Distinguished
DOCUMENTARY – FEATURES
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Benjamin Weiss, Stijn van Baarle
The spectre of climate change is haunting us. Why can’t we find answers to the greatest challenge of our time? BEAT THE HEAT, a courtroom thriller from the European Court of Human Rights, clarifies matters.
The Swiss KlimaSeniorinnen (senior women against climate change) are fighting on the front line. Instead of retiring, these elderly women from the civil society in all parts of multilingual Switzerland want to do something about the increasingly frequent heat waves. They bravely take on their own country and file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the Swiss government, claiming that it is not doing enough to protect their health. It is a seemingly hopeless undertaking that, after eight years of fighting, culminates in a spectacular ruling that attracts worldwide attention. On 9 April 2024, the ECHR rules that climate protection is a human right. A triumph for the Swiss KlimaSeniorinnen. But Switzerland chooses not to implement the landmark ruling.
BEAT THE HEAT (original title TROP CHAUD) takes a look behind the scenes of the fight against climate change. The activists and their legal team, legal and scientific advisors, and an NGO campaigner talk about their motivations. And they tell the story whose significance was remained largely uncovered by Swiss media outlets. Fundamental questions about democracy, the rule of law and global climate justice are discussed. At the same time, BEAT THE HEAT never loses sight of the fact that the fight against climate change is a complex and difficult task.
Leo de Souza Santos, Roberta Sauerbronn
PW: SF2025
In the heart of Serra Fina, iconic Brazilian mountain range in the Atlantic Forest, unregulated tourism ignites a catastrophic forest fire, exposing nature’s fragility and highlighting the urgency for environmental action beyond the ashes.
Gary Janks
PW: dpvdci23
This film celebrates and pays tribute to the amaMpondo for their outstanding and historic, legal victory over Shell, Impact Oil and Gas (Impact Africa) and the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources in South Africa. The story is constructed as an almighty existential clash of cultures. The amaMpondo protagonists, conserving nature, their way of life and their very existence, battle the oil giants and the Minister of Energy antagonists, their profit-driven fossil fuel exploration that could potentially destroy marine life and indigenous culture on the Wild Coast. This leads to a climactic courtroom ruling that might help influence the direction of travel for the next few years that humanity has left to drastically reduce carbon emissions and prevent a burning planet and biodiversity loss.
Matthew Todd Paproski
A wildlife filmmaker and his wheelchair-bound brother travel across the country to share what they learn about wolf conservation, while they recount their 20-year journey raising wolves.
Ignacio Walker
This is the story of Sofia, a young marine biologist from Galapagos in Ecuador, who reconnects with her absent father through their shared passion for trying to save the biggest shark in the world, the Whale Shark.
Donna Paula Taylor, Neil Simpson
In the hidden corners of bustling streets, lives unfold that many pass by without notice. The homeless, often invisible to the hurried world, face a daily battle against elements and circumstances. Yet within this struggle, there are profound stories of resilience and hope. Intimate accounts of life on the margins reveal both the harsh realities and the surprising strength of those who call the streets their home. This film challenges viewers to see beyond societal labels, sparking a powerful dialogue on empathy and the collective potential to alter lives deeply.
Sally Bashford-Squires
Eitai, an Iteso word for community togetherness, is a documentary exploring change in rural Uganda. The film delves into the challenges faced by a rural community in Northeastern Uganda. Eitai explores critical global issues including the interconnected challenges of climate change, poverty, and gender-based violence. It highlights how social enterprise projects not only provide economic opportunities but also create safe spaces for knowledge sharing, environmental action, and community sensitisation via music, dance, and drama.
Through vivid storytelling, Eitai underscores the importance of indigenous knowledge and communitarianism in addressing pressing global crises. It calls for stronger relationships among people, the land, and non-humans to mitigate further environmental degradation. The film also captures unique narratives on combating HIV and GBV, as told by participants through their lived experiences and cultural expressions. The film is not only a celebration of the resilience and resourcefulness of communities in Teso, but also a platform for international knowledge exchange to address global challenges.
Nivi Jaswal, Darren Suffolk
Narrated by renowned meteorologist John Morales, Third Degree Burnout uncovers the hidden connections between personal burnout and the climate crisis, revealing them as symptoms of a larger socio-economic metacrisis. With world-class animation, engaging interviews with over 20 experts, and playful humor woven into thought-provoking skits, the film breaks down complex ideas into something accessible, relatable, and impactful.
From the history of our food systems to the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the intersections of healthcare, politics, and society, this documentary offers a fresh lens on the systemic forces shaping burnout. More than a film, it’s a call to action—delivering urgency, hope, and solutions for those seeking justice in nutrition, climate, and health equity.
ADRIAN PENNINK
The film goes on the road with a brave group of volunteers who take their converted truck into Ukraine’s Eastern frontline villages to cook and hand out free pizzas. It is a brief moment of respite and joy for brutalised people in these forgotten places. It is also the story of the cumulative psychological stress the villagers….and volunteers are under. And it all takes place against the reminders of a war that is ever present as the Russian offensive closes in.
Jeremy MATHIEU
Fish farming is pushing wild salmon to the brink of extinction. The federal government has promised to remove fish farms from BC waters by 2025, but now industry is pushing back with false solutions. Join Clayoquot Action’s fish farm watchdog program as a team of underwater cinematographers investigates an “experimental” fish farm near Tofino. What they find surprises them, and spells potential disaster for wild salmon. Featuring marine biologist and bestselling author Alexandra Morton, and traditional ‘Na̱mg̱is Chief Ernest Alfred, who document the successful resurgence of salmon after the removal of fish farms from the Broughton Area and Discovery Islands.
TIMOTHY STUART LOVELL
She Walks a Line is a gripping documentary that reveals the harrowing journey of thousands of young Nepali women and girls who are coerced across the border into India each year.
Once across the notoriously porous 1,000-mile frontier, most are sold into the sex industry, forced into domestic servitude or subjected to organ and skin harvesting. This border has become one of the world’s most prolific human trafficking routes.
Amidst international indifference, one Nepali woman, Shanta Sapkota, has taken a courageous stand to combat this humanitarian crisis. Driven by heartbreak and a fierce determination, she leads a team of female anti-human trafficking operatives at the Mahendranagar crossing, a critical checkpoint where the fate of many young lives hangs in
the balance.
This exclusively nonwhite, female-led documentary takes the audience deep into the heart of this mission. Through the eyes of rescuers, victims, and traffickers, we witness the raw
emotions, heart-wrenching struggles, and moments of triumph that define this battle against human trafficking.
At its core, She Walks a Line is a story of empowerment—of women fighting for justice, of traffickers manipulating the vulnerable, and of a divine calling that has inspired one woman to stand her ground in the face of adversity. This film not only tells a story; it ignites a movement.
Ewen Chardronnet, Maya Minder
What connects a weakened ecosystem with a global food culture – and what lessons does the past hold for the future?
Umi No Oya – Mother of the Sea tells the story of a discovery that revolutionized Japanese nori aquaculture and partially led to the rise of a global sushi culture. With subtle landscape imagery and a keen sense of Japanese cultural history, the film explores international scientific connections and the resilience of people in a world shaped by upheavals and climate change. It weaves artistic and personal biographies into a reflection on the balance between progress and sustainable action. How can science, art, and culture address the challenges of the future?
Xavier Marquis
The facts are alarming: global warming is causing sea levels to rise, threatening most megacities and 70% of the world’s population. Faced with this challenge, architects, scientists and engineers have developed solutions that seem to have come straight out of science fiction: building resilient floating cities that would keep pace with rising sea levels and interact harmoniously with the oceans, rethinking food and energy production. This film explores these very concrete achievements, which are being developed in the four corners of the globe, and introduces us to the leading figures in this international movement known as the blue revolution. How do these new cities work? And are they a good response to climate change and overpopulation?
John Carlos Frey
Over the past fifty years, four federal dams impounding the Lower Snake River in Washington State have been identified as the root cause for the demise of all of Idaho’s anadromous fish. “The Snake and the Whale” reveals the corrupt deals behind the dams’ construction and the subsequent campaigns to hide their role in this ongoing ecological disaster. Additionally, the dams have profoundly impacted a group of Killer Whales off the coast of Washington, known as the Southern Resident Orca, which rely on Snake River salmon as a primary food supply. These majestic creatures are now atop the Endangered Species list.
Stijn van Baarle
This film explores lithium’s crucial role in Europe’s mission to become the world’s first climate neutral continent. Lithium is the essential element for the batteries of our electric vehicles and for our energy storage. Europe has enough lithium in its bedrock to become self-sufficient. But today there is no operational mine yet, and the EU is depending on imports from China. A new responsible way of mining is necessary, one that recognises the importance of local and cultural preservation. Can the European Union lead the way?