Community Voices screening tells local stories — be ready for surprises

Five documentaries portraying remarkable people involved with or served by non-profit groups in Orange County will screen at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, in Folino Theater at Marion Knott Studios.

Community Voices is a social issue documentary film program that links Chapman University film students with Orange County-based organizations to make portrait films about social issues. Each semester, groups of students produce short character-driven portrait films that highlight causes the partner organizations aim to serve. The films are then used in the outreach and fundraising campaigns of these organizations, and are distributed via PBS broadcast, online streaming, educational distributors, and festival release.

These films are a part of an initiative at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts to reach out to the surrounding community to give visibility to the myriad of diverse and inspiring local stories that happen right in our backyard. The documentary program started as a class instructed by Assistant Professor Sally Rubin and has evolved into a televised series.

Thursday’s screening will be followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers and a reception featuring a taco bar. Admission is free.