CINEMATIC REBELLION: From the L.A.Rebellion to the Next Generation

In times of rising fascism and needless war, artists turn to cinema as a weapon of self-expression, anti-war activism, and resistance. Our current generation is not the first to turn to cinema as a tool of healing, but we hope it will be the last. Join us on a night of recognizing the generation of the L.A. REBELLION, the generation of filmmakers that said NO to Hollywood filmmaking in times of Uprising, and made their art, hired each other, and uplifted their community.

This event brings together two films L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement (2025, 56m) and Don’t Be Long, Little Bird (2025, 23m), to illuminate the lineage between the original L.A. Rebellion filmmakers and contemporary artists continuing that legacy. Together, the films create a dialogue across generations, geographies, and liberation movements.

Directed by TFT alumni Kitty Hu and Bryant Griffin, traces the origins of the L.A. Rebellion movement following the Watts Uprising, when UCLA’s “ethno-communications” initiative opened doors for Black, Asian, Chicano, and Native American filmmakers whose work reshaped American cinema.

• Watch a preview of L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement HERE

Directed by TFT alumna Reem Jubran as her UCLA MFA thesis film, Winner of the Gotham Student Showcase and Grand Jury Prize at the UCLA TFT FILM Festival: Directors Spotlight, and first Palestinian/USA co‑production, follows a young woman who time-travels to 1930s Palestine to meet her great‑grandmother. The making of the film was featured in PBS Artbound’s documentary as a modern extension of L.A. Rebellion’s ethos, foregrounding how Reem’s fight for voice and representation at UCLA stands on the foundation built by the Black and ethnic students who came before her.

• Watch the trailer of Don't Be Long, Little Bird HERE

Panel Discussion/Q&A with filmmaker Reem Jubran after the screening.

VENDORS will be selling their beautiful art from 6-8pm with a percentage of sales going to our fundraiser.

Get your tickets now! Suggested Donation $20-25 CAD (100% proceeds going to Gaza surf families). More details coming soon! <3

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Commons, 401 Richmond Street West, Toronto, Canada

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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