11th Annual USC School of Social Work Film Festival

The film festival will showcase short documentaries from students in the School of Social Work's "Media in Social Work" courses at UPC and the San Diego Academic Center.

The theme of this year's film festival is "The Digital Revolution: Social Workers Creating Cinema." The SOWK 687 elective course attempts to empower students to make a difference in their communities through the use of the short documentary format and project to larger audiences justice issues impacting our communities to modify attitudes and behaviors regarding social issues. Believing that the best films and videos are made in close collaboration with other creative members, students work in small groups to produce, direct and edit a short documentary and then develop an outreach plan for larger distribution. This year's documentary subjects include:

1. Love Conquers. A Carlos Velez, Miriam Joya and Jessica Akintunde film. After serving time in prison, a mother faces challenges as she tries to reintegrate back into her community. http://phoenix-productionz.tumblr.com

2. Fearless. A Nicole Rodriguez and Olivia De La Riva film. A 10-year-old transgender girl and her family share how they overcome isolation, discrimination and resistance in the midst of transitions that change their lives forever. https://fearlesstransyouth.wordpress.com/

3. Soup is Mostly Water. A Grace Bakke and Angela Guilfoyle film. An imaginative artist struggling with mental illness also must confront the stigma of the larger society. https://thetristendoc.wordpress.com/

4. The Invisibles. A Jesse Scott, Kiana Alzate and Caroline Ashkar film. Four people experiencing homelessness, whom the larger community considers invisible, teach us about their dignity. http://theinvisiblesfilm.tumblr.com

5. 8 Seconds. An Alexandra Biener, Paola Guzman and Elizabeth Mour film. Soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces are humanized as protectors and ethical decision makers as three former IDF soldiers share their stories. https://8secondsthefilm.wordpress.com

6. Unconditional. An Angela Bianco, John Hannaberry and Jessica Campos film. This film explores the shared experience of human and animal homelessness. https://www.facebook.com/petsofhomeless

7. Defeat Domestic Violence: Watch Women Thrive. A Heather Paetow and Jaclyn Denton film. This film follows the lives of courageous women who are thriving after escaping domestic torment. http://www.defeatdv.tumblr.com/

8. Dating Through Time: A Karen Del Fierro, Rauna Landing and Alexis Troche film. A story of people in different walks of life who have dated, loved and lost using old fashioned and technological ways of connection, and how these avenues have impacted their view of love. https://datingin2015adocumentary.wordpress.com/

9. After the Last Dose. An Aubree Vance and Spencer Levi Amansec film. This film features three transitional age youth who struggle with opiate addiction as well as the families of children who have overdosed. http://theopiatelyfe.tumblr.com/