Foster

Name: Foster
Director: Mark Jonathan Harris
Released: 2018

Mark Jonathan Harris 2018

Drawing on unprecedented access, FOSTER explores the often-misunderstood world of foster care through compelling stories from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. The documentary mixes firsthand accounts of people navigating the system with insights from social workers, advocates and others, offering a realistic but hopeful perspective on this community.

The documentary features the accounts of: a teenager who entered the system through tragic circumstances; a young woman transitioning to college; a former foster child who has overcome her painful past to become a powerful advocate; and a foster mother who has provided support to more than 100 children.

Add to Playlist

Add Bookmark

Bookmark List

Play Trailer

Running Time:

113 min.

Spoken Languages:

English

Directors:

Mark Jonathan Harris

Producers:

Deborah Oppenheimer, Lisa Remington, Samantha Polan

Editors:

Kate Amend

Press

LA Times

“[Foster] created an intimate, intensely dramatic film that holds us in its grip like a page-turning novel. Except it’s all true.”

Kenneth Turan
The Guardian

“a mosaic of the foster care system. The film immortalizes the grit of Los Angeles, distant from the glimmering lights the city is known for, and illustrates the stories of those affected by the foster care system.”

Dream McClinton
The Daily Dot

“Over the course of two hours, Harris presents a wide-ranging and clear-eyed look at the potential and limits of the current foster care system. “

Eddie Strait
Variety

“The film also points out that the problems in and around the foster system are indicative of larger issues that society hasn’t addressed, such as poverty, drug addiction, unaddressed mental health issues and racism.”

Rachel Yang

Additional Materials

Distribution Company

Back to Film Summary

This Week’s Featured Films

An investigative journalist uncovers the money, influence, and alarming rationale behind covert efforts to control the most vital resource on the planet in the latest exposé from filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Blackfish)
The road to eliminating poverty begins with her
Israel's military service is questioned through the experiences of young Israelis struggling with enlistment pressures. Innocence uncovers the personal cost of conforming, with lost lives and haunting diaries illustrating the impact of military duty on young souls.
Fresh from their Nobel Prize win, mRNA pioneers race against time to develop new cures for cancer, HIV, and other deadly diseases, in this gripping documentary.
How did we come to this moment, where free speech issues have never felt more complicated and urgent, and where the nation is wondering a new: what price are we willing to pay for free speech?
Let us tell you a story about the boundary pushers who shape souls and give children strange dreams. The stars of STORY & PICTURES BY are picture book creators changing the narrative for the next generation, even when their own lives are not fairytales.
After speaking out on his torture, Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Araibi faces arrest on his honeymoon, igniting a campaign to save him from extradition. The story follows his rescue led by Australian activists, pitting justice against political and royal pressures.
A political thriller that that goes inside the U.S. fundamentalist Evangelicals, revealing their power and influence on U.S. foreign policy, as they aim to fulfill the Armageddon prophecy and ultimately destroy our civilization
A one-hour documentary that delves into the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the birth of a new movement to treat and prevent toxic stress