Texas Premiere Frederick Wiseman’s film, EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library, goes behind the scenes of one of the greatest knowledge institutions in the world and reveals it as a place of welcome, cultural exchange and learning. With 92 locations throughout Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, the library is committed to being a resource for all the inhabitants of this multifaceted and cosmopolitan city and beyond. The New York Public Library exemplifies the deeply rooted American belief in the individual’s right to know and be informed. It is one of the most democratic institutions in America – everyone is welcome. The Library strives to inspire learning, advance knowledge and strengthen communities.

EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY PEOPLE, a sweeping celebration of the cultures of the world living and thriving in the United States. At a time when the existence of the National Endowment for the Arts has never been more threatened, Govenar's documentary focuses on one of its least known and most enduring programs: the National Heritage Fellowship, awarded annually since 1982. Featuring a breathtaking array of men and women who have been awarded the fellowship, including musicians, dancers, quilters, woodcarvers and more, the film demonstrates the importance of the folk and traditional arts in shaping the fabric of America. From Bill Monroe and B.B. King to Passamaquoddy basket weavers and Peking Opera singers; from Appalachia and the mountains of New Mexico to the inner city neighborhoods of New York, the suburbs of Dallas, and the isolated Native American reservations of Northern California – each of the artists share exceptional talent, ingenuity, and perseverance.

The 1960s were a turbulent decade for the City of Dallas, including bearing the stigma as the location of President John F Kennedy’s assassination. But the 1960 expansion Dallas Cowboys began paving the way to become one of the most popular teams in the world, and it started with a group of players and coaches who would help define a city’s image and identity. First Cowboys is a documentary currently in production, telling the story of Dallas in the 1960’s through the eyes of the players of its crown jewel – the Dallas Cowboys. Discussion features filmmaker Michael Meredith, son of legendary Cowboys great Don Meredith, who is currently searching for home movies from the Dallas community to help tell this story. Filmmaker in attendance.

Friday Nights in Frederick is an observational documentary short about homecoming day in a fading town. Frederick, OK has spent the last 50 years losing many of its most valuable economic assets, leaving many residents without the opportunity for work and growth. Inside this regional depression exists a rural culture and spirit that will disappear when the town does. This documentary smashes these two forces together to show how spirit thrives even when walking the path to nonexistence.

HALF A LIFE is a short animated documentary that pairs the intimate narration of a young, Egyptian gay activist with highly stylized animation, bringing the streets of Cairo to life through this firsthand account. He shares with us a traumatizing encounter that prompted him to become a gay-rights activist in the unstable, increasingly dangerous and oppressive current social climate in Egypt

On the isolated North Atlantic archipelago of the Faroe Islands, the longtime hunting practices of the Faroese are threatened by dangerously high mercury levels in the whales, decimated seabird populations, and anti-whaling activists. The Faroe islanders consider themselves a canary in the mine, their tale a warning to the rest of the world.

Over 370,000 students from mainland China are enrolled in American high schools and universities – six times more than a decade ago – with $11.4 billion contributed to the American economy. Filmed over three years, MAINELAND follows two teenagers – fun-loving Stella and introspective Harry – who are part of this enormous wave of “parachute students” from China’s wealthy elite seeking Western-style education and the promise of a Hollywood-style U.S. high school experience.Through their stories, the film observes China’s place in the in the contemporary world order, its rise, and how that rise is impacted by the West

MONO GENERATION Director: Keil Troisi In 2005, Lena Dunham starred in a short video by Keil Troisi and A.W. Strouse. Endless problems plagued production—from the scatterbrained script, to the cast’s dorm-room partying, to Strouse’s seedy romance with Dunham. Eleven years later, Troisi and Strouse have reunited to spawn “Mono Generation.” This poetic short documentary reframes their original footage into a nostalgic commentary about celebrity, the War on Terror, and mononucleosis.

Every weekend, seventeen year old Chris and his family hunt rabbits during sugarcane field burning and harvesting in the Florida Everglades.

In rural Iowa, a beloved history teacher uncovers the century-old showreels of one of America's first motion picture impresarios and sets out to premiere the films at the world's oldest continuously operating movie theatre.

The documentary, about Thelonious Monk, pianist and jazz great, combines the Blackwood's rare footage of Monk in studio on tour and behind the scenes with new interviews, archival photos and more to create a landmark aural and visual treat. Intro by Chris Vognar of the Dallas Morning News. Followed by music in the Dallas Film Commission Lobby by the Dave Zoller Trio. Dave is releasing a new CD of Thelonious Monk arrangements titled Evidence: Music of Thelonious Monk, and that it's Monk's 100th birthday Oct. 10.

Directors: Socs & DZ Zavitsanos Two cousins from Deer Ez-Zor, Syria flee from ISIS and leave everything they have behind to seek opportunity and freedom. While one makes it out okay, the other is not so lucky...