Reclaiming the meaning of independence and documentary film
New Day Films comes to OVID
Long before influencers and the “creator-economy” existed, four feminist filmmakers frustrated with mainstream distribution channels founded New Day Films. Operating as a filmmaker-run collective since 1971, New Day now has 140 filmmaker member-owners and a collection of over 300 titles.
New Day’s catalogue includes many groundbreaking social issue films, winners of Academy Awards and other prestigious honors, and new films from an upcoming generation of independent filmmakers. New Day’s tradition of personal and collective empowerment – controlling their own distribution – is constantly evolving.
To wit, while historically focused on educational audiences, New Day has not been blind to the changes in the media landscape over the past 50+ (!) years.
And so, wanting to see its films reach as wide an audience as possible, we are proud to announce today that New Day is partnering with OVID to, for the first time, bring its films to individual “at-home” viewers on OVID’s convenient, low-cost, subscription video-on-demand platform.
A large project encompassing hundreds of films from many filmmakers, it will be rolled out on OVID with an initial selection of films starting mid-July. Many more titles will then be added in August and September. New Day will be a dedicated destination and collection on the OVID platform, and many of its filmmakers will be highlighted as well.
OVID’s managing director Jonathan Miller said: "As OVID has evolved, with the preeminence and weight of our documentary film collection ever more apparent, and appreciated by our members, partnering with New Day bringing their unrivaled, historical and contemporary body of socially committed documentary work to our platform, will add immeasurable depth and value to our members experience.”
Joel Fendelman, current Chair of New Day's steering committee says: “I share the enthusiasm of New Day's membership to say how excited we are about this groundbreaking partnership with OVID. This collaboration ensures home audiences are empowered with New Day's impactful films at an important time for positive change in our world.”
We have up to 60 more titles coming your way over the coming months!
Following is the schedule for New Day Films releases on OVID this July:
Benevolence, A Journey
Directed by Joanne Hershfield
New Day Films, Documentary, 2018, 62 mins
US
The journey of five women who leave prison and move onto a working farm in North Carolina.
“A rare and genuine glimpse at the immediate obstacles women face directly after leaving prison.” —Dr. Lisa Carter, Chair and Associate Professor of Criminology, Florida Southern College
“Watching Benevolence showed how difficult the transition process for formerly incarcerated women has been while at the same time showing the humanity of a population that is so often overlooked.” —Rolanda JW Spencer, EdD, Author of Reexamining Reentry: The Policies, People, and Programs of the United States Prisoner Reintegration Systems
Deej
Directed by Robert Rooy
New Day Films, Documentary, 2017, 72 minutes
US
After spending his early years in foster care, without access to language, DJ Savarese (“Deej”) found not only a loving family but also a life in words, which he types on a text-to-voice synthesizer. As he dreams of college, he confronts the terrors of his past, society’s obstacles to inclusion and the often-paralyzing beauty of his own senses. A first-of-its-kind collaboration between a veteran filmmaker and a nonspeaking autistic, Robert Rooy and DJ share editorial control as they navigate the challenges of representing autism. Deej is a story told from the inside, not by parents or “experts”.
“A breath of fresh air comes in foregrounding Deej, front and center, as the agent of his own story.” —Cynthia Wu, School Library Journal
Elephant Path / Njaia Njo
Directed by Todd McGrain
New Day Films, Documentary, 2018, 52 mins
US
An indelible tale of friendship and commitment to Forest Elephants in the Central African Rainforest.
“Riveting! Touching, important, beautiful...it opened my eyes.” —Maureen Langan, KGO Radio
“Beautifully crafted and poetic documentary.” —Kristy O’Brien, Eat Drink Films
English Hustle
Directed by Charles Abelmann
New Day Films, Documentary, 2023, 32 minutes
US
Explores the complexities of the multibillion dollar English online tutoring industry through personal stories with insights from academic experts on Chinese education, history, and foreign affairs. The film explores the power of cultural connections highlighting the challenging gig work the teachers endured during a financial and political upheaval.
“Fascinating… If you're interested in the impact of the internet on learning, the networking of the world, and the rise of China, watch English Hustle.” —Ray Suarez, Host, PBS
Expanding Sanctuary
Directed by Kristal Sotomayor
New Day Films, Documentary, 2023, 21 minutes
US
Winner of the Philadelphia Filmmaker Award at the BlackStar Film Festival, Expanding Sanctuary follows an immigrant mother who becomes a community leader during the fight to end Philadelphia police’s data-sharing with ICE. This powerful story reveals how a resilient Latinx community organized to change legislation, protect families, and challenge systemic injustices against immigrants.
"Expanding Sanctuary is a success story. And a record of how immigrants changed policy in Philadelphia." —PeakJohnson.com
How to Power a City
Directed by Melanie La Rosa
New Day Films, Documentary, 2024, 73 minutes
US
Explores the front lines of the clean energy revolution. From zeitgeist solar adopters to hurricane survival and communities fighting to keep the lights on, How To Power A City showcases a diverse group of people leading the way to our nation’s clean energy future.
"Provides an unprecedented glimpse into the material steps being taken to improve the energy economy for those curious about green investment and renewable energy redevelopment.” —Evan Robins, Arthur Press
My Brooklyn
Directed by Kelly Anderson
New Day Films, Documentary, 2012, 77 minutes
US
Director Kelly Anderson documents the redevelopment of Fulton Mall, a bustling African-American and Caribbean commercial district that is maligned for its inability to appeal to the affluent residents who have come to live around it. As a hundred small businesses are replaced by high-rise luxury housing and chain retail, Anderson uncovers the web of global corporations, politicians and secretive public-private partnerships that drive seemingly natural neighborhood change.
“A sensitive study of gentrification … traces a tale of aggressive rezoning, multimillion-dollar development deals and racial displacement. The history of the American city is in itself one of cyclical displacement, but here the apparent lack of transparency and official callousness are especially troubling.” —Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times
My Dear Children
Directed by LeeAnn Dance
New Day Films, Documentary, 2018, 56 mins
US
A woman’s quest to solve a family mystery reveals a forgotten humanitarian tragedy.
"This extraordinary testament was named ‘Audience Favorite’ in the documentary category at our festival. People loved it, were incredibly touched by it, and agreed that it was a very important piece of history that should not be forgotten.” —Julie Sherman, Chair, Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival
Nobody Wants Us
Directed by Laura Seltzer-Duny
New Day Films, Documentary, 2020, 43 minutes
US
The story of three teenagers and their families hoping to make it safely onto American soil while trying to escape the Nazi invasion of Europe.
“Powerful, important, and profoundly moving. An urgent reminder that courage can be as contagious as fear, and much more meaningful.” —Blanche Wiesen Cook, Author of Eleanor Roosevelt biographies, US History & Women's Studies Professor, John Jay College & City University of NY
Rollout
Directed by Trevor Zimmer
New Day Films, Documentary, 2024, 16 mins
Kenya
A vérité-style journey alongside residents of a tight-knit Kenyan community, as they face mounting pressure from a government they don’t trust, to get a Covid-19 vaccine they fear may cause more harm than good.
"A poignant look at vaccine hesitancy within communities, offering a human perspective that's both enlightening and essential for understanding public health challenges." —George Osoro Momanyi, Pandemic & Epidemic Intelligence Hub, World Health Organization
Side by Side: Out of a South Korean Orphanage and Into the World
Directed by Glenn Morey
New Day Films, Documentary, 2018, 38 mins
US
Nine international stories of abandonment, relinquishment, orphanages, and inter-country adoption.
"While inter-country adoptions provided these children with a new family and home, for many the pain of abandonment lingered, a sense of loss buried deep within, only to resurface years later." —Joan MacDonald, Forbes
Sin País
Directed by Theo Rigby
New Day Films, Documentary, 2010, 20 minutes
US
In 1992, Sam and Elida Mejia left Guatemala during a violent civil war and brought their one-year-old son, Gilbert, to California. The Mejia’s settled in the Bay Area, and for the past 17 years they have worked multiple jobs to support their family, paid their taxes, and saved enough to buy a home. Two years ago, immigration agents stormed the Mejia’s house looking for someone who didn’t live there. Sam, Elida, and Gilbert were all undocumented and became deeply entangled in the U.S. immigration system. With intimate access and striking imagery, Sin País explores the complexities of the Mejia’s new reality of a separated family – parents without their children, and children without their parents.
The Interpreters
Directed by Andres Caballero & Sofian Khan
New Day Films, Documentary, 2019, 57 minutes
US
Nominated for a 2020 Emmy Award, The Interpreters tells the story of Afghan and Iraqi interpreters who served as a crucial bridge between American soldiers and local nationals. But as a result of their work with the U.S. forces, many have become targets. Now they're struggling to find a way out for themselves and their families.
“Needs to be seen.” —Christopher Llewellyn Reed, Hammer to Nail
What These Walls Won’t Hold
Directed by Adamu Chan
New Day Films, Documentary, 2023, 43 minutes
US
Adamu Chan's powerful documentary transcends the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing resilience and hope inside San Quentin State Prison. As a formerly incarcerated person, Chan offers an insider's perspective on his journey to freedom while amplifying the voices of his community on both sides of the prison walls.
Who Am I To Stop It
Directed by Cheryl Green, Cynthia Lopez
New Day Films, Documentary, 2016, 86 mins, 16 mins, 27 mins, 32 mins
US
Documentary on isolation, art, and transformation after traumatic brain injury.
"Co-directed by a person with brain injury disabilities, the film provides an intimate look into many topics that go unaddressed as people move through medical care and rehabilitation by demonstrating the complex life worlds that brain injury survivors hope others around them will honor and come to understand." —Video Librarian
With a Stroke of the Chaveta
Directed by Pam Sporn
New Day Films, Documentary, 2020, 28 mins
Cuba
The untold story of cigarmakers and literature in Cuba.
"A revealing contemporary view of a thriving cultural institution, created by and for workers long before the Cuban revolution." —Robert Ingalls, Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida, Co-author of Tampa Cigar Workers: A Pictorial History
An Act of Conscience
Directed by Robbie Leppzer
New Day Films, Documentary, 1997, 90 minutes
US
Filmed in a cinema-verité style over five-years, this feature-length documentary, narrated by Martin Sheen, chronicles the story of a family in western Massachusetts whose home was seized by federal marshals and IRS agents after they publicly refused to pay federal taxes as a protest against war and military spending. Digitally remastered 4K version.
Leona's Sister Gerri
Directed by Jane Gillooly
New Day Films, Documentary, 1995, 57 minutes
US
Tells the story of Gerri Santoro, a working-class mother of two and the "real person" in the now famous photo of an anonymous woman on a motel floor dead from an illegal abortion. Powerfully addressing issues of reproductive rights and domestic violence, Leona’s Sister Gerri is a moving portrait of Gerri Santoro's life and society's response to her death.
"Forceful, intimate, unpretentious and devastating." —Janet Maslin, The New York Times
"Truly remarkable" —John Leonard, New York Magazine
Time Passages
Directed by Kyle Henry
New Day Films, Documentary, 2024, 87 minutes
US
A gay filmmaker “time travels” during a global pandemic as his mother’s health declines from late-stage dementia in a race against the clock to resolve their fraught relationship before it's too late. A playful journey through matters of life and grief.
“A disarmingly devastating and sweet documentary that celebrates life in its multifaceted complexity.” —Zachary Lee, RogerEbert.com
More coming soon!