In the interview, Calixto Chinchilla reflected on the festival’s long successful history, noting its survival through historically significant events like 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic, which tested its leadership and adaptability. Despite financial challenges, the festival is showcasing 120 films this year, highlighting its commitment to creativity and storytelling.
Category: News, Commentary Opinion Fit to Print
New media potpourri
Interview with New York Latino Film Festival Founder Calixto Chinchilla Whose Major Gorgeous Film Festival Opens September 13
News from the WORD Ain’t a Whole Lot of Nothing – 1st
CBS News has endured some questionable headlines of late — its old owners’ embarrassing settlement of a lawsuit brought by President Trump; its new owners’ apparent determination to put Bari Weiss, an anti-woke commentator whom Puck’s Dylan Byers recently credited…
Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films (BNF)
GAZA: JOURNALISTS UNDER FIRE Is Being Screened Around the World
Hear directly from people worldwide who watched GAZA: JOURNALISTS UNDER FIRE – a powerful, eye-opening documentary exposing the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza. In this video, viewers reflect on how the film moved them, changed their perspectives and inspired them to speak out and take action.
Since October 7, 2023, at least 178 journalists have been killed in Gaza. That’s more journalists than in both World Wars combined. While the world remains silent, we must raise our voices against injustice. In this poignant new documentary, Robert Greenwald will expose Israel’s crimes against journalism and humanity through the lives and deaths of Palestinian journalists Belal Jadallah, Heba Al-Abadla, and Ismail al-Ghoul.
Bilal Jadallah was a prominent Palestinian journalist and media figure, tragically killed in an Israeli airstrike during the ongoing war in Gaza. As director of the Press House-Palestine, an independent media organization based in Gaza City, Jadallah was deeply committed to defending freedom of the press and supporting local journalists under increasingly dire conditions. He was known for fostering independent journalism, mentoring young reporters, and amplifying voices often silenced amid conflict.
On November 19, 2023, Jadallah was reportedly killed while attempting to leave Gaza City after being denied safe passage through an Israeli military checkpoint. He was the 49th journalist killed.
Heba Al-Abadla was a dedicated Palestinian journalist and media advocate who worked as a host for Al-Azhar radio, a station affiliated with Al-Azhar University in Gaza. A passionate voice for her community, she co-founded the Social Media Club-Palestine and was widely recognized for her efforts to empower women and youth through media, civic engagement, and political participation.
Al-Abadla’s work bridged journalism and activism, reflecting her belief in the power of storytelling to drive change. On December 5, 2023, she was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Khan Yunis, alongside her young daughter Judy, her mother, and several other family members. She was the 84th journalist killed in the war.
Ismail al-Ghoul was a 27-year-old Palestinian journalist known for his fearless field reporting with Al Jazeera. Based in Gaza, he often covered some of the most dangerous and emotionally harrowing events in the region, driven by a commitment to bearing witness. On July 31, 2024, al-Ghoul and his cameraman, Rami al-Refee, were killed in an Israeli airstrike that struck their vehicle in the Shati refugee camp, near the home of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who had been assassinated earlier that day in Tehran. Al-Ghoul was a husband and the father of a toddler daughter. He was the 126th journalist killed.
Sabrine Al-Abadla is a Palestinian woman from Rafah, Gaza—a wife, mother of two, and the sister of slain journalist Heba Al-Abadla. In December 2023, Sabrine lost 57 members of her extended family in a single Israeli airstrike on her uncle’s home, where they had taken shelter after being besieged and cut off from the outside world.
Her mother, sister, nieces, nephews, and many others were among those killed—most never recovered from the rubble. Since then, Sabrine has made it her mission to speak publicly about what happened, even as she continues to live under siege herself. With little access to electricity or internet, and at great personal risk, she has refused to be silenced. Even in the shadow of unimaginable loss, she continues to share her family’s story with the world and fight for a future where her children can grow up in a free and peaceful Palestine.
Want to make a difference? Host a FREE screening in your community or classroom. Learn more and access this free film.
About Brave New Films: Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films (BNF) are at the forefront of the fight to create a just America. Greenwald and BNF create free documentary films that inform the public, challenge corporate media, and motivate people to take action on social issues nationwide.
Brave New Films’ investigative films have shined a light on the Bush, Obama and Trump administration, voter suppression, U.S. drone strikes, the prosecution of whistleblowers, and Wal Mart’s corporate practices. BNF’s mission is to champion social justice issues by using a model of media, education, and grassroots volunteer involvement that inspires, empowers, motivates and teaches civic participation and makes a difference.
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From the Brennan Center for Social Justice
Posse Comitatus Say What?
The Posse Comitatus Act bars federal troops from participating in civilian law enforcement except when expressly authorized by law. This 147-year-old law embodies an American tradition that sees military interference in civilian affairs as a threat to both democracy and…
Bernie Sanders: Zohran Mamdani!
“I don’t need to tell you that running as a progressive in this country is never easy.” Often times, you are taking on the corporate establishment, the media establishment, and the political establishment of both parties. You are also taking…
Brennan Center for Justice: Supreme Court Term in Review – Scheduled for July 9, 2025
The Supreme Court currently faces some of the biggest challenges in its history. Trump* says he is determined to break through the constitutional limits of executive power, and the Court’s own public approval hovers near all-time lows. Will the justices stand up for the Constitution on the biggest issue facing the country, the extraordinary executive power grab?
Against this backdrop, the justices are poised to hand down rulings in key cases that will affect millions of people’s lives, including access to healthcare, education, and political representation and the power of federal courts to issue nationwide injunctions. Join us on Wednesday, July 9, at 3 p.m. ET for a virtual conversation with Supreme Court experts about the Court’s decisions this term and what they mean for the rule of law at a time when democracy is under strain.
Whether you follow the Court closely or are looking to understand its role in our system of checks and balances, this discussion will provide essential context for how the Court is working today.
{*the WORD editor often refers to Trump as TACO TRUMP EXISTENTIALIST MENACE (TTEM)}
the WORD Editor,Writer Gregg W. Morris
Breaking News from the New York Civil Liberties Union About Mahmoud Khalil’s
As the world knows, TACOS’ federal agents snatched the Columbia graduate student and U.S. green card holder from his home on March 8. Then his administration kept Mahmoud locked up even after a federal court ruled that the original reason the TACO ET.AL. gave for detaining him is unconstitutional. The fight is not over: TACO will continue coming after Mahmoud for his protected speech in support of Palestinian rights.
The NYCLU will keep fighting to make sure Mahmoud remains free, alongside the national ACLU, ACLU of New Jersey, the ACLU of Louisiana, Dratel & Lewis, the Center for Constitutional Rights, CLEAR, Van Der Hout LLP, and Washington Square Legal Services.
We won’t rest until the Trump administration’s bogus charges against Mahmoud are dropped and his freedom is permanently secured.
Thank you for supporting the fight for Mahmoud.
NYCLU Team
Brave New Films
GAZA Journalists Under Fire
{The recent massacre of journalists in Gaza happened after this video was released. Click here for news reports about the most recent slayings.}
2,871 views Premiered May 19, 2025 #BraveNewFilms
Since October 7, 2023, more journalists have been killed in Gaza than in both World Wars combined. While the world remains silent, we must raise our voices towards injustice. In this poignant new documentary, Robert Greenwald will expose Israel’s crimes against journalism and humanity.
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✊ Donate to help BNV finish this urgent work.
✊ Share the trailer. Demand the U.S. government cut off funding from Israel.
About Brave New Films: Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films (BNF) are at the forefront of the fight to create a just America. Greenwald and BNF create free documentary films that inform the public, challenge corporate media, and motivate people to take action on social issues nationwide. Brave New Films’ investigative films have shined a light on the Bush, Obama and Trump administration, voter suppression, U.S. drone strikes, the prosecution of whistleblowers, and Wal Mart’s corporate practices.
BNF’s mission is to champion social justice issues by using a model of media, education, and grassroots volunteer involvement that inspires, empowers, motivates and teaches civic participation and makes a difference.
the WORD Editor Gregg W. Morris
Film Review-Article: THE INVISIBLE DOCTRINE, The Secret History of Neoliberalism
Now streaming on Apple TV. The film blends meticulous reportage with powerful visuals to shine a light on an ideology that remains largely invisible in public discourse and that allows for it to exert an inimical and toxic influences on things that directly affect people. Even if those understandably skeptical of its framing – definitely not this reviewer – THE INVISIBLE DOCTRINE promises to provoke thought—and perhaps inspire a reimagining of political and economic systems. – Gregg W. Morris, Editor, Researcher, the WORD.
Overlook Film Fest 2025: Audience and Jury Awards for the Largest Ever Overlook Film Fest – Part 2
Audience Awards Winner — Feature Film The Ugly Stepsister Director: Emilie Blichfeldt Cast: Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli, Isac Calmroth, Malte Gårdinger Norway, 2024 In this warped, sinister spin on a Cinderella story, the lens…