Off and Running has been one of the most hotly talked-about films at the Festival, and rightfully so; the film is a documentary about a unique family if there ever was one. The central subject is Avery Klein-Cloud, a teenage, African-American girl who has grown up in a household with her two adoptive parents—both white Jewish lesbians. Avery's brother, Raffi, is also adopted, mixed-race, and her younger brother, Zay-Zay, is an adopted Korean boy. Avery quips early on in the film that her family calls themselves the "United Nations," and rightfully so. The film provides a moving portrait of Avery, who begins to undergo a change in identity when she decides to write a letter to her birth mother—three months later, she hears back.

Off and Running was directed by Nicole Opper, an NYU grad who teaches filmmaking and media literacy at high schools in New York. The film is Opper's first feature. After the screening at the SVA Theater yesterday, Opper brought up a large group of the characters from the film to take questions—there was Avery herself; Avery's boyfriend Prince; Raffi; Avery's mother Tova; and producer Sharese Bullock. Opper explained that she has known Avery since Avery was ten years old, when she was involved in a student film Opper worked on. Opper approached Avery with the idea for the project six years later.

Avery's mother, Tova, was one of the first to be asked a question: what are your thoughts on the film? Tova explained that "we had no clue it was going to be"—very long pause—"this, when we went on this journey. It's been very emotional. We hope it becomes a good thing for Avery." According to Avery, it has been. "Doing the film has really opened me up a lot," Avery said. "I'm much more confident within myself. I think I've found out who I am, even though I don't have the answers from my birth mother."

A particularly interesting, somewhat political moment arose when a member of the audience explained that he was a gay parent who, along with his partner, is in the midst of trying to raise two adopted daughters. Without having anything to go by, he appreciated that the film existed, he said. Tova's response was an interesting one: "I don't think that parenting my children would have been any different if they had come out of my body," she said. "I don't think this film is about parenting adopted children, it's about parenting."

When asked about her relationship with Opper, Avery had a touching response. "Nicole has really helped me become who I am," she said. "She's someone who I'll always be in contact with, for the rest of my life."
 

Off and Running screens throughout the Festival. Get your tickets today.

Read more Festival Q&As.