Stories about breaking out, breaking free, and bringing people together through the power of action, strength, hope and joy.

Alma W. Thomas was an overnight success, 80 years in the making. Born a generation after slavery, Alma Woodsey Thomas grew up in the South, in a home where education was a priority. At 16, with racial tensions high and no further schooling options, her family moved to Washington, DC, where she started her incredible life of firsts: the first Fine Arts graduate from Howard University (1924), the first African-American Woman to mount a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art (1972), and the first African-American woman to exhibit her paintings in the White House (2009). All the while, she taught art at Shaw Jr. High for 36 years, pioneered educational techniques, travelled the world, and crossed racial barriers. Yet she did not receive national attention until six years before she passed. ﻿Miss Alma Thomas is the first documentary film that explores Thomas’ incredible life through the lens of curators, art specialists, scholars, and her family, and award-winning actress Alfre Woodard as the voice of Miss Thomas. Released in conjunction with a major four-city museum retrospective, thousands will have the opportunity to learn of her life, work, and continuing influence. About the Director:<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/3517d9905886fa1cbb08292c9031adcc.jpg" width="157" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; float: right;">Cheri is a pioneer in the feminist art movement in Los Angeles. Her work has been presented in film festivals internationally, in galleries and museums, and alternative settings including buses, churches, and prehistoric temples. Initially known as a performance artist, her work addressed themes such as the body, religion, sexual identity, and the environment. Gaulke’s art continues to be a vehicle for social commentary, and as a way to tell the stories of individuals and groups under-represented in society. As an educator, Gaulke has mentored hundreds of award-winning youth videos. Her recent film, Gloria’s Call, has screened in over 40 film festivals and won Best Documentary at the Ann Arbor Film Festival amongst other awards. Film Contact: ﻿cherigaulke@gmail.com

Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color

Alma W. Thomas, a Black woman artist, broke color barriers on and off the canvas, yet did not receive national attention until she was 80.

Mai Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American martial artist, physically and mentally trains for an upcoming Jiu Jitsu match. She balances the demands of regular life—job, being a single mother—with intense training. As we gradually learn more about her past, we understand her commitment to martial arts as a way to recover from the trauma of her abusive childhood and ex-husband. About the Director:<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/bf457772fac7c9add77e08fc20f98489.jpg" width="199" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; float: right;">Asali Echols is a Bay Area filmmaker and film editor, whose work has screened in festivals across the country and worldwide. Her directing credits include the narrative short Fast &amp; New (2019), the animated documentary The Violin Upstairs (2019) and the award-winning short documentary Lion on the Mat (2021). She enjoys finding visual intersections between narrative, documentary and animation, and telling stories about people who step outside boxes.

Lion on the Mat

A Vietnamese-American single mother pours herself into martial arts as a way to overcome past trauma.

For Maggie and Febby, the bicycle is much more than a toy. Growing up in rural Malawi, they struggled to make the long trek to school—a journey that was made all the more difficult when they both became teen mothers. Now, two wheels are helping them return to school and build better futures for both themselves and their daughters. About the Directors:<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/53498c360a2d6ff0502b0560cf7568d5.jpg" width="133" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; float: right;">Brothers Jacob Seigel Brielle and Isaac Seigel-Boettner were brought home from the hospital in bike trailers. It was love at first ride. They grew up in the saddle, leading youth bike trips with their family everywhere from British Columbia to Ireland to Rwanda. These travels introduced them to storytellers who they never would have met from behind a car window. Today, the brothers run Pedal Born Pictures, a media storytelling company dedicated to shedding light on these narratives often hiding in plain sight. Film Contact: jacob@pedalbornpictures.comwww.pedalbornpictures.comInstagram: @pedalborn

Comeback Girls

For young Malawians Maggie and Febby, the bicycle is much more than a toy.

Jump To Zero is the story of 3 base jumpers changing the paradigm of human-powered access and female empowerment in action sports. Knowing that car and plane access have adverse environmental effects, they set out to discover how much they can reduce their impact while still enjoying the places they love and practicing the sports that bring them joy. About the Director:<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/308f2506bb06f93c26bd64721f3cab7a.jpg" width="132" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; float: right;">Director, cinematographer and editor Drew Herder grew up in Montrose, Colorado. Moving to Boulder in 2012 he earned his BFA in Film Production at the University of Colorado Boulder. Since graduating, Drew has produced many short adventure films; Real Rock: An Urban Climbing Experience, a lighthearted but serious film that features a new generation of climbers within our cities; Kamchatsky Chronicles covers a month-long expedition to far east Russia and exemplifies the adventures and challenges the group faced. He has been running his own company, PopTop Productions, and is recently based out of Salt Lake City. Film Contact: ﻿poptopcinema@gmail.com

Jump to Zero

An all-female team in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. No fossil fuels. Human-powered BASE jumping through the heart of the American desert.

Kailey Kornhauser and Marley Blonsky are on a mission—a mission to change the idea that people in larger bodies can't ride bikes. The duo aims to make cycling more inclusive, not only by inviting people of all sizes to ride bikes, but also by changing the entire idea of what it means to be a cyclist—not just on screens, but on trails and in people’s minds. About The Director:<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/509ca9c2128d5261d789c639da22c3a8.jpg" width="183" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; float: right;">Zeppelin Zeerip plays kickball on Tuesdays, runs marathons on Wednesdays, and lobbies his legislators on Thursdays - because these are important things. I make films about things that matter because I truly believe the problems of our world are solvable.

All Bodies On Bikes

Kailey Kornhauser and Marley Blonsky set out to change the definition of what it means to be a cyclist.

My Century offers a glimpse into the story of one woman’s extraordinary journey through the twentieth century. The story of Ann Lundgren is the story of how one woman can doggedly push against the status quo to rise to the top of a male dominated profession while being a wife and mother. At 101, she is a reluctant heroine, who doesn’t think any of it was special and still goes dancing every chance she gets. About the Director:<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/7df012a80199ae69b2dd0132fc2b9bdf.jpg" width="151" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; float: right;">Kendra Jacobson is a Portland, Oregon based filmmaker best known for her award-winning documentary short The 99W, which has shown at film festivals worldwide. Her second film My Century is the story of one amazing 101-year-old woman, who has be smashing expectations for over ten decades. Kendra is currently in production on her first feature; a documentary about the history and lore of Ouija Boards, to be completed in 2023. She was a show runner for many years at the Oakland Underground Film Festival and has written two narrative features. Film Contact: www.jungleredfilms.comkendra@jungleredfilms.com

My Century

My Century offers a glimpse into the story of one woman’s extraordinary journey through the twentieth century.

Pho the People follows Maryam Tu and her family launching a small batch food project at the beginning of the Covid Pandemic. Maryam Tu's social justice food project, Pho the People, was created as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matters uprising in the U.S. The story captures Tu, a first-generation Vietnamese American, navigating her identity, race, and devotion to her community during a time of isolation and racial unrest. Pho the People explores cultural reclamation, resilience and activism through food. About the Directors:<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/55a317b0e229bf1609fd4eb7f212c911.jpg" width="150" style="max-width: 100%; white-space: pre-wrap; display: inline; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; float: right;">Dez Ramirez (she/her/ella) is a writer, filmmaker, strategist, and community builder currently based in Portland, Oregon. She is the Community Engagement Manager at Columbia Land Trust, the Board President at CultureSeed, and currently working on initiatives, strategies, and community led projects centered on land conservation, climate, justice, tribal sovereignty and BIPOC liberation. <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/e6403a97a65aead34dd30f7b94ca1e20.jpg" width="137" style="max-width: 100%; white-space: pre-wrap; display: inline; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; float: right;">Brady Holden (he/him) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, director of photography of short films and video content for global environmental non profits, national commercial brands, TV, and independent documentaries. Brady started his independent filmmaking career in Milwaukee, WI before moving to Boston as a Producer for Northern Light Productions. In 2014, he created Holden Films and moved to Portland, OR where he specializes in creating short films for environmental nonprofits and independent documentaries. Film Contact: <a href="http://bradyholden.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bradyholden.com</a>﻿

Pho the People

"Pho the People" follows Maryam Tu and her family launching a small batch food project at the beginning of the Covid Pandemic.

Brady Holden (Director, Pho the People), Cheri Gaulke (Director, Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color), Jonathan Gann (Producer, Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color), Jacob Seigel Brielle (Director, Comeback Girls), Drew Herder (Director, Jump to Zero), Kendra Jacobson (Director, My Century), and Asali Echols (Director, Lion on the Mat) discuss their short films with Teafly.

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