FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A SHOW FOR A CHANGE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES JANUARY 2019 AWARD WINNERS FOR SOCIAL IMPACT FILMS

Long Beach, CA - February 7, 2019 – A Show For A Change today announced several winners for its monthly global film festival, celebrating social impact films from around the world. The awarded films include projects from around the world and were created by numerous up-and-coming filmmakers.

“As we prepare to launch our new streaming platform for social good, movikarma, 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 climate change to education to civil and women’s rights.”

This month’s winners include:

Creativity Awards:
- BALANCE - Directed by Barzan Rostami. An animated short film about soldiers sacrificing their lives and resisting oppression so that future generations can live in peace. Cause: Peace and Conflict. Watch the trailer here.
- ONE - Directed by Roman Sinitsyn. A short film reflecting on loneliness and loss through the eyes of an elderly man on an empty train. Cause: Health and Wellness. Watch the trailer here.
Storytelling Awards:
- THE SACRED PLACE WHERE LIFE BEGINS - Directed by Kristin Gates and Jeremy La Zelle. When two adventurers embark on a dangerous four-month expedition documenting the world’s longest land mammal migration through the Arctic Refuge of Alaska and Canada, they soon discover an incredible ecosystem protected by the Gwich’in Nation for more than 25,000 years, yet held on the precipice of collapse by resource development corporations. Causes: Climate Change, Civil Rights. Watch the trailer here.
- HOME - Directed by Inuk Jorgensen. A short documentary that centers on climate change in southern Greenland, told from a personal and historical perspective. Cause: Climate Change. Watch the trailer here.
Cinematography Award: EMOTIONAL ANIMALS - Directed by Rémi Demarthon. EMOTIONAL ANIMALS is a philosophical journey into our emotions and the wild that lies within us. Cause: Animal Welfare
Social Impact Awards:
- LEGACIES - Directed by Clair Maleney. An ethnographic portrait of Jubilee School in Philadelphia where Karen Falcon teaches Black History as a model for social action. LEGACIES explores Jubilee's praxis of community-based emancipatory education and development of students’ agency. Causes: Education, Civil Rights. Watch the trailer here.
- GLOBAL DANCE HEROES - Directed by Teresa Taylor. A short documentary about The Global Dance Initiative, which spotlights and supports heroes from around the globe that use dance to heal, connect and inspire. GLOBAL DANCE HEROES examines the beauty and impact that dance has on children living with Down Syndrome. Cause: Civil Rights, The Arts
- VULVA - Directed by Elliott Watson. A short documentary exploring the controversial opinions that surround the world’s fastest growing cosmetic procedure, labiaplasty, VULVA challenges ideas of choice, beauty and normality in the modern Western world. Cause: Women’s Rights

“Many thanks to A Show For A Change Film Festival for recognizing our film The Sacred Place Where Life Begins and presenting us with the Storytelling Award. This is quite an honor,” said Jeremy Là Zelle, director of The Sacred Place Where Life Begins. “We are in solidarity with the Gwich’in Nation and are doing everything possible to assist them in the fight to protect this beautiful, wild, and untouched ecosystem from becoming subject to devastating resource development. It’s certainly film festivals like A Show For A Change that helps showcase these critical issues on a grand scale. Creating and curating socially conscious narratives is exactly what’s needed to further bring awareness and action to environmental conservation, human rights abuses, and so many important global concerns.”

“I believe that all filmmakers do have an obligation to not only entertain but also to fight for change and a better tomorrow through their films, and so I am very humbled that my film has been recognised by [A Show For A Change] as this has always been my goal with Home,” said Inuk Jorgensen, director of Home.

“Emotional Animals was, from the start, a personal journey where I wanted to explore how culture can influence our relationship with nature. I believe that the way we treat wildlife has much to do with the way that we perceive it, and the emotions that this gives rise to dictates our actions,” said Rémi Demarthon, director of Emotional Animals.

“This means that the film and its subject are truly important and interesting,” said Roman Sinitsyn, director of One. “We all are very lonely. Let’s take care of each other!”

“We hope the film continues to provoke and inspire positive change,” said Elliott Watson, director of Vulva.

"At a time when many Americans question the simple truth that Black Lives Matter, I was delighted to make this film portraying a school that engages in an open-ended exploration of the deep value and cultural history of Black lives in America,” said Clair Maleney, director of Legacies. “I am thrilled by this award and for the opportunity to share this worthwhile project with a larger socially minded audience. I cannot overstate the Social Impact and value of Jubilee School and the Legacy that the work being done there offers to us all.”

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 February 27, 2019 using this link: https://filmfreeway.com/ashowforachange

About A Show For A Change Film Festival

With 170+ 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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