What started as a sneak peek event has transformed into a basic income mini-film festival!
(Feel free to share with family + friends + colleagues in Portland, OR who love documentaries and docuseries. Remember: basic income expertise not required!).
If you caught our last post, you saw our quick recap of the Toronto sneak peek event alongside the BIEN Congress. We also teased that our next stop was Portland, Oregon.
Since sending that update, the event has grown into something (a little) bigger.
This basic income mini-film festival will celebrate and showcase previews of several amazing basic income and guaranteed income documentary projects. While our event won’t hand out formal awards1, filmmakers and audience members will have the chance to discuss projects, network, and build connections. Ultimately, it can deliver the same community energy and cinematic impact as a traditional festival, but on a smaller, highly intimate scale.
The Line Up (Previews + Sneak Peeks)
(1) Multnomah Mothers’ Trust
A local Portland project!
Explores the impact of guaranteed basic income through the real-life experiences of participants in the Multnomah Mothers’ Trust Project (MMTP). Launched by the Multnomah Idea Lab, the program provided unconditional cash transfers to bring long-term stability to Black mothers and their families.
(Director: Mary Li)
(2) The Nest series
Focuses on The Nest, a program created by Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services that provided unconditional cash payments of $1,250 per month to 150 Indigenous pregnant individuals until their child turns three. The series highlights the history of Hummingbird IFS and the stories of Native families whose lives were impacted by the guaranteed income program.
(Director: Terrence Jeffrey Santos, Mr. Santos Creations)2
(3) Workers of Art
Follows Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY), an initiative that funded 2,700 artists through employment programs and guaranteed income. Blending participant stories with the untold history of public support for America’s artists, the film exposes a clear pattern: when artists are supported, communities thrive; when they’re not, everyone loses.3
(Director: Marc Levin)
(4) it’s basic
Looks at several pilot programs launched in the US that test the effects of giving everyday people an extra $500 to $1,000 monthly, with no strings attached. The film explores the power of cash, the importance of dignity, and the ongoing work of providing an income floor through the eyes of guaranteed income recipients who have witnessed firsthand the life-altering effects of financial stability.4
(Director: Marc Levin)
(5) The Bootstraps docuseries
That’s us! If this is your first time learning about us, you can read more about the project:
(Director: Deia Schlosberg)
See You Soon!
If you can’t make it to Portland, no worries because we are gearing up for more in-person screenings for Bootstraps docuseries in other cities and online spaces in 2026 and 2027.
In the meantime, subscribe to our Substack to explore the human experience of Universal Basic Income (UBI) and engage in open discussion around the potential and real-world impact of an unconditional paycheck on everyday people like you.
Aside from ✨ the friends we make along the way ✨