Summer 2023: A Show For A Change Film Festival Winners
September 20, 2023
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Jared Milrad, Founder and President
Movikarma
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MOVIKARMA ANNOUNCES SUMMER 2023 AWARD WINNERS FOR SOCIAL IMPACT FILMS
Los Angeles, CA – September 20, 2023 – Movikarma, a leading nonprofit organization that empowers underrepresented talent and spotlights impactful stories, today announced several winners for its A Show For A Change Film Festival, celebrating social impact films from around the world. The awarded films include projects that address a variety of social impact issues and were created by celebrated global filmmakers.
“We’re proud to recognize these powerful films that advance the important causes of our time,” said Jared Milrad, Founder and President of Movikarma. “Our festival continues to attract a strong diversity of socially conscious films from around the world. This season’s awarded films address timely causes, including animal welfare, human rights, mental health, and much more.”
This season’s winners include:
The All Is One. Directed by Tobias Schönenberg. Social Impact Award
Slaughterhouse owner Werner Haas has a ton of slaughter waste dumped on his front lawn in the middle of the night. Fuming mad, he files charges against unknown persons and foolishly sets something in motion that can’t be stopped.
The American Alien. Directed by Rodrigo Rodriguez. Cinematography Award
The American Alien is the absurd journey of a Grey Alien who gets caught at the US - Mexican border and is processed into the US immigration system.
His fellow detainees can see that he is “not one of us” and the US bureaucracy only sees a small brown skinned boy. He befriends Yesenia, a seven year old El Salvadoran girl who has been separated from her Mother. The two navigate the bazaar bureaucratic world of the asylum seeking migrant.
Arcade. Directed by Erica Travia. Creativity Award
Arcade is a gripping 2D animated short film that delves into the heavy theme of anxiety and panic experienced by a college student named Milo. The film follows Milo as he is relentlessly pursued by a manifestation of his anxiety known as Annie. Annie's torment becomes so intense that Milo is unable to sleep, eat, or even use the bathroom. However, Milo eventually finds comfort in the arcade, only to discover that he can't escape his fears so easily. Annie takes over the arcade and turns it into a psychedelic nightmare. Will Milo ever be able to break free from this madness?
Fenceline. Directed by Ria Salway & Claire Sullivan. Best Non-Fiction Award
Louisiana’s Cancer Alley is an 84-mile petrochemical corridor that stretches along the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Residents in the area have long voiced concerns over high cancer rates, which they connect to the excessive pollution that surrounds them. However, local concerns have long been ignored by local and state leaders, with industry leaders dismissing “Cancer Alley” as a myth. Fenceline combines the expertise of several activists, scientists, and residents who live and work in Cancer Alley to explain the history of the region and the problems that plague it.
The Little Pirate Maid. Directed by Luke Beatrice. Spotlight Award
The Little Piratemaid is about what it’s like to discover yourself as a trans person in a cis-normative world—even if that world is one of pirates and mermaids! This short film focuses on the moments of realization, the initial stages of transition, and the courage it takes for a little pirate girl to simply be herself.
Quotes from the Award Winning Filmmakers
"The All Is One provokes a discussion on whether we humans should continue to eat meat, but just on the ethical side. This film was made for meat eaters as well as non meat eaters. It's entertaining, describes the situation in Germany (of a global topical issue) and offers a wide range of opinions and attitudes, thus stimulating lasting reflection. For many years, scientific studies have shown that reduced meat consumption has a positive effect on our climate and our health. Even if meat consumption is increasing worldwide, many consumers are willing to change their consumption behavior in order to protect the climate and animals. However, the changes in consumption are useless if production remains the same. We know that our film is just a small push in a direction that needs to be continued on a completely different level. Political and economic conditions must change to limit global warming to 1.5°C. We hope the film gets enough attention to spark further debate. Thank you very much for your support and the award. It is a great honor for us and recognizes our work. Keep up the great work!“
Tobby Holzinger, Producer, The All Is One
“It is an honor to be picked as a winner by the Show For A Change Film Festival. Our film focuses on changing perspectives, of just what an undocumented person's journey is like in the US, even if they are a Grey Alien. And congratulations to our cinematographer, Carlos Diaz Munoz who did an amazing job shooting this film with anamorphic lenses.”
Rodrigo Rodriquez, Director, The American Alien
“I am honored that Arcade received the creativity award. I want to thank the Arcade crew, our friends, and families for making this film a reality. Mental health is a topic that holds great importance for me, particularly given everything that's happening in the world today. I wanted Arcade to serve as a means of shedding light on this vital subject. Taking care of one's mental health is critical for everyone, and my personal experiences have taught me just how crucial it is. While mental health is frequently discussed, I believe it isn't discussed enough. Additionally, I wanted to emphasize that anxiety or any other mental disorder doesn't magically disappear if you talk about it once -- it's a lengthy process. However, with the help of family and friends, you won't feel alone during this process. This is why I was so devoted to creating Arcade; I want the audience to understand that it's okay not to be okay.”
Erica Travia, Director, Arcade
"We are grateful for this award from such an empowering film festival. Residents in Louisiana's Cancer Alley have complained for years that the emissions from plants are responsible for their alarming rates of cancer, respiratory illnesses, and other health problems. This film seeks to highlight those disparate health effects impacting the region's predominately Black residents and also the misinformation spread by political actors around the pollution."
Ria Salway, Co-Director, Fenceline
"Prejudice is a daunting foe to face, but the support of even one friend can help see you onward. I'm so grateful to A Show for Change for shining a spotlight on my little pirate maid so she and her friends can go on to spread acceptance."
Luke Beatrice, Director, The Little Pirate Maid
Submissions are now being accepted for the next cycle of A Show For A Change Film Festival. Apply here.
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