FRIDAY, MARCH 1 – 7:15 PM
DREAMING OF A FREE PRESS
(10 MIN) Joe Gosen | 2022 | Doc | WA, USA
- A free and responsible press is the cornerstone of a strong and healthy democracy, but global declines in press freedom demonstrate that it remains a fragile institution. ‘Dreaming of a Free Press’ examines the state of journalism from the perspective of emerging Tunisian and American journalists, who represent the future of the field. The collaborative project between U.S. and Tunisian journalism faculty and students aimed at strengthening press freedom in the aftermath of Tunisia’s 2011 revolution. The project began in 2019, when students and professors from Western Washington University traveled to Tunisia to work with counterparts at the Institute for Press and Information Sciences. The students took part in discussions about the role of journalism in society and worked on reporting projects in the in the run-up to the 2019 Tunisian presidential elections. In 2022, the Tunisian delegation traveled to Detroit to participate in an international journalism and mass communication conference. While there, they interviewed scholars and professionals about the state of press freedom around the world.
AGAINST ALL ENEMIES
(104 MIN) Charlie Sadoff | 2023 | Doc | NY/USA
- Why would US military veterans take up arms against the country they swore an oath to protect? Against All Enemies explores the roots of political radicalization and its impact on democracy. Going deep inside violent extremist groups in America, with members of the Proud Boys, 3 Percenters and the Oath Keepers we learn that they are organized and led by highly-trained, highly-motivated military veterans – posing a great threat to the United States today. And while most veterans are successful in their transition to civilian life, after the longest wars in our nation’s history an increasingly radicalized element has been drawn into the insurrectionist movement. Against All Enemies is a powerful film that encourages us to consider our responsibility and how we can safeguard our democratic systems and prevent the spread of extremist ideologies.
- Taped Interview w/Filmmaker
SATURDAY, MARCH 2 – 4:15 PM
AM I NOT MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?
(30min) Nick Stanchev | 2022 | Nar | Bulgaria
- After a tough battle with the Russian army, a Ukrainian special forces soldier is rescued by a man of Bulgarian origin, but then faces serious resistance from the local community.
- Awards: Best European Nar Short ~ Sweet Democracy Film Awards, Cannes/France; Best Music & Best Short ~ Bridge Film Festival, Bulgaria; Best Short Drama ~ IndieX Festival, CA/USA; Honorable Mention ~ World Indie Films Awards, Italy.
- Trailer
THE PALMNICKEN TRAGEDY – AIFF BEST DOC FEATURE
(89 MIN) Andrey Proskuryakov | 2022 | Doc | Germany, Russia, Israel
- On the night of January 31, 1945, in the town of Palmnicken in East Prussia (now the settlement of Yantarny, Kaliningrad Region, Russia), Nazis shot on the seashore about 3,000 prisoners of the Stutthof concentration camp, mostly women and teenage girls. The advancing Soviet troops reached the execution site just one day after the execution.Three main characters of the film – Martin Bergau who was a member of the Hitler Youth in February 1945; Gunter Nitsch, an American writer of German descent; and Simcha Koplowicz, a descendant of the surviving prisoner Sheva Koplowicz – are recalling this story before our eyes.
- Director’s Statement: For me, this film began in the summer of 2016, when I met Kaliningrad journalist Alexander Aderikhin and learned of this strange and terrible event. At the time of our conversation witnesses of these events were still alive, but there were no traces of murder. A mass grave has disappeared – a mass grave of Jewish prisoners shot by the Nazis. I wanted to talk about the nature and the banality of evil. About what to do when the Motherland demands to kill. About people for whom killing was “just a job.” Unfortunately, since the moment we started making the film, the world has changed unrecognizably. But I am sure that this story not only has not lost its relevance, but has become even more necessary for this “brave new world”.
- Trailer
SATURDAY, MARCH 2 – 7:15 PM
PATRICK AND THE WHALE
(73 Min) Mark Fletcher | 2022 | Doc |Austria
- This film follows Patrick Dykstra’s personal journey and explores the psychology of a man who has sacrificed everything in his single-minded quest to connect with and understand one of the biggest creatures in the ocean. Devoting years to following these mammals, we share his experiences through his stunning underwater footage as he explores their nature, their intelligence, and their complexity.
- Awards: Best Cinematography Award, Eco Impact Award ~ Blue Water FF, CA/USA; Best Nature Doc ~ Innsbruck Nature Film Festival 2022, Austria; Sky Doc Award ~ Riviera International Film Festival 2023, Italy; Best Doc ~ Newport FF, CA/USA; Audience Choice Award ~ Mountainfilm International Filmfestival, Austria.
- Trailer
SUNDAY, MARCH 3 – 1:15 PM
THE SEQUER24/SQUARE 24
(9:24 MIN) Dyako Allahverdi | 2022 | Iran
- Having spent his youth in a war-torn city, a 70-year-old taxi driver is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He wants to prepare himself for the coming days when his illness becomes more severe.
Director’s Statement:” Not forgetting the suffering people in this corner of the world (Kurdistan).
The suffering of the elderly with Alzheimer’s… can it be a cure for those who have had a bitter and difficult past by erasing the past memories from their minds?” - Trailer
DEAR MEMORIES
(98 Min) Nahuel Lopez, Director| Germany/Switzerland | 2022 | Doc
- A journey with the legendary German Magnum photographer, Thomas Hoepker, one of the most important living photographers worldwide; his pictures became icons of photojournalism. After a 2017 diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, he embarks on his last one big dream – a road trip through the USA with his wife Christine. Hoepker, the man whose art has become part of the collective memory is now losing his own memories, all the while he continues to see life through his unique eyes and captures his visions on film for us to see.
- Trailer
SUNDAY, MARCH 3 – 4:15 PM
ESTRELLAS del DESIERTO/ Desert Lights – AIFF BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
(18:07 MIN) Katherina Harder Sacre | 2022 | Chile | Nar
- In the middle of Atacama Desert, Antay who is 12-years old sees his town disappearing due to the drought. Alongside his friends and their football team, they will try to hang on to the last sunrays, their childhood fragments and the ties with those who still resist.
- Awards: Best Fiction & Best Editing ~ Lenola Inventa un Film, Italy; Best Short ~ Cineco International Festival of Film and Ecology, Spain; Best Short ~ Latin American Short Film Festival Imagenesociales, Argentina; Best Short ~ Ischia Film Festival, Italy; Best Ibero-American Short Film ~ MICMX-Traveling MX Film Show, Mexico; Best Short Film Direction & Best Actor ~ Curta Taquary-National Festival of Curta Metragem, Brazil; Best Ibero-American Short ~ Skyline Benidorm Film Festival, Spain; Best Short Fil & Audience Award ~ Chilean Film Festival, Chile; Best Short ~ Ibero-American Miami Film Festival, USA; Best Short ~ Ñuble National Film Festival, Chile; Best Film ~ International Amity Short Film Festival, Turkey; Best Film ~ Latino and Iberian Film Festival at Yale, USA; et.al.
- Trailer
TO WHICH WE BELONG – AIFF BEST OF FESTIVAL
(90 Min) Pamela Tanner Boll & Lindsay Richardson | 2022 | USA | Doc
- Years of industrialized agriculture have been a major contributor to climate change. TO WHICH WE BELONG follows a new generation of farmers and ranchers who seek to rebuild their businesses and their planet by embracing the interconnectedness of living things. On land long depleted by mono-cultured crops, Trey Hill fills the fields with colorful tangles of plant life, revivifying the soil and bringing new richness to the harvest. In Chihuahua, Mexico ranchers like Alejandro Carrillo practice revolutionary techniques in cattle herding, carving out space for wildlife to thrive again. And off the coast of Connecticut, Bren Smith re-seeds the ocean with kelp, mussels, oysters, and scallops, restoring ecosystems ravaged by commercial fishing. Despite their difference in culture and location, these farmers and ranchers are rooted in the same belief: that to work with nature, not against it, is the answer. Science is showing that if we draw down enough carbon from the sky back into the soil through regenerative agricultural practices, we can actually reverse climate change bringing carbon dioxide down to pre-industrial revolution levels. So, now it’s our turn: to bring awareness and support to the ranchers and farmers doing the work to renew the earth through these simple, yet profound practices. TO WHICH WE BELONG tells the stories of nine farms and ranches going against the grain to bravely leave behind practices that are no longer profitable or sustainable. These unsung heroes just might save their livelihoods – and our world itself. And in this time of turmoil, it might be the best news you receive all year. A compelling argument that ALL IS NOT LOST AT THE MOMENT, and this Titanic of a problem can be steered toward the right path. Presenting real, common-sense conclusions that both benefit the environment and a starving global population in miraculous ways.
- Awards: Audience Choice Winner & Jury Award ~ Durango, CO/USA; Audience Award ~ Maui, HI/USA; Special Jury Award for Spirit of Activism ~ Livable Planet Film Festival, CA/USA.
- Trailer
- Taped interview w/Filmmakers Pamela Tanner Boll & Lindsay Richardson; moderated by April Ranck, Director of AIFF.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6 – 1:15 PM – INTERNATIONAL SHORTS PROGRAM
RESISTANCE, ANCESTRAL SPIRITA – IFF BEST SHORT DOC
(11:28 MIN) Juven Arcadio Piranga Valencia | 2021 | Doc | Colombia
- The life story of the cacique of the Coregulate Council, displaced in the city of Florencia. Their experiences reflect the experience of an entire community and their struggle to preserve their ancestry during a world that is hostile to theirs.
LA SOMBRA de los CUERVOS/THE SHADOW of the CROWS
(29:56 MIN) Elvira Barboza | 2022 | Nar | France
- 1986, in a village in France, Natalia, of Argentinean origin, is 11 years old when she discovers strange scars on her father’s body. From then on, the shadow of the past hangs over the daily life of the little girl whose childish gaze questions exile and the adult world.
- Awards: World Premiere Festival Cinematográfico Internacional del Uruguay; Honorable Mention ~ Jeunesse Tout Courts, France; Best Director ~ Filmets Badalona Film Festival, Spain; Audience Award ~ Festival Européen du film court de Brest, France; Honorable Mention ~ Festival del Cinema Ibero-Latino Americano di Trieste, Italy; Best International Fiction Award ~ Festival Internacional de Cine por los Derechos Humanos de Bogotá, Colombia; Best International Fiction Award & Best Script ~ Festival Internacional de Cine Rengo, Chile; Young Jury Award ~ Corto Dorico Film Fest, Italy; Best Female Award ~ Underexposed Film Festival, SC/USA; Best Short Film ~ ONE SHOT, International Short Film Festival, Armenia.
- Trailer
L’INNU du FUTURE/The Future Innu
(5:40min) Stéphane Nepton | 2021 | Exp | Canada
- An ode to the land in relation to his double identity as an urban Indigenous person. A story that is both personal and poetic.
- Trailer
WHEN I GET GROWN – REFLECTIONS of a FREEDOM RIDER
(30:50min) Chris Preitauer | 2022 | Doc | USA/CA
- Trauma experienced by a seven-year-old sets him on a course to become a civil rights legend and change the course of a nation.
- Awards: Best Short Doc ~ Harlem International Film Festival, USA; Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking ~ Roxbury Int’l Film Festival, USA; Best Doc Short ~ Coronado Island Film Festival, USA; Audience Choice ~ Coronado Island Film Festival, USA; Most Inspiring ~ NewsFest Film Festival, USA; Best Short Doc ~ Stockholm City Film Festival, Sweden.
- Trailer
SEEDS OF CHANGE
(26:46min) Maximilian Armstrong | 2023 | Doc | USA/ME
- An organic Farmer in Maine sets out to transform the prison food system. Seeds of Change captures the intersecting stories of life-long farmer Mark McBrine and several incarcerated men as they harvest their own meals from a five-acre prison garden unlike any other.
- Trailer
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6 – 4:15 PM
POWERING PUERTO RICO – AIFF Outstanding MA Filmmaker Award
(41min) Adam Fischer | 2022 | Doc | USA/MA
- Puerto Rico, 2017: It all started with a storm and a car battery. Eugene Smotkin, a Northeastern University professor, was home in San Juan for the summer when Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico leaving 3 million+ people without electricity. Back on campus, Smotkin had an idea and set about to test an experiment with his class, giving back electricity to a neglected energy populace at a fraction of the current cost. This is a film about Puerto Rico’s resilience through hardship—and one man’s ingenuity in bringing power to the masses
- Trailer
- Q&A with Filmmaker Adam Fisher and taped interview w/Professor Smotkin moderated by April Ranck, Director of AIFF.
THURSDAY, MARCH 7 – 7:15 PM – INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION SHORTS
HOLY HOLOCAUST
(17:22min) Osi Wald, Noa Berman-Herzberg | 2021 | Anim | Israel
- An unusual relationship between a white Israeli woman and a black German woman, who for 22 years believed that their friendship could easily rise above historical & political obstacles, until horrifying family secrets are revealed and explode right in their sarcastic faces.
- Awards: Best Animation ~ Jerusalem Int’l FF, Israel; Best Film ~ Israeli Short Film Competition Jerusalem Jewish FF, Israel; Best Based on His/Her Story Award ~ Rising of Lusitania AnimaDoc FF, Poland; Best Animation ~ Landshut Short FF, Germany; Best Animation ~ Hayah Panama Int’l Short FF, Panama; Best Short Doc ~ Centre FF, PA/USA; Best Animation ~ Chelsea Int’l FF, NY/USA; Special Jury Mention ~ New Delhi FF, India; Grand Prize for the Hearts, Minds, Souls Award ~ Flickers’ RI Int’l FF, RI/USA.
- Trailer
HISTORIE POUR 2 TROMPETTS / A STORY FOR 2 TRUMPETS
(5:26min) Amandine Meyer | 2022 | Anim | France
- Initiatory and intimate story in which the author tells, in the form of a tale, the key stages of her construction as a woman and artist.
- Trailer
PHONORAMA
(12:40min) Alex Rey | 2022| Anim | Spain
- Jose Antonio is about to enjoy a pleasant afternoon of reading, confined to his wheelchair, in his apartment in Manhattan. But a dark and terrible force is about to turn his world upside down. And it is that no one can escape the destructive power of Phonorama…
- Awards: World Premiere ~ Festival de Cine de Alicante, Spain; Best Short ~ Certamen de Cortometrajes de Crevillent, Spain; Best Short ~ Festival Internacional de Cine de Sax, Spain; Best Short ~ Ribadedeva en Corto-REC, Spain; Best Animation ~ Certamen Nacional de Creación Audiovisual de Cabra, Spain; Best Animation ~ El Rodeo Film Fest, Spain; Best Animation & Audience Award ~ RIR, Festival Internacional de Curtametraxes de Comedia, Spain; Audience Choice ~ Concurso de Cortos B-Retina, Spain; Best Valencian Short ~ Cortoons Gandía, Spain; Honorable Jury Mention ~ Festival Internacional de Cine Fantástico de Elche – FANTAELX, Spain; Best Director ~ Humor en Corto Arrigorriaga, Spain; Best Short & Best Script ~ Madrid, Sci-Fi Film Festival, Spain; et al.
- Trailer
STAR MARKET
(2:11min) Elias Mallette, Zach Hoban | 2021 | Anim | USA/MA
- The (condensed) history of Greater Boston based supermarket chain, Star Market.
- Awards: Best Art Direction Winner ~ New England Emmy Awards, Boston, MA.
- Trailer
WHERE THE WINDS DIE
(12:54min) Pejman Alipour | 2022 | Anim | Iran
- Sardasht is a Kurdish city in the west of Iran that was victim to chemical weapons – mustard gas bombs hit at 4:15 PM on Sunday, June 28, 1987. This film is about a romantic relationship that began before the bombing and after – the effects of the post-war.
- Awards: Best Exp Animation, NJ Film Awards ~ NJ.USA; Award of Excellence ~ Impact Docs Awards, USA.
- Trailer
A GUERRA FINITA / ONCE WAR IS OVER
(5:00min) Simone Massi | 2022 | Anim | Italy
- A world without war is a utopia that we can no longer wait for.
- Awards: 1st Prize ~ Premio Lenola Inventa un Film, Italy; Best Animation ~ Scrittura E Immagine Corto Film Festival, Italy; Best Animation ~ Andaras Traveling Film Festival, Italy; Special Jury Mention ~ International Film Festival of Animation Cinema and Comics – Cartoon Club, Italy; Best Short ~ El Ojo Iluso, Venezuela; Silver Prize ~ Cyber Sousa Ziamen International Animation Festival, People’s Republic of China; Second Place ~ Tayf International Short Film Festival, Turkey; Best Animated Short ~ Concours de Courts – Concours International de Courts Metrages a Toulouse, France, among numerous international screenings.
- Trailer
DISCUSSIONS ANIMEES ENTRE ENTENDEURS DE VOIX – CIRANDA FELTICEIRA
Animated Discussions Between Voice Hearers
AIFF BEST ANIMATION SHORT
(12:12min) Tristan Thil | 2022 | Doc/Anim | France
- Instead of schizophrenics, they prefer the term voice hearers. Twice a month, they meet with Virginia. She has created and runs a discussion group for people suffering from this disease, which is considered incurable and whose name alone embodies all the fantasies about madness. With her, they tell the story of their lives with voices in their heads.
- Trailer