Last Stand: Saving the Elwha River’s Legacy Forests – dir. Dan Herz

(FINALIST)

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Original Film Title: Last Stand: Saving the Elwha River’s Legacy Forests

Director’s Name: Dan Herz

Writer’s Name: Dan Herz

Producer: Missy Lahren, Karie Crisp, Julia Jackson, Russell Long, Meg Ruxton, Mary Evelyn Tucker, Tillie Walton

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 22 minutes 38 seconds

Film Description:

When a large, ecologically sensitive legacy forest in the heart of the Elwha River Watershed was identified for harvest, the Earth Law Center, Keystone Species Alliance, and Center for Whale Research began using all legal means possible against the Washington State Department of Natural Resources in an attempt to halt the impending clear-cut. Through breathtaking cinematography and intimate interviews, witness the profound beauty and ecological significance of the watershed, as well as the dire consequences of unchecked deforestation.

Against the backdrop of stunning landscapes and stirring testimonials, “Last Stand: Saving the Elwha River’s Legacy Forests” captures the urgency of the environmental crisis and the power of grassroots activism to effect positive change. In the face of unbalanced resource extraction, the film serves as a poignant reminder of the Olympic Peninsula’s interconnected ecosystem and our duty to protect and preserve the natural wonders that sustain us all.

Holger F. -Simple Love – dir. Thomas Schwendemann

(FINALIST)

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Original Film Title: Holger F. -Simple Love

Director’s Name: Thomas Schwendemann

Writer’s Name: Rüdiger Bach

Producer: Rüdiger Bach

Country of Origin: Germany

Country of Filming: Germany

Language: German

Runtime: 29 minutes 36 seconds

Film Description:

Holger F. Is in his Fifties, he lives the First Time in his own flat. And then suddenly he meets Tim, much younger than him. A Great Love. But They can‘t stay together. They Go away from each other as Friends. Thats Life. And for Holger and Tim no Reason to be sad.

This Time – dir. Sean Mallory

(HONORABLE MENTION)

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Original Film Title: This Time

Director’s Name: Sean Mallory

Writer’s Name: Ron Weisberg

Producer: Sean Mallory, Coby Dax, James Wright

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 8 minutes 13 seconds

Film Description:

She will move heaven and hell just for one more dinner with dad, mostly hell.

THE GREAT VANISHING: PART IV – dir. Ria T. DiLullo

(FINALIST)

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Original Film Title: THE GREAT VANISHING: PART IV

Director’s Name: Ria T. DiLullo

Writer’s Name: Emily Claire Schmitt, Art Kopsichke, Joshua Young

Producer: Nora De Broder

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 40 minutes 49 seconds

Film Description:

Ancient monuments are vanishing, one by one. Individually attempting to uncover the mystery is news reporter Nigel Anderson Cole and a 20-something spiritualist named Abby. “The Great Vanishing: Part IV” is a pandemic-era mystery noir that follows the lives of individuals experiencing strange events, from body takeovers to phone calls from the dead.

The Hills Stop – dir. Ming Chuan Fu

(HONORABLE MENTION)

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Original Film Title: The Hills Stop

Director’s Name: Ming Chuan Fu

Writer’s Name: Ming Chuan Fu

Producer: Ming Chuan Fu

Country of Origin: Taiwan

Country of Filming: Taiwan

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Runtime: 29 minutes 20 seconds

Film Description:

The male protagonist Youping leverages his personal connections to secure discharge from the military. After leaving, he seeks entertainment with the female protagonist Chenyin, only to inadvertently fall into her revenge plot. To his surprise, Youping turns out to be the son of the man who persecuted her father years ago.

Límites – dir. Angel Pan, Manuel Muñoz

(FINALIST)

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Original Film Title: Límites

Director’s Name: Angel Pan, Manuel Muñoz

Writer’s Name: Angel Pan, Alvaro Panadero

Producer: Angel Pan

Country of Origin: Spain

Country of Filming: Spain

Language: Spanish

Runtime: 20 minutes

Film Description:

El inspector Andrés Yáng se encuentra en la disyuntiva de comunicar a su hijo, Miguel,
que mantiene desde hace un año, una relación con una mujer española, Alba. Tras una
apasionada noche con ella, olvidará ir a recoger al colegio a Miguel; el pequeño será
secuestrado por la banda de Dimitri Góbulev, un capo ruso al que Andrés lleva tiempo
intentando meter entre rejas. Góbulev promete liberar a Miguel, siempre y cuando,
Andrés liquide a la fiscal que quiere llevarlo ante la justicia, que no es otra que Alba. El
inspector se encontrará entre la espada y la pared, habiendo de decantarse si ha de salvar
la vida de su hijo, aunque ello implique acabar con la de la mujer a la que ama.

THE CAPTIVE – dir. Alexander Ku

(HONORABLE MENTION)

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Original Film Title: THE CAPTIVE

Director’s Name: Alexander Ku

Writer’s Name: Alexander Ku

Producer: Alexander Ku

Country of Origin: Australia

Country of Filming: Australia

Language: English

Runtime: 15 minutes

Film Description:

Two men Simon and Dennis meet online for a real time hook-up. What happens blurs the lines between desire and manipulation, as events fold into a dangerous baiting struggle.

Too fat to love – dir. Amund Sigurdssønn Karlsen, Fanny Homlung

(Actor WINNER)

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Original Film Title: Too fat to love

Director’s Name: Amund Sigurdssønn Karlsen, Fanny Homlung

Writer’s Name: Amund Sigurdssønn Karlsen

Producer: Amund Sigurdssønn Karlsen, Nicholas Iles, Marius Næss

Country of Origin: Norway

Country of Filming: Norway

Language: Norwegian

Runtime: 27 minutes 30 seconds

Film Description:

Erik is 34 years old and very obese. A man past his prime, who, according to the norms of society should have both a partner and children by now. He worries about the future and overeating becomes his comfort. He strongly believes that he is living in a society where people who are overweight are labeled as defective goods, and where it is difficult to live a normal life, especially when it comes to dating. He is torn between his eating disorders and his desire to lose weight and become a better version of himself. His nutritionist, Lisa, is his closest confidant, and together they talk about weight, food, life and dating. Erik is ready to find true love, and he is maybe especially ready to satisfy his lust for sex. One night he is at a bar, alone, and his life takes an unexpected turn when Benjamin offers him a drink.