There are many issues that positively and negatively impact the academic lives of Bakersfield area students.  Those issues, and the impacts on a community, are illustrated in the second annual Community Outreach Film Festival sponsored by the CTA Sierra Service Center Council, which consists of 43 local CTA teachers’ unions in Kern County.

“This year’s films are about family and community,” said Karen Schuett, film festival coordinator, elementary teacher and Panama-Buena Vista Teachers Association member. “We hope these films and the discussions following each presentation will provide a better understanding regarding what students and teachers need to succeed.”

Admission is free on a first-come basis to the films, which will be shown at the Maya Cinema, 1000 California Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93304.  Tickets can be reserved by emailing kschuette@gmail.com. The movies will be shown at 6 p.m.

I Am Jane Doe – February 25, 2019
Called “a gripping legal thriller,” this movie chronicles the epic battle that several American mothers are waging on behalf of their middle-school daughters, victims of sex trafficking. It is a gut-wrenching human story and fresh look at a social and legal issue that affects every community in America.

Movie Link: www.applepushers.com/  Movie Trailer

Apple Pie: Raising Champions – March 18, 2019
As seen on ESPN, this intimate yet riveting film about star athletes and their moms is a tribute to the often invisible strength, courage and power of mothers. It features 11 athletes and their mothers, including NFL Super Bowl quarterback Drew Bledsoe and his mom, Barbara; MVP and NBA star Shaquille O’Neal and his mom, Lucille; Indy car racer Sarah Fisher and her mom, Reba; Major League baseball star Kenny Lofton and his grandma, Rosie Lou.
Movie Link: www.applepiemovie.com/  Movie Trailer

A Dangerous Idea: Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream – April 8, 2019
A dangerous idea has threatened the American Dream from the beginning – the belief that some groups and individuals are inherently superior to others and more deserving of fundamental rights. This film offers a reassessment of the meaning, use and misuse of gene science. Like no other film before it, this documentary brings to light how false scientific claims have rolled back long-fought gains in equality, and how powerful interests are poised once again to use the gene myth to unravel the American Dream.

Movie Link: adangerousideafilm.com/  Movie Trailer

Lemonade Stories – May 6, 2019
This film focuses on how mothers have contributed to the entrepreneurial spirit of their sons and daughters, as well as their influence in terms of instilling a responsibility to give back to the community. Featured are Richard Branson, The Virgin Group; Kay Koplovitz, USA Network; Arthur Blank, The Home Depot; Russell Simmons, Def Jam/Phat Fashions; Tom Scott, Nantucket Nectars; Billy Starr, Pan-Mass Challenge; and Kelly Reinhart, TPak International.
Movie Link: www.lemonadestories.com/  Movie Trailer

Previous movies this year:

Ten 9 Eight – November 5, 2018
A kid drops out of high school every nine seconds. Imagine if they didn’t. This is the compelling concept behind award-winning filmmaker Mary Mazzio’s newest project Ten9Eight, a thought-provoking film which tells the inspirational stories of several inner city teens (of differing race, religion, and ethnicity) from Harlem to Compton and all points in between, as they compete in an annual business plan competition run by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE).

Movie link: www.ten9eight.com/  Movie Trailer

Apple Pushers – January 28, 2019
Narrated by Academy Award nominee Edward Norton, the film follows immigrant street vendors who are rolling fresh fruits and vegetables into the inner cities of New York (where finding a fresh red ripe apple can be a serious challenge). Through the lens of their powerful and deeply personal stories, the film examines such hot-button issues as food access, the obesity crisis, immigration, entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to achieve the American Dream.

Movie Link:  www.applepushers.com/  Movie Trainer Link