2023 Thesis Films
Above the Ring: The Chris Byrd Story
Director: Trevor Hill
Above the Ring: The Chris Byrd Story follows the journey of a two-time world champion boxer from Flint, Michigan, who, facing chronic pain and suicidal thoughts, sets his sights on a comeback to professional boxing at the age of 50 with the help of cannabis expert Tammie Thomas.
Becoming the Lion
Director: Miranda Tai
Against the backdrop of a competitive sport that combines strength and grace with honor and tradition, Becoming the Lion explores what motivates three young people to embrace the ancient sport of Mongolian wrestling as they seek to define themselves and their futures.
Bloom
Directors: Elizabeth Miller-Derstine & Allison Rieff
Bloom, a feature-length documentary, follows four birth workers and the expectant parents they advocate for and questions why a country that advocates for personal freedom limits how parents exercise it in the birthing process. At a time when stories about Roe v. Wade, TRAP laws, and state legislatures are in the headlines for making reproductive care more perilous, Bloom is about the people who are making healthcare access an easier and positive experience.
Our Side
Director: Jinglin Zeng
Our Side follows documentarian and sexual abuse survivor, Jinglin Zeng, as she embarks on a journey to heal and reclaim her narrative. As a participant in Resilient Voices, an annual weekend retreat held in North Carolina for sexual assault survivors, Zeng explores healing therapies and connects with a community of survivors as she engages in accountable and trauma-informed storytelling. Through an intimate personal lens, the film also follows Michelle Sines, the founder of Resilient Voices Retreat and Kylie Ashton Maurer, a retreat participant and an activist for sexual assault survivors, as they reclaim their voices and share their growth in front of her camera.
The Common Game
Director: Kyle Clayton
The Common Game tells the story of Lansing Common FC, a phoenix club that rose from the ashes of a now-defunct professional club that used to call Lansing, Michigan, home. This film follows the LCFC team as it competes in its second season in the Midwest Premier League, an amateur region-based league in the arbitrary 5th tier of American soccer, and explores what it takes to run a community-first soccer organization.
Types
Director: Taylor Rogers
14-year-old Sophie only knows her mom through pictures and memories shared by others. She lost her mom to a silent killer that continuously devastates families and loved ones. Often assumed to be a curable disease, diabetes currently ranks as the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. Through the personal journey of the filmmaker and her sister, Sophie, and by observing daily challenges Lisa and Keyana face in their battles with diabetes, Types takes on the misconceptions and stigmas associated with a disease that one in five Americans don’t even know they have.
Unique Past, Bright Future
Director: Rodney Wilds
Once a thriving business and residential area, Warnersville, the first planned African-America neighborhood in Greensboro, North Carolina, succumbed to “Urban Renewal,” a redevelopment plan funded by the federal government. While almost all buildings in the area were leveled, the legacy of black excellence within Greensboro prevailed. The story of Warnersville is intimately tied to the story of David Small, the owner and CEO of Skyline Video Pros. David’s life has been full of ups and downs that have molded who he is at present. Together, David and Greensboro are engaged in an effort to learn from their Unique Past, in order to create a Bright Future. This film tells the story of David’s complex journey to entrepreneurship, along with the heart wrenching tale of a community that refused to be buried.