Documentary showing tonight: The award-winning documentary Accelerating America about the Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program (UCAP), an independent public middle school in Providence, will be shown tonight at 7 p.m. at the Columbus Theater in Providence.

The film took Special Jury Prize for documentaries at the Seattle International Film Festival “for capturing the inspiration of the subject and the humanistic heart of the film.” Filmmaker Timothy Hotchner and UCAP Director Rob DeBlois will participate in a question-and-answer session following the screening.

The New York-based Hotchner became involved in the school while a student at Brown University. Accelerating America is his first feature documentary.

Hotchner followed three UCAP students as they struggled to overcome abandonment, poverty and previous educational failure, including a 14-year-old who was placed in foster care after her allegations of sexual abuse against her brother. Her family returned to the Dominican Republic without a word to her — she learned of their disappearance from a friend.

Each had been “held back” in school for at least one year before enrolling in UCAP.

Hotchner gained the trust of these students over many months. He was allowed to enter both their school and home lives and documented their struggles to overcome formidable obstacles as they try to integrate the two very different worlds in which they live.

Hotchner also captures the fierce determination of DeBlois, UCAP’s founder and director, to help children he considers less fortunate than himself. DeBlois actively runs the school despite his physical limitations as a quadriplegic, the result of a diving accident while in college.

UCAP gives students who are otherwise likely to quit school the chance to complete three years of study in two by dramatically improving their academic and social skills. The film depicts the dedicated teaching staff and a non-traditional learning environment that includes efforts to engage families in their children’s education.

UCAP, at 75 Carpenter St., serves students from Providence, Central Falls and Cranston.

For information about the school or the documentary, call or e-mail Andrea Joseph at (401) 272-0881, ajoseph.ucap@cox.net or visit www.ucap.org, at which site there is a link to a trailer of the film.

Dominican festival: The 21st annual Dominican Festival of Rhode Island will be held Sunday starting with a parade that steps off at 10 a.m. from the corner of Thurbers Avenue and Broad Street. The parade will proceed to Roger Williams Park, Temple to Music, where the festival will be held from noon to 7 p.m.

Entertainment will feature El Sr. Jukafri, a merengue band from the Dominican Republic.

Grand marshal of the parade is Hugo Adames, radio announcer at Latina 100.3.

Festival proceeds will benefit the Quisqueya in Action — College Awareness and Preparation Program of RI (CAP-RI).

For information, call (401) 941-2749.

Book drive for VIPS: Providence Wal-Mart, 61 Silver Spring St., is sponsoring a book drive for elementary schoolchildren tomorrow through Sunday.

Wal-Mart will collect new books that VIPS (Volunteers In Providence Schools) will give to children in local elementary schools prior to the school year.

Participants can donate new books or buy books appropriate for children in kindergarten through grade six at Wal-Mart. Donation boxes will be at the front of the store.

VIPS is a 45-year-old award-winning nonprofit that provides educational and social support to academically struggling elementary, middle and high school students in Providence’s public schools. VIPS’s numerous community volunteers provide students of all grade levels with tutoring/mentoring to improve reading, writing and math skills. VIPS also helps middle and high school students acquire valuable work-force readiness and work-force development skills in after-school and summer programs. For information about VIPS, call (401) 274-3240.

Rhode Island Blood Center: The center is inviting donors to bring a buddy when they donate blood this month.

The “Bring a Buddy” promotion is designed to get more people to donate blood by asking donors to recruit their family and friends. Each donor and “buddy” will have their names entered into a raffle for a 4-pack of tickets to go to a Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics or Boston Bruins game. The names will be drawn at the beginning of September.

This is the sixth year for the buddy campaign. The Rhode Island Blood Center is hoping for a bigger turnout than the last five years as August is traditionally one of the slower summer months for blood donations. Each day in this region, upward of 280 pints of blood must be collected to help patients in need,

Donors can “Bring a Buddy” and be entered to win at any donor center or mobile blood drive throughout the state, including at 405 Promenade St.

For hours of operation, visit www.ribc.org. To make an appointment at one of the fixed sites, call 800-283-8385.

Recreation: The East Providence Parks & Recreation Department has scheduled the following trips and activities:

•Sept. 3 — A trip to Francis Farm for clam cakes, chowder and steamers.

•Sept. 6 — A trip to the Brimfield (Mass.) Antiques Fair.

The bowling league for senior citizens is scheduled to begin Sept. 5.

The trips are open to everyone, and reservations are now being accepted. Call Deborah Rochford at City Hall at (401) 435-7513.