Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.
Audience Award Winners:
Best Feature Film: RECKONING WITH THE WENDIGO
Best Student Film: PEACE IN MY NIGHT
Best Direction: BENEATH THE SURFACE: THE FIGHT FOR CORAL
Best Society Film: COMMUNITY INTERRUPTED
Best Environemental Film: THE HEROES JOURNEY NORWAY
See info for each film:
PEACE IN MY NIGHT, 13min., Canada
Directed by Abigail Mascher
“Peace in my Night” is a compelling documentary that follows the extraordinary life of Elsie Mascher, a woman whose unwavering faith in God guided her through the darkest chapters of World War II.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
RECKONING WITH THE WENDIGO, 55min., Canada
Directed by Danielle Da Silva
Featuring Edmund Metatawabin—a residential school survivor who was the Chief of Fort Albany and recently received the Order of Canada—this timely feature documentary takes us to the birthplace of Canada’s fur trade to explore the ironic and deadly problem of food insecurity that exists there today. The chaotic times we are experiencing now have been prophecied by many Indigenous communities; one legend in particular forewarns us about the dangers of consumption and greed: that of the Wendigo/Wiindigo/Witiko. In Cree and other Indigenous nations, the Wendigo is a human that turns into a dark, insatiable spirit after consuming everything around it—even its own children. This suspenseful/heartwrenching, yet intimate/heartwarming documentary offers a glimpse into the lives of Moose Cree people living in Canada’s North, exploring the allegory of the Wendigo and consumption. Shocking footage reveals exploitation on levels that are unacceptable. In a region where outsiders are looked upon with suspicion, our team was fortunate to gain access to reservations in this region to talk to community members not only about the crises they are facing—but how they are getting out of them.
https://www.photographerswithoutborders.org/wendigo
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
COMMUNITY INTERRUPTED, 18min., UK
Directed by Franco Sachhi
“Community Interrupted” unveils the shared struggles of refugees and host communities in the developing world. Amidst poverty and displacement, providing income and employment support empowers both refuges and hosts to forge new friendships and bonds of trust. Until disaster hits. A hurricane strikes, leaving a trail of destruction and devastation. Social ties fracture, pushing both sides to feel isolated and less trusting again. Through poignant storytelling, the documentary exposes the resilience and vulnerability of those striving to integrate and survive together in the face of unpredictable shocks that test the fabric of fragile communities.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
THE HEROES JOURNEY NORWAY, 16min,. Netherlands
Directed by Lars Veenstra
The Heroes Journey takes you along on a 5-day off-grid adventure in the wilderness of Norway. In this trip modeled after Joseph Campbells famous storytelling framework, our group of 16 left their normal lives behind in a quest to reconnect with themselves, overcome challenges, find the gold that’s hidden within them and return home a little more complete.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
BENEATH THE SURFACE: THE FIGHT FOR CORAL, 45min,. UK
Directed by Ian Derry
A stunning one-off documentary exploring the corals of the Red Sea, where science and conservation are looking for ways to protect coral globally. Told through the eyes of a Saudi female free-diver, from Saudi Arabia to Mexico during the hottest year on record, it demonstrates the plight of corals, the race for solutions and the need for a coordinated global effort to save our oceans.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
Documentary Film Festival. Los Angeles & Toronto 