BIG ARTS Documentary Film Festival

Join us for an unforgettable two-day celebration of cinema at the BIG ARTS Film Festival, featuring 2025 Academy Award winner Molly O’Brien. This special event includes exclusive screenings, insightful Q&As, an opening reception, a catered dinner, and post-film gatherings. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to engage with an acclaimed documentary filmmaker whose work shines a light on extraordinary lives and untold stories.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14

• 6:00 PM – Opening Reception and Meet & Greet
• 7:00 PM – Screening: The Disappearance of Shere Hite (118 min.) (R)
  This powerful documentary reclaims the legacy of pioneering feminist and sex researcher Shere Hite, whose controversial work in the 1970s challenged taboos and redefined female sexuality. [view trailer]
• Post-film – Q&A with Molly O’Brien

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15

• 4:00 PM – Screening: Every Body (92 min.) (R)
  A revelatory exploration of intersex identity through the lives of three activists, blending personal stories with a broader look at medical ethics and gender norms. [view trailer]
• 6:00 PM – Catered Box Dinner by Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant
• 6:45 PM – Talk by Molly O’Brien
• 7:15 PM – Screening of Two Short Films:
  • A Pig With Hair (22 min.) (Not Rated)
    From “Learning Through Art,” a children’s program produced by The Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, Molly O’Brien directed this delightful and inspiring documentary film that reveals the power of making art as a catalyst and tool for engagement in the classroom.
  • The Only Girl in the Orchestra (35 min.) (G)
    This short documentary celebrates double bassist Orin O’Brien, the first woman to become a full-time member of the New York Philharmonic.
    [view trailer]
• Post-film – Informal Celebration with Drinks, Coffee, and Dessert

O’Brien is an Academy Award and Emmy Award winning filmmaker and Head of Documentary for NBC News Studios. As a director O’Brien’s film, The Only Girl in the Orchestra (Netflix, 2024) won the Academy Award for best documentary short, and the Documentary Critics Choice award. LEARN MORE

The Documentary Film Festival is graciously sponsored by
Sanibel-Captiva Community Bank