FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A SHOW FOR A CHANGE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES DECEMBER 2018 AWARD WINNERS FOR PURPOSE-DRIVEN FILMS

Long Beach, CA - January 8, 2019 – A Show For A Change today announced several winners for its monthly global film festival, celebrating socially impactful films from around the world. The awarded films include a live action short film, DISHONOUR, eligible to be nominated for the 91st Academy Awards on February 24th in Hollywood.

“As we prepare to launch our new content and impact platform, we’re proud to recognize these powerful films that advance the social causes of our time,” said Jared Milrad, founder and president of A Show For A Change. “In all corners of the globe, our film festival continues to spread an inspiring message of positivity and hope. I’m thrilled that our festival is elevating the voices of these brave filmmakers, who are tackling everything from addiction to domestic violence to environmental conservation.”

This month’s winners include:

Creativity Award: THE ABUSED. Directed by Lamont Wilkins. A spoken word short film that tells several stories of domestic violence and the people affected. Watch the trailer here.
Storytelling Award: DISHONOUR. Directed by Terrence Turner. Performed entirely by one actor, Mimi Ndiweni, DISHONOUR tells the story of a five year old girl caught in middle of a struggle between her recently widowed father and his elderly aunt who disagree on how best to adapt to the customs and laws of their newly adopted home in the United Kingdom. The aunt’s failure to abandon ancient African tribal traditions, including the harmful practice of female genital mutilation, leads to potentially devastating consequences for the young girl. Watch the trailer here.
Cinematography Award: LETTER TO MY MOTHER. Directed by Branislav Jankic. A visual and literary body of work that reveals an impactful look into the lives of mothers suffering from addiction in the United States. The project strives to lift the stigma of addiction and create an international support system for those suffering from this disease, particularly mothers. The short film was shot during the first exhibition of the project in New York, June 2016. Watch the trailer here and view the accompanying photographic book.
Social Impact Awards:
- WEAR. Directed by Hannah Mitchell. A short film about a young woman who comes home from work after an experience with her boss commenting on her blouse. The woman then analyzes the clothing items in her closet based on past experiences with men, who criticized her appearance, until she becomes fed-up and takes action. Watch the full film here.
- GREEN TALES OF THE CITY. Directed by Gwen Jansen. A documentary chronicling how the sustainability movement in several cities in the Netherlands is getting louder, more powerful, and more extensive at a breakneck pace. An increasing number of citizens, artists, businesses, research institutions, and local governments are joining forces to make their own living environments more sustainable and are no longer waiting on the slow decisions being made at the national level. Watch the trailer here.

"Winning this award really means a lot to me,” said Dutch filmmaker Gwen Jansen, director of GREEN TALES OF THE CITY. “It confirms me as an independent documentary maker on my recently chosen path to inspire and activate as many other people as possible through positive storytelling to make their own living environment more sustainable and liveable. We simply have no time to waste saving our planet. The award will definitely enlarge the attention value of this documentary and thus these green stories can reach even more people."

Added Hannah Mitchell, director of WEAR. “I am thrilled that WEAR received this month’s Social Impact Award. I wrote this screenplay after feeling uncomfortable with a classmate objectifying my body, remembering the unwarranted looks and comments I have received about my appearance from men throughout my life in different circumstances. It is often that women are objectified regardless of what clothing items they wear, and I wanted to give viewers that may not experience this discomfort the uneasy feeling of what women often go through from a very young age to their adult life.”

“No matter what your social, economic or celebrity status is,” said Lamont Wilkins, director of THE ABUSED. “I sincerely hope my film will continue to raise awareness about domestic violence and continue to encourage anyone dealing with this issue personally to say something.”

Founded by Jared Milrad - a filmmaker, advocate, and entrepreneur who has worked for President Barack Obama and advocated for numerous social causes - A Show For A Change Film Festival raises up our planet's most compelling stories and inspiring voices. The film festival’s goal is to build a world filled with greater empathy and shared prosperity.

A Show For A Change invites filmmakers who share a passion for changing the world through the power of storytelling to submit to our monthly film festival. We seek diverse, engaging stories that address societal, environmental, and cultural issues. To apply for our next film festival, filmmakers can submit their projects by January 30, 2019 using this link: https://filmfreeway.com/ashowforachange

About A Show For A Change Film Festival

With 155+ global submissions, A Show For A Change has awarded some of the most creative, groundbreaking, and inspiring stories highlighting social issues since launching its monthly festival in December 2017. The company’s mission is to celebrate socially impactful films through the art of storytelling and advocate for enduring social change. It embraces films that challenge the status quo and stand up for urgent causes like human rights, animal rights, and the environment.

Learn more about our current projects and monthly global film festival at ashowforachange.com

Website: A Show For A Change

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