an extroadinary

spirit to his life and work.  Tom's compelling memoir recounts the after effects of poverty, social upheaval and rebirth that shape his unique American journey. 

Life altering experiences cause Tom to confront the challenging issues he faces and to turn his hardships into hope for the children in his Washington, DC community. 

Online Q & A with director

 IV. OUR SOUL

Ballou (1 hour 25 min)-

BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

Dir. Michael Patrei

The documentary film follows the talented Washington, DC, Ballou Senior High School Marching Band, as they overcome their negative environment filled with guns, drugs, and violence, and uplift the community

with music, dedication, and personal sacrifice.  This Washingotn, DC High School Marching Band-from an impoverished community just 3 miles away from the US Capitol building-is on its way to the national band competition. 

They are a family with heart and soul that use hard work, discipline, and compassion to overcome all obstacles.