Storyville

Dedicated to showcasing contemporary films and media works produced by Philadelphia-based independent media artists.

“With Hope '' is a documentary film centering the experiences of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people who reconnect to the natural world through the act of birding, and by doing so discover a profound sense of belonging, joy and hope. Featured in the film are members of a growing community of birders in the Philadelphia area, including: In Color Birding Club, Philly Queer Birders, and Feminist Bird Club Philly. Together, the film participants create space for themselves, which wasn’t there before and help provide access for those who haven’t always seen themselves represented in birding. The film also features bird species that mirror the histories and identities that watch them. Despite coming from different backgrounds, the people starring in “With Hope'' share a perspective of birds and of nature that continues to inspire, to challenge, to comfort, and to awaken delight, while enhancing their relationship with themselves, with each other, and ultimately the world we live in.

Matte Hewitt is a community-engaged documentary filmmaker, artist, environmentalist, and avid birder. Collectivism and the interconnectedness of humans and ecological systems drives their investigation. Their research interests include ornithology, queer ecology, ecofeminism, natural history, racial discourse, land use, and conservation psychology. Matte was a 2021-22 Scribe Film Scholar and a recipient of the 2022 Independent Creative Production Grant from the Penn Sachs Program for Arts Innovation. They are currently enrolled as a Graduate Student in the Social Documentation MFA program at the University of California Santa Cruz where their proposed thesis film would focus on same-sex behavior and gender variance in birds to challenge the boundaries between humans and animals and to counter homophobia and transphobia.