The second annual Social Justice Now Film Festival (SJNFF), presented by the Film Life Foundation, featured narrative, documentary features, and short films. The festival, which ran from February 22–24, 2024, at Sony Pictures Entertainment’s studio lot in Culver City, hosted six fantastic shorts that spoke to Black history, encouraging the audience to reflect now and take action later. The following is a quick recap of the shorts screened at this year’s festival.
How to Sue the Klan
Documentary | 35 min
Director/Producer: John Beder
How to Sue the Klan is the story of how five Black women from Chattanooga used legal ingenuity to take on the Ku Klux Klan in a historic 1982 civil case. Their efforts were a fight to hold the Klan accountable for their crimes, the shooting of five unarmed Black women, and bring justice to their community. The women’s victory set a legal precedent that continues to inspire the ongoing fight against organized hate. This was a story I had never heard of but one that should be shared in the history books, especially as we continue to fight for the rights of BIPOC people and against racism.
Bienvenidos a Los Angeles
Narrative | 17 min
Writer/Director: Lisa Cole
This short is a timely story that focuses on three women of different nationalities. Imani, a Nigerian single mother, lives in Los Angeles and has just been fired from her job where she was hoping to obtain her green card. On her shared ride home, she meets an Indian driver, who tells her story about coming to the U.S. and the difficulties she faced becoming a citizen.
With a stop at LAX, Imani offers to help a perfect stranger reunite with her son coming from Mexico. The stranger is undocumented and hasn’t seen her son in six years. In helping, Imani learns this simple act of kindness threatens to jeopardize her own path to citizenship. It was a beautiful story about motherhood, immigration, and women helping women — a perfect pairing for Black History Month, followed by Women’s History Month.
Breathe
Narrative |16 min
Writer/Director: Jamie Burton-Oare
For Eric, it is an ordinary day in his life/neighborhood. For the world, it’s the day Eric faces the reality of taking his last breath. In this alternate reality, a story of “what if,” Eric struggled free, out of the chokehold, and in self-defense, killed the officer instead. The story of Eric was one I was unfamiliar with. When it started, many thought it was about George Floyd. We were all taken aback when the name Eric Garner and his story became clear. Feelings of sadness, anger, and frustration poured through the room. Breathe did not have the greatest acting, but the story stood on its own.
Underwater Projects
Documentary | 28 min | World Premiere
Co-Directors: Dream Hampton, Liz Havstad
Norfolk, Virginia, is sinking. The already insufficient sea wall ends where a public housing project, St. Paul’s, begins. The residents of St. Paul’s housing projects are Black people. Norfolk is home to the world’s largest naval base, and there is currently no public plan to prevent it from going underwater. Some of us are worried about Venice, Italy, sinking, and here’s Norfolk sinking in our own backyard. This film was informative and captivating. It speaks to different generations with a combination of infographics, archival footage, and current interviews.
Somewhere
Musical Narrative | 13 min | LA Premiere
Writer/Director: Alexander Craven
When Elena and Cameron are separated by an act of racism, both must stand up for what they believe to keep the door of love open. It’s a musical about love, immigration, and racism and a commentary on social, race, and gender stereotypes. Unfinished and looking to be a complete series, Somewhere still catches the audience’s attention with a strong musical presence. With a more defined story and stronger cast, this could be a great show.
Silent Partner
Narrative | 16 min | LA Premiere
Director: Aristotle Torres
Silas Jones is an accomplished, Black trial attorney on the cusp of making partner at a white-led law firm. Upon successfully defending a white woman charged with murdering a Black teen, Silas comes to a crossroads with his wife Kosi, an equally accomplished professor, as they prepare to attend the firm’s dinner celebration. As the night progresses, Silas questions the legitimacy of his promotion. Will he make the ultimate sacrifice? This short was one of my favorites of the entire festival. It had a great team, from actors to writers and director to cinematographer. Silent Partner portrays microaggressions at their best. At the heart of the story is Black love that shines through systemic and individual racism.
SJNFF is an annual event showcasing content that confronts the social and economic issues today facing Black and Brown communities in the United States. Its mission is to amplify the voices of the marginalized, focusing on the imperative of social change. The festival program includes screenings of films (narratives, documentaries, and shorts) on subjects related to racism, equity, education, healthcare, immigration, and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as moderated conversations with activists, authors and academicians. SJNFF is presented by Film Life Foundation in partnership with Sony Pictures, its founding sponsor.
