Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.
Audience Award Winners:
Best Feature Film: SITTING THE FIRE
Best Short Form Short Film: TANNA
Best Long Form Short Film: HOW FINLAND SOLVED HOMELESSNESS
Best Direction: NOT ALONE
Best Story: THE INVISIBLE ONES
Best Editing: RIGGED
Best Society Film: OPORAJEO
Best Human Interest Film: THE HYPOCRITE
Best Historical Film: BLUE DEATH: THE 1918 INFLUENZA IN MONTANA
RIGGED, 80min., USA
Produced by Matt Zodrow
Feature-length documentary: The recent U.S. college admissions scandal is not merely an aberration in an otherwise virtuous system. It lays bare a US higher education culture in which wealth and influence remain the predominant values. RIGGED examines how this obsolete value system favoring wealth in our higher education system grows the disparity between rich and poor and thereby undermines the future of American Democracy.
http://www.riggeddocumentary.com/
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
THE HYPOCRITE, 27min., USA
Directed by Amie Noel Engerbretson
“The Hypocrite” delves into a critical discourse that is resonating with individuals across various spheres. In the context of climate advocacy, the film examines the inherent contradiction between personal actions and systemic efforts. The story is masterfully woven through the perspective of a professional skier, confronting the complex interplay between advocating for change and relying on fossil fuels for athletic pursuits. The film aspires to foster unity and collaboration within the outdoor community, transcending perceived hypocrisy and feelings of not fitting in. It aims to dismantle the culture of individual blame and guilt, focusing instead on the systemic shifts required to pave the way for a sustainable future. By erasing the boundaries that label individuals as hypocrites, the narrative invites viewers to recognize the urgent need for collective action and change.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
SITTING THE FIRE, 78min., USA
Directed by Alec Goldberg, Boston Wang
‘Sitting in the Fire’ examines the spillover effect of rehabilitation programs in prison, on gun violence prevention in communities. Born and raised in Richmond, California to a single mother, Vaughn Miles fell into the dangers of his environment at an early age. After being sentenced to life in prison for murder at twenty years old, it took Vaughn Miles years before his transformation.
http://www.sittinginthefirefilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552656826765
https://instagram.com/sittinginthefire
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
TANNA, 6min., USA
Directed by Noah Lipsitz
This short documentary style film takes us on a beautiful journey learning about a remote community on an island called Tanna located in the south Pacific Ocean. We learn about this community’s values, what their day to day looks like, and their passion for surfing.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
HOW FINLAND SOLVED HOMELESSNESS, 27min., Finland/USA
Directed by Mark Horvath
How Finland Solved Homelessness: It’s More Than Housing First” is a profound documentary set in Helsinki that delves into Finland’s successful battle against homelessness, highlighting the revolutionary Housing First program. Through the personal stories of individuals like Pekka, transitioning from the streets to a home, and Tujia, overcoming addiction, the film reveals the program’s impact beyond providing shelter.
https://invisiblepeople.tv/
https://www.facebook.com/invisiblepeopletv
https://twitter.com/invisiblepeople
https://www.instagram.com/invisiblepeople/
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
NOT ALONE, 10min., USA
Directed by Tommy Duncan
Jordan Lally is a singer/song writer living the life of a touring musician, whose band “The Big Infinite” is gaining momentum and acclaim, when it all comes crashing down in an instant when personal tragedy strikes. Forcing him to look at not just life through a new lens, but himself as well.
http://www.duncanfilms.com/https://www.instagram.com/tomdunk
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
BLUE DEATH: THE 1918 INFLUENZA IN MONTANA, 56min., USA
Directed by Dee Garceau
At first Montanans were not alarmed; influenza came and went with the seasons. But this virus was lethal. The 1918 influenza killed more people than WWI & WWII combined. This film explores six individual stories of how Montanans met this public health crisis. People helped each other in unexpected ways. What was the balance of trauma and resilience?
https://1918mtinfluenza.com/
https://facebook.com/docfilm1918mtflu
https://instagram.com/1918flumontana.docfilm
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
OPORAJEO, 7min., USA
Directed by Blake Wilson
Oporajeo is the story of the survivors of the deadliest garment crisis in Bangladesh history. In wake of the horrific Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, killing over 1,100 garment workers, Kazi Hossain took action. Fueled by trauma and a desire to see fundamental change in factory working conditions and ethics, he founded Oporajeo Enterprises. A small workshop producing artisanal jute handbags and providing workers a safer and more secure future.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
THE INVISIBLE ONES, 98min., Germany
Directed by Matthias Freier
As one of the first women to join Hamburg’s homicide squad in the 1990s, Marianne Atzeroth-Freier, almost single-handedly, convicted the „acid barrel murderer“, who went down in German history as one of the most horrific murder cases.
WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!
Documentary Film Festival. Los Angeles & Toronto 