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Molly O’Brien
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THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE
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EVERY BODY
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THE ONLY GIRL IN THE ORCHESTRA
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BIG ARTS’ Documentary Film Festival will showcase Academy Award winner Molly O’Brien.
Taking place on Nov. 14-15 on Sanibel, it will offer attendees the opportunity to experience four of her documentaries, take part in Q&A sessions with the award-winning acclaimed filmmaker, and more.
BIG ARTS Gallery Director Wilson McCray, who also oversees the film program, explained that they decided to add a documentary film festival last season, which celebrated the work of Andrew Rossi.
“So this will be the second time that we’re doing the film festival,” he said.
McCray continued that O’Brien caught his eye as the filmmaker to highlight this year as she received the 2025 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film for “The Only Girl in the Orchestra.”
“She’s really an accomplished producer and director,” he said.
“The films that she’s produced are so provocative and important,” McCray added.
O’Brien is also an Emmy Award winner and head of documentary for NBC News Studios. “The Only Girl in the Orchestra” also won the Documentary Critics Choice award, and her first documentary short, “A Pig With Hair,” was shortlisted for the Academy Awards in 1999. Since then, O’Brien has directed nonfiction projects for television, including the Sundance Channel, ABC Family and PBS.
As a producer, her most recent feature documentaries include “Separated, “Every Body” and “The Disappearance of Shere Hite.” O’Brien was nominated for the Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of a Documentary Motion Picture for “The Disappearance of Shere Hite.” She is also a Primetime Emmy Award-winning producer for Outstanding Documentary Series for “American High” and a News & Documentary Emmy award nominee for “Every Body.”
The BIG ARTS festival will spotlight two full-length and two short films of hers.
“She and I worked together on the selection of them,” McCray said, adding that they picked two documentaries she produced and two she directed. “All of these films, I believe, are relevant today.”
“The Disappearance of Shere Hite” is a powerful documentary that reclaims the legacy of pioneering feminist and sex researcher Shere Hite, whose controversial work in the 1970s challenged taboos and redefined female sexuality.
“It’s such a strong film, and it’s really beautifully made,” he said.
“Every Body” is 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.
“The three people in the film are so courageous and moving,” McCray said.
O’Brien directed “A Pig With Hair” from “Learning Through Art,” a children’s program produced by The Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. The delightful and inspiring documentary film reveals the power of making art as a catalyst and tool for engagement in the classroom.
“It’s a film about art and education in New York City,” he said.
“The Only Girl in the Orchestra” is a short documentary that celebrates double bassist Orin O’Brien, the first woman to become a full-time member of the New York Philharmonic — and her aunt.
“The film actually becomes not just a documentary about this extraordinary musician,” McCray said. “But it’s also autobiographical because the director is involved with the subject.”
The festival schedule is as follows:
NOV. 14
– 6 p.m.: Opening reception and meet and greet
– 7 p.m.: Screening of “The Disappearance of Shere Hite”
– Post-film: Q&A with O’Brien
NOV. 15
– 4 p.m.: Screening of ” Every Body”
– 6 p.m.: Catered box dinner by Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant
– 6:45 p.m.: Talk by O’Brien
– 7:15 p.m.: Screening of “A Pig With Hair” and “The Only Girl in the Orchestra”
– Post-film: Informal celebration with drinks, coffee and dessert
He noted that the Q&A and talk with O’Brien will elevate the experience for the audience.
“It’ll be excellent to hear her insights on the documentary filmmaking process, both as a producer and director, and about the present state of the documentary filmmaking world and her personal experiences,” McCray said.
Sanibel-Captiva Community Bank is the sponsor for the festival.
“We could not offer this great opportunity without them,” he said.
Tickets are $100 per person for the full festival; single-event tickets are also available.
The community is encouraged to secure their seat.
“All four films give you a really fantastic, wide-range approach to documentary filmmaking,” McCray said. “And it’ll be a really great opportunity and a treat to spend some time with Molly O’Brien.”
For tickets or more information, visit https://bigarts.org/event/film-festival-2025/, contact the box office at 239-395-0900 or stop by. Single-event tickets are available by calling the box office.
BIG ARTS is at 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel.
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IF YOU GO
What
BIG ARTS Documentary Film Festival
When
Nov. 14-15
Where
BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel
Details
Full festival and single-event tickets available