NHSJC Film Festival
New! The national convention presents three outstanding documentary films focused on journalism issues. Screenings are around 90 minutes and may include follow-up breakout sessions.
Attendance is free, but we ask for you to reserve your seat in advance when you register for the convention. Tickets will be provided in your registration packet.
A Choice Of Weapons: Inspired By Gordon Parks
Friday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m. to noon
“A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks” explores the enduring legacy of photographer, writer, composer, activist and filmmaker Gordon Parks, and spotlights his visionary work and its impact on artists working today.
Parks’ legacy comes to life through three contemporary photographers: Devin Allen, whose photograph Baltimore Uprising of the 2015 Freddie Gray protests was featured on the cover of Time magazine; LaToya Ruby Frazier who for five years documented the Flint, Michigan water crisis and in 2020 photographed Breonna Taylor’s family for Vanity Fair; and Jamel Shabazz, whose New York City photographs of individuals and groups form a visual history of cultural shifts and struggles across the city.
The film celebrates the power of images in advancing racial, economic and social equality as seen through the lens of Gordon Parks, one of America’s most trailblazing artists, and the generation of young photographers, filmmakers and activists he inspired.
Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely
Friday, Nov. 8, 1-3 p.m.
“Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely” is a biopic of the First Amendment as told through the story of one of its greatest legal advocates.
As the nation grapples with issues such as hate speech, censorship, the impact of money in politics, artificial intelligence and the dangers of boundless internet communication in a rapidly changing media ecosystem, Abrams continues to advocate for broad First Amendment protections – but acknowledges the increasingly heavy price we pay for such freedoms.
This topical and thought-provoking film offers critical context for how we came to this moment, where free speech issues have never felt more complicated and urgent, and explores the directions this still-evolving area of law might be going.
Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story
Saturday, Nov. 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For 50 years, Chinese American photographer Corky Lee documented the celebrations, struggles and daily lives of Asian American Pacific Islanders with epic focus.
Determined to push mainstream media to include AAPI culture in the visual record of American history, Lee produced an astonishing archive of nearly a million compelling photographs. His work takes on new urgency with the alarming rise in anti-Asian attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jennifer Takaki’s intimate portrait reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the man behind the lens.