Category: Updates

So excited that the Border-Ball installation opens soon—March 10!—at the Williamson Gallery at ArtCenter College of Design (Pasadena, CA, USA).

Such a joy to work on the show with Christina Valentine and the rest of the ArtCenter exhibitions team!

We anticipate having a public reception at some point during the course of the show—which runs through June 4—just not at the opening because of the pandemic. Please register via the reservation link on the exhibition webpage to see the show.

More information / press release: here.

It was beautiful walking with Albert Williams—twice, on two separate days!—during my pilgrimage along the U.S.-Mexico border. And it was absolutely amazing seeing him hit a ball over the Wall!

Well… to be more precise… Albert hit a ball over a metal fence in front of the Border Wall (and in front of a pretty substantial buffer zone). But still, it was awesome! Somehow, it made it feel like the Border Wall had lost some of its power. And that filled me with relief.

Albert’s majestic baseball feat will be shown in the installation version of Border-Ball, which premieres at the Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery at ArtCenter College of Design (Pasadena, CA, USA) March 10 – June 7, 2022.

Albert appears in the movie version of Border-Ball as well, which is screening online Dec 23-30 (all day each day) at the Multi Dimension Independent Film Festival and—with The Sharing Project—Dec 26 at the Bettiah International Film Festival at the Arcade Business College in Patna, India.

It was so moving—and so terribly heart wrenching—talking with Alam Martinez in front of the Otay Mesa Detention Center during my pilgrimage along the U.S – Mexico border.

Here’s a bit of what he told me: “El centro de detención de Otay Mesa… no es un lugar grato pa’ver a mi hermano… Hemos crecido juntos en toda la vida y la verdad lo extraño mucho… Me duele mi corazón.” “The Otay Mesa Detention Center… is not an enjoyable place to see my brother… We’ve grown up together our entire lives and I really miss him… My heart aches.”

Alam’s interview is featured in both the movie and art installation versions of Border-Ball.

Many thanks to Abraham Fosce and everyone else who walked with me, played catch with me, and shared their stories during my 40-day pilgrimage along the U.S. – Mexico border.

Join the conversation. Share your thoughts and stories about borders and immigration here: https://borderballstories.tumblr.com

I’m grateful for all the awards that Border-Ball has won, including these recent ones: “Best Story” at the 2021 Gully International Film Festival (Nawada, India), “Best Documentary Experimental” at the November 2021 Hollywood On The Tiber Film Awards (Rome, Italy), “Best Documentary” and “Best Documentary Director”at the November 2021 Gralha International Monthly Film Awards (Curtiba, Brazil), “Best Human Rights Film” at the October – November 2021 Multi Dimension Independent Film Festival (UK), “Best Short Documentary” at the October 2021 V.i.Z. Film Fest (Bulgaria), “Best Cinematography” and “Best Color Editing” at the October 2021 Masters Of Cinema International Film Festival (Moscow, Russia), and “Best Cinematography, Short Documentary” and “Best Soundtrack, Short Documentary” at the October 2021 Latin America Film Awards (Rio, Brazil). Many thanks to all the film festivals!

Border-Ball is screening this weekend (November 20-21) at the Goa Short Film Festival at the Socialist Foundation in Pune, India.

Border-Ball is screening tomorrow (November 14, 10 am – 6 pm, award ceremony at 5 pm) at the Kerala Short Film Festival at the Joshi Socialist Foundation in Pune, India.

Border-Ball is screening online at the Liverpool Film Festival on Saturday November 13 from 3:00-4:15 pm (UK times) (geoblocked to the UK).

The short documentary screening block includes: Revolution-Edu, Dirty Business, Shiver Shanker’s Fate, Clown, and Copy of the Nature.

Tickets and more information here.

Border-Ball is screening online at YoFiFest: The Yonkers Film Festival on Monday November 8 at 5:30 pm EST.

The screening block runs until 7:30 pm. It includes a Q&A and 2 other film screenings: George Floyd: Say Their Names and SUBOA-Making The Call.

Tickets and more info here.

Many thanks to the Garoa Awards – Monthly Film Festival of São Paulo – for awarding Border-Ball “Best Editing of Documentary” in their October 2021 festival.