Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.
Audience Award Winners:
Best Feature Film: AMERICAN POT STORY: OAKSTERDAM
Best Short Film: DON’T LOOK AWAY
Best Direction: FAR FROM GATSBY
Best Story: THE QUIETEST YEAR
Best Cinemetography: UNWAVERING
Best Science & Nature: UNTYPICAL
Best Human Interest Film: O palhaço que há em nós
See info for each film:
FAR FROM GATSBY, 90min., USA
Directed by Faustus McGreeves
Exploring the world of Todd Smith, world champion bodybuilder and fitness club owner, as he discusses how his tracjetory started out like the fictional character Jay Gatsby, but then took a turn for the positive.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
DON’T LOOK AWAY, 36min., USA
Directed by Joseph Vitug Lingad
In the span of six years, the film follows Corey to show how his facial difference has impacted his life, friendships, family relations, romantic relationships, and careers, and how these experiences have shaped his personality and perspective. By capturing the daily life of Corey, the film shows the audience the challenges of living with a facial difference: being stared at, bullied, constantly having to explain your facial difference, the struggles of online dating, and the psychological and emotional impact of all of these experiences.
josephvlingad@gmail.com
http://josephvlingad.com/https://www.facebook.com/adultswithfacialdifference/?ref=bookmarks
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
THE QUIETEST YEAR, 74min., USA
Directed by Karen Akins
Filmmaker Karen Akins’ darkly quirky personal quest to curb noise pollution in her quaint Vermont village uncovers dire consequences for noise regulation not only in her home state but nationwide. From a libertarian-controlled village, upholding a rural neighbor’s right to “recreational shooting,” to the basing of an ear-piercing fighter jet in the most densely populated area of the state, the examples are unending. As she consults leading experts and activists, including Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry’s, Akins marshals the facts to frame noise pollution as an urgent yet overlooked crisis for both public health and civil society.
http://www.thequietestyear.com/
https://facebook.com/TheQuietestYear
https://www.twitter.com/QuietestYear
https://www.instagram.com/thequietestyearmovie
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
UNTYPICAL, 95min., Belgium
Directed by Michael Jimmy DUPRET
The documentary is cameos of five neurodivergent adults who are witnessing the radical changes happening by being more and more in touch with their neurodiversity. Atypical adults in Europe are often undiagnosed and having to mask their whole lives. They face discrimination in their professional lives and often struggle with low self-esteem and feel worthless. Through their journeys they will see their neurodiversity not as a deficit or dysfunction but as a distinctive cognitive style, with its own strengths and benefits. An estimated 20 percent of the world’s population are thought to be neuroatypical.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
O palhaço que há em nós, 18min., Portugal
Directed by Eduardo Robalo
“He says he will be a clown until his last day, but father, you will be a clown, forever. An actor in soul, a clown at heart.”
https://blackcastle.pt/en/project/o-palhaco-que-ha-em-nos-en/
https://www.facebook.com/blackcastle.pt/
https://twitter.com/BlackcastlePt/status/1611799462908665861
https://www.instagram.com/blackcastle.pt/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
AMERICAN POT STORY: OAKSTERDAM, 95min., USA
Directed by Ravit Markus, Dan Katzir
WINNER OF THE AUDIENCE AWARD AT SLAMDANCE 2023, American Pot Story: Oaksterdam is a documentary about how change transpires in America. The account of “a small group of concerned committed citizens” (to quote Margaret Mead) who took a huge risk in order to bring about a massive shift in public perception. It all happened at Oaksterdam University in Oakland , California – a magical place where cannabis history was made, falling right in place with Oakland’s rich history of civil resistance. Today when we see celebrities and corporations get into the cannabis business it’s easy to forget how many millions of people unjustly suffered and still suffer because of the American drug policy. Our documentary is not just an important historical chronicle of a campaign that brought into the mainstream a taboo topic, it’s also an inspiring reminder of how democracy can work when people come together in an effort to fulfill our pledge to liberty and justice for all.
http://www.americanpotstory.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanPotStory
https://www.twitter.com/ThePotStory
https://www.instagram.com/AmericanPotStory
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
UNWAVERING, 22min,. Switzerland
Directed by Chris Schmid
Embark on a cinematic adventure through the frozen expanse of the Arctic as the fascinating story of muskoxen is unveiled. Set against a landscape painted in shades of ice and snow, filmed over the span of three years, the documentary explores the strength and beauty of muskoxen living in hash winter conditions. They stand as silent witnesses coming from another time. Delving into the heart of their world, the film unravels the challenges posed by the harsh environment and the extraordinary resilience of these mighty creatures.
https://schmidchris.com/
https://www.instagram.com/schmid_chris
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
Documentary Film Festival. Los Angeles & Toronto 