"Willem & Frieda" Directed by John Hay. United Kingdom
Best Feature Documentary - Winner
In a poignant and personal quest, Stephen Fry embarks on a journey to Amsterdam to uncover the untold story of a gay man and a lesbian who played pivotal roles in the anti-Nazi resistance in the Netherlands. Delving into why their contributions remain overlooked, Fry's exploration sheds light on the importance of recognizing and celebrating their courage and legacy in contemporary times.
"The Palace of the Citizens" Directed by Sofia Anna Katarina Wikström. Sweden
Best Feature Documentary - Highly Commended
Best Feature Documentary - Highly Commended
One hundred years ago, Stockholm's city hall was inaugurated. A documentary about how the controversial architect Ragnar Östberg, through strikes, war and years of crisis, fights together with craftsmen and artists to create Sweden's last monumental building built entirely by hand - a house for the newly won democracy. With unique archive material, we go behind the scenes in Stockholm's city hall both a hundred years ago - but also today. In the film, we meet royalty, glitter and gold but also cleaners and construction workers and get to see something other than the glamor of the Nobel Festival. The actor Jonas Karlsson is Ragnar Östberg's narrator. Swedish documentary film from 2023 by Sofia Wikström.
"Changing Our Ways" Directed by Steph Vajda. Australia
Best Feature Documentary - Nominated
Best Feature Documentary - Nominated
When The Big Anxiety comes to town a group of women are inspired to tackle the devastating effects of suicide and trauma. The transformation they experience raises a bigger question: do we as a society need to change our ways when it comes to mental health?
"CHEMICAL BROS" Director Massimiliano Mazzotta. Italy
Best Feature Documentary - Nominated
Best Feature Documentary - Nominated
CHEMICAL BROS is an investigative Documentary that shows the terrible consequences of the production and use of fluoride. From the mines of Silius in Sardinia, where the mineral is extracted, we set out on a journey that touches the numerous realities involved, such as the Veneto and the Derbyshire National Park in England. Realities engaged in the extraction, processing, and various industrial productions suffer the consequences in everyday life. Environmental, food and beverage monitoring by institutions and private companies. The different reactions of public opinion to the awareness of the state of things. There are many questions that arise, and one of them is the now-historic question: profit before everything, before protecting the environment and the health of people, workers, and communities.
"Where Have All The Smiles Gone" Director Anja Strelec. Nepal
Best Human Rights Film - Winner
Best Human Rights Film - Winner
Thousands of people leave their homes in Nepal yearly to pursue their dreams and happiness abroad. Hoping for a better life and economic prosperity, Nepali workers move to foreign countries to earn money and help their families. However, in the destination countries, they are often mistreated and deprived of their human rights. While the immigration wave is increasing each year and the Nepali economy heavily depends on remittance, the immigrants are often, instead with greater economic prosperity, coming back to Nepal in terrible health or dead in coffins due to the bad working conditions.
The pursuit of a better life often ends tragically for entire families. Should they continue their pursuit or stay home?
Should people continue living in dire conditions in their own countries or die as enslaved people abroad?
The pursuit of a better life often ends tragically for entire families. Should they continue their pursuit or stay home?
Should people continue living in dire conditions in their own countries or die as enslaved people abroad?
"Behrouz" Director Simon Kurian. Australia
Best Human Rights Film - Highly Commended
Best Human Rights Film - Highly Commended
Secretly filmed inside the Australian offshore immigration detention centre on the remote island of Manus in Papua New Guinea, BEHROUZ is a feature documentary telling the story of Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish journalist who fled the Iranian regime, seeking asylum in Australia, only to be exiled the Manus Island detention prison a month after his arrival on Australian shores by boat. Behrouz spent six years in detention. His reporting and writings from the Manus detention prison, using a smuggled mobile phone, brought to international notice the horrific reality of life for detainees. His book 'No Friend but the Mountains' written while in detention on his mobile phone, has become one of the most celebrated books in Australia in recent times, winning Australia's prestigious literary award, the 2019 Victorian Prize for Literature. The film follows Behrouz as he navigates life in detention and leads the resistance to indefinite detention. And finally, his asylum bid in New Zealand and his life in Christchurch as a free man.
“This film is about a long struggle to expose and challenge a system which is designed to dehumanise people who flee dictatorship and war”. - Behrouz Boochani
“This film is about a long struggle to expose and challenge a system which is designed to dehumanise people who flee dictatorship and war”. - Behrouz Boochani
"The Long Goodbye, A Caregiver's Journey" Director Steven G. Smith. United States
Best Human Rights Film - Nominated
Best Cinematography - Winner
Best Human Rights Film - Nominated
Best Cinematography - Winner
A devoted daughter tends to her ageing father, offering affectionate support as he grapples with the challenges of living with dementia.
The Alzheimer's Association has reported that the high incidence of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia is worrying, as it may result in one out of three seniors in the US dying from these conditions. It's worth noting that eldercare was recognised by the United Nations as a fundamental human rights issue as early as 1982.
The Alzheimer's Association has reported that the high incidence of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia is worrying, as it may result in one out of three seniors in the US dying from these conditions. It's worth noting that eldercare was recognised by the United Nations as a fundamental human rights issue as early as 1982.
"The Last Song" Directed by James Brough. Australia
Best Indigenous Film - Winner
Best Indigenous Film - Winner
The Last Song paints a poignant portrait of an Aboriginal Elder in the Pilbara, North Western Australia, Stephen Stewart known as Number 2 life unfolds like a living chronicle of the region's history. This centenarian, a revered cultural singer and lore keeper, has seamlessly traversed the pages of time. Number 2's journey is a rich tapestry woven with experiences as a stockman, a champion jockey and a soldier. His journey encapsulates the very essence of Australia's past.
"Seven Ridges" Director Antonio Coello. Mexico
Best Indigenous Film - Highly Commended
Best Indigenous Film - Highly Commended
In a desert by the sea, an ancient culture endures modernity. A grandmother and her granddaughter intertwine in estrangement over memory. The myth sheds controversy; time falls in dreams of sand, old songs and rock music.
First full-length feature drama to be ever produced in Cmiique Iitom (Seri language)
First full-length feature drama to be ever produced in Cmiique Iitom (Seri language)
"Coming Home - Stories of Bandjalong. Directed by Karenza Ebejer. Australia
Best Indigenous Film - Nominated
Best Indigenous Film - Nominated
Three Elders from the Bandjalang region near Coraki reminisce about their childhoods growing up at Boxridge Mission as well as their ongoing connection to country.
"Navajo Nation USA" Director Deren Paul Abram. United States
Best Indigenous Film - Nominated
Best Indigenous Film - Nominated
Navajo Nation USA is the collective story of four main characters within the native lands of the Navajo set against the backdrop of cancer-causing uranium left unchecked by the US government.
“In our way of life, they call them monsters. As Indigenous People, these are monsters that are beating us up every day. These modern day monsters are alcoholism, drug addiction, poverty, … and cancer.” ~Jonathan Nez President, Navajo Nation
“In our way of life, they call them monsters. As Indigenous People, these are monsters that are beating us up every day. These modern day monsters are alcoholism, drug addiction, poverty, … and cancer.” ~Jonathan Nez President, Navajo Nation
"NAMARALI" Director Tim Mummery. Australia
Best Ethnographic Film - Winner
Best Ethnographic Film - Winner
NAMARALI is a 50-minute documentary charting artist Donny (Yorna) Woolagoodja's quest to rekindle deep connections with his traditional ancestral culture. Yorna's spiritual beliefs revolve around the wandjina - creator beings whose images adorn the caves and rock ledges throughout the Kimberley in Western Australia. Refreshed with new ochre each year by his ancestors, the wandjinas are fading away with the absence of Yorna's people.
But the community's decision to allow one of Yorna's designs to appear at the 2000 Sydney Olympics opening ceremony empowers a progressive new perspective. Yorna is compelled to visit the big-boss wandjina NAMARALI in his cave. His mission was to repaint the imposing 4m wandjina image with fresh ochre and restore NAMARALI to his full glory.
On a distant, inaccessible section of the West Kimberley coast, the film witnesses the radical action of a man and his community determined to bring their deity 'back to life'.
But the community's decision to allow one of Yorna's designs to appear at the 2000 Sydney Olympics opening ceremony empowers a progressive new perspective. Yorna is compelled to visit the big-boss wandjina NAMARALI in his cave. His mission was to repaint the imposing 4m wandjina image with fresh ochre and restore NAMARALI to his full glory.
On a distant, inaccessible section of the West Kimberley coast, the film witnesses the radical action of a man and his community determined to bring their deity 'back to life'.
"Whetū Mārama - Bright Star" Directors Toby Mills, Aileen O'Sullivan. New Zealand
Best Ethnographic Film - Highly Commended
Polynesians were the most adventurous voyagers on earth. We sailed the vast Pacific by the stars. But these ancient arts were lost for 600 years. Then the stars re-aligned, and three men from far-flung islands met by chance...
Nainoa Thompson is from Hawaii, Mau Pialug is from Satawal, and Hek Busby is from Aotearoa / New Zealand.
Together, they revived our place as the greatest navigators on the planet.
Nainoa Thompson is from Hawaii, Mau Pialug is from Satawal, and Hek Busby is from Aotearoa / New Zealand.
Together, they revived our place as the greatest navigators on the planet.
"The Horizon Behind Me" Directors Roberto Pettin. Australia
Best Ethnoegraphic Film - Nominated
Best Ethnoegraphic Film - Nominated
When he was nineteen(1973), Roberto decided to go in search of people living a traditional way of life.
Naïve and idealistic, he embarked on what would eventually be a ten-year journey and, while allowing him to live within remote and varied traditional societies, would simultaneously enable him to travel long distances in an internal journey of self-discovery. Some forty years later, Roberto, prompted by a friend's son and utilising his original photographs, recorded sound and film footage, reflects on this youthful adventure, the life lessons he learned and the diversity of cultures, which, in the meantime, have radically changed.
Naïve and idealistic, he embarked on what would eventually be a ten-year journey and, while allowing him to live within remote and varied traditional societies, would simultaneously enable him to travel long distances in an internal journey of self-discovery. Some forty years later, Roberto, prompted by a friend's son and utilising his original photographs, recorded sound and film footage, reflects on this youthful adventure, the life lessons he learned and the diversity of cultures, which, in the meantime, have radically changed.
Liturgy of anti-tank obstacles Director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk. Ukraine
Best Short Documentary - Winner
Best Short Documentary - Winner
The reality in Ukraine split into before and after the war. Every citizen is trying to contribute to the nationwide resistance. Many people retrained for the needs of the military. Sculptors and metalworkers now make anti-tank obstacles. In the art workshops, among the artwork, anti-tank obstacles are being produced. The artists make the anti-tank obstacles, surrounded by the sculptures of angels, Cossacks, and famous Ukrainian personalities. Statues stand in the corners like a silent army. Multiple copies of Jesus Christ, like a terracotta army, froze in various poses and waiting. Masters weld metal for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"Interview with an Art Patron" Director Wayne Traudt. New Zealand
Best Short Documentary - Highly Commended
Best Short Documentary - Highly Commended
Two decades have passed when a passionate art patron decides to reconnect with an artist whose art he loves and admires.
"Never Fade Away." Director Donna Weng Friedman. United States
Best Short Documentary - Nominated
Best Short Documentary - Nominated
Never Fade Away is a moving true story about a young Chinese immigrant who escapes his homeland in the 1940s during the Japanese Invasion, comes to America with nothing but his hopes and dreams, and how a radio and a waltz change his life.
Featuring history-making dancer Chun Wai Chan and the exquisite ballerina Xiaoxiao Cao, their stunning pas de deux at the end will take your breath away. This story of heritage will bring you to tears, and the music and dance will make your heart soar. Stories like this are the ties that bind and should Never Fade Away.
Featuring history-making dancer Chun Wai Chan and the exquisite ballerina Xiaoxiao Cao, their stunning pas de deux at the end will take your breath away. This story of heritage will bring you to tears, and the music and dance will make your heart soar. Stories like this are the ties that bind and should Never Fade Away.
"Tatsumi Orimoto: A Cosmic Chaos" Director David Bickerstaff. United Kingdom
Best Short Documentary - Nominated
Best Short Documentary - Nominated
This film is a personal portrait of the controversial Japanese artist Tatsumi Orimoto who is globally famous for his 'Breadman' performances and a series of deeply intimate works made with his elderly mother Odai, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Orimoto is constantly making new work and thinks of daily life as art itself. Told in his own voice, Tatsumi's extraordinary story raises difficult questions about what art can be and how we respond to it. Through his highly individual and provocative work, he uses the power of drawing, sculpture and performance to challenge the fine line between private life and public action.
"Transition to Greatness" Director 1212.nyc. United States - Winner
Best Feature Narrative - Winner
Best Feature Narrative - Winner
Transition to Greatness is a narrative feature film about President Trump's response to the pandemic and the 2020 election.
The film is an invented, thought-provoking "discussion" with President Trump presented as an intricate visual puzzle.
It is an extended fictitious dialogue between a homeless New Yorker and President Trump. They engage in a wide-ranging "conversation" as the pandemic rages and the 2020 election looms.
The film is filled with visual manipulations that insert Trump, the pandemic and 2020 election elements into the picture. The main hero, Mike (Brian Panella), wanders around New York City and interacts with the ubiquitous Trump, who talks to him via city billboards, video screens, wifi stations, bus stops and even pay phones.
The picture has also been manipulated so that, other than Mike and Trump, there is no one else in the frame – an eerie reminder of the isolation in America's most populated city during the height of the pandemic.
The film is an invented, thought-provoking "discussion" with President Trump presented as an intricate visual puzzle.
It is an extended fictitious dialogue between a homeless New Yorker and President Trump. They engage in a wide-ranging "conversation" as the pandemic rages and the 2020 election looms.
The film is filled with visual manipulations that insert Trump, the pandemic and 2020 election elements into the picture. The main hero, Mike (Brian Panella), wanders around New York City and interacts with the ubiquitous Trump, who talks to him via city billboards, video screens, wifi stations, bus stops and even pay phones.
The picture has also been manipulated so that, other than Mike and Trump, there is no one else in the frame – an eerie reminder of the isolation in America's most populated city during the height of the pandemic.
"Woman Alive" Director MACABIT ABRAMSO. Israel
Feature Narrative - Highly Commended
Feature Narrative - Highly Commended
Thirty-year-old Shlomit is married and the mother of a little girl leaves her home in Jerusalem out of personal distress and embarks on an unknown journey through the slums of south Tel Aviv between black immigrants and prostitutes. She seeks an unmediated touch in life that will make her feel alive herself. During her journey, the Privilege Ashkenazi Princess meets the other Israel who has so far been a stranger to her and thus meets the other unknown foreign woman inside her. She falls in love with a Russian painter older than her who could be her father, drifting on a dark passionate journey, deteriorating, breaking all boundaries and reaching the edge, swinging between life and death.
"Pandemic Trilogy" Director Yan Cui. United States
Feature Narrative - Nominated
Feature Narrative - Nominated
A caring successful cuddler, a bored upper-class wife, and a paranoid boy, whose lives were intertwined and upended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The Ballad" Director Christofer Nilsson. Sweden/France
Best Short Narrative - Winner
Best Actor - Nahyeem Mahbub - Winner
Best Short Narrative - Winner
Best Actor - Nahyeem Mahbub - Winner
A fed up delivery worker chooses a split second act of rebellion - one that results in an awkward, spiraling dance between the classes of the 21st century.
"Nino" Director Kiara Mezzina. Australia
Best Short Narrative - Highly Commended
Best Short Narrative - Highly Commended
When Cosi moves the family to Australia in hopes of a better life, his son Nino must deal with culture shock in a country whose language he cannot speak. Luckily for him, his cousin Salvo has been through this before. Reluctant at first, Nino, with Salvo’s guidance, navigates the contrasts of culture, language and lifestyle to overcome prejudice and alienation.
"Murphed" Director Hadley Ian Perkins. Australia
Best Short Narrative - Nominated
Best Actor, Dean Perrin - Highly Commended
Best Short Narrative - Nominated
Best Actor, Dean Perrin - Highly Commended
Murphy is on an open road adventure with his love, Murphette, when he finds himself drawn into an infinite pursuit in order to fix his broken down bus. The road is paved, the future is in sight and it’s a race to the finish line.
"Survivor" Director Karim Azimi. Iran
Best Short Narrative - Nominated
Best Short Narrative - Nominated
Several immigrants residing by the seaside anticipate their journey across the waters. Among them, a young couple and fellow migrants embark towards the beacon of hope, only to encounter challenges upon the birth of their baby.
"Unsettled" Director Katrina Channells. Australia
Best Short Narrative - Nominated
Best Short Narrative - Nominated
Amid the heat and stress, dreams bleed into reality as a young woman strives to bring her family farm back from the brink, a mysterious discovery will cause a rift between lovers, forcing one to take drastic action – from which there will be no going back.
"Innermost" Directed by Maing Caochong. China
Best Animation - Winner
Best Animation - Winner
The background of the stop-motion animation short film Innermost is set in the future featured by highly advanced technologies but collapsed society and civilization system. The cyberpunk-style science fiction world coexists fantastically with the traditional oriental martial arts world. The story follows the emotional entanglement between a long-lost chivalrous couple and a person with regenerated organs starting from a fight for a mystic magic lyre. From the perspective of what regeneration technologies are able of, the short film will arouse the audience to think of how the value of emotions can be magnified or dissolved.
"Not in Love" Director Eugénie Bouquet. Switzerland
Best Animation - Highly Commended
Best Animation - Highly Commended
Two people are sitting on a bench in the Parc des Bastions in Geneva. One, Judith, is a sex worker who talks about her experience with disabled clients. The other one, me, is interviewing and recording her. An animated documentary about sex between people who are not in love.
"Irina" Director Amelie Magdalena Loy. Austria
Best Animation - Nominated
Best Animation - Nominated
A wall of trees. Her sudden urges to break out of the cold loneliness lead to nothing. When a sudden impact leads Irina to choose between owning or ending her life.
"A Tree Once Grew Here" Director Johnnie Semerad. United States
Best Animation - Nominated
Best Animation - Nominated
“A Tree Once Grew Here” combines captivating visuals, animation, and imagery, to tell a tale that transcends language. We are reminded that we must rebalance harmony and nurture our planet; because we can no longer afford not to.
Clinical Lycanthropy Directors Emilio Giacomelli, Francesco Pesiri. Italy
Best Animation - Nominated
Ava suffers from a mental disorder that makes her perceive loved ones as menacing bears and herself as a goldfish.
Her mind spirals out of control as her girlfriend Emma tries to take care of her.
Her mind spirals out of control as her girlfriend Emma tries to take care of her.
"Orpheus" Director Guy K Ward - United Kingdom
Best Animation - Nominated
Best Animation - Nominated
The story of Orpheus takes the Greek myth and focuses on the sense of loss and guilt. Only in this story rather than being a musician Orpheus is an artist, an artist trapped in his studio with a fading memory of his lost love – but nightly he is pestered and bullied by The Critic, a living embodiment of his own troubled mind.
On this particular night Orpheus, exhausted from his mental torture, is forced to confront his guilt and fight for his sanity. The Critic taunts and bullies Orpheus, reminding him that he is the author of his own plight.
Can Orpheus ever face his own truth or will he remain trapped with The Critic forever?
On this particular night Orpheus, exhausted from his mental torture, is forced to confront his guilt and fight for his sanity. The Critic taunts and bullies Orpheus, reminding him that he is the author of his own plight.
Can Orpheus ever face his own truth or will he remain trapped with The Critic forever?
"White Lies" Director Greg Moran. Australia
Best Comedy and Australian Audience Award - Winner
Best Comedy and Australian Audience Award - Winner
When his well intentioned lies to get his daughter a scholarship escalate and spiral out of control Dave has to choose between having money and power, and being a good role model for his daughter.
"Lady Priest" Director Eva Justine Torkkola. Australia
Best Comedy - Highly Commended
Best Comedy - Highly Commended
Set at the dining table of a full Lebanese Sunday lunch, this comedy is a snapshot of the life of a Lebanese-Australian woman in her 30s and her wacky family dynamics.
"Culicidae" Director Greg Moran. Australia
Best Comedy - Nominated
Best Comedy - Nominated
A late night intrusion leads to a life and death struggle.
"Human Bean" Director Clayton Smith. Australia
Best Comedy - Nominated
Best Comedy - Nominated
"Human Bean" is an oddball comedy about Flynn, a passionate Brunswick coffee maker who accidentally creates a man from a magic coffee bean. Flynn finds himself in a predicament as he needs to win the Brunswick Best Beans coffee competition to save his reputation, but his coffee roaster has exploded... In a race against time, Flynn will stop at nothing to win the competition using his new-found secret "warm drip" coffee recipe.
"VOICES" Directors by Vittoria Rizzardi Peñalosa, Ciinderella Balthazar. United Kingdom
Best Music Video - Winner
Best Music Video - Winner
The visuals of "VOICES" are inspired by the artist's heritage: the Mapuche indigenous tribe in Chile, known as People Of The Earth. In Mapuche mythology, Antu represents the Sun (pictured through the golden palette), as well as light, wisdom and spirit, and is married to Kueyen, a Wangulén spirit that represents the moon, (which we brought to life through the silver set up). In this video, the singer appears as both the Sun & the Moon as a visual representation of light and darkness, of femininity and masculinity. The duality of our own spirituality and our internal voices.
"LAWLA" Director by Guillaume Simonin - Belgium
Best Music Video - Highly Commended
Best Music Video - Highly Commended
Music Video for Alix Pilot & Ghizlane Melih
"Kiss of spring" Director Anna Gudnicheva. Russian Federation
Best Music Clip - Nominated
Best Music Clip - Nominated
Vlad and Dima (Otvaal band) plunge into spring waters and become one person.
"She Dreamt Alone" Director and Choreographer Nina McNeely. Assistant Choreographer Zak Ryan Schlegel. United States
Best Experimental Film - Winner
Best Dance Choreography - Winner
Best Experimental Film - Winner
Best Dance Choreography - Winner
"A short story expressed through the art of dance about a young outcast who,
From childhood’s hour had not been
As others were- had not seen
As others saw- could not love
From a common spring
Could not awaken
Her heart to joy with the same tone
And all that she dreamt…
She Dreamt alone"
From childhood’s hour had not been
As others were- had not seen
As others saw- could not love
From a common spring
Could not awaken
Her heart to joy with the same tone
And all that she dreamt…
She Dreamt alone"
"A Place That Time Forgot" Director Natali Khalili Tari. United Kingdom
Best Experimental - Highly Commended
Best Experimental - Highly Commended
Within us all, we carry a sense of home, a symbol of our culture, a foundation of our identity. We photograph the moments that we dream to remember, the places that we leave but that we want to migrate with us. But what of the home itself, what is held within its rooms and walls, what stays beneath the roof under which we grew, what of the place we leave behind?
Nestled in a quiet, southern Italian village, she lives abandoned. A small house. Dilapidated and seemingly empty, her walls have born witness to industrialisation, the creation of nation states, conflict, mass migration, both man and nature’s own will and destruction.
Nestled in a quiet, southern Italian village, she lives abandoned. A small house. Dilapidated and seemingly empty, her walls have born witness to industrialisation, the creation of nation states, conflict, mass migration, both man and nature’s own will and destruction.
"Arrivals: What's left behind, what lies ahead?" Director Ben Hemming. United States
Best Experimental - Nominated
Best Experimental - Nominated
An experimental documentary, 'Arrivals' follows the stories of refugees, immigrants, and Indigenous peoples along their journey of displacement.
The film relies on first-hand accounts from displaced people filmed in Boise, ID.
The film relies on first-hand accounts from displaced people filmed in Boise, ID.
"China 1987: Temple of The Six Banyon Trees" Director Harry Roseman. Guangzhou, China
Best Experimental - Nominated
Best Experimental - Nominated
In 1987, an intrepid traveller embarked on a photographic odyssey through the heart of China, capturing 3500 snapshots and immortalizing 30 hours of ambient sound. Decades later, in 2019, they finally unearthed the key to unlock the essence of their archival treasure trove.
Shadows of the Orient is more than just an animation; it's a poetic meditation on the intersection of culture, memory, and the timeless dance of dreams. Through the traveller's camera lens, a vivid tapestry of imagery emerges, inviting audiences to embark on a journey of discovery through the echoes of time.
Shadows of the Orient is more than just an animation; it's a poetic meditation on the intersection of culture, memory, and the timeless dance of dreams. Through the traveller's camera lens, a vivid tapestry of imagery emerges, inviting audiences to embark on a journey of discovery through the echoes of time.
"A World To Win" Director Roberto Lazarte. United States
Best Drone Film - Winner
Best Drone Film - Winner
Nguyen Dong, a concept artist and hobbyist FPV pilot, reflects on his approach to drone racing as he embarks on his first MultiGP championship.
"Hypnotic" Director Carlos Virgili. Spain
Best Drone Film - Highly Commended
Best Drone Film - Highly Commended
The eruption of the volcano of La Palma surprised the world by its virulence, destroyed villages, roads and plantations. The lava reached the ocean after traveling several kilometers, leaving behind a trail of chaos and destruction. This documentary shows us -at ground level and from the air- all the development of the eruptive phenomenon from its beginning, to the consequences on man and nature once lethargic.
"Vortex " Director Chris Tangey. Australia
Best Drone Film - Nominated
Best Drone Film - Nominated
Driven by relentless heat, these desert wanderers hurl whatever gets in their way high into the sky. Dirt, sand, ash ... and even fire! Music composer Quinten Coblentz "Zaphenath-Paneah."
"From The Main Square" Director Pedro harres. Germany
Best Virtual Reality - Winner
Best Virtual Reality - Winner
Encircling a central square, a new town emerges in all its diversity. A crossroad of stories, buildings, hopes, and conflicts. Social ties and cultures take root. People nurture sympathy and care for their equals, but also animosity towards those who are different. It doesn't take long for an "us versus them" atmosphere to take over. "From The Main Square" is an interactive VR experience that invites the viewer to witness the rise and fall of a divided society. A civilization blossoms, with all its contradictions, only to become a danger to itself.
"Zong" Director Yingran Zhao. China
Best Virtual Reality - Highly Commended
Best Virtual Reality - Highly Commended
Zong is a first-person VR novel that takes you on a journey through ancient Eastern history and culture. As an interstellar traveler, you find yourself in the world of Zong, which is currently in a dire situation under the grips of the Five Clans of Corruption. You will be completing missions to save ancient civilization from the corruptive forces and transmit important learnings to earth, while being guided by Zong's spiritual leaders, the four Supreme Commanders. As you progress through the game, you will encounter various challenges that require strategy, skill, and wit. Get ready to cast spells, summon magical creatures, solve puzzles, collect rare items, and more!
"Session 180" Director Rick Wang. Taiwan
Best Virtual Reality Film - Nominated
Best Virtual Reality Film - Nominated
Session 180 is a VR live music session that gives you a closer look into the exclusive spaces of talented artists and bands. Catch a glimpse of behind the scenes of the creative process, and enjoy the experience of immersive and dreamlike VIP music performance catered to you.
"Loving Grasslands" Director Brendan Joseph Guerin. Australia
Best Web Series / New Media - Winner
Best Web Series / New Media - Winner
Landholders and ecologists are working in Hume City Council's Green Wedge to restore and manage land in harmony with nature, saving critically-endangered grasslands from extinction.
"CANCER/EVOLUTION Episode 1: The Dustbin of History" Directors Maggie Jones, Brad Jones. United States
Best Web Series / New Media - Highly Commended
Best Web Series / New Media - Highly Commended
The newest hope for cancer is actually one of the oldest. Buried for a century, the metabolic theory of cancer is overturning entrenched dogma and reshaping the future of cancer treatment.
"Love Me Lex" Director Sanja Katich. Australia
Best Web Series / New Media - Nominated
Best Web Series / New Media - Nominated
Work, children, family, friends, more work... Lex Adamson is in her mid-40s and doing it all - but without that special someone by her side. The modern world is tough. Forget about finding time for love when it’s hard enough to sit still and take a deep breath! Does Lex have a fighting chance of finding her One? Is there actually a dating pool, or is she just playing in a muddy puddle? Then Lex meets the perfect woman in ’off-limits’ Kat, just as her ex, Miranda, arrives back in town determined to win her back. Lex must now decide whether to stay with the woman who broke her heart,or break her own rules to be with the woman she loves.
"Sarah Palin Forever" Director Eryk Salvaggio. United States
Best Artificial Intelligence Film - Winner
Best Artificial Intelligence Film - Winner
A teenage girl has spent her entire life inside an endlessly repeating political rally.
"AI Jetée" Director Adrian Goycoolea in United Kingdom - Highly Commended
"AI Jetée" is a shot-by-shot remake of Chris Marker's renowned 1962 photo-roman, "La Jetée," utilizing generative AI technology to reproduce the original film's visuals, music, and voiceover. This experimental endeavor explores the nature of authenticity and creativity in the age of artificial intelligence.
"TRETA" Director Francesco Siro Brigiano. Italy
Best Artificial Intelligence Film - Nominated
Best Artificial Intelligence Film - Nominated
"my reign as let a scar on every face of time...just like mine..."
it's a dreamy fable, full of symbol ...
in a dark dimension, man is unconsciously controlled by an evil jester...from a mysterious dimension an advanced civilisation of sentient beings lines up to start a battle
it's a dreamy fable, full of symbol ...
in a dark dimension, man is unconsciously controlled by an evil jester...from a mysterious dimension an advanced civilisation of sentient beings lines up to start a battle
Eximium Cor - Verdant 9. Director John Kalning. United States
Best Artificial Intelligence Film - Nominated
Best Artificial Intelligence Film - Nominated
Eximium Cor - Verdant 9 explores the intricate and complex journey of two cyborgs, navigating through the challenges of identity, existence, and the quest for a soul.
"Tuning In: A Sea of Sound" Director Jeroen van de Bovenkamp. Original Score, Sound Design and Mix by Tristan Visser. Musicians David Rothenberg, Elenor Pertz, and Tristan Visser. Netherlands
Best Sound Design - Winner
Best Sound Design - Winner
TUNING IN: A Sea of Sound is a short documentary that embarks on a journey with a group of musicians, guided by David Rothenberg, a professor of philosophy and music. Together, they set to establish a musical connection with a musician hidden within the depths of the ocean.
On Maui, Hawaii, the musicians navigate the surrounding waters renowned for attracting Humpback whales during their migratory journey. Equipped with underwater microphones and speakers, the group tries to harmonize with these singers who have been singing their songs for thousands of years.
The film shows the audience that music is a form of knowledge that can teach us about the world around us. You don't need to use words to make music and communicate with each other. A way to understand something musical is by trying to play along on a musical instrument.
On Maui, Hawaii, the musicians navigate the surrounding waters renowned for attracting Humpback whales during their migratory journey. Equipped with underwater microphones and speakers, the group tries to harmonize with these singers who have been singing their songs for thousands of years.
The film shows the audience that music is a form of knowledge that can teach us about the world around us. You don't need to use words to make music and communicate with each other. A way to understand something musical is by trying to play along on a musical instrument.
"Steve Roach: Life in the Soundcurrent" Director Kurt Lancaster. United States -
Best Sound Design - Highly Commended
Best Sound Design - Highly Commended
Steve Roach: Life in the Soundcurrent' is much more than a documentary. It is a sensory experience, a visual journey into the life, legacy, and music of a remarkable artist, and a gentle reminder of the profound impact environment can have on creativity. The film is certainly worth the watch, whether you're an ardent fan of Roach’s music, a lover of excellent documentaries, or a seeker of inspiration." -Filmnet.io review.
Struggling as a “high-sensitive” from childhood, Grammy-nominated musician Steve Roach found peace in the desert and takes the qualities of the desert—stark beauty, contrasts, silences, heat, and the palpable presence of suspended time—and turns it into a creative compass for his life and music. He has released nearly 300 albums since 1982, making him an Arizona treasure and one of the most prolific and significant cultural figures of the American school of electronic/ambient music scene.
Struggling as a “high-sensitive” from childhood, Grammy-nominated musician Steve Roach found peace in the desert and takes the qualities of the desert—stark beauty, contrasts, silences, heat, and the palpable presence of suspended time—and turns it into a creative compass for his life and music. He has released nearly 300 albums since 1982, making him an Arizona treasure and one of the most prolific and significant cultural figures of the American school of electronic/ambient music scene.
ORION INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024
