Aarushi Sahejpal and Margot Susca at the Democracy Summit

Patricia Aufderheide co-organized a two-day conference celebrating the six-decade history of Kartemquin Films at the University of Chicago, " Kartemquin Films: Documentaries for Democracy," October 4-5. She also gave the keynote address there, and introduced the opening screening. Filmmakers from throughout the U.S. spoke at what became a multigenerational reunion. As well, her book, Kartemquin Films: Documentaries on the Frontlines of Democracy was featured. 

A panel of filmmakers at the University of Chicago conference on the history of Kartemquin Films, the leading documentary studio. 

Patricia also published an excerpt from her book in Filmmaker's quarterly print publication, Fall 2024, pp. 34-37.

Patricia was also featured in an article about the conference in the Hyde Park Herald. 

Finally, Patricia published "South Korean Documentary Cinema and remembrance: the past in the present, at Jeonju Film Festival 2024." Studies in Documentary Film, 1–12. The courageous and creative films discussed here address, among other things, the Gwangju massacre, about which just-announced Noble Prize winner Han Kang wrote so movingly in Human Acts, and the Jeju massacres, which her new book will focus on. They also address women's rights, the Sewol ferry sinking, and forced labor.

Filippo Trevisan and co-editors Darren Lilleker, Dan Jackson, Anastasia Veneti (Bournemouth University, UK), Bente Kalsnes (Kristiania University College, Norway), and Claudia Mellado (Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Valparaìso, Chile) are thrilled to announce the release of the Routledge Handbook of Political Campaigning – less than a month before the 2024 election! This 34 chapters-volume includes research from both the Global North and Global South (including one chapter from SOC Alumna Madhavi Reddi!) that delve into the history, current trends, and future trajectories of political campaigning. The introduction and first few chapters are available freely here.

The Routledge Handbook of Political Campaigning (November 2024)

In August 2024, Rebecca Comfort and Brigid Maher presented “Trauma-Informed Approaches to Navigate Election Season” at the Student Success Summit. They discussed student anxiety related to current events and shared classroom techniques incorporating trauma-informed practices, nonviolent communication, and radical empathy.

This fall, Brigid's documentary Experimental Curator (2022) was selected by curator Hilton Als for the film exhibit associated with At Home: Alice Neel in the Queer World, on view at David Zwirner's Los Angeles gallery. The exhibition, running from September 7 to November 2, 2024, explores Neel's portrayal of queer individuals and their communities, as well as theorists, activists, and politicians who challenge norms in their fields. This exhibit follows Als's acclaimed Alice Neel, Uptown, displayed at David Zwirner New York in 2017.

In September, Brigid celebrated the success of the Anacostia Youth Media Festival, where a recent youth winner received local news coverage.  

This October, Brigid was awarded a grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to complete her short film The Audition (2025). The film, shot in DC in collaboration with American University film alumni, students, and local youth, follows Kim Johnson, a 50-year-old Army major, and her 13-year-old autistic, non-binary child, Ace, as they pursue a prestigious music audition in Washington, DC.

Kylos Brannon designed video projections for Sleeping Giant, which opened Monday October 7th and will run through Nov 3rd. Rorschach Theatre's latest production was written by Steve Yockey, emmy nominated writer, producer, and showrunner of HBO's Flight Attendant and Netflix's Dead Boy Detectives. It's a darkly comic play about an ancient creature who wakes up in a lake and the cults that develop around it. Go here for more info.

Washington Post reviewed opening night, and while mostly favorable, Kylos disagrees with the reviewer's last couple paragraphs, but you should come and decide for yourself! If you want to go, let Kylos know, he has discount codes!

Kylos also designed the new end of night "Thank You For Coming" graphic animation for Merriweather Post Pavilion. So, if you go to a concert and stick around through the encore, you can tell your friends and family you know the guy that did the animated logo and text that closes out the night and tells everyone to go home. 

Jane Hall was interviewed at length by the Deutsche Welle German TV network for an upcoming documentary on young people, the 2024 election and whether young people can help bridge polarization current in politics and media.