2008 Graduating Class

Jessie’s Dad

Jessie's Dad PosterFormer trucker Mark Lunsford transforms into America’s most effective child-protection crusader after a sexual predator murders his 9-year-old daughter, Jessica.

Jessie’s Dad follows Lunsford from his Florida trailer to state capitals and Capitol Hill as he pushes lawmakers to wise up and crack down on child sex offenders.

The documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at a grieving father’s struggle to make a difference as he adapts to celebrity brought on by tragedy.

Directed by: Boaz Dvir and Rebecca Goldman

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A Sh’mal World

A Sh'mal World PosterImpish and twinkle-eyed, Sh’mal Ellenberg can joke about his chaotic work: helping mentally-ill drug addicts reclaim their lives.
His clients are people like Kat, a hot-blooded women with insight into her mental illness, and Dale, a charismatic man with an unending drug addiction.

Sh’mal can relate to his clients and their life on the fringes of society—never losing his cool when they throw tantrums or get evicted from their apartments. Yet, when faced with the choice to reunite with his estranged, alcoholic, and sometimes homeless son after a ten year disconnect, Sh’mal must come to terms with his own conflicting emotions about family, addiction and the struggle to fit into mainstream society.

Directed by: Michelle Friedline and Laureen Ricks

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Standard Deviation

Standard DevStandard Deviation is the story of Billy Cottrell, a brilliant but troubled young physicist whose world collapses when the FBI arrests him as an eco-terrorist.

To the shock of his family and colleagues, Billy was caught sending anonymous e-mails to the Los Angeles Times claiming involvement in a series of arsons and the vandalism of over 130 SUVs in the Los Angeles area. Billy’s family and colleagues examine Billy’s past to try to understand how such a promising young genius could end up behind bars.

Directed by: Chris Brannan and David Randag

» Visit the film’s Web site »