Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.
Audience Award Winners:
Best Short Film: DATA – THE NEW OIL
Best Feature Film: BETWEEN PICTURES: THE LENS OF TAMIO WAKAYAMA
Best Direction: GIN RUMMY
Best Story: WASTED
Best Society Film: WE’RE STILL BREATHING, AMHARA GENOCIDE IN ETHIOPIA
Best Human Interest Film: HOTPANTS
Best Sound & Music: STAUNCH MODERATES EXPERIENCE
Best Cinematography: THE GIRL FROM THE VILLAGE: A STORY OF HOPE
Best Human Rights Film: THE FLY COLLECTORS
Best Sports Film: IMPACT
Best Inspirational Film: MAD FOR IT: TIM EMMETT’S INSANE LIFE, SO FAR…..
Best Historical Film: HUO TONG’S CAVE HEAVEN
See info for each film:
DATA – THE NEW OIL, 14min., Canada
Directed by Spencer Maurice
A young filmmaker-turned-law student takes us on a dark tour, revealing a clandestine ecosystem hidden from public view – a digital underworld that threatens democracy and civil society by ‘hacking’ our brains.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
WE’RE STILL BREATHING, AMHARA GENOCIDE IN ETHIOPIA, 23min., Ethiopia
Directed by Graham Peebles
We’re Still Breathing, Amhara Genocide in Ethiopia is a short documentary about the systemic silent genocide of the Amhara people in Ethiopia.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
WASTED, 55min., Singapore
Directed by Jessica Cheam, Fraser Morton
Wasted prompts us to re-examine who we are and our values — to re-think our relationship with the world around us. We cannot continue to extract and exploit our ecosystems at unprecedented rates, and continue down the path of wasting our precious natural resources. We want to inspire action across business, policy and individuals to clean up our communities, cities and natural habitats and create healthy, thriving economies. In a stunning visual exploration, the film interweaves imagery from across Asia, traversing India, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam, from landfills to archival, cinematic aerials to macro intimate portraits. We hear from industry experts, policymakers, scientists, activists, community leaders and those affected by the impact of ineffective waste management systems. They shed new light on how our worldview and approach to waste profoundly affects life on our planet.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
HOTPANTS, 15min., Sweden
Directed by Vera Berggren Wiklund
A story about finding your way back to volleyball where the dress code in the sport and self-hatred of the body stands in between. The film is Vera’s process (the director) of re-approaching the sport after a break caused by hotpants and body hate. By meeting other young people who have played and plays volleyball, Vera wants to explore how others think about hot pants. Emma, Vera´s friend, who also stopped playing volleyball in her teens follows her through the film and their joint goal is to start playing again, in the clothes they themselves want to wear.
https://www.mvuandafilmproduktion.se/hotpants/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
GIN RUMMY, 17min., USA
Directed by Suzanne Baird
I’m excited to share our project made from love and friendship..
Three best friends have been playing Gin Rummy every week for over 50 years. On this Gin Rummy night they have made other plans as a final bonding of the trio.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
STAUNCH MODERATES EXPERIENCE, 39min.,
Directed by Gregory T Simmons
Welcome to the Staunch Moderates Experience, a story which takes us through the history & achievements of the Staunch Moderates movement through music. This film presents a unique experience with it’s multi-genre compilation of music videos from the three albums released by the movement.
http://staunchmoderates.org/
https://www.facebook.com/StaunchModerates
https://twitter.com/SModerates
https://www.instagram.com/staunch_moderates/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
BETWEEN PICTURES: THE LENS OF TAMIO WAKAYAMA, 70min., Canada
Directed by Cindy Mochizuki
Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama locates the artistic journey of B.C. born photographer Tamio Wakayama who alongside his family was interned during WWII and forced to uproot after the release from the camps to Chatham, Ontario – the end of the Underground Railway.
http://cindymochizuki.com/https://www.instagram.com/cindy_mochizuki
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
THE GIRL FROM THE VILLAGE: A STORY OF HOPE, 40min., USA
Directed by Billy Surges
Join us on a journey of educational hope for students in poverty-stricken Kenya. Surging Films teams up with The Weiss Scholarship Foundation to bring the stories of various Kenyan scholarship recipients, hopefuls, and alumni to the forefront. In particular, we follow Christine Akoth’s journey as she travels from Kenya to America in hopes to fulfill an educational journey at Elmhurst University. Getting their start in Dago, Kenya, The Weiss Scholarship Foundation’s mission is to empower children with the gift of education while working to build a world where every child gets a great education.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
IMPACT, 57min., Australia
Directed by Patrick Dunne
“IMPACT” is a film that tells the powerful story of two skydivers, Mark Lucchiari and Ben Lucock, and their journey to recovery after a near-fatal accident.
http://www.impactdoco.com/
https://www.facebook.com/impactdoco
https://www.instagram.com/impact.movie
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
MAD FOR IT: TIM EMMETT’S INSANE LIFE, SO FAR….., 16min., USA
Directed by Jon Glassberg
One of the most influential adventurers of our time that you’ve probably never heard of, Tim Emmett has been everywhere. He’s on the BBC, he’s flying through the sky in a wingsuit, he’s mingling with royalty, and dangling off a cliff with only air and water below. This Brit has been innovating adventure for almost three decades and shows no signs of slowing down. He’s totally mad for it, and as he approaches his fiftieth year (having retired from B.A.S.E. jumping, thank god) we look back on what he’s done so far, cheeky antics included.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
HUO TONG’S CAVE HEAVEN, 17min,. USA
Directed by Shenghui Liu, Jingyuan Huang
Dive into the rich history of Southern Chinese Daoism with “Huo Tong’s Cave Heaven,” a documentary unfolding against the vibrant backdrop of Huo Mountain. From its Southern and Northern Dynasties origins to the present, the film melds Daoist philosophy with captivating visuals. Huo Mountain, a revered Daoist haven attracting luminaries like Tao Hongjing, stands as a nexus of cultural heritage and ethereal charm. The documentary takes a clear stance, advocating for the preservation of sanctuaries like Huo Tong’s Cave Heaven, portraying it as an epitome of celestial and earthly unity.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
THE FLY COLLECTORS, 25min., Senegal
Directd by Jeff Arak
A group of men in Senegal volunteer as human bait to catch flies carrying a parasite that once blinded hundreds of thousands of people throughout Africa. Following the lead of Africa’s leading medical entomologist, Daniel Boakye, the group of men work towards freeing the Gambia River from the vicious disease.
http://www.theflycollectors.com/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
Documentary Film Festival. Los Angeles & Toronto 