Register

Heritage Film Festival

Week 2: October 28-November 3

Premieres Thursday, October 28 at 7 pm EST. In keeping with the Festival's theme, Looking to the Future/Honoring the Past, a broad spectrum of short works by seasoned and emerging filmmakers is showcased. This includes films of all types and genres about immigration, love, friendship, culture, family, food, magic, and much more. Registration opens September 21.

Marjee Chmiel / OURSELVES IN STORIES / 24 mins*
This film is a delightful demonstration of the director's point that "if you want to change a culture, you need to change its stories, starting with the storytellers." 

Ben Mendelsohn / AS IF SAND WERE STONE / 34 mins
An insightful documentary that examines the making and remaking of New York City's coastlines through dredging and sand-filling.

Orisanmi Burton / What really happened during the Attica Prison Rebellion / 5 mins
Director: Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat - This animated short addresses important issues in 1971 that are still relevant over 50 years later. 

Nicholas Janzen / Burst! / 15 mins
Inspired by true events, "Burst!" is the coming-of-age story of a struggling 1st Gen student as she tries to complete an art project as a thought bubble berates her with self-hatred.

Chandra Broadnax-Payne / Desperately Seeking Desi / 14 mins
When an Indian-American woman tries to date a traditional Indian man by leaning into his culture, she finds her way to Nirvana -- for herself.

Sally JK Davies / Crossroads / 2:30 mins
A time-lapse video of a painting on canvas captures the joy and hope of Spring.

* Q&A with director Marjee Chmiel (OURSELVES IN STORIES) and moderator Susie Misleh follows immediately after the screenings.

Marjee Chmiel is an award-winning, multi-media creator who has worked with the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic, and PBS. She has published andspoken extensively on the topic of learning and media. Her doctorate focused on user-generated media. In 2011, she published Luci's Let Down, a graphic novel about the struggle of balancing creativity with real-life. Ourselves in Stories is her first independent, short documentary. Marjee is a proud resident of Prince Georges County where she lives with her husband and two small dogs.

Susie Misleh has worked in the Prince George’s County Library System for 14 years. She loves to find customers just what they are looking for, and has discovered that many customers are drawn to the Independent film collection.  In 2011 she launched the Hyattsville Branch Library Independent Film Series. Working with the Creative Edge Collaborative, formerly the Global Film and Humanities Project,  she brought Library customers together to view and discuss thought-provoking films.  Ten years later - currently in a virtual format - Susie continues to provide a safe space for people to critically reflect on relevant issues and the art of filmmaking. 

The 16th annual Heritage Film Festival is a month-long, free event beginning October 21 and ending November 17. Each set of films will be available for viewing for one week, and registrants will be emailed passwords to access the films. Each week's program will be followed by a Q&A with the a director and moderator. 

In keeping with the Heritage Film Festival's tradition of contributing food to the Prince George’s County community, we encourage audience members to donate to or volunteer at their local food pantry.