Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol

Rialto Cinemas and the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival will launch “Community Cinema,” a new free monthly series of films from the Emmy Award-winning Public Broadcasting System series, “Independent Lens,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11.

The series kick offs with “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” a documentary miniseries by Maro Chermayeff, based on the bestselling book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

The series follows six actress-advocates — America Ferrera, Diane Lane, Eva Mendes, Meg Ryan, Gabrielle Union and Olivia Wilde — as they travel to Africa and Asia to meet people who are confronting oppression.

Each screening event in the series features panel discussions and special guest speakers.

Information: 525-4840, rialtocinemas.com.