Immigration is obviously both a hot button topic and the hot potato of American politics.  It's also the focus of three short documentaries that play at the Crest Theatre on Tuesday evening on the fifth day (of ten) of the 11th Annual Sacramento Film & Music Festival.  Coincidentally, all three films were made by students at either Berkeley or Stanford and they complement each other to form a fascinating program.

"Iraq in the US" has a unique Sacramento connection, focusing on the lives of Iraqi refugees who have been relocated here to build new lives.  "New American Soldier" tells the stories of several green card holders who joined the US military to become eligible for citizenship - complete with all of the hazards that entails.  "Arpaio's America" investigates the policies of Sheriff Arpaio in Arizona who interpreted that state's Human Smuggling law to target the immigrants rather than the human traffickers.  It also features Russel Pearce who authored the recent and highly controversial Arizona immigration law.

The three immigration documentaries are followed by an exclusive Sacramento screening of "Reel Injun" - a feature length documentary that examines how the Hollywood film industry has depicted Native Americans through the decades, including interviews with Jim Jarmusch, Adam Beach, Clint Eastwood and others.

The evening begins at 5pm with a complimentary dinner served by Rubios and the screenings begin at 6pm and 8pm.  The double program of film, as well as the dinner, are covered by a single $10 ticket.

The full Festival schedule can be found at www.sacfilm.com/schedule.html.