WXXI FREE POV EMERGENT CITY Screening & Panel Discussion

Join WXXI for a special FREE screening of EMERGENT CITY, a film by by Kelly Anderson and Jay Arthur Sterrenberg and Brenda Ávila-Hanna. that looks at a new “innovation district” that tests local democracy in a divided Brooklyn community. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Brian Sharp, WXXI News Investigations and enterprise editor. Panelists and community members will discuss issues in the Rochester area involving development, neighborhood representation in planning and local issues raised in the film. ASL Interpreting will be provided for the opening remarks and the panel discussion.

This event is a collaboration with POV, PBS’ award-winning nonfiction film series.” POV website: https://www.pbs.org/pov/ This program is made possible by a grant from American Documentary | POV, with funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Details:
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
The Little Theatre, L1, 240 East Avenue
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:00pm)

Panelists include:
Moderator: Brian Sharp is WXXI’s investigations and enterprise editor. He also reports on business and development in the area. He has been covering Rochester since 2005. His journalism career spans nearly three decades.

Panelists:

Gladys Pedraza Burgos, Non-profit strategist and neighborhood/community member

Melissa Suchodolski, president, USC Builds

Kevin Kelly, Office of City Planning Manager

More about the film:
Residents of Sunset Park, Brooklyn face rising rents, a legacy of environmental racism and the loss of the industrial jobs that once sustained their community. When a global developer purchases a massive industrial complex on the waterfront and lays plans for an “innovation district,” a battle erupts over the future of the neighborhood and of New York City itself. Co-produced with ITVS.

Credits:

• Director(s): Kelly Anderson, Jay Arthur Sterrenberg
• Producer(s): Kelly Anderson, Brenda Ávila-Hanna
• Co-produced with ITVS

Cover Photo:
Caption: Aerial view of Sunset Park’s industrial waterfront with graphic overlay highlighting zoning.

Image Description: A bird's-eye view of an industrial district shows multiple buildings with flat roofs. Graphic overlays identify different manufacturing zones. A main street runs diagonally through the image, with smaller buildings and businesses lining both sides.

Photo Credit: Eric Phillips-Horst

ASL interpretation will be provided for opening remarks and post-screening panel discussion. This film is presented with open captions. For more information on parking and accessibility, please visit https://thelittle.org/accessibility/. Additional accommodations may be requested during the registration process. Please contact Sarah Murphy Abbamonte, Project Manager for Move to Include, at sabbamonte@wxxi.org with any questions.

This program is made possible by a grant from American Documentary | POV, with funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.