2024 Films and Events

After a whale sinks his sailboat, Steven Callahan drifted across the Atlantic Ocean in an inflatable raft for an incredible 76 days. Forced to come to terms with his own limitations, Steven finds a strength he never knew he had. A gripping first-hand account of his NYT bestselling novel. Steve Callahan and producer Robert Sennott will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.

A Ghanaian filmmaker follows four African undergraduates through MIT, America’s premier technological university and his alma mater. The students embark on their MIT education with individual ambitions. And while their missions are distinct, they are fueled by a common goal: to become agents of positive change back home.

The epic journey of 7 mothers and their newborn calves from Florida to the Canadian Maritimes are followed in a deep dive into the lives of one of the most endangered whales on Earth, the North Atlantic right whale. With remarkable access, we experience the splendor and the plight of this great whale through the eyes of a closely-knit team of marine biologists, whale disentanglers, aerial survey teams, ocean advocates and indigenous leaders as they race against time to save the species from extinction.

In the shark-filled waters off Cape Cod, Michael Packard has long tempted fate. As the region’s last-remaining commercial lobster diver, the 57-year-old has had his share of harrowing experiences, which include close encounters with great whites. But what happened to him on a routine dive was something he never imagined possible, and many around the world refused to believe. In an experience of biblical proportions, Packard was engulfed by a humpback whale, caught in the watery cavity of its massive mouth. After some 30 seconds of a pitch-black captivity, in which he expected to die, he was spit out, fins first, to the surface, where Mayo and another fisherman rescued him. The publicity was similarly dizzying for the reclusive fisherman, whose survival story spread around the world in news dispatches. But what came after the limelight dimmed was even more significant for Packard.

Linda Perry is one of the most outspoken and recognizable artists of the past 30 years. The hat, tattoos, attitude, and of course, her massive hit single ''What''s Up?'' In the decades since that song topped the charts, Linda's been even more successful as a songwriter and producer for artists like Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera, and Pink. But behind the fame is a vulnerable and courageous woman who dreams big but still struggles with the past and present, with fear, shame, identity, and the burdens of family.

Luther Vandross always believed he would be a star, but his journey to success was far from overnight. He began his career supporting industry icons like David Bowie, Roberta Flack, and Bette Midler. Despite earning platinum records and accolades, Luther initially struggled to break into mainstream success beyond the R&B charts. Driven by unwavering determination, he overcame personal and professional hurdles, ultimately establishing himself as one of the greatest vocalists in history.

Maya Gabeira is the first woman to attempt to surf the giant wave in Nazaré, Portugal. She nearly drowned - and was ridiculed and ostracized by the male big wave surfers who dominate the sport. Three spine surgeries and five years later, she surfs the biggest wave a woman has ever surfed. When her accomplishment is disregarded, Maya enlists the help of her fans to fight for recognition --and becomes the first female surfer honored with a Guinness World Record.

Film criticism, like the movie business in general, is evolving, for better or worse. Five members of the Boston Society of Film Critics will discuss the changing landscape and how it affects their work. They also will engage with attendees to hear what filmmakers and other moviegoers want from film critics.

An impassioned surfer creates a functional surfboard with 10,000 littered cigarette butts collected from California beaches. The surfboard becomes a global platform to spark ocean stewardship and the symbol of a grassroots campaign to hold Big Tobacco accountable for their toxic, plastic waste.

A story of courage and determination, betrayal and corruption, death threats and murder, and of unexpected victories in the countryside and in the courts, that asks how economic development can grow in harmony with environmental protections and why we tolerate unbridled greed and profiteering at the expense of human life and our precious planet. Above all, Water For Life illuminates a growing recognition of Indigenous rights and a rising demand for corporate responsibility and environmental justice that’s being seen around the world.

Rayelle Martin, a commercial cleaning woman in Gary, Indiana, stumbles into a new job cleaning the homes of several rich, suburban families. While working, she impulsively tells one small lie, and subsequently finds herself in an odd new position of power.