Arts Circle, Film Lover, Secret (shhh…) Members and Fellows (with an active Membership), you and a guest are invited to Programmers’ Picks, a curated screening series taking place at the Film Independent Theater. Make sure to take advantage of your exclusive priority registration window, after which all Film Independent Members will have the opportunity to register.

Join us for Soul Patrol, followed by an in-person conversation with director J.M. Harper.

J.M. Harper is a Film Independent Fellow who participated in the 2025 Amplifier Fellowship with Soul Patrol, as well as the 2026 Episodic Directing Intensive.

Soul Patrol uncovers a hidden chapter of American military history by focusing on the Vietnam War’s first Black special ops team; an elite unit operating deep behind enemy lines. With unprecedented access to this once-secretive group of African-American veterans, director J.M. Harper reconstructs their journey with an immediacy rarely seen in Vietnam War storytelling, using raw Super 8 footage, photographs and audio recordings from their personal archives. Opening on the war’s 50th anniversary, the surviving members reunite in a hotel that becomes a surreal liminal space, where memory, brotherhood and unresolved trauma collide. As the men reflect on their experiences, the film interrogates the contradictions of fighting for freedom abroad while facing inequality at home. Winner of the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, Soul Patrol is not just a war story, but a reckoning – an intimate portrait of survival, memory and the enduring cost of war on those asked to fight it.

From Kino Lorber, Soul Patrol premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the US Documentary Directing Award. The film will open in theaters on November 6 in New York, and November 13 in Los Angeles and nationwide.

Beverages will be served prior to the screening, starting at 4:30 pm PT.

Registration will open to all Film Independent Members on October 30.

 
2026, 110 minutes, color | J.M. Harper, based on the memoir by Ed Emanuel | Directed by J.M. Harper | Featuring Ed Emanuel, Jesse Lewis Jr., Mark Miller, Kenn Miller, Thad Givens, Lawton Mackey, John Willis | Produced by Sam Bisbee, J.M. Harper, Danielle Massie, Peter Bittenbender, Nasir Jones | Executive Produced by Ed Emanuel, Joe Plummer, Jenifer Westphal, Stacey Reiss, Lance Acord, Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Cody Ryder, Wendy Neu, Jenny Raskin, Kelsey Koenig, Lauren & John Driscoll, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Davis Guggenheim, Rahdi Taylor, Andrew Gertler, Max Allman, Ted Haddock, Nina Fialkow, David Fialkow
 

Registration Information

Film Independent Arts Circle, Film Lover and Secret Members, and Fellows (with an active Membership) can register for this event starting at 3:00 pm on Thursday, October 15. | Registration is free; one registration per Membership. | Proof of Member status is required.

All Film Independent Members can register for this event starting on Friday, October 30. | Registration is free; one registration per Membership. | Proof of Member status is required.

Film Lover Members, Secret Members and Fellows (with an active Membership) receive priority entry to this event. Email [email protected] for more.

Arts Circle Members are guaranteed access, and receive both priority entry and reserved seating. For information about Arts Circle, contact Jennifer Murby at [email protected].
 

Tickets/Parking

On the day of the event, registered Members may pick up tickets as early as one hour prior to the scheduled start time – look for Film Independent signage. Tickets are nontransferable and for general, unreserved theater seating only (except for Arts Circle Members). Attendees must be in their seat(s) at least 15 minutes prior to the advertised start time or seat(s) may be released. Entry/seating will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests may not enter the venue without the Member who registered them present. Registration does not guarantee entry, even with a ticket in hand.

Complimentary parking provided with validation. Garage entrance on Masselin.
 

Accessibility

Film Independent is committed to hosting events that are accessible. For inquiries regarding accessibility, or to request an accommodation, please contact us at [email protected] or 323 556 9305.
 

Screening Policies

Availability window and registration capacity may vary; always register as early as possible. Limit one registration per Membership, per event.

Members are required to follow all rules and guidelines as laid out by Film Independent and/or its partners. If a guest has been registered for an event by a Member, these policies shall apply to that guest. Violation of policies may result in suspension or termination of Membership.

Event details and guest participation are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice.