Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.
Audience Award Winners:
Best Feature Film: GET ME TO 21 – THE JENNA LOWE STORY
Best Short Film: SOMETHING CHANGED IN THE ROOM
Best Mini-Short DOC: CANADA’S UNCHECKED RACISM
Best Story: REMEMBERING CHINESE BACHELORS
Best Direction: CARRYING A DREAM PERU
Best Environmental: RED SEA Brother Islands a Scuba Dive Adventure
Best Nature: ICELAND, ON THE TRAIL OF DEMOCRACY
Best Society Film: WE ARE STARDUST: THE INTERCONNECTION OF ALL THINGS
Best Human Interest Film: JAYA
Best Cinematography: YARISHAYA ITIUMU: BLOOMING WOMEN
Best Experimental DOC: TREE GROVE FOREST COMMUNITY
Best Inspirational Film: THE LOST LAKE
Best Docuseries: MAKE A MOVE
See info for each film:
CANADA’S UNCHECKED RACISM, 6min., Canada
Directed by Zoe Davidson
Growing up as a non-white Canadian, you experience racism every day. What makes Toronto’s racism so unique, is that you almost don’t notice it.
https://www.zoeahdavidson.com/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
REMEMBERING CHINESE BACHELORS, 13min,. Canada
Directed by Daniel Chen
Canada’s 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act was a dark period in Canadian history. It lasted almost a quarter century and had a devastating impact on one community: the Chinese. Even after the law was repealed in 1947, the impact continued for years. This documentary explores the story of a group of Chinese for whom.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
MAKE A MOVE, 20min., USA
Directed by Dalie Caudle
Make A Move is a docuseries about a national and international speed chess tournament with players from all walks of life and different levels of experience.
http://www.makeamovela.org/https://www.instagram.com/make.a.move.la/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
SOMETHING CHANGED IN THE ROOM, 15min,. USA
Directed by David Stubbs
Something Changed in the Room is the story of how music therapy helps patients with Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia transcend their condition, improving their daily lives.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
RED SEA Brother Islands a Scuba Dive Adventure, 60min., Germany
Directed by Christian Wehrle
“RED SEA: Brother Islands A Scuba Dive Adventure” takes you on an exhilarating journey beneath the waves of the Red Sea to explore the enchanting underwater realms of the Brother Islands. This documentary showcases the vibrant marine life, captivating coral formations, and mysterious wrecks that lie in the depths, offering a glimpse into the beauty and diversity of one of the world’s top dive destinations.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556152354706
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
WE ARE STARDUST: THE INTERCONNECTION OF ALL THINGS, 15min., USA
Directed by Barb Barton
What connects all things on this beautiful and unique planet we call home? Can we reach deep into our collective universal past to understand that everything is carefully intertwined and dependent on everything else? Filmmaker Barb Barton presents a visually stunning and thought-provoking journey into the origin and interconnection of all things. This documentary short film is designed to inspire the viewer to see their place in life through a different lens and focus not on what separates but connects us. Can a broader view help us heal our relationships with nature and each other?
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557259140989
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
ICELAND, ON THE TRAIL OF DEMOCRACY, 58min., Switzerland
Directed by Steve Vihem
The Icelandic revolution, also known as the “Pots and Pans Revolution”, occurred in October 2008 in Iceland. It was rooted in the context of the subprime financial crisis when, in less than a month, the country’s three main banks declared bankruptcy. From this protest emerged an unprecedented process: the drafting of a new Constitution based on participatory democracy, which utilized methods such as random selection, online participation, citizen debates, elections, and more.
On the Footsteps of Democracy
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
YARISHAYA ITIUMU: BLOOMING WOMEN, 17min., Canada
Directed by Tatiana Lopez, Danielle Khan Da Silva
This short documentary will take you into the daily lives of the Sapara women in Ecuador: their struggle to keep their identities and traditions alive, their resilience following years of destructive colonization, and how they connect with the world through dreams.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
THE LOST LAKE, 12min., Canada
Directeed by Fatma Fahmy, Danielle Khan Da Silva, Sofia Mendoza
“The Lost Lake” recounts the stories of four fishermen whose lives are entwined with the destiny of Egypt’s ancient Lake Qarun. Derbala Khairallah, descended from generations of fishermen, stands at the heart of this narrative. Reminiscing about the days when the lake was abundant with life, he shares his community’s deep connection to the lake and its history. Navigating through the fishermen’s recollections, the film delves into the lake’s deterioration due to pollution and neglect, highlighting the alarming decline of fish populations that the community once relied upon. Amidst despair, a glimmer of hope persists. “The Lost Lake” is an ode to the enduring spirit of those fighting to preserve their cherished way of life.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
TREE GROVE FOREST COMMUNITY, 16min., USA
Directed by Sharon Harper
Tree Grove Forest Community unfolds in the Nijinomatsubara Black Pine Grove, Karatsu Bay, Saga, Japan. Two vertical videos run side-by-side. The vertical diptych allows a stereo vision of scenes, bringing different times and locations into relationship with each other. Seeing almost identical scenes from different angles simultaneously reminds the viewer that many perspectives exist, sending the imagination out into all the directions of the physical space, and out into multiple time dimensions. Relationships are the focus of the video, which reveal themselves in small moments between volunteer community members and the grove.
http://www.sharonharperstudio.com/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
CARRYING A DREAM PERU, 88min., Canada
Directed by Frederick Schuett
Two men embark on a life-changing journey in the breathtaking mountains of Peru, where they push themselves to their limits on a nine-day unsupported trek to explore unrestored Inca trails and ruins that few people have ever seen. In this heartwarming documentary with stunning visuals and a powerful message, Jason and Frederick take you with them as they venture into the unknown, overcoming obstacles, exploring ruins and spending time with the local mountain people. This is an incredible story that will inspire everyone to chase their dreams, no matter how impossible they seem.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
GET ME TO 21 – THE JENNA LOWE STORY, 88min., South Africa
Directed by Adele Joy Lucas
The extraordinary story of a young South African girl, her battle to get to 21 and the lasting impact she has had on the world around her. A riveting and inspiring story of advocacy, rare disease, organ donation, courage and hope.
https://www.jennalowetrust.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/710845692340944
https://instagram.com/jenna_lowe_trust
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
JAYA, 50min., USA
Directed by Mike McKay
It is a rare blessing to meet someone filled with such joy, kindness and inspiration that they leave such a mark on you and your life is changed forever.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
Documentary Film Festival. Los Angeles & Toronto 