Danny Schmidt

“These animals are like ghosts,” says Carlton Ward Jr.—National Geographic explorer, photographer, and 8th generation Floridian—at the beginning of this captivating film that endeavors to keep the Florida Panther from becoming just that: a ghost. As the last big cat surviving in the eastern United States and the state animal of Florida, the panther is an icon of Florida’s ever-diminishing wild places, as revealed in the film’s sumptuous images. Leading a team that includes cowboys, wildlife biologists, photographers/videographers, and a lot of folks who simply care about the future of Florida’s fragile ecology, Ward treks repeatedly into the Everglades and expanses of South Florida to seek, record, and save these ghosts.

Aussie comic Aaron Chen riffs on the absurdities of life in the U.S., from New York City sidewalk riddles to unexpected news sources, with deadpan wit.

The Right to Read shares the stories of an activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read.

"Finding Traction" presents the inspirational story of ultra runner Nikki Kimball and her quest to become the fastest person in history to run America's oldest hiking trail, the 273-mile Long Trail. The documentary asks what drives her to attempt such an incredible feat, and follows Nikki's journey from its beginning - training and racing in the Rocky mountains - to her actual record attempt through Vermont's beautiful but brutal Green Mountains.

The hope and determination of modern-day American Indian life is revealed in this film about what it takes to win one of the most exciting and perilous forms of horse racing practiced anywhere in the world today. From the bitter cold of winter on the Rocky Mountain Front to the heat and mayhem of the summer's championship races in Montana and Idaho, Indian Relay follows three teams from different American Indian communities as they prepare for and compete in a grueling Indian Relay season - all hearts set on the glory and honor of winning an Indian Relay National Championship.

An unconventional and deeply personal story of The 4DWN, a South Dallas skatepark whose mission is to change the lives of everyone who walks through the gate. This resilience hub is rooted in skate culture, and tackles the challenges of food insecurity and social justice in one of the city’s poorest communities.

By horseback, foot, and paddleboard, three friends trek across Florida’s imperiled backbone. The Lake Wales Ridge is an ancient ribbon of sand dunes that is a hotspot for biodiversity found nowhere else in the world. It is also a place steeped in a long tradition of agricultural heritage. Both are threatened by the rapid pace of change in Florida’s wild interior.

From Brooklyn's concrete jungle to the heart of the Everglades, meet George McKenzie Jr., a Black photographer transforming his lens into a beacon of change. Swapping the weight of a gun for the promise of a camera, George found his calling amid nature's raw grandeur, capturing everything from city pigeons and rats to elusive panthers.