Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.
Audience Award Winners:
Best Feature Film: SETTLING THE FACTS
Best Long Form Short Film: FROM THE HEARTLAND
Best Short Form Short Film: MUDDY WATERS
Best Direction: THE SPIDER WEB
Best Nature Film: Los Courage Camps: Creando Olas
Best Enviromental Film: THE MEMORY OF THE MOMENT
Best Human Interest Film: CAGED
Best Student Film: A PROPER EDUCATION
Best Sound & Music: BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL
Watch the Audience Feedback Video for each film:
SETTLING THE FACTS, 95min., USA
Directed by Roger Walters
If you’ve ever looked at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one of the words that comes up sooner or later is “settlements”. In this groundbreaking documentary, we take a deeper dive into this subject and ask three questions:
https://www.settlingthefacts.com/
https://www.instagram.com/deeperlookmedia/
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
WHERE THE ROPE ENDS, 70min., USA
Directed by Baylee Sinner
In her relentless pursuit of happiness, Nichole found herself drawn to the exhilarating realm of canyoneering. Little did she know that this new daring interest would lead to a life-altering 60-foot fall, during which she would catch a glimpse of the happiness she was chasing.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
THE SPIDER WEB, 14min., South Africa
Directed by Timothy Donovan Hay
Short documentary about a well known shaper called Spider Murphy, Spider pioneered surfing through the ages and was some of the top surfers board shaper like Shaun Thompson that won the world title in 1977 on a custom shaped Spider Murphy. This documentary is a tribute to a man that still shapes, Surfs, and skates every day at the age of 76 years of age.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
Los Courage Camps: Creando Olas, 9min., USA
Directed by Yesenia De Casas
One wave can change it all. A small courage revolution has been rising in unexpected areas of LA. Meet some of the familias who have embarked on the journey to reconnect with the ocean through Los Courage Camps – a homegrown organization that teaches free surf lessons each summer and introduces children to a sport they never knew was possible for them. Follow the stories of Los Courage Camps’ founder, community, young surfers and witness healing and courage return after generations of fearing a thing we all connect to and learn from – the ocean.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
CAGED, 14min., USA
Directed by Sarah J Cordner
Approximately 500,000 to 1,000,000 dogs are slaughtered in South Korea each year. “Caged” is a student documentary following the controversial subject of the South Korean dog meat trade. Through its compelling storytelling and insightful plot, the film urges viewers to reconsider their beliefs and engage in dialogues about animal protection, cultural heritage, and the decisions we make when tradition meets modernity.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
A PROPER EDUCATION, 20min,. USA
Directed by MaryLanae Linen
Filmmaker MaryLanae Linen, frustrated by her lack of sex education, sets out to discover if her peers feel the same way. She meets with sex educators, parents, and friends and surveys the streets of Los Angeles to discover that they also lacked an informative and comprehensive sex ed. MaryLanae opens up about her own exploration of sex and reflects on how a lack of knowledge has hurt her. With the encouragement of her mother and peers, MaryLanae redefines her relationship with sex and reimagines a better future where young people can be uplifted and empowered with knowledge regarding boundaries, relationships, and bodily autonomy.
https://www.instagram.com/propereducation_film/
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
MUDDY WATERS, 7min., Brazil
Directed by Gabriel Panazio, Kleber Leão
When the fish in Guanabara Bay began to disappear, local fishermen found themselves facing an uncertain future. The solution was unusual: fishing for trash. Follow the story of Zezinho, a dedicated fisherman and resident of Z10, the first fishing colony in Brazil, who becomes a symbol of transformation and hope.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
FROM THE HEARTLAND, 30min., USA
Directed by Matt Coddaire
From the Heartland is a candid depiction
of American Agriculture and the rural
towns that are reliant on its success.
But when an industry’s ability to thrive
is dependent on progress, how does the
family farm discard the practices that have
been passed down through generations to
try something new in order to save the land?
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL, 33min,. USA
Directed by Marco Antonio Ortega
This short documentary film tells the story of a man who uses his talents to support and lift his community. When the “Black Lives Matter” movement grew in awareness, Marcus Baskerville head brewer of Weathered Souls Brewing Co. wanted to shed light on the growing problem of inequality and police brutality. This is where the “Black is Beautiful” project was born. We follow the impact of the initiative and where it is today.
http://www.blackisbeautifulfilm.com/https://www.instagram.com/blackisbeautifulfilm/
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
THE MEMORY OF THE MOMENT, 60min., Romania
Directed by Ovidiu Georgescu
An 80 years old woman, former teacher, lives alone in an isolated village in Transilvania, located on a 1200m high mountain. She’s created an important space for books, music and poetry next to her assets and the animals that live in her homestead, built over 90 years ago by her family. At the end of this journey we’ll discover a world of the past, present and future – the world of Viorica C?tuna.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
Documentary Film Festival. Los Angeles & Toronto 