Racing Extinction – Louie Psihoyos

Louie Psihoyos, Oceanic Preservation Society (USA) – Academy Award winning director Louie Psihoyos (THE COVE) assembles a team of artists and activists on an undercover operation to expose the hidden world of endangered species and the race to protect them against mass extinction. Spanning the globe to infiltrate the world’s most dangerous black markets and using high tech tactics to document the link between carbon emissions and species extinction, RACING EXTINCTION reveals stunning, never-before seen images that truly change the way we see the world.  This groundbreaking documentary examines biodiversity loss, its effect on humanity, and the solutions that inspire hope for a sustainable future. An exquisitely crafted, fascinating, emotional and moving documentary turned global movement.  Kudos to Louie and the team.  You’ve already made an impact.  With partner Discovery Channel .

Meghan L. O’Hara,  (USA), The C Word, Doc Feature – Academy Award nominee Meghan L. O’Hara entertains  with a fresh take on our approach to fighting cancer and uncovers a better way. Corporate profiteering, hidden science and financial incentives are reasons we don’t realize our own power in this fight. So, if 70% of cancer deaths are preventable … what are we waiting for? Executive Produced and narrated by the incomparable Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman.

Yael Melamede (USA), (Dis)Honesty – The Truth About Lies, Doc Feature – Deftly directed by Academy Award winner Yael Melamede for CNBC – it explores the complex impact dishonesty has on our lives and society. Interweaving groundbreaking experiments from behavioral economist Dan Ariely with personal stories from individuals affected by their lies. A fascinating look at the forces behind our collective behavior and the many truths behind lies.

Aleksandras Brokas (Lithuania), Endless Corridor, Doc Feature –  Narrated by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons, is about the tragedy in 1992 when hundreds of Azerbaijanis were massacred. Follows journalist Richard Lapaitis and includes interviews with survivors and spine chilling admissions from the perpetrators. Unfolds like a dramatic narrative with exceptional lighting and cinematography. Executive produced by Emmy Award winner Gerald Rafshoon.

Rob Stewart (Canada), REVOLUTION, Doc Feature – Rob Stewart’s adventure, 3.5 billion years in the making – from evolution to revolution uncovers secrets to save ourselves and our world. Joining activist youth, his journey of hope is startling, provocative and an chance for everyone to be a hero. Beautifully shot and massively engaging, Rob is the ultimate heart-full leader for a generation. Executive producer Academy Award nominee Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk).

Isaac Hertz (USA), One Rock, Three Religions, Doc Feature – Explores humanity’s connection to one of the world’s most revered and disputed places, The Temple Mount. An intimate journey to open hearts and awaken conscience, it offers historical insight, but it is really a film about ourselves and the present. With narratives from a fascinating group of people including His Holiness Pope Francis, The Dalai Lama and Marianne Williamson.

Jessica Vale (USA), Small Small Thing: The Olivia Zinnah Story, Doc Feature – The heart-wrenching story of a bright little girl in Liberia, brutally raped at the age of seven sustaining debilitating injuries. Her mother hides her out of shame and they are shunned by their tribe. Stranded, they face the most difficult decision of all – what price do they pay for justice? From industry veteran Jessica Vale (National Geographic, Discovery, The Weinstein Co)……………………………

Marek Tomasz Pawlowski (Poland / Germany), Touch of an Angel, Doc feature –  This poetic doc is the personal story of Henryk Schoenker, a Jew from Auschwitz and his gripping stories of the war. A haunting tale with stunning lighting and cinematography and artistic blending of reenactment footage and archival photographs. The director combines different types of images for an unusual and truly exceptional visual journey.

Spark Media (USA), Red Lines, Doc Feature – A ruthless dictator wages war on his own people, forcing two young Syrian activists on a mission to save their country. They dare to go where the media can’t and do what foreign leaders won’t. Until the world acts, they’re on their own. An excellent mixture of well produced footage and  behind the scenes “guerrilla style” video capture tells the story with clarity, suspense, surpirse and passion.

Bill Wisneski (USA), Breaking Point, Doc Feature – The worst environmental disaster in US history is quickly approaching, yet very little is being done to stop it.  A casualty of the “water wars” in the Southwest, California’s largest lake is disappearing. The receding Salton Sea reveals a toxic mix of fine dust and chemicals that is threatening the health of millions. From eleven time regional Emmy winner and documentarian Bill Wisneski.

Generation Right  – Michelle Coomber

Michelle Coomber (United Kingdom), Generation Right, Doc Feature – Directed and produced by Michelle Coomber (BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera). This vital post-election film weighs the legacy of Margaret Thatcher. Mixing archive and interviews with political figures, Generation Right examines the moment when inequality and capitalism became the driving forces of ‘progress’. Moving from 1980s turbulence through the 2008 crash and into the present day, it boldly asks what Thatcher’s story can tell us about how we live now.

Alex Ferrini (France), INNER REVOLUTION, Documentary Feature
Bevan Bell (USA), KILIMANJARO WARRIORS: A Monumental Goal for Recovery, Documentary Feature
Brian Smith, Josh Eldred and Sandra L. Barnes, Vanderbilt University (USA), Gary, Indiana: A Tale of Two Cities, Documentary Feature
Carlo Christian Spano (Italy), Grado Mission, Documentary Feature
Colin Offland (United Kingdom), Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang in PyongYang, Documentary Feature
Craig Daniel Leon (Ecuador/Brazil/USA), Modern Nature, Documentary Feature
Curtis Chin (USA), TESTED, Documentary Feature
Daniel Stilling (USA), NaturePlay, Documentary Feature
Drew Taylor and Matthew Taylor (Canada), Ron Taylor: Dr. Baseball, Documentary Short
Ebony Butler (Australia), A Brilliant Genocide, Documentary Feature, Women Filmmakers, Viewer Impact: Content / Message Delivery
Erica Jordan (USA), Seeing Slavery, Documentary Feature
Felice Leeds (USA), Unforgotten, The Story of Paul Pender, Documentary Feature
Fiona Cochrane (Australia), WOMEN ARE THE ANSWER, Documentary Feature
Gary Null and Valerie Van Cleve (USA), Poverty Inc., Documentary Feature
Gayle Kirschenbaum (USA), Look At Us Now, Mother!, Documentary Feature
Greg Reitman (USA), ROOTED in PEACE, Documentary Feature
Guy Hernandez (USA), LUBE JOB, Documentary Feature
Hernán Vilchez (Argentina / Mexico), Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians / Los Últimos Guardianes del Peyote, Documentary Feature
Jaka Bizilj (Germany), The Voices of Srebrenica, Documentary Feature
James Cassidy (USA), A Most Convenient Convergence, Documentary Feature
Jeffrey Bird (Australia), Blood On The Coal, Documentary Feature
Jen Senko (USA), THE BRAINWASHING OF MY DAD, Documentary Feature
John Ambros (USA), Imminent Threat, Documentary Feature
Jon Bowermaster (USA), After the Spill, Documentary Feature
Lawrence Hott (USA), SciTech Band: Pride of Springfield, Documentary Short
Louie Psihoyos, Oceanic Preservation Society (USA), Racing Extinction, Nature / Environment / Wildlife, Cinematography, Viewer Impact: Content / Message Delivery, Use of Film / Video for Social Change, Concept, Creativity / Originality, Documentary Feature
Marcus Harrison (USA), ADDICTION: Heroin & Pills, Documentary Feature
Mattias Löw (Sweden), THE INDIAN PRIEST, Documentary Feature
Mattias Löw (Sweden), ALL THE WORLD IN A DESIGN SCHOOL, Documentary Feature
Michelle Coomber (United Kingdom), Generation Right, Documentary Feature
Narumol Sriyanond (USA), Elephants in Motion: Tales of LIfe Transformation, Documentary Feature
Nathanaël Coste and Marc De la Ménardière (France), A Quest for Meaning, Documentary Feature
Rick Waggener (USA), The Sandlot Journey, Documentary Feature
Robin Hauser Reynolds (USA), CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap, Documentary Feature
Runar Jarle Wiik (Norway), No Word for Worry, Documentary Feature
Stephen Mulhearn (United Kingdom), Transcending The Storm, Documentary Feature
Swoop Films (USA), Hard To Believe, Documentary Feature
T.C. Johnstone (USA), Teen Press, Documentary Short
Vincent Giordano (USA), Born Warriors Redux: Bound Fists, Documentary Feature
Zach Jordan and Peter J. Schankowitz, Joe Digital, Inc. (USA), Carpe Kilimanjaro: An Alzheimer’s Project, Documentary Feature

CLICK THE LAURELS TO SEE THE AWARD OF MERIT WINNERS

CLICK THE LAURELS TO SEE THE AWARD OF RECOGNITION WINNERS