Next Thursday, April 18, Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival Select Series will present “Beyond Utopia” at 7 p.m., in Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater.

Winner of the Audience Award for Documentary Feature at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, “Beyond Utopia” is an astonishing and unforgettable film experience. In telling the incredible story of several families as they attempt to escape harsh oppression in North Korea, the film powerfully reveals a world most Americans have never seen. Made under conditions of considerable risk and hardship, “Beyond Utopia” also portrays the remarkable courage and determination of Sengeun Kim, a pastor who defected from North to South Korea and who now facilitates North Korean defections. MNFF Selects is proud to present the Vermont Premiere of “Beyond Utopia,” directed by Madeleine Gavin.

Tickets are $14-$16 and are available at townhalltheater.org.