2012 Winners

Between Two Rivers is a new documentary film about Cairo, Illinois, a historic town with a dark and troubled past, located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, in the heartland of America. Filmed, edited and directed by artists Jacob Cartwright and Nick Jordan, Between Two Rivers offers a remarkable insight into a community struggling with severe economic, social and environmental pressures.

Hip Hop Maestro begins with an overture of kinetic concert footage that reveals linebacker sized maestro, Geoff Double G Gallegos, his symphony, Reepus II in A Minor, and the young, vibrant Los Angeles musicians who willingly give their time and talent to this orchestra known as daKAH. Told in first person narration, Double G chronicles his amazing journey as a young composer whose epic vision of bringing elements of hip hop, jazz, funk and reggae into the symphonic audience despite great odds- a.k.a no $. In three movements, this daKUMENTARY shall demonstrate how Double Gs unique leadership and single- minded determination propels daKAH from the Los Angeles nightclub scene to the magnificent stage at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Ana Nogueira is a white South African and Eron Davidson a Jewish Israeli. Drawing on their first-hand knowledge of the issues, the producers take a close look at the apartheid comparison often used to describe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Their film breaks down the rhetorical analogy into a fact-based comparison, noting where the analogy is useful and appropriate, and where it is not. There are many lessons to draw from the South African experience relevant to conflicts all over the world. This film is as much a historical document of the rise and fall of apartheid, as it is a film about why many Palestinians feel they are living in an apartheid system today, and why an increasing number of people around the world agree with them.

Marcy Meyers is down on her luck. Faced with piling bills, the remnants of a failed marriage, and now an imminent home foreclosure, she has nowhere to turn but to the hope of a miracle. That miracle she find in Shoot the Moon, a national game show that promises a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win it all. But Marcy's faith in the show comes with a price as her relationship with her daughter, Alice, is put to the test as the clock ticks towards a seemingly inescapable fate. Shoot the Moon tells the story of miracles and the extraordinary places they're found.

Seeking escape from his stalled relationship and unhappy place in the world, a recently pink-slipped music teacher sets out to hike Kentucky's Sheltowee Trace Trail. Among the verdant hills of Appalachia, he encounters various strange characters and becomes the reluctant companion of a gregarious father and son who ultimately help him rediscover what he's been missing.

Livin' for a Song is a feature length documentary on the life and music of legendary Nashville songwriter Hank Cochran. A remarkable story that starts in the cotton fields of Mississippi then moves on to California where he partnered with Rock legend Eddie Cochran for much of the 50s then on to Nashville in 1960 where he wrote classics such as 'Make the World Go Away', 'I Fall to Pieces', 'She's Got You' and many more. The film includes intimate performances by Elvis Costello, Brad Paisley, Lee Ann Womack, Ronnie Milsap and others as well as appearances by Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Jeannie Seely to name just a few. After watching this film you will understand why they called Hank: 'The Legend'.