Film Screening + Filmmakers Q&A: Handmade Future

Q&A conversation with the filmmakers will follow the screening. 

HANDMADE FUTURE explores the ethics, artistry, and equity of the global artisan sector, showcasing the beauty and importance of heritage crafts, the challenges faced by makers worldwide, and the inspiring people keeping artisan crafts alive.

Kirsten and Brandon Dickerson (former residents and ongoing friends of Fredericksburg) are at the helm. Their partnership as filmmakers ensures the blend of creative storytelling and visionary leadership, grounded in decades of experience in both film and social impact initiatives involving artisans and people living on the margins of our global community.

The film follows artisans in six countries preserving heritage, navigating the complex role of middlemen, and advancing responsible trade—pushing back against fast, cheap production to quietly restore a frayed world through beauty and human connection.

From rug weavers in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains and block printers in India’s Golden Triangle to Appalachian broom makers in Kentucky and recycled-glass blowers in Kenya, The HANDMADE FUTURE showcases craftspeople worldwide whose work carries generations of skill, culture and creativity. It considers the ethics, artistry and equity of the global craft economy—highlighting the beauty of handwork, the pressures makers face, and those determined to keep their traditions alive in a rapidly modernizing world. The film reflects on how artisans might guide us towards a more sustainable, community-focused future.