Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.
Audience Award:
Best Feature Film: VISITATION RIGHTS
Best Short Film: BAD DEALS
Best Direction: Beyond the Surface: The Whale Shark Chronicles
Best Story: A ROAD AT NIGHT
Best Nature Film: BEFORE THE BEES ARE AWAKE
Best Human Interest Film: UNDOCUMENTED
Best Experimental Film: ANIMA
Best Environmental Film: The Future of Chinampas: A Perspective From Its People
Best Society Film: DOWN THE LINE
Best Cinematography: MEXILLONARIA
Best Inspirational Film: THE BOSTON BULLDOGS
See info for each film:
BEFORE THE BEES ARE AWAKE, 13min., Denmark
Directed by Dariya Cheremisina
An unfolding story of urban beekeeping factory in the heart of Copenhagen. A place that sees honey as an invitation but not a product. It is a home for a community of local beekeepers, volunteers and family histories of emigration that goes along the production line.
https://www.instagram.com/dcheremi
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
BAD DEALS, 23min,. USA
Directed by Jospeh Taz Garcia
Bad Deals touches on 3 important facts that everyone should speak more about and be aware of.
http://www.malkiarelations.com/
https://instagram.com/baddeals_film
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
UNDOCUMENTED, 72min., USA
Directed by Patricia Shih
No matter where you stand on the hot button topic of immigration, this true story — of one man’s journey from the world’s most dangerous city to where he is today at the top of his profession — will not fail to touch your heart on the most human level.
http://www.undocumenteddoc.com/
https://www.facebook.com/undocumenteddoc/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
Beyond the Surface: The Whale Shark Chronicles, 15min., Thailand
Directed by Dr. Alongkot Chukaew
“Beyond the Surface: The Whale Shark Chronicles,” the new journey continues from the first documentary, “Giants of the Deep: The Whale Shark Story.” By narrowing her focus to this species, Claire discovers that her passion unveils a much larger narrative. After her extensive research and exploration, it shows that the whale shark’s population is undeniably declining, evidenced by the increasingly rare sightings. These results formed a question that lingers in her mind: What are the factors that impact the whale sharks decreasing population to this extent? As she delves into critical issues like global warming and climate change, she reveals how these significant challenges not only impact whale sharks and marine life but also the entire planet and its inhabitants. Recognizing the interconnectedness of ecosystems, she knew she had to broaden her explorations on land.
https://www.instagram.com/alongkot_esf/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
ANIMA, 32min., France
Directed by POISSONNET-BOYER Elsa
Five characters : a kid, a teenager, a migrant, a pregnant women and an old man meet in a dance improvisation. We discover through their movements how they approach life and death.
https://www.instagram.com/milieux_sensibles
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
The Future of Chinampas: A Perspective From Its People, 30min., Mexico
Directed by Aldo Márquez
The Interdisciplinary Environmental Association (IEA) and the Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad-IE (LANCIS) UNAM have partnered with Restauracion Ecológica y Desarrollo, (REDES), to present, “The Future of Chinampas: A Perspective From Its People ”. This documentary aims to bring attention to Xochimilco, a sensitive and important agroecosystem in the southern part of Mexico City. Restauración Ecológica y Desarrollo, REDES, informs the audience about a sensitive agroecosystem in the southern part of Mexico City. The story is told from the perspective of local farmers who express both their efforts to maintain relevance despite the state’s changes in food production, and to conserve and restore what is for many farmers their only livelihood. Ongoing conflicts with governments, water scarcity and a changing society are present in Xochimilco, along with a desire to preserve centuries of agriculture tradition.
https://www.instagram.com/aldomarquez.foto.cine.musica/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
A ROAD AT NIGHT, 73min., USA
Directed by Danny Boyle
“A Road at Night“ is a documentary about the cascade of tragic events that can occur when seemingly good people make fatally unwise decisions. Set against the backdrop of college athletics, the documentary examines the powerful bonds of family and friends that endure in the face of unspeakable tragedy. It is also a searing, unblinking examination of the human toll taken by an all-too-common behavior that kills someone in America every 39 minutes.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
DOWN THE LINE, 20min., USA
Directed by Vinit Parmar
Since the 1940s, New Jersey’s county political organizations have designed primary ballots to favor their endorsed candidates. Until 2024, 19 of 21 counties used grid systems that placed endorsed candidates in prime spots, known as the “county line,” which influenced the behavior of unsuspecting voters. In 2024, Senate candidate Andy Kim challenged this system in court and won a temporary injunction, leading to a more democratic “office block” layout. The film Down the Line investigates the problems associated with the county line design, exploring the system’s manipulative intent and results and its impact on New Jersey’s political landscape.
https://www.downthelinenj.org/
https://www.instagram.com/downthelinenj
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
VISITATION RIGHTS, 81min., South Korea
Directed by JuA LEE
‘50% of all marriages end in divorce.’
It’s so true in Korea. Divorce rates are increasing in Korea and around the world. Parents in divorced families with minor children are divided into custodial parent and non-custodial parent. The custodial parent have custody of their child, and non-custodial parent who does not live with the child have the visitation rights to meet their child regularly. However, despite this legal system, it is not easy for non-custodial parents to meet their children in Korean society.
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
MEXILLONARIA, 15min., Spain
Directed by Pablo Chouza
The mussel in Galicia has its own character. Consumed from the Iron era to the present day, marking a turning point with the arrival of the first boats in the Ría de Arousa around 1945. At this time, it goes from a rustic and primary collection to being transformed into a crop, becoming the economic engine for many localities coastal
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
THE BOSTON BULLDOGS, 96min., USA
Directed by Bryan Cote
“The Boston Bulldogs” is a 90-minute documentary film interviewing 5 people from a running club for addiction recovery, interconnected by one woman’s story from finishing the Boston Marathon after her first full year of sobriety to her relapse 24 hours later, and now her recovery 10 years later. The filmmakers follow Meaghan on a run at the site of her first day with the club in 2014, talk with her sister who saw her addiction at its worst and helped her to recovery, interview Meaghan and her husband Conan about their relationship, their hope for their kids, and Conan’s path, interview Ashley who talks about her low self-confidence on the way to addiction and recovery and how Meaghan saved her life, return to Meaghan and Ashley’s sober living house, and hear why the club formed from its founder. The film is intended to show people in recovery in a positive, hopeful light, providing guidance for those dealing with addiction now, their family and for youth and families dealing with the pressures that come from coming of age in the 2020s.
https://www.thebehavioralhealthhour.com/
Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.
Documentary Film Festival. Los Angeles & Toronto 