Meet New Day: Joel Fendelman
I’m an award-winning filmmaker based in Asheville, North Carolina, and my work is rooted in telling socially conscious stories that explore the intersections of religion, class, and identity. With every film, I aim to reveal the deeper human connection that unites us—especially within communities divided by ideology or circumstance. Band of Sisters is a vivid snapshot of American history: a moment when 1.15 million people marched through the streets of Washington, DC, in what may have been the largest march in U.S. history.
I was an undergrad film student in Savannah, Georgia, when I was offered a last-minute chance to hop on a bus to the march. I grabbed a Bolex film camera and went. That experience—my first time at a protest of that scale—changed the trajectory of my life. What began as an instinct to document evolved into a powerful awakening. Through the lens, I watched protesters on both sides of the fence express equal intensity and passion. At one moment, two women argued across the barrier with such fervor that I couldn’t tell which side either of them was on. It reminded me of the raw power of cinema: to provide context, but also to remove it, leaving room for empathy and deeper observation.
Band of Sisters is different from most films on abortion because it is completely observational. With no narration, interviews, or talking heads—only visuals and music—the film captures a deeply divisive issue without judgment. That moment of ambiguity, of seeing people’s convictions without knowing their positions, has stayed with me. It taught me to stop labeling and start witnessing. Twenty years later, the themes feel just as relevant—if not more so.
The film has screened at major festivals like the Chicago Film Festival, Black Maria, and Miami, and won Best Short at GenArt. I’ve been proud to share it through New Day since joining in 2018, alongside my other films Man on Fire, David, Remittance, Auction, and North Putnam. But Band of Sisters remains a cornerstone for me—a reminder of why I make films in the first place.
Watch the Band of Sisters trailer below.