This summer marks the 40th anniversary of one of the most famous U.S. examples of civil disobedience: Protests at the Democratic Party's convention in Chicago, which led to trials of key activists. Generation Engage will host a screening of "Chicago 10: Speak Your Peace," a film about that trial, at 3:45 p.m. Sunday.

The movie, which mixes animation with archival footage, gets one of its first North American showings at Northlake Mall AMC, west of Interstate 77 Exit 18. The $7.50 tickets must be bought in advance via www.ez-tixx.com.

Generation Engage will hold a voter registration drive at the screening and host a discussion with local civic leaders after the film. The group calls itself "a nonpartisan youth-civic-engagement initiative that connects young Americans to political leaders, other civic organizations and meaningful debate about the future they will inherit."

Shorts with soul

Deltas of Charlotte present the fifth annual Legacy of Black Women Short Film Showcase, work written, produced and/or directed by African American women. The reception begins at 7 p.m. Friday; films start at 8.The lineup includes "Oxtails," a comedy about a man's reservations about his woman's cooking, and the gut-wrenching drama "Behind The Pretty Door." It'll be at Spirit Square, 345 N. College St., and tickets are $15 at the door. Details: 704-372-1000.

Bell toiled for promotion

Former Charlottean Jennifer Bell is heading Universal Studios' visual effects production department. Bell, now senior VP of visual effects production, oversees all aspects of visual effects creation and production for Universal's motion picture group.

Bell began her career 20 years ago as a freelance effects technician on "The Abyss" -- shot in Gaffney, S.C. -- and joined the studio in 2004. Her credits as a visual effects producer include "The Mummy," "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" and "Jarhead." She's currently supervising visual effects work on "Wanted," "Death Race," "The Wolf Man" and "The Fast and the Furious 4."

`Justice' at last

"Perversion of Justice," a documentary about mandatory minimum sentencing and drug laws, had its Charlotte premiere last February at The Light Factory. Now, says director Melissa Mummert, an abbreviated version is moving out into the world.The Charlotte director (and community minister in the Unitarian Universalist Association) cut a nine-minute version that was a winner of Current TV's "A Chance at Slamdance" contest. So she's gone off to the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where her film will be shown, and she's waiting to hear when it will air on Current TV.

`Marathon' men (and women)

Folks behind the documentary "Spirit of the Marathon" spent four years on four continents watching six runners prepare for the Chicago Marathon. The result will be shown just once theatrically: at 7:30 p.m. next Thursday in 460 theaters nationwide.

Local venues include Stonecrest At Piper Glen, Starlight, Concord Mills, Movies@Franklin Square in Gastonia and Movies@Birkdale in Huntersville. Tickets are $12.50 and available at theater box offices or online at www.FathomEvents.com.

A "behind-the-scenes" featurette produced only for this event includes interviews with filmmakers and runners, plus deleted scenes and a preview of the 2008 Olympics by Olympians Deena Kastor and Ryan Hall.