"New Parables" - Screening and Conversation with Filmmaker Nicholas Ma

Nicholas Ma is an award-winning filmmaker and the host and co-founder of American Revival, a traveling festival of hope that brings communities together through film, music, storytelling, and service. Ma directed Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the acclaimed documentary about Fred Rogers. While touring with the film, he witnessed audiences find hope in the example of a man who built his life around radical acceptance.

Now, through American Revival, Ma brings New Parables to Carmel: a powerful new series of six short films about ordinary people facing extraordinary moral choices. Exploring themes of compassion, courage, and human connection, the films tell stories of people who choose to stand up for others, even when doing so comes at a personal cost. Together, they ask what it means to care for one another in a divided America—and how small acts of kindness can inspire meaningful change.

Following the screening, Ma will offer remarks and join the audience for a community conversation about the films, the ideas they explore, and their relevance to our lives today. This special evening invites audiences to experience powerful storytelling, engage in meaningful dialogue, and reflect on how each of us can help build a more compassionate and connected community.

Two shows: Wednesday, November 18th, 6pm and 8pm. Tickets are $30, available on Eventbrite.com. A reception will follow the screenings.

About New Parables

New Parables is a series of short films exploring moral courage through stories of people confronting difficult choices with humanity, compassion, and conviction. Created to spark reflection and conversation, the series invites audiences to consider what it means to live according to our deepest values and how individual acts of courage can inspire broader change.

About American Revival

American Revival is a traveling festival of hope that brings people together through music, film, storytelling, service, and community. Working alongside local artists, faith leaders, nonprofits, and community organizations, American Revival seeks to bridge divides, celebrate those who serve their neighbors, and inspire a moral movement grounded in loving kindness and our shared humanity.