Voices Rising Film Festival Coins the Kumble Theater Home for the 2025 Season

Voices Rising Film Festival will highlight films about healing, humanity, and resistance, combining cinema, activism, and community to amplify unheard voices.

BROOKLYN, NY, UNITED STATES, October 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Voices Rising Film Festival premieres November 8, 2025, at its new home, The Kumble Theater on Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus, in partnership with the Media and Film Department. Additional screenings follow at The Plaza Cinema & Media Arts Center in Patchogue beginning November 15, 2025.

Continuing its mission to elevate underrepresented voices, the festival explores identity, resilience, love, family, and freedom through storytelling that pushes boundaries. Each screening weekend will feature panel discussions, live performances, and collaborations with advocacy partners, creating spaces for healing dialogue and grassroots connection. Britt’s Candy Shop joins the lineup with its viral candied fruit creations, offering a taste as vibrant as the films themselves. Partner organizations this season include the New York State Youth Leadership Council, Mothers and Daughters, Sepa Mujer, and the American Cancer Society, all of which are dedicated to driving grassroots impact through the arts.

Voices Rising Festival Founder Jaret Martino expressed, “Partnering with NYSYLC is the heartbeat of Voices Rising. Their grassroots leadership and fearless dedication to immigrant youth mirror everything we stand for. Together, we’re not simply screening films—we’re building movements and creating room for voices that deserve to be heard. We’ve invited the entire NYSYLC community, every child and their family, to join us as our VIP guests. Our red carpet will read “Liberation, Not Deportation.” Seeing that message wrapped around our work fills me with pure joy because right here is what makes the festival so extraordinary.”

From Brooklyn to Beirut, from the Dominican Republic to Indigenous America, this year’s films illuminate shared humanity through extraordinary personal truths.

HEALING AND HUMANITY

Films exploring grief, resilience, and hope take center stage. We Were Here by Mary Fairhurst Breen confronts the opioid crisis through the story of her late daughter. Art as Hope: Breast Cancer Reflections by Alina Avila Ko transforms pain into art. Amanda Abizaid – Dangerous and Young by Johnny Saint Ours examines war and personal healing. A Better Place by Hank Leo Jr., featuring the Soweto Gospel Choir and Melba Moore, offers a global call for unity through music.

WOMEN, IDENTITY, AND STRENGTH

Stories of womanhood and power lead this year’s slate. IN(VISIBLE) by Sam Joseph exposes the psychological toll of domestic abuse and the silencing of survivors. Stigma by Dali Mansour reveals the emotional isolation of a woman confronting trauma during lockdown. Grey by Regina Dezbah Simons explores aging and generational pain through a Native American lens. Until the Last Minute by Ilya Noyabrev captures love and endurance in wartime Ukraine.

FAMILY, CONNECTION, AND LEGACY

Remember Me and Remember Me – One Year Later by Lauren P. Tyree document lasting friendship and gratitude in the Dominican Republic. Stoop Chat with Maani & Mr. Sweat by Marj Kleinman and Christine Thomas Yoon celebrates Brooklyn’s intergenerational mentorship and Black identity. Lessons from 100: Reflections in My Centennial Year is a moving tribute to life’s enduring wisdom, chronicling the reflections of a centenarian whose lessons on perseverance, love, and faith remind viewers that legacy is life’s greatest art form. Braids by Elise M. Beers follows a Native American boy torn between culture and conformity, while Me & Mr. Brown by Genesis Nelson portrays self-discovery and desire through a chance café encounter.

IMAGINATION AND RESISTANCE

Several films push creative and societal boundaries. More Dead Than Living by JT Doran explores reconciliation through humor and mortality. Day 21 by Dashiell Meier envisions an eerie world for people with Down syndrome. Emergunt Chorade by Masa Gibson plays with time and identity. Lox by Dan Pavlik tells a tender story of fleeting memory. The Last Words by Kaden Evans imagines a society where books are banned. Revelations: The Rest Is Silence, by Kenneth LaZebnik and Anthony Ruiz, unpacks grief and the political legacy within a Nuyorican family. The Hype by Justin Casselle satirizes Hollywood’s obsession with image and status.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE AND RED CARPET INFO:

November 8, 2025 – The Kumble Theater (1 University Plz, Brooklyn, NY 11201)
Red Carpet: 2 PM

November 15, 2025 – The Plaza Cinema & Media Arts Center (20 Terry St #121, Patchogue, NY)
Red Carpet: 11 AM

Tickets start at $35 and are available through Film Freeway.

THE MISSION: Founded by Long Island native Jaret Martino, the Voices Rising Film Festival is a platform for bold storytelling, advocacy, and community celebration. Through partnerships with local and national organizations, it merges film and activism to amplify the voices of underrepresented individuals.

Martino shares, "This season is more than just a showcase of captivating films; it's a call to action. At a time when authentic voices are too often silenced or overlooked, our mission to uplift underrepresented filmmakers, screenwriters, and artists is more vital than ever. This festival is a celebration of bold storytelling, diverse cultural perspectives, and the power of cinema to spark meaningful dialogue, shift perceptions, and foster a sense of community. We invite you to be moved, to be challenged, and to be inspired."

Love Wins Productions supports independent filmmakers through awards, distribution, and events in New York and Los Angeles, with a mission rooted in women’s empowerment, diversity, inclusion, wellness, and immigration awareness.

ABOUT THE VENUES: The Plaza Cinema & Media Arts Center is a nonprofit hub in Patchogue offering diverse screenings and arts education. The Kumble Theater, located at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus, features a 320-seat sprung stage that brings audiences closer to the performance and community it serves.

For interviews, red-carpet credentials, or screener requests, please contact Jade Umbrella PR.

At Voices Rising, art becomes action — and every story sparks a ripple of change.

Stacey Barker
Jade Umbrella. PR
+1 323-833-8358
email us here

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