2023 HUMANITARIAN AWARD WINNERS
The Humanitarian Award honors filmmakers who are bringing awareness to issues of Ecological, Political, Social Justice and Equality, Health and Wellness, Animals, Wildlife, Conservation and Spiritual importance while at the same time demonstrating excellence in storytelling and filmmaking craft. Congratulations to this year’s illustrious winners who are committed to making a difference in the world through memorable filmmaking. To read more about the award click here:
Michelle Danner – Miranda’s Victim
Navesink River Productions/ All In Films/ Michelle Danner (USA), Miranda’s Victim, Film Feature – “Miranda’s Victim” is the brilliant combination of a potent humanitarian message, a captivating script meeting exceptionally deft direction, beautiful technical craft and achingly authentic performances from a truly all-star cast. Led by Oscar-nominee Abigail Breslin, it’s 1963 when eighteen-year-old Trish Weir is kidnapped and brutally raped at knife-point. Committed to putting Ernesto Miranda in prison, Trish’s life is destroyed by America’s legal system as she triggers a law that transforms the Nation. Trish’s story provocatively unfolds from multiple angles, from her perspective and those of her family, the legal system and her attacker. Splendid and nuanced performances from Oscar-Nominee Andy Garcia as Miranda’s attorney, Honorary Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner the iconic Donald Sutherland as Judge Wren, Emmy-winner Luke Wilson as Weir’s kindly lawyer, Emmy-nominee and Golden Globe winner Kyle MacLachlan as Chief Justice Warren, skillfully portrayed emotions from Emily VanCamp (Revenge) as the supportive sister, Ryan Phillippe (Crash) as the slick ACLU attorney, Taryn Manning (Orange is the New Black) as the long-suffering common-law wife, Enrique Murciano (Without a Trace) as the dogged detective with a heart, Sebastian Quinn (NCIS) as Miranda, and an emotionally complex performance by Emmy-nominee Mireille Enos as her mother trying to protect her from the harsh realities of rape victims of her time.
Camille Hardman and Gary Lane (USA), Still Working 9 to 5, Documentary Feature – Skillfully using humor and entertainment to carry a larger message of inequality, sexism and discrimination still present today. When 9 to 5, exploded on the cinema screens in 1980, the laughs hid a serious message about women in the office. Still Working 9 to 5 explores why workplace inequality 40 years later is no longer a laughing matter, examining the correlation between what the original film began as – a cultural inflection point, and the subsequent evolution of the women’s movement. Compelling interviews with Oscar-winner Jane Fonda, Oscar-winner Dolly Parton, Oscar-nominee Lily Tomlin, Oscar-winner Rita Moreno, Oscar-winner Allison Janney and Emmy-winner Dabney Coleman.
Susan Kucera (USA), Wild Genius, Documentary Feature – Susan Kucera (USA), Wild Genius, Documentary Feature – Award-winning Kucera delivers a captivating, beautifully crafted and tight documentary with a mind-expanding message about evolutionary biology and human behavior. Featuring evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers, named by TIME magazine as “one of the greatest scientists of the 20th Century, the film explores his exceptional life, career, and mental health challenges. Trivers’ insights into human behavior, rooted in evolutionary biology, are presented as a liberating force. This thought-provoking documentary challenges societal norms and invites viewers to rethink their place in the world.
Nic Davis and Michel Shane, Shane Gang Pictures (USA), 21 Miles in Malibu, Documentary Feature – Emmy-winner Davis and Michel Shane present this documentary tracing Malibu’s history and the impact of the Pacific Coast Highway on its residents. It highlights the town’s dichotomy: an idyllic paradise torn by a high-speed highway. Through personal stories, it underscores the need for stricter regulations. The film blends loss, local history, and activism, questioning government indifference.
Nick Hayward and Chadden Hunter (Australia), The Platypus Guardian, Documentary Feature – 20x Emmy and BAFTA winning filmmaker and biologist Chadden Hunter (BBC Planet Earth) and talented Nick Hayward (Quoll Farm, The Message of the Lyrebird), Peter Walsh of Hobart turns personal hardship into a mission to protect the city’s platypus population. After a brain injury, he found solace by the Hobart rivulet, forming a bond with a platypus named Zoom. Using advanced camera tech, he reveals the challenges they face. When threats arise, Walsh leads a grassroots effort to save these unique creatures from extinction, showcasing a heartwarming yet urgent tale.
Oliver Goetzl (Germany), JUNGLE BOOK BEAR, Doc Feature – Narrated by Emmy, BAFTA and Peabody winner Sir David Attenborough this exceptional film by Oliver Goetzl proves that excellence in wildlife filmmaking is timeless and can be used to discover unknown information about species. An intimate portrait of Sloth Bears, showcasing never-before-seen behaviors. Filmmakers Goetzl and Ivo Nörenberg spent 200 days over three years in remote India to capture these moments, blending entertaining narrative with superb filming and sound design. The result is a superbly crafted and entertaining film, showcasing the best of wildlife filmmaking.
Mayo Clinic (USA), Finding Substance X: The Team That Created Cortisone, Health / Medicine / Science – Meticulously researched and superbly laid out, this doc tells the story of the discovery of cortisone – one of the greatest medical breakthrough in the 20th century. With excellent visuals and supporting graphics, archival footage and audio recordings. Purposefully scripted and tightly edited. From Mayo Clinic Heritage Films.
Angela Andersen and Claus Kleber (Germany), Utopia, Documentary Short – Big Tech has rapidly transformed our world, but with unintended risks. The tide is turning as concerns grow about the consequences of these tools. “UTOPIA” explores Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse and Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface, alongside plans for interplanetary escape.
Mark Street (Australia), Dig Deeper, Native Peoples – A sensitive portrayal of four divergent Aboriginal artists and how they use their personal stories and historical injustice as a driving force to break through and create internationally recognized urban art. Deft direction delivers a touching and intricate portrait of their lives, their successes and their struggles.
Luke Bradford and Korn Ferry (United Kingdom), Grace, Documentary Short – In 2018, trainee doctor Grace Spence-Green’s life changed forever. While walking through a London shopping center, she was struck by a man who had jumped from three floors above. The impact broke her back, injured her spinal cord, and fractured her neck. This film delves into Spence-Green’s journey of radical acceptance after this surreal and life-altering event.
Yunhong Pu (USA), GO THROUGH THE DARK, Documentary Feature
Anthony Sarracco (Canada), LAND OF THORNS, Documentary Feature
Deren Paul Abram (USA), Navajo Nation USA, Documentary Feature, Native Peoples
Vijaya Kumar R (India), Azhagiya Kanne, Asian, Social Justice
Eduardo Barrachina (Spain), Heroines of the Savannah, Nature / Environment / Wildlife
Taekyu Kwon (Korea), The Front Line, Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising
John Martin (United Arab Emirates), Sir Bu Nu’ayr Island – Nature’s Haven, Documentary Feature
Evgeniy Matvienko (Ukraine), Cherubim, Novel One, Documentary Short
Roy Medawar (USA), The Race of Our Lives, Documentary Feature
Zeberiah Newman (USA), Unexpected, Documentary Short
Natalya Omelchenko (Russia), ХОЧУ ТУДА / Concert for Mitya, Children / Family Programming
Khama Ennis (USA), Faces of Medicine, African-American
Red Cedar Films (United Kingdom), Eva, Documentary Feature
Esther Takac (Australia), THE NARROW BRIDGE, Documentary Feature
Jason Borkland (USA), The Time is Now, Documentary Short
Ryoya Terao (USA), 13 Driver’s Licenses, Jewish
Chientung Chung (Taiwan), Purple Crow Butterfly Highway, Documentary Short
Roman S. Koenig (USA), Red Blooded, Film Short
Andrew Jowett (USA), Win(d) Over Cancer, Documentary Short
Katharine Parsons (Canada), THE FIRE CATS – Save Something Small, Documentary Feature
Philip Richard Sugden (USA), Activismo: Art & Dissidence in Cuba, Documentary Short
Dragan Cotic (Germany), Assassination Orders from Belgrade, Documentary Feature
Isaac Brown, Ana Paula Habib and Stacey Goldring (USA), TRACES, Voices of the Second Generation, Jewish
Khiray Tyrell Richards (USA), Stork, Film Short
Diane Leslie Kaufman (USA), Marble Me Free, Disability Issues
Michael Barder (USA), The Drive, Disability Issues
Giovanni Coda (Italy), La Sposa nel Vento – The Bride in the Wind, Special Purpose Productions
AMARU (Netherlands), AMARU – Traces Of My Melanin, Music Video
Jerri Curry, Ph.D. (USA), A Storybook for Adults and Other Children: For Mental Health Professionals, Teachers and Families, Children / Family Program