Projects in categories: Documentary

Synopsis

Filmmaker Thomas Pickering has never eaten meat. Born in the 1980’s and raised vegetarian, before switching to a vegan diet, Tom’s always believed he’s been doing right by the animals, his own health, and - more recently - the planet. Despite this he still can’t go a day without hearing from others why they could never go vegan. From “where do you get your protein” and “soya is killing the rainforests” to “vegan food is expensive” and “climate change doesn’t exist”, he’s heard it all. With no sign of these arguments against his lifestyle choice going away, Tom sets out on a quest to investigate the many reasons he’s heard over the years, and see if they’re unjustified, or whether his upbringing was one big plant based con. On his journey Tom tracks down several top athletes, witnessing world records, championship successes and an 84-year-old taking part in his sixth ultra-marathon. He speaks to doctors, environmental scientists, psychologists and chefs. He follows investigative journalists and activists as he goes undercover into factory farms, where he learns the A Rating awarded to the UK for its farming practise isn’t what it seems. At the end of it all, Tom tries to piece together this complex picture as he finds a clear link between the way we treat animals, the effect it has on our planet, and our own health.

Synopsis

In this ode to fútbol and Colombia’s Caribbean region, Daniel—a Colombian-British filmmaker—recalls his first memory of the sport he loves: the 1993 championship final between Junior de Barranquilla and América de Cali that he watched on a VHS tape with his father in London. Through conversations between Daniel, his father and two uncles, JUNIOR TU PAPÁ pieces together fragments of waning memory to collectively remember a time in Colombian history when fútbol was a national obsession. A distraction from the relentless violence the country faced while Colombia’s national team was considered one of the best teams in the world. Official Selection Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes Cine a la Calle 2024 Official Selection New York Colombian Film Festival 2024 Official Selection Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias 2024 Official Selection True/False Film Fest 2024

Synopsis

From the deep snow of the Belarusian forest to the heat of the reeds in the French Camargue, Mother Vera is the story of a young Orthodox nun; her turbulent past, and fragile future. Revealed through spellbinding visual language echoing the rigid discipline of monastic life, we enter the enclosed, shadowy spaces of a convent outside Minsk. Sound and silence submerge us in the rhythm of the place. At the monastery farm, two hundred men live in rehabilitation. They are a mirror to Vera’s old life. Faced with a life-changing decision, Vera must confront her past to find the freedom she desires. Official Selection Visions du Réel 2024 Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2024 - Documentary Competition

Synopsis

Phil Thomas was a painter and decorator for over 30 years before deciding to devote his every waking moment and energy to art and become an artist painter full time. As he himself says ‘painter to painter’

Synopsis

Zero opportunity, poverty and crime. Common themes in the housing estates of Sunderland, North East England where POISED is set. A once proud region of industry. Now a wasteland scattered with the relics of the past, as generations of government continue to neglect it. Steven France, community activist and mixed martial arts coach (MMA), haunted by the death of step-father 'Mickey', found MMA as his saviour from the trappings of these very estates. Determined to force change from within. His objective; to do the same with a group of youngsters, each facing their own unique challenges. Be it battles with drugs to unemployment and poverty, the weight of terminal illness or the trials of immigration abandoning family, thousands of miles away. Can MMA save young people from the toughest parts of our society? A universal underdog tale - there is a version of POISED happening in every city, town or village the world over, each with it's own unique twist. This is ours.

Synopsis

The uncanny absurdism of an Israeli theme park built in the Palestinian West Bank becomes a tragic allegory for the delusions that are needed to make sense of Israeli society. Official Selection DOC NYC 2024

Synopsis

In his tower-block apartment in New Lodge, Joe reenacts memories from his childhood amidst the Troubles. In this Catholic area of Belfast, the number of deaths was tragically significant. Joe is joined by neighbours Jolene, Sean, Angie, and others, all willingly participating in this process of revisiting the collective memories that shaped their lives, and the district they live in. Official selection CPH:DOX 2024 International Competition - World premiere

Synopsis

On January 28, 1985, dozens of the biggest names in music convened at a studio in Los Angeles, checked their egos at the door and recorded a song to benefit African famine relief that would alter global pop culture history. The Greatest Night in Pop chronicles the massive undertaking to assemble the world’s most impressive supergroup in a world before cell phones and email. That group of artists — led by the song’s co-writers and two of the most significant musicians of the 20th century — Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie — came from different worlds but united to record “We Are the World.” Featuring never-before-seen footage, the film details the early planning stages, including the writing sessions with Richie and Jackson, and goes inside the famed Henson Studios where “We Are the World” was recorded. Many of the artists who were there that legendary evening -- Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Smokey Robinson, Cyndi Lauper, Kenny Loggins, Dionne Warwick, and Huey Lewis -- reminisce alongside musicians, engineers, and production crew about one of the most storied nights in music history. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2024 - Special Screenings - World premiere

Synopsis

Transfeminine 'freak-show' performer Mona Guyard has built a cult audience in Europe. We follow Mona from a rural childhood, through her discovery of drag and freakshow, to the development and premiere of an astonishing new performance. A visceral and beautiful exploration of pain, healing and transformation in the queer community.

Synopsis

Co-created by the a group autistic directors, the Neurocultures Collective, (Sam Chown-Ahern, Georgia Bradburn, Benjamin Brown, Robin Elliott-Knowles, Lucy Walker) and artist-filmmaker Steven Eastwood, THE STIMMING POOL is a hybrid film that enters the possibilities of a world informed by neurodiverse perspectives. The film reflects a spectrum of autistic experience, and it’s drifting form is built around the concept of an autistic camera, whose curiosity discovers a relay of subjects who stray through the world, revealing environments often hostile to autistic experience - such as a hectic workplace and a crowded pub - and quiet spaces that offer respite from them. Each character exists in an apparently separate world. Some are concealing being autistic and dealing with feelings of isolation, others thrive in the communities around them. But gradually we come to realise they have a shared objective: to find a place uninhibited by the tests and restrictions of normative society: this is the Stimming Pool. Official selection CPH:DOX 2024 Special Premieres - World premiere Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2024

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An experimental short documentary film, which was shot during the filmmaker's early days of motherhood. This film is not a typical video diary but a deeper conversation about what does it mean to be a mother and the expectations that come with it.

Synopsis

A powerful and emotional documentary short film that follows the lives of three courageous women who were forced to leave their home country of Ukraine due to ongoing conflict and war. Through this film, the director wanted to shed light on the experiences of Ukrainian incredibly strong and resilient women. They were forced to leave their homes, their families, and their country in search of a safe place for their children. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was one that they had to make for the survival. Through these stories, we see the struggles they faced in a new country, language barriers, and cultural differences. But we also see the beauty of women's spirit, as they find the strength to rebuild their lives no matter what. Their stories are not just about the war, but also about hope and resilience.