The rest of the distinctive lineup will be presented virtually, including
Summer of Soul, part music, part historical record film on the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival;
Spark Brothers, about the underrated, criminally ignored yet influential 50-year-old rock band; and
Dear Mr. Brody, profiling Michael Brody, the hippie millionaire who in 1970 announced a $25 million giveaway to anyone in need, as his bid to promote world peace. As usual, the festival is offering a few LGBTQ films, all of which are worth seeking out.
Military tale
The star of this lot is
Surviving the Silence, already a candidate for one of the best queer documentaries of the year. In 1992, decorated Army Nurse Colonel Pat Thompson, just two years away from retirement, was asked to preside over the military review board that would dismiss Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer for admitting she was a lesbian. This assignment caused Thompson personal agony since she too was a (closeted) lesbian having lived privately with her life partner Barbara Brass for decades.