FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 3, 2017n

JUSTICE FILM FESTIVAL OPENS AT THE SHEEN CENTER ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 WITH MORGAN FREEMAN AND LORI MCCREARY'S NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SERIES, THE STORY OF US

THE JUSTICE FILM FESTIVAL returns to The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture on Friday, October 6, 2017 and runs through Sunday, October 8, 2017 with a roster of films that highlight conscience and activism through the cinematographic lens. The Justice Film Festival opens on Friday, October 6, 2017 at 7:00 pm with Morgan Freeman and executive producer Lori McCreary's "The Story of Us," the follow-up to the critically-acclaimed National Geographic series, "The Story of God." "The Story of Us" takes audiences on a journey of cultural exploration, expanding the conversation of cosmology and spirit to include the more tangible questions about that which makes us who we are. Lori McCreary, in addition to producing the series, is also an executive producer for Madame Secretary and President of the Producer's Guild of America. She and Morgan Freeman will both be on hand for a talk-back following the screening.

THE JUSTICE FILM FESTIVAL spotlights the work of innovative filmmakers who are committed to bringing stories of moral and ethical resonance to the culture at large. The festival continues on Saturday with documentary features and shorts that explore issues around the environment, education, autism, personal struggle, and redemption. The early afternoon session begins at 1 pm with a 9 minute short, "Cycle of Change," by Sarah Frei. Set in Guatemala, the film tells the story of a woman who opens her personal horizon to much more than was ever expected through the ambitious pursuit of bicycle-pedal technology. It is followed by director David Conover's "Behold the Earth" which looks at the disconnection between "America and the outdoors" and proposes informed dialogue between faith and science as means to heal the divide. The film is scored by Grammy-award winning musician, Dirk Powell. The late afternoon session begins at 4 pm and includes director Lara Stolman's "Swim Team" which chronicles the extraordinary rise of Jersey Hammerheads, a competitive swim team with multiethnic autistic teen recruits, and their moving quest for inclusion, independence, and a life which transcends perceived limitations
The evening session on Saturday, October 7 begins at 7 pm with "Peripheral" a 13-minute short about artist, Jimmy Abegg, who is adapting to the daunting task of losing his sight, while courageously expanding his vision for the art he creates. Director Joseph Campo's much-anticipated "Outcasts" closes Saturday's screenings with a profoundly moving documentary that follows the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal "to the margins" where they serve the lost and forgotten in Central America, New York, London, and Ireland in accordance with the call of the Gospel. Sunday, October 8 follows the same format with three afternoon sessions at 1 pm, 4 pm, and 7 pm; and includes the exclusive screening of the breathtaking PBS feature, "Sacred." Brought to the screen by Academy Award-winning director Thomas Lennon, the film is sweeping in scope, with forty filmmaking teams capturing the nuanced sights and sounds of faith practices throughout the globe. Most of the screenings will be followed by talkbacks with the filmmakers

Members of the press interested in covering THE JUSTICE FILM FESTIVAL at The Sheen Center; or in scheduling an interview with the director of The Justice Film Festival, Andy Peterson, are asked to kindly contact Mercedes Lopez Blanco at [email protected].
For a complete list of films please visit: https://sheencenter.org/shows/justice/

The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture is a forum to showcase works highlighting the true, the good, and the beautiful. Located downtown on historic Bleecker Street, the Sheen Center is a vibrant new arts organization that focuses on theater, music, film, and talk. A project of the Archdiocese of New York, the state-of-the-art complex encompasses the 270-seat Loreto Theater, equipped with five-camera high-definition livestream capability and a multi-track recording studio; the 80-seat Black Box Theater; four rehearsal studios; and an art gallery. It was named after the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, best known for his popular, inspirational radio and TV ministry in the 1950s and 60s. www.sheencenter.org