Browse films

Let the People Decide

Gavin Guerra
United States, 2019, 108 min.

In English.
Includes violence and adult language.

AIFF Award Winner:
Special Jury Award for Historical Filmmaking

"Stealing elections" and "illegal voting" can sound like words meant to whip southern white voters into a frenzy. To the mid-twentieth century activists who lived the brutal history of voter intimidation and literacy tests, the current voter ID debate recalls a familiar tune. Now, the legal battle over voting rights in North Carolina puts a new generation of activists in all-too-familiar territory–fighting laws specifically enacted to intimidate and disenfranchise African Americans at the polls.

Director's Statement

In discussions of present day issues that have been around for generations, historical context is essential. Despite living in what we call "The Information Age", dis-information and misinformation are widespread. The purpose of this film is to give the conversation about voting rights that much needed context. This film shows that the struggle over who gets to vote did not erupt from a vacuum, but is woven deep into our national fabric.

Category: Documentary, Feature Doc, Award Winner, Best of Fest.
Themes: Politics, Historical, Social Justice.

More in Documentary

  • No Baby on Board

    No Baby on Board

    Julia Kots
    United States, 2025, 79 min.

    When the filmmaker tries to donate her frozen eggs, she delves into a hilarious and heartbreaking debate about why women are opting out of motherhood... more ›

  • Resonancia

    Resonancia

    Ted Nash
    2026, 38 min.

    In the heart of Havana, Grammy-winning composer Ted Nash invites young Cuban musicians to find inspiration in the colors and forms of a museum’s... more ›

  • Magdalena Hausen: Frozen Time

    Magdalena Hausen: Frozen Time

    Yannis Karpouzis
    Germany, 2025, 25 min.

    German photographer Magdalena Hausen crosses post-war political history of Europe in her quest to make a photograph of the wind. An experimental film about... more ›