Screen • Act • Impact
It’s been another successful year for Media That Matters – a film festival in their 10th year with entrants showcasing their film talents on pressing issues which relate to every day people. The provocative and engaging social-issue documentaries range in topics covering law, the environment, immigration, age, gender, politics… you name it… it’s ‘media that matters’
You can view this year’s winning selection of 12 inspiring films here.
DENIED
USA | 12:00 | Documentary
Directed & Produced by Julie Winokur
Simultaneously battling cancer and abandonment by her insurance company, one woman fights for her right to health care.
JURY AWARD
I’M JUST ANNEKE
Canada & USA | 11:14 | Documentary
Directed & Produced by Leeathan Skurnik
With the support of family and friends, a 12-year-old experiences the onset of puberty in the fluid space between genders.
CHANGEMAKER AWARD
I AM SEAN BELL
USA | 10:36 | Documentary
Directed & Produced by Stacey Muhammad
Young boys reflect on the Sean Bell tragedy, speaking out about their fears and hopes as they approach manhood in a city where the lives of young black men are often cut short.
SPEAKING OUT AWARD
NO ONE BOTHERED
UK & Canada | 7:54 | Documentary
Directed by Josephine Boxwell, Produced by Laurie Nicholls
Meet Claire and Darren, and take a tour of the streets they used to call home and the daily ridicule they encountered.
EMPOWERMENT AWARD
SHADES OF THE BORDER
DR, Haiti, & USA | 12:00 | Documentary
Directed & Produced by Patrick Smith
One island, two countries, many skin colors. A history of racial prejudice divides the island of Hispaniola.
RACIAL DIALOGUE AWARD
MY HOTNESS IS PASTED ON YEY!
USA | 5:37 | Experimental, Puppetry
Directed & Produced by Gus Andrews
What do audiences want—naked truth or flawless beauty? Puppets Weena and Erna expose the trade secrets of an industry chasing after perfection.
FAIR USE AWARD
DAY JOB
USA | 6:36 | Documentary
Directed & Produced by Sara Hopman
Day laborers voice their grievances and reflect on the challenges they face as they bide their time in parking lots, hoping that work is around the corner.
ECONOMIC JUSTICE AWARD
THE LAST TOWN
China & USA | 7:26 | Documentary
Directed & Produced by Yan Chun Su
What if your hometown ceased to exist? Take one last look at a 2000-year old town before it is flooded by China’s Three Gorges Dam project.
SUSTAINING TRADITIONS AWARD
JUSTICE DENIED: VOICES FROM GUANTANAMO
UK & USA | 9:30 | Documentary
Directed by Joel Engardio, Produced by Joel Engardio & Ateqah Khaki
Wrongfully imprisoned and later released, Guantanamo detainees recount their stories as they move on with their lives and chart a course for healing.
GLOBAL JUSTICE AWARD
AQUAFINITO
USA | 8:18 | Documentary
Directed & Produced by Annalise Littman
Why do consumers ignore our most “green” source of drinking water—the tap? A simple taste test yields eyeopening results.
YOUTH SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
UNINSURED IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA
USA | 5:17 | Documentary
Directed & Produced by Katie Falkenberg
In one of the most impoverished and uninsured areas in the U.S., the inhabitants of the Mississippi Delta grapple daily with an impossible dilemma: do they put food on the table or life-saving medicine in the cabinet?
HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
LESSONS FROM A TAILOR
USA | 8:23 | Documentary
Directed by Galen Summer, Produced by Caitlin Dourmashkin
Entrepreneur Martin Greenfield’s infectious passion and hopeful perspective bring his community and his employees more than just jobs.
PERSPECTIVES AWARD
They also have an archived collection of past films on the website to entertain you.
It’s a global competition so come on Australia get inspired and join in!
Your in Design,
Amber
