Heightened Scrutiny w/ Director Sam Feder, Basic Rights Oregon, ACLU Oregon, & Latino Network
Run Time: 85 min.
TICKETS $15
Doors 6:30 p.m.; Event 7 p.m. Conversation with director Sam Feder following the film.
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THE EXPERIENCE
Fresh off its Sundance 2025 premiere, Heightened Scrutiny lands on our screen at a moment of urgency, following the Supreme Court’s devastating decision in United States v. Skrmetti, which allows states to ban gender-affirming care for minors.
Directed by Sam Feder–whose acclaimed film Disclosure reshaped how we see trans representation in media–this new documentary invites us beyond headlines and courtrooms into the heart of a movement powered by resilience, community, and truth. It reminds us: hope isn’t abstract–it’s something we build, together.
Following the screening, there will be a moderated conversation with director Sam Feder.
ON SCREEN: Heightened Scrutiny
2025. Directed by Sam Feder. Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes.
Fearless civil rights lawyer, Chase Strangio, battles at the Supreme Court for transgender adolescents’ access to life-saving healthcare, confronting not only the legal system but also a media landscape that distorts public perception and threatens the fight for trans rights.
Critic’s Pick: “What Heightened Scrutiny reminded me is that the hope is inside of us, and that only through coalition-building and helping others who need it the most will it truly be fulfilled.” — Harrison Richlin, Indiewire
“‘A reminder that we can resist’: hard-hitting documentary takes aim at anti-trans rhetoric.” — Adrian Horton, The Guardian
ON STAGE: Sam Feder, director
Sam Feder is a Peabody Award-nominated film director and writer. Sam created and directed Heightened Scrutiny (Sundance 2025), DISCLOSURE (Sundance 2020, Netflix 2020), the widely acclaimed Kate Bornstein is a Queer and Pleasant Danger, and Boy I Am.
Sam’s films explore the intersection of media and politics along the lines of race, class, and gender. Sam’s films have been programmed by Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, CPH:DOX, MOMA PS-1, The British Film Institute, The Hammer Museum, and in hundreds of film festivals around the world. Sam’s work has been supported by Ford/JustFilms, Fork Films, California Humanities, The Jerome Foundation, Perspective Fund, Threshold, IFP Film Week, Good Pitch USA/Doc Society, MacDowell, and Yaddo artist residency.