Official Selection, CSWE 2013 Virtual Film Festival

The following films, which are listed below in alphabetical order by title, were selected for the CSWE 2013 Virtual Film Festival, which ran until September 6. The Virtual Ovation Award recipient was Behind Closed Doors: Voices From the Inside.
 
Film ordering information

Behind Closed Doors: Voices from the Inside. Robert Ambrosino, Joe Raymond Vega, and Advanced Policy Class (UT–San Antonio). This full-length documentary focuses on the domestic sex trafficking of minors. Winner, CSWE 2013 Virtual Ovation Award. Read the account of the making of Behind Closed Doors.

Expressions of Hope. Karlem Sivira and Kelsey Greene (University of Rhode Island; produced while at Ithaca College, NY). The nonverbal Alexis and Oliver cannot sign with their hands due to disorders that create a lack of muscle control. This documentary follows the children as they learn how to use various forms of assistive technology and modes of communication at a clinic in Ithaca, NY. View clip.

Finding Refuge. Annie Garau, Maya Navon, and Charmaine Poh (Tufts). Finding Refuge is about the ongoing conversations surrounding refugee policy in the United States. Through examining the life of one Bhutanese refugee and his family, the film sheds light on the issues they face in adapting to a new culture and their perseverance in forging a new life for themselves. Read the account of the making of Finding Refuge. View clip.

Got You. Bianca Morris (produced while at Emerson College, MA). Eight-year-old Lexi and her mother like to play a peekaboo game to playfully scare each other when they come home. However, when Lexi accidently overhears that her mother is having thoughts of suicide, the game they play becomes downright terrifying. Read the account of the making ofGot You. View clip.

Insight to Strengths. Jen Ackerman (University of Central Florida). The strengths perspective is a powerful framework used by social workers everywhere. The film employs the strengths perspective to reshape what it means to be different. It features members of the LGBT community as they sift out the strengths they have gained through their hardships. Read the account of the making of Insight to Strengths. View clip.

Pieces of the Soul. Spencer Sullivan (produced while at Dixie State University, UT). A spinal-cord injury shattered Matt Clark's dream to be a rodeo cowboy. More than 30 years after his injury, Clark is a well-known artist in southern Utah whose work reflects the struggle to overcome opposition and define his own life. Read the account of the making of Pieces of the Soul. View trailer.

A Season for Dancing. Moges Tafesse (Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia). This short film features 16-year-old Meseret, reconnected to his Ethiopian culture and homeland via the support of his adoptive father.Read the account of the making of A Season for Dancing.  View clip.

Siprian. Amanda Camille Salazar and Lizette Barrera (UT–Arlington). Alexzandria is a happy-go-lucky girl who struggles with the question of her relationship with the father who molested her from age 4 to 13. She boldly faces her dark childhood and discusses how she has been able to cope with her past and to move forward with her life. View clip.

Transgression. Daniel Rotman, T. J. Barber, and Morgan Hargrave (Harvard). The film presents the story of Norma, a transgender individual who fled discrimination in Mexico and sought asylum in the United States but was confronted with an immigration system hostile to both undocumented aliens and those alienated from society on account of their gender identity. Read the account of the making of Transgression.