Mead Film Festival: Saturday
Saturday, May 3, 2025
This three-day celebration takes place from Friday, May 2–Sunday, May 4, and will present storytelling and documentary films from diverse voices near and far.
Favoriten
12 pm | Kaufmann Theater
In a crowded primary school in Vienna’s working-class Favoriten district, teachers struggle as many students, newly arrived from Syria, navigate religion and identity in a new country. Director Ruth Beckermann quietly captures their resilience as students use iPhones to interview each other, exploring their culture and sense of belonging in Austria.
The Return of the Projectionist
12 pm | Linder Theater
TV repairman Samid longs to bring the magic of cinema back to his small Azerbaijani town, taking pains to repair a Soviet-era projector. Collaborating with local 16-year-old cinephile Ayaz, Samid’s journey becomes a personal odyssey of healing for the elderly projectionist.
Remaining Native
1 pm | LeFrak Theater
As track star Kutoven Stevens trains for scholarships and accolades, he wrestles with the legacy of Indian Boarding Schools and its lasting generational trauma.
Night of the Coyotes
2:30 pm | Linder Theater
The rural Mexican town of El Alberto offers many tourist attractions. Foremost among them: the Caminata, a simulated border crossing. Staffed by locals with firsthand immigration experience, the reenactment provides insights into the challenges of migration and the journey beyond the border.
Mira Nair presents Our Land, Our Freedom
3 pm | Kaufmann Theater
The Mau Mau uprising against British colonial rule in 1952 marked a crucial moment in Kenya’s struggle for independence. Today, Dedan Kimathi’s family honors his legacy by uniting with the descendants of Freedom Fighters to challenge unequal land redistribution and the lasting effects of colonization.
The Shepherd and the Bear
4 pm | LeFrak Theater
Following the French government’s reintroduction of brown bears into the Pyrenees, an aging shepherd defends his flock against this new threat. In The Shepherd and the Bear, director Max Keegan explores ancient tensions between nature and humans through the story of a uniquely modern conundrum.
Brink of Dreams
5 pm | Linder Theater
The all-female, mostly teenage Panorama theatre troupe uses the streets of their remote town as their stage, fearlessly tackling taboo topics like arranged marriages. As they face backlash from friends and family, they hone their acting and singing skills to challenge gender norms within their community.
Land with No Rider
6 pm | Kaufmann Theater
Once one of the ranching and mining heartlands of the U.S., New Mexico now faces a declining ranching workforce and challenging environmental conditions. Land With No Rider captures the state's vast skies and rich land, illustrating why its remaining ranchers persist in the face of adversity.
Our Friends, The Animals
All Day | Milstein Hall of Ocean Life
This collection of five imaginative short films explores the deep and often mysterious connections between humans and animals. These stories—told through myth, magic, and quiet moments of discovery—remind us how animals reflect our fears, guide our journeys, and illuminate our place in the natural world.
These films will play continuously throughout the day in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. Free with Museum admission.
Generous support for the Margaret Mead Film Festival has been provided by The Mead Trust.
A portion of the Margaret Mead Film Festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
The Margaret Mead Film Festival is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.