THE FESTIVAL | 2020
The official selection is going online this year due to COVID-19, but we won't let that stop us from spreading the word!
The selection was live to watch from the 10th through the 13th of July. Award winners are listed below!
DATES & TIMES
FEATURE FILMS
2020
CHASING THE PRESENT
Director: Mark Waters
On a worldwide journey of self discovery, a materially wealthy man explores why a person who seemingly has it all, can still suffer from debilitating panic attacks, uncovering deep truths about who and what we are.
KNOTS: A FORCED MARRIAGE STORY
Director: Kate Ryan Brewer
Forced and child marriage is happening all across the U.S., legally. Three survivors - Nina, Sara, and Fraidy - take us on a journey into the depths of this human rights abuse hiding in plain sight.
SUMMERWAR
Director: Moritz Schulz
Two kids, one war, one camp. Jasmin and Jastrip grow up in Ukraine. Surrounded by war and rising nationalism, they visit the Azovez camp. There they become little soldiers and real patriots. And that is exactly what they came for - but it’s not why they stay.
THE LAST ARTIFACT
Directors: Jaime Jacobsen & Ed Watkins
It affects every aspect of our lives from the moment we are born, to the food we eat, the cars we drive, and the medicines we take. This object has helped send men to the moon, and satellites into space. It is an object unlike any other, the last of its kind. A literal constant in an ever-changing world, and the weight by which all others are measured. The Last Artifact follows the high-stakes race to redefine the weight of the world, and reveals the untold story of one of the most important objects on the planet: the kilogram.
SHORT FILMS
2020
25ZERO // EAST AFRICA
Director: Miles Rowland
The world's glaciers are disappearing and the first ones to die are where you'd least expect to find them - on the equator. Tim Jarvis is a polar explorer and environmental scientist who famously recreated Shackleton's and Mawson’s Antarctic expeditions. 25zero // East Africa is a short documentary that follows him and his team as they search for the regions mysterious and vulnerable glaciers. These natural rivers of ice have existed for tens of thousands of years, however they won't survive the next 25. Through the film, we follow Tim as he climbs these peaks, meets the locals and explores some of the most remote regions on the planet. While the fate of these glaciers are sealed; world leaders, big corporations and us as individuals continue on our course of inaction leading to the inevitable question: ‘what else are we prepared to lose?’
70 YEARS YOUNG
Director: Frank Berry
A short documentary, about refusing to let your age keep you from doing what you love.
A FAILURE OF THE IMAGINATION
Director: Matthew Hopkins
Every year, the UK food industry wastes 1.9 million tones of food. England Your England returns to share the story of one chef and his efforts to change the way we approach food consumption in the country.
ALL EYES ON THE AMAZON
Director: Andrea Marinelli
In the 1970s the start of oil extraction in the Ecuadorian Amazon engendered expectations that the country was entering a new “era of prosperity”. Over the following four decades, hydrocarbons have marked the history of Ecuador affecting economic fluctuations, following oil price cycles in the global market together with changes in domestic taxation and ownership regimes, and stirring periodically renewed hopes of development as well as discontent. The documentary shows some of the impacts generated by oil extraction in the Orellana and Sucumbíos provinces of the Ecuadorian Amazon and the associated social mobilization of the indigenous and mestizo population.
ANTARCTIC WATERS
Director: James Muir
This short film is a poetic Natural History documentary that looks at the animals and environments of the Ross Sea and Sub Antarctic Islands. All footage was shot during a voyage with Heritage Expeditions in February/March 2017. The waters of Antarctica are some of the most pristine wilderness on earth. All life here relies solely on the bounty of the Southern Ocean. Some bold moves are being made to give conservation protection to this important earth system. However as we give protection to large remote areas of ocean it makes us realise that our coastlines close to home also need protection in order to sustain life on earth.
CENTENARY FILM
Director: A D Cooper
A film created to mark the centenary of a bee keepers' charity association.
DELETED
Director: Stephan Pierre Mitchell
A short documentary following the last 5 hours of a 59-years-old man, Ahmed before becoming homeless due to the late payments and bureaucracy by the Department for Work and Pensions.
DREAM BIG
Director: Jack Davies
A film that follows GB Paralympian Mel Nicholls as she attempts to beat the world record for hand cycling the length of the UK from Lands End to John O'Groats, in 9 days. From 2001 Mel had a series of strokes, while a stroke in 2008 left her unable to walk and use much of the left side of her body. Doctors later discovered a hole in her heart in 2009 for which she underwent corrective surgery. Since these dramatic events Mel has devoted herself to endurance racing and seemingly impossible challenges. promoting disability as a strength rather than a disadvantage. Mel is a strong believer in overcoming any obstacle, while inspiring people of all ages and abilities. Since these dramatic events Mel has devoted herself to endurance racing and seemingly impossible challenges. promoting disability as a strength rather than a disadvantage. Mel is a strong believer in overcoming any obstacle, while inspiring people of all ages and abilities.
FALLE NIOKE, NEW FOUNDATION
Director: Tom Dream
Falle Nioke moved to Margate with his wife Charlotte in 2017, from Guinea Conakry in West Africa. 'New Foundation' gives an insight into Falle finding a new platform for his traditional music, and intercuts footage from back home with friends and family in Guinea with live-performance and documentary footage here in Margate. The arrival of his first son with his wife Charlotte is a poignant moment of reflection, whilst looking towards a hopeful future in a new home.
FIFTEEN-TWO
Director: John Summerson
My mother recalls her parents' uniquely long relationship — one made strong, in part, by their daily habit of making time to play Cribbage together.
HOGWOOD: A MODERN HORROR STORY
Director: Tony Wardle
Narrated by Game of Thrones actor Jerome Flynn, HOGWOOD: a modern horror story takes you beyond the factory farm walls. It follows an intrepid group of undercover investigators as they enter some of the UK's biggest factory farms. The conspiracy unfolds as they fight against some of the most powerful players in animal agriculture. Running at just over 30 minutes, HOGWOOD explores the reasons behind factory farming and exposes the negligence and inaction by government bodies and corporations alike. It highlights how meat pollutes our planet and puts us at risk from disease outbreak.
HOME STREAM
Directors: Giulia Gandini & Lily Blackham
Lily has been homeless for a year and a half. We gave her a phone to tell us her story.
INTERMISSION
Directors: Simon de Glanville, Alice Jones & Freddie Claire
London is in lockdown. The city is empty. But the skies fill with birdsong and the sounds of solidarity. A short film documenting wildlife in London, made during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic - a moment to pause and reflect on the beauty of nature as spring awakens in an empty city.
LOSING SIGHT
Directors: Jorgo Kokkinidis & Leon Leenders
Losing Sight is a documentary about avoidable blindness in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 770,000 people including 25,000 children in Congo are unnecessarily blind. Losing Sight shows the impact of blindness and how people try to solve this.
MADE IN CHINA: REFORMING CHINA'S SUPPLY CHAIN
Directors: Gabriel Diamond & Matthew Beighley
For years, China has valued aggressive growth at the cost of environmental protection. Ma Jun emerged as a bold and singular voice, willing to stand up to powerful political and economic interests. His groundbreaking use of data and transparency holds industry accountable and makes clear the costs of toxic pollution.
MY DAD'S NAME WAS HUW. HE WAS AN ALCOHOLIC.
Director: Freddie Griffiths
An intimate and insightful documentary short unravelling the state of mind of my late alcoholic father through the poems he left behind.
PIDGEON BOY
Director: Ruth Newton
Pigeon Boy is a glimpse into the world of pigeon racing in Hull. We enter the quirky community of pigeon fanciers through an unusual lens: Lewis, aged 13. He stands out from the crowd with everyone else being aged 60+, but Lewis is eager to learn and deeply passionate about the sport. This short documentary starts in 2016 and follows Lewis' first years as a pigeon racer. We watch him gathering advice from fellow fanciers and his highs and lows of trying to break into the sport. More importantly than the racing is the friendships that develop. This film celebrates intergenerational relationships and the power of community.
PROJECT 282
Director: Paddy Bartram
Back on the 26th of May 2018 Emily Scott set off to climb all of Scotland’s Munros (mountains over 3,000 feet), attempting to make a continuous, self-propelled and self-supported round. Our film shows her journey, as she reflects on her motivations for undertaking this challenge and her experiences along the way.
RIDING A DREAM
Directors: Tommy Bolwell & Mattia Reiniger
Riding A Dream is the inspirational documentary that charts the history making journey of 18 year old British Muslim woman Khadijah Mellah. From humble beginnings at her inner city riding school in East London to victory in the Magnolia Cup horse race at the world famous Glorious Goodwood Festival. Khadijah remarkably won the race with less than four months of training, in the process becoming the first person to ride on a British racecourse wearing a hijab.
RUCK IT!
Director: Kelvin DeSena
Putting the ‘’fun into dysfunctional’’. Mencap’s first ever learning disability rugby team. A documentary charting three stories, one team and a camel mascot.
SHAMWARI UNTAMED
Directors: Puren Joubert & Janine Joubert
Shamwari Untamed takes the viewer on an unforgettable journey to the pristine, award winning, 5- star Shamwari Game Reserve and reveals what very few people have the opportunity to witness: A behind the scenes experience of the intricacies and daily work activities of the Shamwari Wildlife Department.Getting face to face with a big elephant bull in their garden, capturing Hippopotamus and Cape Buffalo, relocating Leopard and Lion, caring for orphaned Rhino calves, controlled fires, anti poaching patrols and veterinary work on Africa’s big game are daily normalities for The Shamwari Wildlife Department. All of this forms part of ensuring the conservation of a vanishing way of life and maintaining a healthy ecosystem on Shamwari.
SHINING A LIGHT
Director: Environmental Justice Foundation
Shining a Light shows EJF’s Investigation into the Devastating Impacts of Illegal 'Saiko' Fishing in Ghana.
SPEAKING FOR THE DEAD
Director: Peiman Zekavat
A cameraman was sent to cover the events 6 days after the Grenfell fire which destroyed a tower block in west London, killing 72 people, and considered one of the UK's worst modern disasters. What followed was a portrait of mainstream media and how momentarily they told their story by framing the event, with little awareness, contact, or connection with the community of sufferers.
SPIT FIRE, DREAM HIGHER
Director: Felix Cooper
Spit Fire, Dream Higher' is a documentary by Felix Cooper in collaboration with Gurls Talk and Nike about the global community of women's football.
SPRAY
Director: James McLean
Spreading environmental awareness through urban art. Jerome Davenport is an aerosol artist from Perth, Australia. His murals help spread awareness about climate change and other environmental factors around the world. *All cans used in this film are CFC free and were 100% recycled after filming.
STREET SURFERS
Director: Arthur Neumeier
Frank Solomon, a big wave surfer and marine activist from Cape Town South Africa, travels to meet two exceptional men, Thabo and Mokete, who indirectly serve the environment through recycling as a means of income. This is the untold story of new friendships, shared experiences and common interest between individuals that are worlds apart. For anyone that has cruised the streets of Johannesburg, the site of the city’s ‘street surfers’ is as much a part of the landscape as is that of the high rise metropolitan skyline.
THE FLYING GOLD OF ARABUKO
Director: John Davies
The Flying Gold of Arabuko is the literal and living story of ‘the butterfly effect’. It follows the practise of butterfly catchers and famers in Kenya and how it has become an unlikely saviour of the last and largest indigenous forest of the East African Coast. It is told through the perspective of an ex-illegal logger and poacher, Charo Ngumbao. Like many others in the area, he has left his past exploitative livelihood behind and discovered the benefits of forest conservation through sustainably farming butterflies to supply tropical butterfly houses around the world.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CUP
Director: Seth Lowe
The Other Side of the Cup tells the story of independent coffee farmers that form three small communities across Guatemala. Each village and family have their own set of challenges, routines, and aspirations. The first have built their own village in rural Guatemala after the civil war ended in the late 1990’s; collectively learning the coffee trade, while building schools and houses together as a family. The second are battling environmental challenges, and developing their own methods for nurturing the land for environmental and economic sustainability. The third is learning to embrace and support women in both leadership and landownership roles - a rare thing in Guatemala. Collectively, these farmers are breaking new ground in areas of women in leadership roles and land ownership, environmental sustainability, and future planning for the next generation of farmers.
THE SHADOW OF THE SUN
Director: Ido Hartmann
7 years ago Boaz has cut all ties with his parents, brother & sister, his friends, and his previous world. The film tracks the story of his disappearance and embarks in a surreal journey into the memories he left with his family.
UP & AWAY
Director: Jamie Goldrick
Up & Away is a short documentary on the 1973 IRA Mountjoy Helicopter Escape. Told through the eyes for four men who were in the prison that day, two Wardens and two Republican prisoners. This documentary illustrates how a 60 second event that took place over 46 years ago is imprinted on the memory of those who
witnessed it.
YARROW: THE VIRTUES OF MONOCHROME
Directors: Abraham Joffe ACS & Dom West
This short follows the creative process of fine art photographer David Yarrow as he steps ashore the mind-blowing wildlife scenes of South Georgia.
THE AWARDS
2020
THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
*25zero // East Africa*
A Failure of the Imagination
Antarctic Waters
Made in China: Reforming China's Supply Chain
Shining a Light
Spray
THE WILD ANIMAL AWARD
*HOGWOOD: a modern horror story*
Shamwari Untamed
YARROW: The Virtues of Monochrome
The Flying Gold of Arabuko
THE HERITAGE AWARD
*Falle Nioke, New Foundation*
Home Stream
Project 282
Riding A Dream
RUCK IT!
The Shadow of the Sun
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
Knots: A Forced Marriage Story
*The Last Artifact*
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT
25zero // East Africa
All eyes on the Amazon
*Antarctic Waters*
Losing Sight
Made in China: Reforming China's Supply Chain
Shamwari Untamed
Street Surfers
YARROW: The Virtues of Monochrome
The Shadow of the Sun
BEST BRITISH SHORT
A Failure of the Imagination
Centenary Film
Deleted
Falle Nioke, New Foundation
HOGWOOD: a modern horror story
Home Stream
INTERMISSION
Pigeon Boy
Project 282
*Riding A Dream*
RUCK IT!
Shining a Light
Spit Fire, Dream Higher
Spray
70 YEARS YOUNG
Fifteen-Two
MY DAD'S NAME WAS HUW. HE WAS AN ALCOHOLIC POET
The Flying Gold of Arabuko
BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY
70 YEARS YOUNG
Fifteen-Two
MY DAD'S NAME WAS HUW. HE WAS AN ALCOHOLIC POET
*The Flying Gold of Arabuko*
The Shadow of the Sun
*WINNERS WILL BE DENOTED WITH ASTEREKS*