A DJ set prepared by Co-Director of KTSW’s Music Department to start off the events.
A lecture, discussion, and presentation of film clips from an Archival Producer with a background in History and a decade of experience working with documentary filmmakers to tell visual stories.
Having photographed for the likes of ESQUIRE magazine, Eric Morales will be creating photographic portraits of speakers, presenters, performers, and attendees.
Known for his hazy blend of surf rock, dream pop, and alternative influences, Tommy Florio’s music project, LOUD HOUND, crafts music that evokes the carefree essence of summer with a tinge of nostalgic introspection.
MOVE Texas will be registering voters and answering related questions.
A performance of the Catalan “Cant dels Ocells.” The legendary cellist, Pablo Casals, performed this as his encore for decades to promote peace and unity across the globe. In 1971, he presented this at the United Nations for the world to recognize the action to come together as one.
In challenging times, understanding the rules of the democratic game is essential to provide efficient solutions to our societies’ challenges and lift up our communities. Through her interactive workshop, Ophélie Omnes asks young people about the role they want to play as the next generation of leaders and therefore key players in organizing change.
We are entering an era of political, environmental, and economic upheaval. What tools can we develop to prepare for and adapt to the coming crises?
As the war on Ukraine grinds on, an invisible network of volunteers works tirelessly to keep soldiers on the frontlines supplied, equipped, and alive. Our crew followed Olga, a former marine biologist who abandoned her career to become a one-woman supply chain, delivering military and medical aid straight to the frontline in the Donbas. Driving her pickup truck—loaded with drones, scopes, and life-saving equipment—she puts her life on the line to support the soldiers defending her country, Ukraine. Accompanied by her loyal dachshund, Lucky, Olga is one of many unsung heroes risking everything to sustain Ukraine’s war effort.
This exhibition considers our “common ground” through the expression’s literal and metaphorical interpretations. How we can commit to and protect what we have in common? How can we foster authentic interpersonal connection in an increasingly digital world? Where are our opportunities for dialogue? How can we preserve the land beneath our feet?
Discover how Indigenous ecological systems thrive in the lands of Texas and how they can be enhanced today. This workshop explores the deep connection between land, culture, and sustainability, offering insights into traditional land stewardship that can inspire a new era of ecological and social resilience in our region. Students can become aware of gaps in systems designing and where they can prospectively plug in to help support!
BODYWORK is an innovative documentary-style video series produced to understand, celebrate, and encourage global practices of care and relaxation of the physical body. Join our participatory, exciting talk to learn how BODYWORK went from inspiration to full reality, view short episodes, and get ideas to give your creative project on a successful path.
Presented in collaboration with American Artist Project. American Artists Project is growing a new future of creative equity and excellence from the artist up, reaching deep into every corner of every American community to illuminate and elevate under-resourced talent.
This documentary takes you into the heart of Lebanon amidst the ongoing crisis. This on-the-ground report by our team sheds light on the untold stories of Lebanon’s most vulnerable people—refugees, civilians, as well as militants, painting a vivid picture of a country where resilience meets division.
In the Ukhiya refugee camp located in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the scars of the ongoing genocide in Myanmar are visible on each and every face of the stateless Rohingya refugees that have been displaced there. This documentary chronicles the recent and previous history of a conflict that has gone on for centuries, with explosive new testimony regarding the war crimes inflicted upon the Rohingya people.
A roundtable discussion with six established filmmakers for those seeking to enter the industry. Must have pre-registered.
How to reduce your energy bill without spending a fortune.
Andrew Tran performs a selection of songs and discusses how music, anthems, and pop culture galvanizes movements.
How is tastemaking a driving force in the process of placemaking? Explore the explicit and implicit components of “sustainability” made (im)possible by the production, consumption, and distribution of the complex cultural and environmental assemblage called “wine.”
A discussion of how lawns are ecologically and environmentally harmful, the ways to mitigate that harm, and the possibilities of what we could do instead of having lawns.
AI large language models, despite their wondrous applicability, pose a significant threat to environmental sustainability. Learn about the three stages of significant energy consumption: Training, Inference, and End Response. Then, join a discussion of the current innovations, regulations, and ideas that fight to curb the issue and brainstorm what we can do for a sustainable future.
Their performances will consist of all original material, interspersed with stories that inspired the music. Tales of working though trauma and the trials and tribulations of leaving behind a successful career to pursue a life in music.
Create your own unique images using one of the earliest technologies in photographic printing—no camera needed! Combine the wonder of our natural world, the magic of technological experimentation, and the joy of artistic expression in this cyanotype workshop inspired by the work of 19th-century botanist and artist, Anna Atkins.
MOVE Texas will be discussing an upcoming event called Youth Capitol Takeover. Learn how to talk to your local representatives about issues that matter to young people.
At the crack of dawn on New Year’s 1994, the Zapatista uprising took Mexico by surprise, its message a powerful expression of five centuries of Indigenous rage: Ya basta! Enough is enough! The Indigenous peoples of Chiapas, masked and armed, had come to demand autonomy and dignity. The Mexican state responded with gunfire. Three decades later, the situation remains frozen, a tenuous standoff between the rebels and the state—and, increasingly, the powerful cartels that have brought Mexico’s bloody drug war to Chiapas. As the violence once again spikes, and Indigenous youths look to the cities for their futures, the revolution the Zapatistas began 30 years ago faces an uncertain future. In this exclusive documentary, the Modern Insurgent covers the situation of Zapatista autonomy 30 years after their momentous uprising, chronicling the unstable present and tenuous future of one of the most audacious revolutionary experiments of modern times.
Alexander Blum discusses perspective on what to do with your time.
Mateo Gutierrez will discuss a series of hand-embroidered paintings begun in 2019 depicting images of people crossing the US-Mexico border with people in the aftermath of mass shootings.
Dog whistles serve two primary purposes: allow members of a group to identify each other without outsiders catching on and normalize problematic ideology to get moderates on their side. This talk serves to educate voters on how to identify common dog whistles and what to do when they’re spotted.
This talk explores Luigi Mangione’s case as a rare instance where a white defendant experiences the harsh treatment typically reserved for people of color in the U.S. criminal justice system. By examining his prosecution, we’ll discuss racial disparities in policing and legal protections, revealing systemic biases in the law.
Join for original songs along with covers from across an array of genres while Michael speaks on his journey as a musician and presents ideas and motivational words to fellow artists.
Learn how to break barriers and create on your own terms. This session explores accessible tools, strategic approaches, and industry insights to help you tell compelling stories, navigate challenges, and carve your unique path—no big budgets or insider connections required. Perfect for filmmakers, artists, and creatives of all kinds.
Adults have long asked if the “kids are alright?”—almost with some irony. This conversation addresses questions in relation to authoritarianism, youth, technology, and social-political advocacy. Grant McCarty and Dr. Louie Dean Valencia breakdown not only how young people use the internet to make political and social change but also discuss what is to be done.
Growing up in Cuba meant looking up to the heroes of the revolution. “Pioneers for communism,” we all chanted in unison every morning before class. “Once the Sun Comes Up” serves as a collection of short stories that navigate the indoctrination faced in the Cuban education system.
This presentation examines the decline of liberal democracies throughout the West by identifying mutual, yet not exclusive, events contributing to this phenomenon, such as election interference, misinformation, populism, and general discontent among citizen populations.
When the film industry shut down in 2020, Zack and his friend, Joe, embark on a unique project: to make a film about running for city council, while actually running for city council.
WANTED: Prospective cannibals. PURPOSE: To compete for Power. COME HUNGRY.
This interactive session reframes self-care as radical resistance in advocacy. Advocates, educators, and organizers will explore how prioritizing well-being fosters resilience, strengthens movements, and disrupts systems of exhaustion. Participants will leave with a ‘Resiliency Toolkit’—a personalized strategy to integrate sustainable self-care into their advocacy work.
Learn about zine-making techniques, a brief history of the format, and where to distribute or find fellow creatives.
Rosa brings a DJ set interspersed with stories and experiences from their work with refugees.
Is there such a thing as too much visibility? In this talk, Naveen will explore the concept of visibility—how it is leveraged to further socio-political projects pertaining to marginalized groups—and the consequences of hyper-visibility and invisibility.
Learn how to advocate for yourself and the causes that affect you.
A talk advocating for the broader engagement with games as an art form, especially the works of students and building a healthier and sustainable relationship between students, their academic institutions, and the industry.
The animal rights movement is one of the most fundamental social justice movements of our time, yet strangely, many distance themselves from it. How can society refamiliarize itself with this crucial issue and become empowered once again? Join us as we learn more about this morally urgent problem.
The collection and display of found photographs highlights the significance of the photo essay and the moral considerations of public versus private history in preserving images that impact self-determination. This understanding connects to Bell Hooks’s and Vivian Maier’s works, which will be discussed as they relate.
This 20-minute dialogue shows how vulnerable communities have historically organized themselves to respond to external threats, in both ordinary and extraordinary times, and how people today have been doing the same in response to the exceptional moment of violence and insecurity against vulnerable communities.