Welcome to Voices Heard, the only showcase for Wisconsin's filmmakers of color. 10 films will screen along with a special presentation of Voices Seen, a celebration of local designers of color! We're expanding the Voices Heard program to focus more on the multicultural arts in the community. This year we feature local designers in a 10-minute program produced by LaRheatra Cole. Immediately following that the films begin with Mutism by John Carlo Rosillo, a short that examines anxiety. Then there's Marquise Mays' Blindspot, a live action/animated film celebrating the life of his blind grandmother. Planetary Parasites by Aral Nen Jr. is a comment on what's happening now to the earth. Lashondra Scott & Colin Sytsma bring us An Essential Voice - Eric Von, a documentary honoring the life of the respected journalist and radio icon. Ricardo Tenorio returns with Pawn Turned King, a morality tale with a young cast. Immanuel Baldwin presents to us the noirish crime tale, Love and Water. Andrea Ivy's Epiphany is based on a true story with a woman discovering her boyfriend's real personality. After winning awards with his last film, Anh Vo brings us Ephemeral, a dream like LGBTQ romance. Martial artist, Toom Chanda delivers an all-out action film, The Cure. And closing out the block is DeMar Walker's The Beckoning which addresses the historical & political violence of displacement/dispossession inflicted on the Black body. For information on these films please hit the links connected to each title, or visit our website, Milwaukee Independent Film Society for more on this block and the rest of our programs playing during the festival. Plus, check out our youtube channel for a ton of free content with filmmaker Q/A's and trailers to the films.