In the early ’70s, narrow-minded politicians and adversarial government agencies treated struggling communities across the South Bronx as an afterthought. The Black Panthers and the Young Lords took matters into their own hands, uniting to think outside the box in order to improve the state of their neighborhoods. Together, they combined community activism with their progressive politics to create America’s first acupuncture detoxification program.

Director Mia Donovan’s Dope is Death chronicles these heroic feats of activism while discussing how community-specific support systems can make or break the recovery process. It’s a story about the Black and Brown diaspora refusing to back down against the oppressive systems designed to keep them from thriving. Through archival material, Donovan spotlights the challenges faced by individuals fighting for change and the backlash thrust upon activists who never wavered from their convictions.

WITH SHORT FILM ——— Never Use Alone —— Colin Matthews | 2026 | Canada | Social Realist Drama | 26 minutes | English

An overdose intervention hotline operator fights to keep callers alive through a relentless overnight shift, racing to dispatch help when voices fall silent. Still haunted by the overdose death of her eldest daughter, Ramona forms raw, intimate connections with callers that force her to confront her own grief and guilt.