Finding Jenua is about love, loss and finding your place in the world. A drama with mystery that's told in an unconventional way, unraveling like a memory and tying us back together with the simple beauty of human connection.
2011
Best of the Fest
Narrative Feature
United States
Runtime:
1 hour(s)
10 minutes
Director:
Alison Mason
Best Foreign Short
Narrative Short
Spain
Runtime:
9 minutes
50 seconds
Director:
Francisco Alvarez
Awful is a singular teddy bear, a worn and curmudgeon one, whose owner is Luna, a little girl who has taken him as her best friend. She doesn't stop harassing him with hugs, kisses and cuddles.
Awful itself will tell us in first person all the misfortunes that he will have to live to flee from Luna's ceaseless petting, endearments and games. This short film treats, in a reality and animation blending, classic issues present in children's tales.
Best Foreign Feature
Narrative Feature
Bangladesh
Runtime:
1 hour(s)
59 minutes
Director:
Rubaiyat Hossain
Meherjaan is a film about loving the Other. Meherjaan gives away with the unitary masculine narrative in order to usher in emotional multiplicity of feminine emotion and sensibility. This film critiques certain pitfalls of nationalism that create conditions to justify war, killing and violence. Finally, Meherjaan attempts to offer an aesthetic solution to war and violence by taking refuge in love and spiritual submission
Best Narrative Feature
Narrative Feature
United States
Runtime:
1 hour(s)
16 minutes
Director:
Shira Piven
A dark comedy that follows Lisa and Paula, cool single moms out for a night on the town. When Paula's sexy hook up with a total stranger turns out to be a sketchy confrontation with reality, the women hit the road a little drunk, but very high on love/lust and what could have been. This 'vancentric' indy comedy offers a rare opportunity to spy on susceptible people in absurd circumstance. The banter is quick, the sound track is killer and the women are real.
Viewer's Choice
Documentary Feature
United States
Runtime:
1 hour(s)
12 minutes
Director:
Jenalia Moreno
Stitched is a fun-filled documentary that follows three controversial art quilters as they compete for the coveted Best of Show prize in the annual Houston quilt show, an event that attracts more than 50,000 people. Tiara-wearing women and crooning quilters attend these zany festivals. With its quilts depicting male nudes and painted quilts, Stitched isn't your grandmother's quilting film. One quilter wants to make social changes with her artwork. A male quilter wants to compete in a female-dominated industry. And the grand dame of quilting runs a major quilting tourist business out of her home while trying to find time to quilt. Can these artists win in a prize in the traditional quilting world?
Best Narrative Short (1-15 Minutes)
Narrative Short
United States
Runtime:
11 minutes
34 seconds
Director:
Scott Stafford
A brainstorming session for three indie filmmakers turns into a trip down the rabbit hole. Their journey starts in the attic with a magical suitcase full of tuxedos and it only gets weirder from there. An encounter with a confusing puppet and a mysterious mime are some of the obstacles the trio will have to clear if they want to make it home to a notebook full of new ideas.
Best Narrative Short (16-30 Minutes)
Narrative Short
United States
Runtime:
21 minutes
30 seconds
Director:
Lilly Boruszkowski
Whats a man to do when he wants to feed the birds but the squirrels keep stealing their food? Watch as Stan engineers a variety of devices to foil his furry opponents. Who will prevail in the battle of man versus squirrel?
Best Documentary Short (1-15 Minutes)
Documentary Short
United States
Runtime:
9 minutes
44 seconds
Director:
Lindsay Lindenbaum
Necking is a meditation on love, dating, and the longevity of relationships from the perspective of those who know the subject better than anyone elseour elders. In this film, well hear from three couples (all of whom have been married for over fifty years) and one widow as they muse over their relationships and offer some wise words about how to make a marriage work. These vignettes remind us that despite all the odds, true love really is still alive and kicking.
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT (16-30 MINUTES)
Documentary Short
United States
Runtime:
30 minutes
Director:
Susan Edwards
Marion Stoddart lived next to one of America's most polluted rivers and transformed herself from a 1960s housewife to a citizen leader and environmental hero honored by the United Nations. The Work of 1000 is the documentary film chronicling her life, achievements, setbacks, and unwavering belief that one person can make a difference in the world.
Best Documentary Short (31-60 Minutes)
Documentary Short
United States
Runtime:
55 minutes
Director:
Klaus Schneyder
It was in the late 70s that a youth culture evolved in the poorer parts of New York which combined several disciplines under the name of Hip Hop. Apart from the four classic elements of Graffiti writing, DJing, Breakdancing, and Rapping, the musical side of this culture was enhanced by a fifth element called 'Beatboxing'. From the hardship of poverty and the lack of instruments, a pioneer was inspired to imitate drum rhythms with his mouth - his brilliance creating the term 'Human Beatbox'. The documentary integrally covers a variety of musical technical abilities. Beatboxing has become a multilingual and diverse instrument applied in all genres of music. The documentary shows how this modern style of music has spread and how it continues to enrich the entertainment world.