Opinion Reel is a new short documentary film program hosted by Globe Opinion, showcasing locally-produced films with a strong point of view. Each week this fall, over a nine-week season, Opinion Reel will highlight one film and its filmmaker.

Boston, MA – The Boston Globe announced today the inaugural season of Opinion Reel: a new program, hosted by Globe Opinion, that showcases locally produced short documentaries that express a distinct point of view. The Fall 2015 Opinion Reel lineup is available today at www.bostonglobe.com/OpinionReel and features nine films selected by a panel of Globe Editorial Board members and film journalists. These films were chosen from more than 50 films submitted online by New England-based documentary filmmakers.

“We’re proud to add Opinion Reel to our growing selection of digital offerings,” said Ellen Clegg, Editorial Page Editor, The Boston Globe. “Globe Opinion is host to New England’s broadest conversation, and we think these films represent fresh voices, great talent, and strong viewpoints.”

Introduced in May 2015 by the Boston Globe’s Opinion section, Opinion Reel is open to professional, amateur, and student documentary filmmakers who live or went to school in New England. More than 50 films were submitted via an online form since its debut. Each film was viewed by a panel of opinion journalists, and finalists were screened in front of a broader panel of Editorial Board members and journalists with an expertise in film. This panel selected nine films to make up the Fall 2015 season.
The nine selected films range in length from 2 to 7 minutes and include works by high school students, college students, and adult professionals. Their subjects range broadly from bicycle safety in Boston to the experiences of adopted youth, from the joy and pain of moped riding to the meaning of a Chinatown tradition. Together, they tell stories of family, safety, health, community, and identity.

The full season of the inaugural Opinion Reel is available on its website www.bostonglobe.com/OpinionReel. Each week, the page will highlight a new film and introduce its filmmaker.

In addition, three of the short films will be screened before feature presentations at the upcoming Globe Docs film festival, a part of HUBweek. These films – “Jordan,” “Three Unsafe Crossings,” and “I Do Not Know Yet” – will screen on Saturday, October 10 in the Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Theater in Boston. Opinion Reel films will appear before the Shorts Program and the feature films “Containment” and “The State of Marriage.”

The fall 2015 Opinion Reel Film Lineup features:

  • Week 1: “Jordan”
  • Week 2: “Three Unsafe Crossings”
  • Week 3: “I Do Not Know Yet”
  • Week 4: “Southie Means Family”
  • Week 5: “Roger’s Story”
  • Week 6: “Two-Stroked: A Love Story”
  • Week 7: “Our Many Voices”
  • Week 8: “Gund Kwok Lion Dancing”
  • Week 9: “Outside the Window”

Submissions are still open for future Opinion Reel seasons. To enter, filmmakers can upload their short documentaries to YouTube or Vimeo and submit the links via a form at www.bostonglobe.com/OpinionReel. A Winter 2016 season will include new films and some selections from the original set of submissions.

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