SHORTS PROGRAM 1:
NONFICTION/BOLD STATEMENTS
Distinct documentary visions that invite and challenge.
Saturday, October 4 – 12:15pm – UNCSA ACE Theatre Complex | 101 minutes | Includes a post-screening Q&A
WELCOME TO THE YACHT HOUSE
Directed by Carrie Hart and Rick Dillwood | USA | 2024 | English | 10:51 | Documentary Short
With drag queen Anna Yacht at the helm, a crew of drag performers come together to create a recurring drag brunch in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This short documentary highlights Anna’s work as a drag photographer, performer, and show curator who brings her vision to life with the help of her friends and co-stars. From performances that range from scrappy to polished and always on theme, the Yacht House shines bright as a feature of the Winston drag scene.
AGAINST A SHARP WHITE BACKGROUND
Directed by Asahni Williams | USA | 2025 | English | 18:54 | Documentary Short
An exploration of the effects of integration in education, through the eyes of Zora Neale Hurston. Looking at the good, the bad and the ugly effects on the education and experiences of black students.
*Student project, UNC School of the Arts
THE DIVINE FEMME
Directed by Oda Adamu | Canada | 2025 | English | 16:25 | Documentary Short
Black. Brown. Trans. Cis. Queer. Immigrant. Full Bodied. Embodied. Femme. The Divine Femme is a conversation between Black and Brown cis and trans women in Toronto’s ballroom scene. They share their personal identity intersections, and how ballroom is a space for them to express their womanism in its fullness! While the Storytellers represent Toronto’s ballroom scene, their voices have a universal relevance that extends beyond borders.
MOM, I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU
Directed by Rick Miller | USA | 2025 | English | 30:59 | Documentary Short
Mom, I Have Something To Tell You is a short documentary depicting the profound impact that mothers have on their gay sons’ wellbeing. These experiences can also be applied to the larger LGBTQ+ community, emphasizing acceptance by family members and by communities. The film offers optimistic models for coping and thriving.
*First-time filmmaker
THE LIBRARY PROBLEM
Directed by Mell Packard | Canada | 2025 | English | 5:28 | Documentary Short
A short student documentary examining the history and current status of the ongoing battle over LGBTQ+ content in the children’s section of Alabama public libraries.
*Student project, University of Alabama at Birmingham
TENDING TO THE SOUL
Directed by DW McCrary | USA | 2025 | English | 18:51 | Documentary Short
In rural Alabama, Freedom Farm Azul stands as a sanctuary for nourishment, education, and healing. Through intimate interviews and lush imagery, this poetic documentary explores how land stewardship becomes an act of resistance, restoration, and collective care.
*First-place winner of OATM’s 2024 Emerging Artist Film Grant