The Struggle Is Real

An animatronic cowboy fights for creative freedom in "Under Refurbishment," a drama from Biola.  Chapman documentary "A Piece of Myself" examines the appropriation of Indigenous culture by Alaska's booming tourism industry. Two Nigerian weightlifters compete against each other for a chance to win US citizenship in "Lift," a drama from NYFA followed by animated short "Sports Day" from USC. 

Under Refurbishment. An animatronic cowboy at a Western-themed family entertainment park struggles to maintain his creative freedom. (Griffin Douglass/Biola)

A Piece of Myself. Three Alaskan Native artists define the intrinsic value of their work, while a booming downtown tourism industry extracts and appropriates their culture into souvenirs. (Vivienne Ayres, Audrey Shuppert, Nidhi Kumar/Chapman)

Lift. Two Nigerian immigrants thrust themselves into the world of competitive weightlifting for a chance to gain American citizenship. (Abraham Amkpa/NYFA)

Sports Day. A girl struggles for her mom's approval in a lively school sports event. (Jessica Wu/USC)