The Ratu River Expedition

A 25-min documentary about earthquakes in Nepal, featuring interviews with scientists and villagers, easy-to-understand animation, and new scientific discoveries that can help to minimize casualties from future seismic activity. A production of the Earth Observatory of Singapore in collaboration with the National Seismological Center of Nepal.

Director: Isaac Kerlow

Isaac Kerlow (Director, Ratu River) is an independent filmmaker, artist and writer. He grew up in Mexico City and has lived in Asia for over 10 years. His work typically deals with change, and the human condition.

Specifications

Film Type:Documentary

Genres:Nepal, Nature, Science, Earthquakes

Runtime:25 minutes 10 seconds

Completion Date:September 1, 2015

Country of Origin:Singapore

Country of Filming:Nepal

2.5% - The Osa Peninsula

Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, the most biologically intense place on Earth faces tourism development that threatens to destroy it, and only its local communities can save it.

This film explores the potential consequences of a planned international airport in the Osa Peninsula rainforest, exposes tourism impacts on previously untouched places in Costa Rica, and highlights a new model of rural community tourism where local families provide travel experiences that shape and protect their communities and natural resources.

Director: Eytan Elterman

Mexican-American, Eytan’s past work has taken him through Central America, South America, Western and Eastern Europe, and parts of Africa, as well as having studied in Spain and Argentina. It’s those experiences that made him realize what a privilege it is to see the world –- and it’s this type of adventure that drives his work. Eytan began his career as a documentary filmmaker in 2005 and has since worked on documentary shorts focused on alternative fuel, international development, the foster care system, food justice, sport diving, and U.S./Israel relations. He has an MBA in International Management from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and is currently based between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Specifications

Film Type:Documentary

Runtime:40 minutes

Completion Date:November 1, 2015

Production Budget:30,000 USD

Country of Origin:United States

Country of Filming:Costa Rica

Film Language:Spanish

Tango Pasión

Tango Pasión is a passionate documentary about the famous Tango Argentino - in Berlin, the largest tango community outside of Argentina and the area on the Rio de la Plata. The film shows artists and dancers who have had huge influence on the ‚Tango Pasión‘ over the years, and who have gained worldwide recognition for it. Throughout the entire documentary, the passion and emotion that come with this famous dance are almost palpable. The film features interviews with famous protagonists of the Berlin tango scene. And of course, there is dancing - tango in various settings and recorded from various perspectives.

Director: Kordula Hildebrandt

Much like in my debut film "Spirit Berlin", which I had begun a year after "Tango Pasión", I dared with "Tango Pasión" to a piece of history of Berlin. Tango Argentino Tango and the Berlin I did not know before the shooting. Well, not as I now know of the steps, walking, the rules of conduct, the feelings

and the rooms and the differences to its area of origin Argentina and the Rio de la Plata. It spoke to me on a sensual, erotic and expressive, emotional way easily to the subject. When you

hear the theme completely untouched, just the tango, you immediately I had images in my head and it is this also. In the opening sequence is this reflected a bit when a man asks a woman to dance - just so at a bus stop. Surreal, but possible in Buenos Aires, where the tango is lived. But as he arrived here, the tango, the roots do not come from Berlin? I wanted to find out next, as I had researched more about the origins and history. Where research, I have to admit, but mostly on the spot happened in the milongas itself. Tango on the track I was threatened with losing me. Like almost all of my interviewees had also packed me the addiction.

Specifications

Film Type:Documentary, Feature, Student

Genres:Music, Tango, Dance

Runtime:1 hour 23 minutes 3 seconds

Completion Date:September 17, 2015

Country of Origin:Germany

Country of Filming:Germany

Cherry days

In a small town in Aleppo’s suburbs, bombings never stopped for more than two years. During the very hot summer of July 2014, the most followed sports event in the world took place: the FIFA world cup. The city is in ruins, women and children all left long ago, and a group of young men still tries to live day after day. This documentary shows the everyday life of the young Syrians today, and listens to what they have to say. Sports, poetry, dance and dreams are everywhere alongside bombings, tears and weapons. Discussing soccer and politics, criticizing the regime and the jihadis alike, these young people are surprising by how vulnerable and humant they are. They show a complex reality of a still hopeful youth, beyond the morbid images of the bloodiest war of our century.

Specifications

Film Type:Documentary

Runtime:1 hour 15 minutes

Country of Origin:Syrian Arab Republic

Country of Filming:Syrian Arab Republic

Film Language:Arabic

Quemoy

Quemoy, the islands adjacent to Mainland, used to be the frontier between Taiwan and China. However, it turns out to be a gate which embraces cross-strait interactions. After a long history of Chinese Civil War, where are Quemoy people supposed to belong? This film shows the life trajectory of different Quemoy generations and gives a picture of a specific national identity.

Specifications

Film Type:Documentary

Runtime:45 minutes

Completion Date:September 22, 2015

Country of Origin:Taiwan

Country of Filming:Taiwan

Film Language:Chinese

I Dream of an Omaha Where . . .

Omaha has a long-standing problem with gangs and youth-on-youth violence and is one of the most dangerous cities to live in for African American youth.

'I Dream of an Omaha Where . . .' is a collaborative project involving former gang members and people who have been affected by gangs. The project, moderated by nationally known performer and writer Daniel Beaty, takes the participants through intense and moving workshops to a performance of a play which utilizes the transcripts of the workshops.

The 'I Dream' project was a transformative experience for those sharing their stories, and is also changing the dialogue in Omaha and similarly affected cities about the nature and impact of gang violence. Most of all, it is putting a human face on those who have or still are participating in gangs and the people who have been tragically affected by gang violence.

Director: Mele Mason

Graduate of UCLA' s prestigious film school. Owner of Mason Video Production Company

Director’s Statement

The gang violence that has plagued large cities across the United States has filtered into smaller communities such as Omaha. There must be a way for the community to address the violence and to heal.

Specifications

ilm Type:Documentary

Runtime:53 minutes

Completion Date:October 17, 2015

Production Budget:60,000 USD

Country of Origin:United States

Country of Filming:United States

Film Language:English

Angels of the Atlantic

From the East coast of England to the tropics of the Canaries, Angels of the Atlantic is a short wildlife documentary following Tom Young as he adventures to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands in search of one of the most endangered sharks in the World; the European Angel Shark. Tom also meets with the Angel Shark Project, a team dedicated to saving the shark from the brink of extinction. A once common species, the angel shark has only one remaining population stronghold. What has caused such a steep decline in their populations? Can Tom fulfill the challenge of diving with them in the wild? And what does their future hold?

Director: Tom Young

An extremely creative individual and confident public speaker with an environmental science and marine conservation background. Tom is a passionate filmmaker who loves to seek wilderness through hiking, kayaking, diving and wild swimming. A songwriter, guitarist and a big fan of sharks and carrot cake.

Specifications

Film Type:Documentary, Short

Genres:Wildlife, Conservation

Runtime:22 minutes 31 seconds

Completion Date:September 1, 2015

Production Budget:1,200 GBP

Country of Origin:United Kingdom

Country of Filming:Spain, United Kingdom

Film Language:English