Category: BEST DOCUMENTARY -2024 ARFF BARCELONA

Original Film Title: Adeus, Berlim!

Director’s Name: Diego Maia da Silva

Writer’s Name: Diego Maia da Silva

Producer: Diego Maia da Silva

Country of Origin: Brazil

Country of Filming: Germany

Language: Portuguese

Runtime: 8 minutes 6 seconds

Film Description:

A couple decides to move from São Paulo to Berlin in pursue of a new life during the covid-19 pandemic. But along the way they found out that immigration is not always about what one expects.

Original Film Title: Bosé Reborn

Director’s Name: Pite Piñas, María Pulido

Writer’s Name: María Fernández, Boris Izaguirre,

Producer: Macarena Rey, Ana Rivas, Jorge Ortiz Landázuri

Country of Origin: Spain

Country of Filming: Spain

Language: Spanish

Runtime: 59 minutes 28 seconds

Film Description:

Throughout this documentary, Miguel Bose will let us know unknown moments of his incredible life. Miguel Will go through his life, deeping into his most important moments, the ones which have affected to his Personal development. We’ll celebrate his successes but we’ll also speak about the most anguished moments, the healed wounds and the ones that remain open.
Thanks to the testimony of his friends, family and colleagues, we Will meet a close and intimate Miguel, as we have never seen him before.

Original Film Title: Common Ground

Director’s Name: Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell

Writer’s Name: Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell, Johnny O’Hara

Producer: Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell, Eric Dillon

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes

Film Description:

COMMON GROUND, which features appearances and narration by Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Rosario Dawson, Ian Somerhalder and Woody Harrelson, is the highly anticipated follow up film to Kiss the Ground, also directed by the Tickell’s, which is narrated by Woody Harrelson and won over 75 major film festival awards before being seen by over 100 million viewers on major streaming platforms globally.
COMMON GROUND is the hopeful and uplifting story of the pioneers of the “Regenerative Movement” who produce tremendous quantities of nutritionally dense food and are working to balance the climate – all while bringing our entire ecosystem back to life. The film explores how Americans from different walks of life, different political backgrounds and different parts of the country share one thing in common – the very soil beneath their feet. The film investigates the power of “regenerative” farming systems – from large to small scale farmers who are the champions of soil health as the key to unlocking more (and healthier) food to feed America and the world.

Original Film Title: The Last Bumblebee

Director’s Name: Jack Winch, Janice Overbeck

Writer’s Name: Jack Winch, Janice Overbeck

Producer: Jack Winch

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: Netherlands, United States

Language: English

Runtime: 1 hour 21 minutes

Film Description:

The bumblebee species referred to as “Franklin’s Bumblebee” was last seen in 2006 in the mountainous region of Ashland, Oregon. Since its last sighting, search teams have been looking yearly for the bee, in hopes of finding the species alive and well. Franklin’s Bumblebee has since been put on the Endangered Species List, but as teams struggle to locate it, concerns of their extinction have arisen. This has been a trend for other species of bumblebees over the past 30 years and researchers want to know why. This film dives deep into the journey of finding Franklin’s Bumblebee, and offers viewers solutions to help these important pollinators thrive.

This is Jack & Janice’s second collaboration together following their debut film, “Plastic Earth”. “Plastic Earth” was distributed by Gravitas Ventures and released in February 2023 in North America and Canada. It is set to be released on Kanopy’s platform in November of 2023 to reach a wider public and academic audience.

Jack has been making films professionally since 1999. In addition to the IMDB credits listed, he has been involved with countless other projects not listed as a cinematographer, editor, director, or producer.

Original Film Title: Fatma

Director’s Name: Bethan Juliet Gilmartin

Writer’s Name: Bethan Juliet Gilmartin

Producer: Bethan Juliet Gilmartin

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Country of Filming: Finland

Language: English, Finnish, Persian

Runtime: 1 hour 16 minutes

Film Description:

Fatma Hajizadeh’s childhood was spent as an asylum seeker after her family fled Afghanistan in 1995. They arrived into Finland as quota refugees in 2005. This is her story as a boxer, nurse and dedicated family member yet also as a transformed and empowered immigrant who worked hard to recover from her past. This film looks at integration into her host country and points out changes that need to be made through her unique perspective and brings in supporting statements from family and the community.

Original Film Title: MoveMe South Africa

Director’s Name: Briana Evigan, Maynard Kraak

Writer’s Name: Briana Evigan, Molly Birchmore

Producer: Briana Evigan, Stuart Newton

Country of Origin: South Africa

Country of Filming: South Africa

Language: English, Tonga (Zambia)

Runtime: 56 minutes

Film Description:

In the heartwarming and inspiring tale of creating “Abundant Village,” an American woman seeks solace and purpose in the vast landscapes of rural South Africa, leaving behind the toxic world of Hollywood. Here, she discovers not only the raw talent and indomitable spirit of the local community but also an unbreakable and rare connection with the Shangaan King.

United by compassion and courage, the unlikely duo embarks on a transformative journey to bring hope to those living amidst immense hardships. Together, they co-found “Abundant Village,” a visionary concept focused on sustainable solutions for basic human needs and empowering women who have long been marginalized.

Drawing strength from the wisdom of local leaders, they set out to rebuild struggling communities, fight against rampant poaching, and dismantle organized crime. Through their unwavering commitment to human connection, they discover a shared purpose in protecting not only people but also animals and the planet itself.

MoveMe South Africa is a riveting story of spirit and justice, proving that individuals from different worlds can unite to uplift and empower others. As the bonds between cultures and backgrounds are forged, the project becomes a beacon of hope, illustrating the remarkable impact human compassion can have on transforming lives and building a brighter future for all.

Original Film Title: Mothers – Diaries of a Quarantine – dir. Manuela Berlanga

Director’s Name: Manuela Berlanga

Writer’s Name: Manuela Berlanga

Producer: Claudia Stancev, Silvana Princival, Suyan Mariotti

Country of Origin: Brazil

Country of Filming: Argentina, Brazil, China, Finland, United States

Language: English, Finnish, Portuguese, Spanish

Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes

Film Description:

March 2020 and COVID-19 hits every family in the world. One of the groups most affected by this chaos are mothers – but it’s not something that was televised, it’s something they lived through alone.

The documentary “Mothers: Quarantine Diaries” follows the journey of sixteen mothers, who have different social classes and different family structures, as they face the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film documents their emotional and physical struggles to take care of their families, educate their children at home, and maintain their careers amidst the unpredictable changes caused by the virus.

Within this new reality, old concepts are reinforced, where it is assumed that women are responsible for domestic activities. Overloaded and, even if accompanied, these women feel completely alone. The trajectory of these women invites us to look closely at our relationships with our mothers, children and close friends.

Original Film Title: Vaklush

Director’s Name: Nikolay Vladimirov Vasilev

Writer’s Name: Nikolay Vladimirov Vasilev, Lilia Vulkova Angelova, Tanya Cheshmedjieva

Producer: Nikolay Vladimirov Vasilev

Country of Origin: Bulgaria

Country of Filming: Bulgaria

Language: Bulgarian

Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

Film Description:

“Vaklush” is a documentary, filmed during the period of 1998 until 2022 and contains unseen archival footage from the life of the famous spiritual leader and Teacher Vaklush Tolev. The film is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of his birth and is a story about the life path and ideas of one of the most enigmatic personalities of Bulgaria.

Vaklush Tolev is a theologian by education, lecturer and author of numerous volumes on religious, philosophical, cultural and historical topics. Having gone through the prisons and camps of the communist regime, for him suffering does not exist, but is rather development. Persecuted by the repressive State Security authorities as an “enemy of the people,” he insists that evil does not exist, but is rather unevolved good. A graduate theologian, he comes to the idea that man is not a sinner, as religions teach, but a god in evolution.

After the fall of communism in Bulgaria in 1989, he was invited to teach at Plovdiv and Sofia universities. There, in his lectures on the history of religions, he often reminded his students of the inscription on the temple of Delphi; “Know thyself and thou shalt know the gods and the world.” He himself experienced this knowledge and formulated his own teaching, which he called “The Way of Wisdom”.

Original Film Title: The Dreamers

Director’s Name: Ruslan Saliev

Writer’s Name: Ruslan Saliev

Producer: Sherzod Umarov

Country of Origin: Uzbekistan

Country of Filming: Turkey, Uzbekistan

Language: English, Russian, Uzbek

Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes

Film Description:

This dramatic documentary reveals the history of Central-Asian modernists who were repressed, imprisoned and executed during Stalin’s Great Purge.

Original Film Title: Aurora & Salvatore

Director’s Name: Tom Hamilton

Writer’s Name:Tom Hamilton

Producer: Tom Hamilton

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Country of Filming: United Kingdom

Language: English, Italian

Runtime: 14 minutes

Film Description:

After losing her husband in 1980 and leaving her behind with their three children aged just 17, 13 and 4, Aurora has found solace in powering through the adversity, despite the loneliness and struggle endured along the way.