Cinemafile

Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect, a new one-hour documentary, explores the life and legacy of Thurgood Marshall, the visionary lawyer and civil rights leader who became the first Black justice on the United States Supreme Court. Drawing from rare archival recordings, personal photographs, and exclusive interviews, the film offers an intimate and timely portrait of a man who reshaped American democracy. With a combination of oral history, animation, and evocative sound design, BECOMING THURGOOD brings Marshall’s story to life not as myth, but as a man of action — strategic, courageous, and deeply committed to justice. Through his work, Marshall held the nation accountable to its founding promises, redefined what was possible through the law, and helped move America closer to its highest ideals. Peabody and Emmy award winning director Alexis Aggrey joins us for a conversation on the significance of Thurgood Marshall’s pre-Supreme Court work in ushering in an era of real civil and equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their race, creed or color, as well as the equal rights advocates he inspired.  

*A testament to Marshall’s extraordinary influence, BECOMING THURGOOD: AMERICA’S SOCIAL ARCHITECT premieres Tuesday, September 9, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS app. 

GRIFFIN IN SUMMER, revolves around Griffin Nafly, played by break-out star Everett Blunck, who is the most ambitious playwright of his generation. He's also fourteen-years-old, still living with his exhausted mother in the bland suburb of Borwood and desperately attempting to self-produce his new divorce drama Regrets of Autumn starring his unenthusiastic friends. But when Griffin forms a surprise summer friendship with handsome twenty-five-year-old failed performance artist turned handyman Brad, played by Owen Teague, his life (and play) will never be the same. GRIFFIN IN SUMMER, premiered out of Tribeca Festival where it topped the festival awards winning Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature as well as Special Jury Mention for Director Nicholas Colia. The film also received a Someone to Watch Award nomination form Film Independent Spirit Awards. Director & writer Nicholas Colia stops by to talk about the making of his stars young break-out Everett Blunck as well as Owen Teague (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Melanie Lynskey (“Yellowjackets”), Abby Ryder Fortson (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.) and Kathryn Newton (Lisa Frankenstein).

With a mixture of humor, outrage and passion, MAKE A CIRCLE follows a groupof child care providers determined to change how society values the education of its youngest citizens and their own profession. The film confronts a broken system that provides early care and education to over 14 million American children, but where “Parents can’t afford to pay, and teachers can’t afford to stay.” Immersing viewers in both the imaginative, whimsical world of young children and the passionate, hopeful, but imperfect world of the adults who teach and care for them, the film gives voice to the educators and their ideas on how to improve the system. Directed by Jen Bradwell and Todd Boekelheide, MAKE A CIRCLE premieres on PBS.org and the PBS app on Monday, September 1, 2025, and on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings). Jen Bradwell and Todd Boekelheide join us for a conversation on a subject near and dear to their hearts, why ALL the research around the early education of children points to a more is better approach.

It's the day after Christmas in suburban Florida and Billy 5000 (Jack Corbett) and his friends pass the seemingly endless days by slacking, shoplifting, and beatboxing. In between lounging on the beach and sneaking into pools, Billy spends his time hustling on the food-on-demand app Grubster, desperate to make $5,000 before New Year's Eve. As he darts around the city delivering to a series of oddball characters, a routine stop at the mysterious Dolphin Groves Juice Company leads to a run-in with his former classmate—and crush—Rozebud (Miya Folick) and a surprise backpack stowaway in Donut, a bizarre creature from another world. But Dr. Dolphin (Janeane Garofalo), the powerful orange juice CEO, will do anything to get Donut back, and Billy is forced to make hard choices about love, friendship, and how far he'll go for financial security in a world ruled by capitalism in this absurdist and musical take on a coming-of-age comedy. Director and writer Julian Glander stops by to talk about the joy of working with a bevy of great comedic actors in the telling of this skewed version of life in the era of gig economy.

A screw-turning psychological thriller made for the moment, LURKER is the razor-sharp directorial debut from The Bear and Beef writer-producer Alex Russell. When twenty-something Los Angeles retail clerk and loner Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) encounters rising pop star Oliver (Saltburn’s Archie Madekwe), he takes the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. But staying there isn’t easy. With an entire entourage (Bottoms’ Havana Rose Liu, Abbott Elementary’s Zack Fox, Y2K’s Daniel Zolghadri, mid90s’ Sunny Suljic) vying for attention, Matthew must prove himself to Oliver as more than just a follower. Director Alex Russell, Executive Producer of Beef and Supervising Producer on The Bear, joins us to talk about striking the right tone for a film that allows the characters / actors to explore the dark corners of a story focused on who has existent power in this precarious bubble of fame. 

POOLS dives into the chaotic life of Kennedy, a rebellious college student who has one day to get her life together or face expulsion. Rather than conform, she recruits a misfit crew for a spontaneous night of pool hopping through the lavish backyards of her college town. What starts as an adrenaline-fueled escape turns into something deeper as Kennedy confronts grief, identity, and the lingering impact of her father's death. It's messy, it's emotional, and it's the ride of her life. It’s funny, heartfelt, and full of energy. Director Sam Hayes talks with us about his walking a fine line between broad comedy and perceptive drama, as well as, recruiting a supremely talented ensemble of talented young actors, headed up by Odessa A'zion, Mason Gooding, Michael Vlamis, Ariel Winter, Tyler Alvarez and Francesca Noel.

A surprisingly comic in-depth expose of the massive deforestation required to deliver the nation’s most popular bath tissue brand, CHARMIN WIPES OUT A FOREST is delivering a shocking, yet hopeful message directly to the consumers who can take action: this is a big problem and you can do something about it. Filmed on location in the boreal forest of Canada and featuring an array of scientists, experts and members of the descendants of the family that founded the company that manufactures Charmin, the film presents a tight, entertaining story designed to reach mainstream consumers with a story that can easily have a happy ending. Simultaneous to the YouTube launch, the film has begun a 23-city video truck tour of the film that includes Dallas, Bentonville, AR, Cincinnati, OH, New York City, Washington, DC, Winston-Salem, NC and Atlanta, GA. “The tour is an effort to reach regular people with a positive message about a small thing they can do that can do to make the world a better place.” Director Steve Mims and Producer Brian Rodgers join us for a spirited conversation on the ways we can do better for our planet and for ourselves. 

A surprisingly comic in-depth expose of the massive deforestation required to deliver the nation’s most popular bath tissue brand, CHARMIN WIPES OUT A FOREST is delivering a shocking, yet hopeful message directly to the consumers who can take action: this is a big problem and you can do something about it. Filmed on location in the boreal forest of Canada and featuring an array of scientists, experts and members of the descendants of the family that founded the company that manufactures Charmin, the film presents a tight, entertaining story designed to reach mainstream consumers with a story that can easily have a happy ending. Director Steve Mims and Producer Brian Rodgers joins us for a spirited conversation on the ways we can do better for our planet and for ourselves. 

Director Joshua Zeman’s intense documentary, CHECKPOINT ZOO focuses on the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian war Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city, as it becomes a warzone. On one side of the battlefield was the invading Russian army, on the other side, the defending Ukrainians, and caught in between them, was a zoo called Feldman Ecopark.  Checkpoint Zoo showcases a story of human compassion, bravery, and sacrifice during Ukraine’s darkest hours. shining a light on the best of humanity when it is all too easy to focus on the worst. Director Joshua Zeman (The Killing Season, Cropsey, The Station Agent) stops by to talk about the people and the horrific war-time conditions in Kharkiv that somehow inspired them to stay behind and work together to do the seemingly impossible. 

Ebs Burnough made his directorial debut with the documentary “The Capote Tapes". He is back with KEROUAC’S ROAD: THE BEAT OF A NATION - Through the lens of Kerouac’s novel On The Road, the documentary follows a few different Americans of various backgrounds on their own personal life journeys traveling across the country, while also looking at the impact and legacy the book has had on generations of people. In addition, the documentary features actors Matt Dillon, Josh Brolin, Michael Imperioli, and W. Kamau Bell as they discuss their personal connection to Kerouac’s On The Road novel and how it formed their relationship with their outlook on life. Director Ebs Burnough joins us for a conversation on the relevancy and controversy that swirls around Jack Kerouac’s masterpiece, the cultural impact the book had on the cultural zeitgeist of the 1960’s and why being on the road still matters to people everywhere. 

Ebs Burnough is a filmmaker and producer. He is a former Senior Advisor to Michelle Obama and served as Deputy White House Social Secretary overseeing major events like the G-20 Summit and curating arts and culture at The White House. With nearly two decades of experience in politics, public policy, and the arts, Burnough is CEO of Hatch House Media, a production company focused on film, TV, theater, and gaming. In 2019, he made his directorial debut with The Capote Tapes, a documentary that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released globally in 2021. Burnough is a graduate of Northwestern University and serves as the Board Chair of The Sundance Institute, Burnough is also a visiting scholar at Oxford University.