Official Selection, 2015 Film Festival
The following six films will be shown during the CSWE 2015 Film Festival in Denver, CO,
on October 16–18, 2015.
The Age of Love (dir. Steven Loring). This film follows the humorous and poignant adventures of a group of older adults who sign up for a speed dating event exclusively for 70- to 90-year-olds and discover how dreams and desires change—or don't change—from first love to the far reaches of life.
Between Worlds: Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence (Shikha Bhattacharjee, Tsedey Bogale, and Tarun Sridharan, dir. and prod., Penn Law; Regina Austin, prod., PennLaw). This Virtual Ovation Award winner of CSWE's 2014 Virtual Film Festival features five brave immigrant survivors of domestic violence describing the hurdles they faced in escaping abusive circumstances, accessing social and legal services, and attaining legal immigration status. Among the unique challenges these women faced in navigating the road to independence were language barriers, cultural differences, social isolation, and economic insecurity stemming from their inability to obtain legal employment.
Dark Side of the Full Moon (dir. Maureen Fura). When new motherhood meets mental health complications in America, no one is listening. Two mothers confront the American health-care system, demanding answers and asking why so many women are slipping through the cracks.
A New State of Mind: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness (prod. KVIE-TV, Sacramento). One in four American adults are living with a diagnosable mental illness in a given year, but many of them are afraid to reach out for the help they need. A New State of Mind features just a few of the millions of Californians who are refusing to stay silent while untreated mental illness takes an unnecessary toll on our families and communities. Their stories of hope, resilience, and recovery will change the way you think about mental illness.
On Life's Terms: Mothers in Recovery (dir. Sheila Ganz). Driven to gain custody of their children, five mothers struggle to overcome substance use in a gender-responsive treatment program revealing histories of domestic violence, intergenerational issues, prostitution, and incarceration. On Life's Terms: Mothers in Recovery interweaves their transformative 3-year journey with drug laws that impact mother and child.
Private Violence (dir. Cynthia Hill). This film explores a simple but disturbing fact of American life: the most dangerous place for a woman is in her home. It begins to shape powerful new questions that can potentially change society: "Why does he abuse?" "Why do we turn away?" "How do we have a future without DV?"