Jennifer Steinman Sternin

From homosexual penguins and sex-transitioning fish to pregnant male seahorses and sexually dominant female bonobos, thousands of species defy our expectations of gender and sexuality. Director Drew Denny takes the nature documentary to a whole new level in this eye-opening and entertaining expedition to the places David Attenborough overlooks, where giant duck penises and corkscrew vaginas take center stage. Debunking myths that females are “inferior” and being queer is somehow “unnatural,” Second Nature explores the 1500+ animal species that engage in same-sex sexual behavior and parenting, change sex, form matriarchies, and more.

An elixir to our current state, "Dear Santa" takes us on the fanciful and poignant journey of a little known program called Operation Santa. For more than 100 years, human elves have been helping Santa respond to the thousands of letters children write and mail to him. This gripping documentary crisscrosses the country, following the most emotional letters as the elves work hard to make sure each child’s Christmas dreams come true.

An aging Irish businessman, an aspiring Australian actress, a retired American baseball player and a widowed British bodyguard attempt to complete the four most difficult ultra marathon races on Earth-- a goal previously only attempted by professional athletes. The four races bring them to the world's most picturesque and brutal deserts in Chile, China, Egypt and Antarctica, where they will push their bodies, minds and spirits to their limits. Desert Runners chronicles the intense, year-long journey of these dedicated runners and the many obstacles that they face - both expected and unexpected,external and internal - and provides an intimate view into the complex ways human beings deal with heartbreak and triumph.

TIME FOR ILHAN shadows Ilhan Omar and her scrappy group of dedicated campaign staffers throughout the entire 2016 Minnesota House of Representatives campaign's dramatic uphill battle, as Omar, a Somali-American woman, attempts to unseat a 43-year incumbent and other challengers.

GRAMMA & GINGA: THE MOVIE is a 30-minute documentary film that tells the story of these two beloved internet superstars. This intimate portrait chronicles Gramma & Ginga’s unexpected rise to fame and takes viewers home to their small West Virginia town, where they reminisce and share their stories of the past hundred years— the good, the bad, the ugly and the laugh-out-loud hilarious.

It's about everything and one thing: choice.

Six American mothers, each grieving the death of a child, journey to South Africa to volunteer with impoverished children. The strength of the people they meet and the reality of the poverty they witness deeply affects them. They ultimately discover hope and healing as a result of serving others, and through the unexpected friendships they form with each other.