2024 ‘Free for All’ Shorts – Page 1 of 2

Activist

Director: Gwenivig Cornon

ACTIVIST is a documentary series that follows the journey of 7 young people from the team Seeding for Future. Slovenia, Italy, Poland, Germany, Belgium: during 2 months, they met activists and initiatives committed to climate and social justice in Europe. From these discussions is born a 5-episode documentary series, illustrating the diversity of ideas, strategies and possible commitments, in order to create a more fair and environmentally friendly world. From civil disobedience to the European Parliament, these activists are shaping new ways of coexisting. A dose of inspiration to join this movement of commitment that brings people together beyond borders.

Ariel

Director: Bernie Garcia

Love perseveres. Three unlikely friends with special needs challenge societal expectations and form an unbreakable bond, but when the nonverbal member of the group misses a message from the guy who loves her before he passes away from a heart condition, their friendship is put to the ultimate test.

Arresting Science

Director: Holly Becker

Dr. Peter Kalmus, an impassioned NASA earth scientist, rebels against the system and commits his first act of civil disobedience in downtown Los Angeles. The cops respond forcefully, and the world takes notice via social media. A behind-the-scenes look at a dramatic climate protest, ARRESTING SCIENCE details the tactics and determination of those who are risking it all to save life on earth.

Art of Survival

Directors: Tony Heriza, Val Keller, James Wasserman

Can art save lives? For 3 years, an open-door arts studio offered “art as harm reduction” in the heart of Philadelphia’s opioid crisis. Art of Survival is an intimate view of the remarkable healing community that flourished there.

Arts of Hong Kong Diaspora: Ducky Chi Tak Tse & Waitong Liu

Directors: Hsiao-Chuan CHU, Yea-Pyng CHEN

Hong Kong artist Ducky Chi Tak Tse and poet Waitong Liu once documented social movements in Hong Kong, including the “Protect Queen’s Pier,” “Tsoi Yuen Village,” and the “Umbrella Movement.” In 2018, they both moved to Taiwan, becoming Taiwanese citizens in 2021. Why did they leave Hong Kong? This film follows these two dealing with their regrets, challenges and hopes for the future.

Broken Whispers

Directors: Amir Athar Soheili / Amir Masoud Soheili

By finding broken instruments, Syrian students help their teacher restore the musical spirit of their city which was destroyed during the war.

Bubjan

Director: Nicholas Mihm

‘Bubjan’ chronicles the journey of Parwiz Zafari, an exiled Iranian man who has spent his life advocating for a free Iran using Persian poetry and mythology as his guide.

Chhaupadi – Dying In Illegal Menstrual Huts

Director: Hemant Bhattarai

“Chhaupadi” is a traditional practice in far western regions of Nepal that banishes menstruating women from their homes,forcing them to live in isolated and unsanitary conditions like cowsheds and mud huts.This documentary aims to shed light on the deep-rooted cultural beliefs surrounding chhaupadi, its impact on the lives of women and young girls, and the efforts being made to break free from this harmful tradition. The heart of the documentary will focus on the lived experiences of women who have endured chhaupadi. Through compelling interviews, film will highlight the physical and emotional hardships they face while living in remote and primitive sheds during their menstrual cycles.

Creating Safety Through Trust

Director: Norah Shapiro

In September 2021, Ramsey County law enforcement leaders announced they would reduce minor, non-public safety traffic stops to reduce racial inequities, engender community trust, and better prioritize the use of law enforcement resources. Analysis of this policy change showed that the new traffic stop policy successfully reduced minor, non-safety-related vehicle violation stops, and narrowed racial differences in traffic stops and searches, with no detriment to public safety – in fact, just the opposite. This short film shows the collaborative change process behind this innovative collaboration and the harm reduction that is possible when leaders are willing to listen to community and make meaningful change.

Dollars That Make Sense

Director: Rich Hoffman

Inspiring US foundations to move the $1 trillion dollars sitting in their endowments out of investments that work against their missions and into ones that fulfill their missions. Our message translates to all endowment and savings holders.

Echoes of Home

Director: Peter Gitau

Echoes of Home: The Burundi Drummers of Kakuma” is a captivating and poetic documentary that explores the remarkable journey of a group of Burundian refugees living in the Kakuma refugee camp. Directed by Peter Gitau, this film is a celebration of the enduring power of culture, music, and human spirit in the face of adversity.

El eco de su voz (The echo of her voice)

Director: Rodrigo Guzmán Espíndola

Through photographs, dreams and unanswered questions, Paulina’s presence lives on in the daily life of Margarita, her mother. In an immeasurable search for justice for her daughter’s death, Margarita discovers that her voice can form part of a larger struggle that has emerged in the face of the current wave of femicides in Mexico. ‘The echo of her voice’ shows us the strength of the mother-daughter relationship that knows no bounds.

Emerald City

Director: Josef Steiff

Two lone hitchhikers, unknowingly connected by the secrets they carry, cross paths near the US/Mexico border where they develop a tentative friendship that gradually becomes more.

Empowerment in Action

Director: Yuelin Liu

This documentary will take you on an inspiring journey through the lives of Maria and Benedicto, two extraordinary individuals whose determination, resilience, and dedication have turned adversity into opportunity.

Eyes to Mum

Director: Rafael Peralta

Eyes to Mum shows the life of Noemí Navarro, influencer diagnosed with autism level 1 and separated mother of a child also with autism. An optimistic and overcoming testimony capable of shedding light on the challenges and possibilities of the autistic condition.

Global Peace Film Festival

Transforming the way people see the world through film.

Freeland ~ A White Grass Story

Director: Justin Harris

The latest documentary by Mountain River Media focuses on West Virginia nordic skiing at the iconic White Grass Ski Area, and the mountain’s relationship to the Blackwater River kayaking community. The Blackwater is the artery linking the two communities together, and its water is the lifeblood of both cultures. Through the words of Chip Chase, Sue Haywood, Jesse Shimrock, and Stephen Strothers, learn about the history, grassroots growth, and overall friendly vibe of this unique place and the community that developed around it. Tied into the Blackwater kayaking community, this documentary explores the ephemeral nature of the sport of nordic skiing and whitewater creek boating in West Virginia. Enjoy the ride!

Greening of the Bronx – An Urban Garden Tale

Director: Savanna Washington

Picture an environmentalist. In the Bronx, it’s a community where new urban environmentalists have risen up and are redefining what “greening” is to include environmental, social, and economic justice. It looks at not only how one “greens” urban communities, but the people within that community also.

Hungry for Freedom

Director: Rachata Thongruay

Boong and Baipor are two activists from Thailand who got arrested for criticising the Thai monarchy. They are put in prison and denied their right to bail. They have to embark on a hunger strike to confirm their innocence and demand their release.

In the Language of Our Mothers

Director: Jean Chapiro

Sadia is a Masalit composer who immigrated from Sudan to Kakuma, a refugee camp in Kenya, in 2017. Since 2003 the Janjaweed, a Sudanese Arab militia group, have been systematically attacking the ethnic-African Masalit tribe. With the rise of the civil war in Sudan in April of 2023, the Janjaweed once again found an opportunity to attack the Masalit tribe and planned on exterminating them. With little hope of returning home to help her people, Sadia uses music to inspire the Masalit community both in Sudan and in Kakuma. She composes songs in Masalit, her mother language, not only as a means of resilience but also to pass on her tradition and her culture to the next generation. Sadia sings with her children and the children of the Masalit community who were born in Kakuma. Sadia signs to keep her community rooted in faith, their values and traditions. She sings so that no one forgets where they came from.

Is It Because I’m a Girl

Director: Peter Decherney

Nao.G is the first South Sudanese woman hip-hop performer in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp. She overcame family abuse and social pressure to create music and poetry that heals her and empowers others. She started a dance crew of all women. As she sings: she is a superstar in the camp, but she is going nowhere.

It Was A Beautiful Day

Director: Tyler Schwartz

A group of hometown friends come together after the loss of a loved one.

Kahwa

Director: Shubh Mukherjee

Kahwa is a narrative short set in the contested Kashmir region along the India-Pakistan border. A CRPF officer and a tea seller in post-militancy Kashmir bond over shared cups of tea, but a sudden event tests their newfound friendship in a volatile environment.

Mali: The Quest for Peace

Director: Rich McKeown

This documentary features El Hadj Djitteye, founder of the Timbuktu Center for Strategic Studies on the Sahel, as he shares the impact of Islamist militants on Timbuktu in 2012. Djitteye’s initiative aims to use cultural heritage to foster lasting peace and combat violent extremism. The narrative also introduces Guy Djoken, president of the U.S. UNESCO Federation of Clubs, Centers, and Associations, and the UNESCO Center for Peace, revealing his efforts in Mali, particularly addressing issues like female mutilation. The documentary explores collaborations and projects, emphasizing the importance of cultural diplomacy and international support for peace and prosperity in Mali. This film is the culmination of the 2023 Bamako Film for Peace Symposium and Workshop conducted by filmmaker/humanitarian, Rich McKeown that was funded by a Public Diplomacy grant by the U.S. Embassy in Mali.

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