ICJ Conversations in Film Screenings are hosted by the Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and offer the chance for film fanatics and those who are looking for an interactive group activity to view films from different genres and engage in lively discussions. Film selections delve into complex issues that are pertinent to the work of the Commission. Participants have the opportunity to deepen their personal and professional journeys, from building awareness to deepening advocacy.
April 2025:
PBS Cutline: Spotlight on Juvenile Justice
CT Public’s Accountability Project takes a deep dive into Connecticut’s juvenile justice system — why lawmakers are calling for reform, what youth advocates and teenagers say they need, and what the data shows about car thefts and juvenile crime.
May 2025:
California’s youth prisons were directly modeled after the state’s adult penitentiary facilities, adding to a cycle of state-sponsored violence that has persisted for more than 130 years. Now, the Division of Juvenile Justice has closed, and the dysfunction continues with poorly developed plans to transition youth to proper treatment facilities, placing them at greater risk.
Kent Mendoza is one of the thousands of young men who spent time incarcerated in Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall instead of receiving the support that would have helped him move forward in a positive way. Now, he’s an advocate for system-impacted youth so they can access the resources he didn’t have.
The short film, A Million Dollar Cage follows Kent and the youth he mentors, as they fight for the implementation of alternatives to youth incarceration that the state of California has promised. They tell their stories from being incarcerated as young people to finding their voices as advocates for a Reimagined Youth Justice in LA County. The film follows them as they work to challenge public perception of system-impacted young people, face the pushback from county residents who mistakenly believe the creation of alternative housing camps will bring crime to their neighborhoods, and ensure young people are allowed the opportunity to thrive.
July 2025:
South Dakota Focus: Juvenile Justice and Trauma
Experts are seeing a rise in antisocial and violent behavior among South Dakota's young people, especially since the onset of the pandemic. The effects of child trauma coupled with recent changes in state juvenile justice policy has left some families to fall through the cracks. For others, juvenile diversion programs offer a second chance to stay out of the juvenile justice system altogether.
February 2026:
What makes someone American? How do you define American identity? When do you feel most American? Or least? Nine American citizens describe their struggle to belong in a nation that both embraces and rejects them.
March 2026:
Nameless is a documentary that addresses child sex trafficking in Washington, DC, and at-large. Through interviews with experts, advocates, and activists, child sex trafficking is reframed as a form of sexual violence that is often made invisible. Child sex trafficking is explored as an issue with deep historical-cultural roots, tackles misperceptions about which populations are most vulnerable to being trafficked, and illuminates systemic gaps in the current treatment of trafficking victims. Featuring 15 interviewees on the frontlines of the issue, Nameless mobilizes viewers to recognize and combat child sex trafficking.
April 2026:
In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, a law passed in response to a long history of Native children being separated from their families. The court’s ruling protects the rights of Native American families and tribes, giving them preference in the adoption and foster care placement of Native children. During the 1950s and 60s, Native children were routinely taken from their families by social workers and placed for adoption into white families. The legal dispute is part of a long pattern of tensions between U.S. and state governments and tribal entities over issues of sovereignty.
Walking Between Two Worlds: The Urban Indigenous Youth Experience
Walking Between Two Worlds: The Urban Indigenous Youth Experience explores Indigenous youth's unique perspectives and challenges growing up in urban environments. First-time Indigenous youth filmmakers from Billings Public Schools conducted powerful interviews with tribal elders, community leaders, educators, and cultural knowledge keepers, who shared valuable insights about maintaining cultural connections while embracing contemporary life.
Finding Our Own Way: The Urban Indigenous Youth Experience
Finding Our Own Way continues the powerful exploration of Native Indigenous youth experiences in urban environments, building on themes introduced in the nationally awarded student documentary Walking Between Two Worlds. In this 2025 follow-up film, high school filmmakers from the Billings Indigenous Education Department take a new approach - turning the camera on themselves and each other. Through peer-to-peer interviews, students share their own stories, challenges, and triumphs of maintaining cultural identity while navigating contemporary urban life, creating an intimate and authentic portrait of their generation's experience.
As a member of the Apsaalooke Nation, Supaman makes his home in Montana. Supaman is Christian Takes Gun Parrish, a Native American dancer and innovative hip-hop artist who has dedicates his life to empowering and spreading a message of hope and faith through a unique fusion of traditional and modern culture.
May 2026:
Crip Camp is the story of a group of teen campers are inspired to join the fight for disability civil rights. This spirited look at grassroots activism is executive produced by former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.
June 2026:
13th is a thought-provoking documentary where scholars, activists, and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the United States prison boom. It explores the prison–industrial complex, and the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States.