CALENDAR
Set Her Free | Liberty and Limits: Guns in California — Oakland International Film Festival
Saturday, September 12, 2026, 2:00 PM
M14-202 Music Building Littlefield Concert Hall, M14-Lobby Music Building
Presented by the Oakland International Film Festival
Sponsored by Mills Performing Arts & Northeastern University
Open to the Public
Tickets: $17.85 — Registration requested
Free with a Northeastern University ID (limited tickets available at the door)
Set Her Free
Director: JLove Calderón
Runtime: 01:05:00
Set Her Free sheds light on the lives of women incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in New Jersey, many of whom are serving long sentences for crimes stemming from their survival of domestic violence. It tells the story of five formerly incarcerated women—Dr. Jamila T. Davis, Donna Hylton, Nafeesah Goldsmith, Dawn Jackson and Cass Severe—who are leading the fight to pass the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA) in New Jersey. With the support of New Jersey Senator Angela McKnight, this documentary showcases the stories of these incarcerated women and the advocates who refuse to let their voices go unheard. The film also follows Cass Severe’s relentless fight to secure the release of her friend Natasha White, a domestic violence survivor who remains incarcerated at Edna Mahan. Through Cass’s advocacy, the documentary highlights the personal stakes involved in the broader movement for justice reform. Set Her Free demonstrates the power of hope, redemption, and the impact of proper resources and second chances on the lives of these women.
Liberty and Limits: Guns in California
Director: Dave Manoucheri, Jack Noonan
Runtime: 00:47:00
California has long been in the forefront of history. “As California goes, so goes the nation” is the saying. Two events in California’s modern history, though, have impacted how the US looks at guns and how they regulate them. In May of 1967, after the Black Panther Party for Self Defense began patrolling police pullovers, armed on the streets and carrying law books, the legislature began making changes. This came from police departments, DA’s, and a concerted campaign by the FBI to take down the civil rights party. When a bill to eliminate open-carry was being heard, the Panthers came to the capitol, armed. It should be noted that was NOT illegal at the time. Ronald Reagan was so taken aback that he signed the first major gun legislation, eliminating open-carry in California. The Panthers, however, advocated that the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution provided an individual right to bear arms. Reagan himself would change gears years later as president, moving to advocate that same 2nd amendment position. The next event would be in 1989 when a man with racist ideology and anger shot at an elementary school in Stockton, California. Patrick Purdy blamed the refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia for the ills of the country and chose little kids because they couldn’t fight back. He killed several school children and injured many more, creating havoc. In the immediate aftermath, the first major cache of gun regulations in the nation was passed: background checks; waiting periods; databases between cities, counties and states; and the first assault weapons ban, which remains in effect today. In the wake of these events, regulations have come and gone and continue to unfold, but these two events started in motion discussions relevant today, moving from racial to ideological to political violence and more.
More information: https://oaklandfilmfestival.org/