2012 DocMiami WINNERS

BEST FEATURE	WHO CARES is a 92-minute High Definition feature documentary about social entrepreneurs around the world. People who are making changes, bringing solutions, generating huge social impact and most of all, inspiring people to do the same. A film that searches the world for brilliant people with simple solutions to the hard global issues.Social Entrepreneurship is a relatively new movement and still raises questions. People still get confused regarding the notions of philanthropy and social activism. So we've decided to make a movie that really dives into the soul of social entrepreneurs. The film weaves together the stories of the 18 most important social entrepreneurs from all around the globe, diverse in ages, ethnicities, cultures, geographically, who each began with a small simple idea that grows and grows to improve the lives of millions of people. In WHO CARES these extraordinary people share openly the feelings that motivated their initial idea, the challenges they faced, and what they have learned in the process. In collaboration with Ashoka, the first organization to recognize and support social entrepreneurship, Mamo Filmes wishes to create a web-based platform that will make the film WHO CARES easily accessible to educational institutions and other places of learning around the world.We want this film to encourage a global movement of changemakers; we need to share these stories and inspire others now, before we destroy the earth and each other. The movie mixes interviews, images of their social work and computer graphics creating a very dynamic feature.
BEST SHORT	Young filmmaker, Matthew J. Evans, takes a look at one of the most pressing issues in our modern society: violence among religions. Through discussions with Arun Gandhi, grandson of M.K. Gandhi, and local religious leaders from the Central Coast of California, Matthew learns powerful lessons about nonviolence, acceptance, and cultural understanding. As Gandhi has said, 'We must become the change we wish to see in our world!' This film helps us understand how we can make these changes.
BEST CONTEMPORY	Bassam and Rami, a Palestinian and Israeli, were once dedicated fighters willing to kill and be killed by one another for the sake of their nations. Yet each one of them came face to face with the price of war when their daughters were killed in the conflict. Left with the excruciating pain of bereavement, they chose to do the unexpected. They set out on a joint journey to humanize the very enemy, which took the dearest thing from them and prevent the vicious cycle of retaliation in themselves and their societies. Along the way they reveal the friendship and humor that keeps them alive.The film follows their two parallel stories and the moments where they converge, both in their personal experiences and peace work as they face their shattered families, confused communities and opposing society. This is a critical junction in both their lives, as their life mission and personal agendas clash and they stand the biggest test to their friendship
MOST ENTERTAINING	Noseland is a humorous ode to the world of classical music and some of its star musicians. Although it is a feature length documentary, it crosses genres into fiction and comedy.The world famous violinist with a nose fetish, Julian Rachlin, takes over the town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, every year to bring together some of the world's greatest musicians, actors and composers and create a unique two week long classical music festival. His oldest friend, the violinist, composer and "wanna-be" filmmaker Aleksey Igudesman offers to make a documentary film that will take an 'inside look' at this "fairytale" festival but things seem to go wrong pretty much from the start.Finding himself in the role of a somewhat oblivious producer, Rachlin watches the documentary fall apart in front of his eyes, as Igudesman manages to offend every one of the artists he interviews. By the time John Malkovich starts ranting about how much Rachlin "sucks" and all classical musicians are depicted as "gay", Rachlin realizes that this is not quite what he expected.
MOST INSPIRATIONAL	Over seven years ago I started an artistic venture of interviewing extraordinary individuals on specific questions that are at the core of human fulfillment: Purpose, Love, the Best and Worst of life, Intimacy, God, Religions and Spirit. Many of these candid interviews are the only ones ever recorded and a few of these individuals have now passed away. What resulted was over 100 hours of in-depth study of the human condition; what is key to fulfillment and joy, and what causes separation. The interviews are filled with moments of self reflection, cognitive authority and insight, laughter, tenderness, tears, authenticity and joy.After over one thousand hours of dissecting these recorded discussions, I wove these interviews into a dialogue that reveals the elements of consciousness and personal responsibility that are required to perpetuate widespread human joy. I funded every dollar of this film solely, and with only one agenda; to spread compassion and drive consciousness evolution - to bring people together.
BEST HISTORICAL	Step into the extraordinary life of a Chinese immigrant who overcame challenges as early as childhood, eventually making a life for himself one that would touch the lives of many others around the world. It all started with a simple dream and today, the dream lives on. This family-authorized biography follows the path of a young boy who learns the value of hard work and perseverance through kung fu, escapes the harshness of political oppression, bravely ventures out on his own, and embraces opportunity in a new land. Watch the beginning of an eager martial arts instructor in 1960s Boston, Massachusetts, open his own Kung Fu school, and start to spread the tradition, always maintaining the original fundamentals and values he learned as a boy. Pui would finally realize his dream of building the first authentic Chinese martial arts temple in America as a tribute to his kung fu master.  The now highly recognized Grandmaster Pui Chan, 6th generation successor of the Wah Lum Kung Fu System, is one of the pioneers responsible for bringing traditional Kung Fu to America, and leads an internationally renowned martial arts school and system across the world. Fifty years later, Pui's eldest daughter and successor Mimi confronts a new set of challenges, trying to keep the traditional values alive in an increasingly modernized era.   Narrated by Mimi Chan.
AUDIENCE AWARD	This documentary shares the story of Sasha Shulchev, a handsome and charismatic 19-year-old.  Born with no legs and with missing fingers, Sasha's mother abandons him. The orphanage for children with special needs in a tiny Russian town becomes his home.Sasha grows up open, sociable, inquisitive and full of love for people. He, like all children, dreams about the future - of becoming a famous writer and of having a family. In reality, he knows that there is no chance of him surviving outside the orphanage and that the outside world will never accept him. He holds on to one very special but unrealistic dream - that his legs will grow.  That is when Natasha Shaginian-Needham meets him, changing both their lives forever.  His dream becomes not only hers, but also that of others all over the world.  People in Moscow raise money for Sasha to fly to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, where he will receive surgery and prosthetics, and a family in Texas agrees to host him during the process.Sasha overcomes the amputation of his deformed legs, phantom pains, and a language barrier. But it becomes apparent that it is all worth it when Sasha begins to walk. The family that is hosting Sasha decides to become his family forever and to adopt him.  Recently, Sasha returned to Russia to see his friends in the orphanage.  Sasha endeavors to help others by sharing the stories of children who are still in the orphanages - children like him.

2011 DocMiami WINNERS

BEST FEATURE	Narrated by Sharon Stone, The Invocation is an exploration of the notion of God and a call for global harmony through foundations of religion, spirituality, history, science, politics and art. It is an invitation to elevate our school of thought and to change the code of human interaction in relation to our perceptions of God. The film proposes answers to universal questions in both a religious and non-religious context: Who am I, where do I come from, and where am I going? Is there something beyond the here and now? What is the global idea of God which has presented us with countless conflicts throughout human history? How can we live in Peace?
BEST SHORT	Challenging Impossibility chronicles the weightlifting odyssey of an unlikely strength athlete, the Indian spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy. From his arrival in the West in 1964, he quickly developed a large following of people from all faiths and all walks of life eager to learn meditation and unlock their own deepest potential. A multifaceted savant, Sri Chinmoy lectured at major universities, wrote hundreds of books, exhibited his paintings in galleries worldwide, offered meditations regularly for United Nations staff and delegates, performed free concerts of his own music for peace at venues ranging from Lincoln Center to the Sydney Opera House, and sponsored a variety of marathons and ultramarathons. Sri Chinmoy received numerous awards for his landmark and often ground-breaking programs for peace and goodwill. Challenging Impossibility features bodybuilding legends as well as Olympic immortal Carl Lewis, World’s Strongest Man Hugo Girard and appearances by President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Richard Gere, and Susan Sarandon.
AUDIENCE AWARD	A documentary about Grammy Award winner and Pulitzer Prize nominated composer and conductor Joel Thome, who collaborated extensively with rock icon Frank Zappa, arranging all of the eccentric composer's music for rock band and orchestra, and also composed for Steve Vai and Pablo Picasso. In 1991 Thome suffered a debilitating stroke and was paralyzed on the left side of his body, but by using music as a resource for healing, he was able to return to the stage with a new project, his graphically notated mandala scores. With performance by The Scorchio Quartet, and animated mandala artwork by abstract painter Harry C. Doolittle, Inside The Perfect Circle is a feast for the senses.
MOST ENTERTAINING	From the shifting faultlines of Hollywood fantasies and the economic and racial tensions of Reagan's America, Fishbone rose to become one of the most original bands of the last 25 years. With a blistering combination of punk and funk they demolished the walls of genre and challenged the racial stereotypes and political order of the music industry and the nation. Telling it like it is, the iconic Laurence Fishburne narrates EVERYDAY SUNSHINE, a story about music, history, fear, courage and funking on the one.
BEST CONTEMPORY	We follow Dr. Mohammad Khan Kharoti as he builds a school in his home village from a handful of children to over 1,200 students, providing them their first real educational opportunities. In 2008, the school he dedicated himself to build was destroyed. As we follow his journey to rebuild, we explore the role education plays in building peace in Afghanistan.
BEST HISTORICAL	Mexican Suitcase tells the story of the recovery of 4,500 negatives by Robert Capa, Gerda Taro and David 'Chim' Seymour taken during the Spanish Civil War found 70 years later in a closet in Mexico City. The film looks at the journey of these negatives from France to Mexico; their survival and looks at how Spain reflects today on its own history as well as those who escaped. Mexico was the only country to come to the rescue and support of the Spanish Republic and then honor and support the Republic in exile when the rest of the world turned its back. Mexican Suitcase looks at this unique story and these photos lost for seventy years.
MOST INSPIRATIONAL	In 2005, director Tom Shadyac ('Liar Liar', 'Patch Adams' and 'Bruce Almighty') handed Roko Belic a New York Times article about the new science of happiness. The article ranked the United States down at number 23 on its list of happiest countries. Shadyac, himself dissatisfied with his luxurious Beverly Hills lifestyle, suggested the two collaborate on a documentary investigating the sources of genuine human happiness. How can America be one of the richest countries in the world and nowhere near the happiest? Directed by Academy Award® nominee Roko Belic ('Genghis Blues'), HAPPY was shot in 14 countries on 5 continents and takes viewers from the bayous of Louisiana to the deserts of Namibia, from the beaches of Brazil to the mountains of Bhutan. We meet a beautiful woman named Melissa Moody, a mother of three who had a “perfect life” until the day she was run over by a truck. Disabled for nine years and disfigured for life, amazingly she is happier now than before her accident. Manoj Singh, a rickshaw puller from the slums of Kolkata, India who lives in a hut made of plastic bags with his family, is found to be as happy as the average American. Through these and other stories HAPPY leads us toward a deeper understanding of how the choices we make dramatically effect our sense of well-being and happiness. HAPPY is narrated by best-selling author Marci Shimoff (Happy for No Reason, Chicken Soup for the Soul for Women).
BEST INVESTIGATIVE	"Overlooked Suspect - What If O.J. Simpson Didn't Do It ?" This made for television documentary raises compelling questions and highlights a 15 year investigation by one of America’s leading and acclaimed private investigators William C. Dear, along with a team of internationally recognized scientific and medical experts in their fields. Each expert has come to the same, independent conclusion. The documentary includes references to key communication between the LAPD and agencies responsible for the original trial and lead investigator Dear, making viewers wonder, Why was the Overlooked Suspect we have identified not more vigorously pursued? Was there a cover up? We have distilled 5000 hours of detailed research and investigation into a thought provoking, viewer friendly documentary that will empower the public to decide what they feel about the biggest murder trial of the 20th century.
BEST LOCAL	Zapata Lives is a collection of testimonies gathered from relatives, mates and friends of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a young Cuban laborer advocate of human rights who died in a Cuban prison after 85 days in a hunger strike on February 2010. There are interviews conducted in different places in the United States, Spain and Cuba. These last recordings were done under very difficult conditions and obsolete and defficient equipments in spite of people knowing their testimonies may well legally incriminate them. This documentary revisits Zapata Tamayo's life from his infancy, his years as a boxer, his fight in favor of the defense of Human Rights in Cuba and the testimony of his prison inmates. It also includes testimonies from the Ladies in White about Zapata's death, about his beatings and how his jailers denied him water. It's a blunt description about how solid his convictions were and his decision to die in defense of his ideals without attacking others.

2010 DocMiami WINNERS

BEST FEATURE	Narrated by Chief Martin Brody himself, Roy Scheider, this feature-length documentary focuses squarely on the many ways Jaws has helped to shape these elements of pop culture. In addition,TSISW proudly showcases many of the fans, artists, and craftsmen who keep this film alive, examining some of the  creative venues through which they express their passion for the film. It covers the recent events at Jawsfest’05, celebrating the picture’s thirtieth anniversary and highlights Jaws homages and send-ups from pop culture. Interviews with the cast and crew, and prominent filmmakers whose careers have been duly influenced by the movie will give the viewer some insight as to why Jaws has earned a well-deserved place among the greatest classics Hollywood has ever produced. The Shark is Still Working promises to be the ultimate retrospective on Jaws.
BEST SHORT	A true story of Women Airforce Service Pilots told by (WASP), Jean Landis. Brave women pilots who, for the first time in the history of the United States, were recruited to volunteer their services in WWII by ferrying fighter planes, test flying new and repaired planes, and towing targets in the air for live artillery practice. How the WASPs were formed, the incredible challenges they faced and the cause of their early demise. These heroic young women of the 1940's flew over 60 million miles for the US Army and opened the door for today's military female pilots. It's a subject that is still not well known but in 2009 President Obama signed a bill to award the WASPs The Congressional Gold Medal. On March 10th, 2010 a ceremony was held in Washington D.C. honoring and thanking the WASPs for their service.
AUDIENCE AWARD	This film is directed and produced by Tim VandeSteeg, produced by Mark Castaldo, and narrated by Billy Bob Thornton. The Boxmasters, which includes Billy Bob Thornton and J.D. Andrew have lent their hit song “Every King Wears a Crown” to the film’s soundtrack.   After tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own, Terry Hitchcock seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families.
MOST ENTERTAINING	MOMz HOT ROCKs is a feature length original music documentary on the emergence of mom rock bands, 2004-2007. Turning the rock genre on its belly, they are the first children of the rock and roll generation to be louder than their kids. Introducing Joy Rose, mother of 4, lead singer of Housewives on Prozac and founder of Mamapalooza Festivals, Frump from Texas, Placenta from California, the Mydols Detroit and a comic from Nashville. The concept and reality are humorous, fast paced and intense. Each of the bands is a completely different entity, each member with unique passions, duties and agendas. Being in a band is likened to being in a marriage and these groups of women formed during and after family life. Never mind the laundry, the balancing act only intensifies as tasks increase with both family and blossoming new musical careers. One thing that the documentary exposes is how hard working and dedicated these women are to playing music in order to inspire others to express themselves somehow, all the while maintaining enormous daily responsibility. MOMz HOT ROCKs is both a documentary and a music video, it combines the best of both of these genres and brings the audience an entertaining look into how women--MOMz, take on the world, manage their full lives and make music to rock your socks off.
BEST CONTEMPORY	'P.A.T.H.' (which stands for Preserving, Archiving and Teaching Hip-Hop History) documents the Hip-Hop Academy, the first ever summer camp of it's kind in Miami. During the four week camp, teenagers from ages 13-18 studied Hip-Hop history, the art of deejaying, emceeing (rapping), B-boying and B-girling (break-dancing), and urban art.
BEST HISTORICAL	This film gives a glimpse of the transition from the segregated to integrated school systems of the 1960's in Manatee County Florida. This is shown from the perspective of two legends from that transition, legendary high school football Coach Eddie Shannon, and former NFL player, Henry Lawrence, who were part of the All-African-American Lincoln Memorial High School, which had a strong legacy in the African-American community, but had to be shut down to integrate previously All-White Manatee High School. The confusion, sadness, and anxiety of the transition is illustrated through their stories.