2011 RIGHTSFEST: San Francisco

RightsFest is a civil rights film festival sponsored by the Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education, a program of the Asian Law Caucus. The annual RightsFest brings audiences a diverse range of social justice films as well as panels to discuss history, activism, filmmaking, and community-bridging solutions. The first RightsFest, which centered around the theme of US Supreme Court civil rights cases, was held in 2010 in Detroit, at Wayne State Law School’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights. For more information about RightsFest 2010, click here.

On Oct. 26-28, KI will host its second annual RightsFest during the Advancing Justice conference in San Francisco. Two short films about civil rights activism will be screened every evening, followed by a live Q&A panel with film directors and activists. Rightsfest 2011 has been made possible by support from Open Society Foundations.

Price: Free, but please register on this Eventbrite page to reserve a seat.

**IMPORTANT**: Guests who have RSVP'd should arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of each screening in order to guarantee a seat for themselves. If you are not seated 10 minutes prior to the screening, your seats may be given away to guests waiting in the standby line. If tickets sell out, please note that we will open the rush line 10 minutes before each screening, so folks who arrive early will have a good chance of getting in! 

Wednesday 10/26 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (at San Francisco Film Society | New People Cinema):

Always My Son 

Always My Son (2010) chronicles the transformation of Ed from a self-described “macho Mexican” to co-founder of his town’s first LGBT youth support group after his son came out. Director Vivian Kleiman lets a straightforward story speak for itself in this touching and inspiring short documentary. 16 minutes.

Confirmed Panelists: Director Vivian Kleiman, Ed & Elizabeth Plata, parents of EJ Plata.

The Fall of the I-Hotel

The Fall of the I-Hotel (1983) brings to life the battle for housing in San Francisco. The brutal eviction of the International Hotel’s tenants culminated a decade of spirited resistance to the razing of Manilatown. The Fall of the I-Hotel serves as witness to the community’s fight to survive, and as tribute to the dignity and strength of the Manongs. 58 minutes.

Confirmed Panelists: I-Hotel activist Emil de Guzman.

Thursday 10/27 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (at San Francisco Film Society | New People Cinema):

Pilgrimage 

Pilgrimage (2008) uses a hip music track to tell the inspiring story of how an abandoned WWII concentration camp for Japanese Americans has been transformed into a symbol of retrospection and solidarity for people of all ages, races and nationalities in our post-9/11 world. Pilgrimage reveals how the Japanese American community reclaimed a national experience that had almost been deleted from public understanding. 22 minutes.

Confirmed Panelists: Director Tadashi Nakamura.

Freedom Riders

Freedom Riders (2010) is the powerful, harrowing, and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed America forever. From May until November 1961, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism. Special 35-minute version.

Confirmed Panelists: Former Freedom Rider Carol Ruth Silver.

Friday 10/28 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (at Opera Plaza Cinema):

Whose Children Are These?

Whose Children Are These? (2004) provides a gripping view into the lives of three Muslim teenagers impacted by domestic national security measures. Through the eyes of three courageous teens-turned-activists, Whose Children Are These? brings to light the harsh realities faced by Muslim communities in post-9/11 America— including family separation, round ups, biascrimes, detentions, and deportations. 27 minutes.

Confirmed Panelists: Director Theresa Thanjan. 

Viva La Causa

Viva La Causa (2008) focuses on one of the seminal events in the march for human rights – the grape strike and boycott led by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta in the 1960s. Viva La Causa shows how thousands of people from across the nation joined in a struggle for justice for the most exploited people in our country – the workers who put food on our tables. 39 minutes.

Confirmed Panelists: Director Bill Brummel, Former press secretary for Cesar Chavez and current Communications Director for the Cesar Chavez Foundation, Marc Grossman.

Note: all screenings will be followed by a panel discussion with film directors and/or activists directly involved in the causes represented in these films. For more information about the films and panelists, visit www.rightsfest.org. 

Locations:

Wednesday and Thursday, October 26 and 27

San Francisco Film Society | New People Cinema

1746 Post St. (between Webster Street & Buchanan Street)

San Francisco, CA 94115

Friday, October 28 

Opera Plaza Cinema

601 Van Ness Avenue (between Golden Gate Avenue and Turk Street)

San Francisco, CA 94102