​ Veterans Day and Transgender Awareness Week fall at the same time each year. Despite recent setbacks and debate, over 15,000 transgender people actively serve in the United States military today. We've curated a list of documentaries highlighting extraordinary soldiers who defend the freedoms of all Americans while waging a war at home against forces of fear and bigotry. We hope you enjoy these remarkable stories. TransMilitary (Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson, 2018) Transgender Americans were banned from serving in the United States military until recently. Silverman and Dawson's

With the 2018 midterms on the horizon, we've curated a list of campaign documentaries to get you in the spirit before casting your ballot on Election Day. And if you already voted early or absentee, feel free to wear your "I Voted" sticker with pride as you watch these classic election docs. How to Win An Election (Sarah Klein and Tom Mason, 2016) From The New York Times Op-Docs , How to Win an Election takes us deep into the world of campaigning through the eyes of Mark McKinnon, one of America's most influential political strategists. In a candid conversation, McKinnon pulls back the curtain

Getting Real ‘18 is almost here! Whether you’ll be joining us in LA or in spirit, you might want to study up on the stellar slate of filmmakers who will be discussing both their work and the issues that matter most to the community. Here are some docs to get real to: American Promise Directed by Getting Real ‘18 keynote Michèle Stephenson, American Promise provides a rare look into black middle-class life while exploring the common hopes and hurdles of parents navigating their children's educational journey. Watch It: Vudu (free with ads), iTunes, YouTube Movies, Google Play, Amazon Call Her

June 20 th is World Refugee Day. It has been 18 years since the United Nations General Assembly declaration and 67 years since the 1951 Refugee Convention, and yet the crisis of displaced populations persists around the world. And as long as refugees have been uprooted from their homelands and forced into an unending journey of hope and despair, filmmakers have captured their stories for the rest of us to experience. We at IDA have assembled a selection of docs that take you on wrenching treks across deserts and seas to new, strange lands--sometimes welcoming, sometimes hostile. 4.1 Miles

The 2018 FIFA World Cup has already caused a mini earthquake in Mexico City with Mexico’s stunning defeat of defending champion Germany, Iceland shocked the world by tieing Argentina, Brazil failed to topple the Swiss, Japan snatched victory from Colombia, we can go on. To keep your competitive spirit going between games, here are some football (or “soccer,” for the non-qualifying Americans) documentaries to watch. The Workers Cup (Adam Sobel, 2017) In 2022, Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup. But far from the bright lights, star athletes and adoring fans, the tournament is being built on the

Just in time for Father's Day, we at IDA have scoured the archives for a quintet of docs about dads, both in our lives, and in our hearts and minds; about docmakers and their dads; about fatherhood; and in general, about the complications, challenges, joys and mysteries of what it takes to raise a child. Enjoy! Quest (Jonathan Olshefski, 2017) Opening the 2018 POV season this Monday, June 18, Jonathan Olshefski's Quest is a longitudinal tale of a Philadelphia-based working-class African-American family that grapples with the challenges of their hardscrabble North Philly neighborhood. Over the

Pride Month is here and queer, which means it's the perfect time to watch these LGBTQ+ documentaries! These films represent just a taste of our vibrant community and the intersectional stories we have to share. Political Animals (Jonah Markowitz and Tracy Wares, 2016) Four California lesbian legislators lead the charge for gay rights through their unwavering commitment, passion, grit and perseverance. Directed by Jonah Markowitz ( Shelter) and Tracy Wares ( Bomb It), Political Animals won the Audience and Jury Awards for Best Documentary at the 2016 LA Film Festival. Watch it: Amazon Prime

Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Eugene Jarecki is known for his journalistic political documentaries. A public intellectual on domestic and international affairs, Jarecki has been named a Soros Justice Fellow at the Open Society Institute and a Senior Fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies. In advance of our June 19 th Conversation Series, here is where you can catch his notable feature documentaries. The King (2018) Forty years after the death of Elvis Presley, two-time Sundance Grand Jury winner Eugene Jarecki’s new film takes the King’s 1963 Rolls

Looking for a Mother's Day activity? What better way to spend the Sunday night than watching a great documentary with the mothers in your life! Happy Mother's Day (Richard Leacock and Joyce Chopra, 1963) In 1963, Richard Leacock and Joyce Chopra were hired by the Saturday Evening Post to document the story of Mary Ann Fischer and her quintuplets. The film was slated to air on ABC TV but was rejected for its cinema verite approach, revealing the tensions between the Fischer family and the local town of Aberdeen, South Dakota. In the words of filmmaker Gordon Quinn, “Happy Mother's Day taught me

Single-use plastic items account for more than 40 percent of plastic waste that ends up in landfills or natural environment. They are non-biodegradable, killing over 100 million marine animals each year. In celebration of Earth Day 2018 and this year’s focus on ending plastic pollution, here are a few documentaries to spur you into action and reduce your impact. BBC Blue Planet II The follow-up to 2001’s documentary series is available in beautiful 4K and narrated, of course, by Sir David Attenborough. The series not only takes the viewers on a journey around the world’s marine ecosystems, but