Across the Table is a new multidisciplinary talk series spotlighting emerging and established MacDowell Fellows in public conversation, and is a partnership between New Hampshire Public Radio and The Music Hall in Portsmouth, N.H.
The next edition of 'Across the Table' will take place during the New Hampshire Film Festival on Wednesday, October 16, 2025. Tickets are available here.
The inaugural event took place during the Seacoast LitFest on Tuesday, September 9 at The Music Hall Lounge, featuring celebrated author Mary Gaitskill in conversation with writer and visual artist August Lamm.
The next edition of Across the Table will take place during the New Hampshire Film Festival on Wednesday, October 16, and will feature documentary filmmaker Jessica Kingdon in conversation with Courtney Stephens. NHPR’s Rick Ganley will moderate the discussion.
Jessica Kingdon is best known for her Oscar-nominated documentary Ascension 登楼叹, which explores the complexities of China's social and economic systems. Named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” Kingdon is currently working on multiple projects, including a new film produced with Protozoa Pictures.
Courtney Stephens is a writer/director whose experimental and documentary films—such as Terra Femme and The American Sector—have been praised by The New York Times and screened at top institutions and festivals worldwide, including MoMA, SXSW, and the Berlinale.
Moderator Rick Ganley, longtime host of NHPR’s Morning Edition and Live from the Word Barn, will guide the discussion as these two visionary filmmakers explore the evolving landscape of nonfiction cinema, narrative experimentation, and creative risk-taking.
Stay tuned for Across the Table broadcasts in the coming months as we continue to bring bold, engaging conversations to audiences throughout New Hampshire and beyond.
