Kelyn Ikegami

In the United States, you may have been born in one state or even in a different country. You may go to school or work in another community, and then move somewhere else by choice or circumstance. What is it that ties us to these places and makes us call them home? And how does our state affect who we are and how we identify ourselves? In a time where identity, unity and belonging are under scrutiny, STATES OF AMERICA asks these questions in lyrical short documentaries. Featuring everyday people as distinct as the physical and cultural landscapes they call home, these films begin to portray a mosaic of America's famously emerging identity.

In 1987, a team of outsiders attempt to break a hallowed baseball record in a desperate bid for fame, fortune, and careers in the major leagues. Even if they succeed, no athlete can play forever — and what comes after the death of a dream?

At the farthest edge of the Navajo Nation, the purpose and future of the most remote high school in the continental United States is in question while three Indigenous youth grapple with ambitious dreams, family responsibilities, and the isolated nature of their community.

The promise of the American Dream is real to one rural Peruvian family as they attempt to send their son to The United States to provide for them. The Savanna meditates on the archetypal movement of people and their dreams of a better life.

A haunted mechanic muses on his experiences as an immigrant in rural America and life and death as he resurrects cars.

A man fights to preserve what remains of Salt Lake City’s erased Japantown.

This Emmy nominated film tells the stories of three quilters, revealing an intimate portrait of rural women in the American West. Featuring Brenda Bailey, Sara Buscaglia, and Susan "Traditional Woman" Hudson.

In the summer of 2021, renowned Ghanaian contemporary artist Amoako Boafo arrived at a secure facility in the West Texas desert to embark upon an unusual commission.

A young man continues the tradition of cowboy poetry, using his performances to navigate his emotions, family and the modern world.