Documentaries are increasingly a primary vehicle for elevating complex issues to the national agenda in inspiring, impactful and thought-provoking ways. They tell the big stories, follow the intimate journeys, and introduce the new voices and new ideas that make up our vibrant social fabric. A human story well told becomes a point of entry to unfamiliar social landscapes and leaves us with a deeper understanding of each other and the forces that shape our lives.
At a time when our politics has become polarized and the open-minded exchange of ideas and viewpoints is in short supply, Social Cinema joins forces with New America’s distinctive community of thinkers, writers, researchers, technologists, and community activists, and the Betaworks Studios membership of forward-looking tech innovators, to engage audiences in a well-rounded exploration of the issues at the heart of today’s most compelling documentary films.
Drawing from a rich international community of filmmakers, Social Cinema selects the nonfiction films that best dramatize our country’s most timely social and political issues and previews them for a diverse, thoughtful, and influential audience. Our audience and participants include leaders and innovators from government and public policy, journalism and media, science and new technologies, cultural and academic institutions, civil rights and human rights.
