On February 14, 2018, a school shooting took the lives of 17 people and suddenly changed the conversation about guns in America. Local and national news crews descended on the suburban town of Parkland, Florida in droves. A handful of media-savvy student survivors saw that all eyes were on them and seized the opportunity to be heard. Spurred by raw emotions, outrage and the desire to honor the friends they lost, David Hogg, Jaclyn Corin, Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky, Jammal Lemy, and their classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School suddenly became the faces of the largest movement for gun reform in the country’s history. These vocal teens demanded to be heard by their local and national politicians and quickly gained hundreds of thousands of supporters. Manuel and Patricia Oliver lost their son, Joaquin “Guac” Oliver, in the shooting. The 17-year old senior was beloved by his classmates and teachers. In the wake of Joaquin’s murder with an AR-15, the Olivers founded a non-profit called Change The Ref to try change the NRA-backed political leadership they believe are making “bad calls.” Manuel Oliver, an artist, used his pain to create provocative and emotional “Walls of Demand,” and found a unique way to bring Joaquin’s voice into the movement. Manuel and Patricia stood alongside student activists forging a deep bond, supporting and motivating each other in their fight to prevent other families from experiencing the tragedy of a mass shooting. PARKLAND RISING documents the teen-led gun reform movement as it unfolds with a wealth of raw and illuminating content. We witness their grassroots efforts to get the gun lobby out of politics by turning out record numbers of youth voters while facing gun-carrying counter protesters, an onslaught of online vitriol, and even death threats. Through intimate verité storytelling, PARKLAND RISING reveals the ways that ordinary citizens rose together in an extraordinary effort to end mass shootings in our country.

For teenage Nola (Sabrina Carpenter), home is the open road. Her self-reliant father (Steven Ogg) is her anchor in a life of transience. The pair criss-cross the United States in a lovingly refurbished RV, making ends meet through odd jobs while relishing their independence. A shocking rupture, though, casts Nola out on her own. She makes her way to Albuquerque, New Mexico in search of a mother she never knew, only for her motorhome to break down unexpectedly. But after forging a bond with an auto body shop owner (Danny Trejo), Nola senses the possibility of mooring her ship in this storm. The film will be immediately followed by a live 45 min Q&A session with the stars & director.