Magnificent
DOCUMENTARY – SHORTS
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Gareth Williams
Natural Fighters for Nature transports you to the heart of Western Uganda where environmental degradation and the looming climate crisis threaten communities’ very existence. Follow our natural fighters for a powerful look at resilience, determination and unwavering perseverance that serves as a beacon of hope for their community and the world. Through their eyes and their words, witness the power of community-led approaches that are not only transforming landscapes but also changing lives. Their journey is a testament to the extraordinary possibilities that emerge when people unite to confront a common threat. Ultimately, Restore Africa: Natural Fighters for Nature is more than just a documentary—it’s a rallying cry for collective action and a celebration of the human spirit’s capacity for resilience. It reminds us that the impact of our efforts, when combined, can surpass even our wildest imaginations.
Password: Huddersfield
Maire Tracey
Tactical urbanism is about reimagining and repurposing urban spaces to meet the evolving needs of communities. Town centres across the globe have been impacted by a massive reduction in footfall. People want to connect – they just need the space.
Makerworld is a short documentary showing how artists are using an empty retail unit in Huddersfield to run free workshops for children, how this impacts the lives of the people who take part, and what this brings to the town.
Makerworld offers a utopian glimpse of how town centres could thrive if they replaced consumerism with community.
Told through the lens of the of the parents and children who attend the free weekly sessions; we hear about the benefits of free community art to young and old – from stress relief to confidence and from social mobility to inclusivity.
The sessions are vibrant and multi-cultural, where families are united by the “foraging of sparkly bits of material or fluff”. A sharp contrast with the decline of the high street just a few metres away.
As town centres are rushing to reinvent themselves, Makerworld provides an alternative view of how free community art can change lives, bring families into our dying towns and help reimagine our town centres in the 21st century.
Paolo Sodi
In a world from ancient times, wild brown bears have coexisted with humans for 6000 years in the mountains of Italy, two hours from Rome. Bear expert, Chris Morgan travels from the Colosseum to the wilderness, meeting conservationists and locals dedicating their time to protecting the Marsican brown bear, one of the world’s rarest bears, just 60 of them remain.
Their home is in the heart of Italy, in and around Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. The bears live a secret life between villages and wilderness with many people totally unaware of their existence.
These resilient and intelligent animals now need more space, safety and they need to expand. By protecting the bears, we are also protecting the wild places that we as humans also need for water and clean air, for example, the oldest beech forests in Europe that provide oxygen and absorb carbon. Sadly the bears face several challenges every day, threats that are jeopardising their future. Crossing roads is one of the most dangerous, the well-known cub, Juan Carrito lost his life after being hit by a car.
The secret to their future will be connecting, not just with the habitat beyond the boundaries of the park but with the hearts and minds of local people whose future is intertwined with the bear’s. These bears are a tiny example of how the 8 bear species globally can help us all. By protecting the 8 species we are protecting one third of the land on Earth.
Isa Rao, Tom van den Hurk
Every two hours, a man in the UK takes his own life. ‘A Little While Longer’ is a wake-up call to address the issue of male suicide and mental health and the stigma surrounding it. The film serves as a reminder that we all play a role in supporting those who have experienced mental health struggles and that there is hope and healing in sharing our stories.
By raising awareness, we can break the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and encourage open, honest conversations. Fostering an environment where men feel supported is essential not only for individual well-being but for the broader health of society. Mental health struggles, if left unaddressed, affect families, communities, and workplaces, undermining the social fabric. Mental health struggles can destroy lives.
Suicide prevention is not just about addressing a crisis in the moment; it’s about long-term change. Promoting mental health awareness, providing accessible resources, and dismantling harmful gender norms can help create a future where all individuals, regardless of gender, can thrive. Ensuring the mental well-being of men is a vital part of the larger goal of building a compassionate, inclusive, and sustainable society, where everyone has the opportunity to live a life free from despair. This is a responsibility we all share.
Todd Robertson
“How Do You See Me?” challenges us to reconsider how we view individuals with intellectual disabilities, highlighting the profound impact of societal perceptions on their lives. The film, centered on Devon Adelman, a young woman and Special Olympics athlete, explores why people with intellectual disabilities live 13 to 20 years less than others. Devon’s belief that her disability is a strength offers a fresh perspective on what it means to live with intellectual differences in a world often filled with misunderstanding and prejudice.
Devon’s journey shows us that societal neglect and harmful stereotypes directly affect the well-being and longevity of individuals like her. But it also underscores the potential for change. By confronting these biases, Devon and others pave the way for a more equitable and inclusive society. Her story is one of hope, showing that true strength lies in valuing and accepting people for who they are, not despite their differences, but because of them.
This film is relevant to everyone, no matter where they live, because it addresses a universal issue: the need for a more just world where everyone is seen, heard, and valued. We all have a shared responsibility to challenge outdated perceptions and create a future that recognizes the dignity and worth of every individual, regardless of their abilities.
Philip Hamilton
The film focuses on the under reported attacks on Southern Right whales from Kelp Seagulls at UNESCO’s heritage site, Peninsula Valdés in Argentine Patagonia. This unique case, only found in here, is caused by the mismanagement of fishing waste and urban waste in the Península Valdés and Puerto Madryn areas. The film investigates the cause of this threat, the impact it is having on the species and what is being done to resolve the issue.
The film is of huge importance as the world is unaware of the issue and even in Argentina, it is not widely discussed. Peninsula Valdés is a significantly important coastal habitat and is home to the southern right whale, the majestic animal that once helped to develop the city and expand tourism. Today, it is a direct victim of this success.
Southern right whales are still recovering after centuries of human hunting and in the ocean, they face a number of threats including collisions with ships, entanglement, water, noise and plastic pollution as well as the impacts of climate change. Despite these challenges, they reach the calm waters of Peninsula Valdés only to be faced with the alarming effects of relentless attacks from seagulls. Mum-calf pairings sustain horrific injuries resulting in high levels of stress, a 30% reduction in resting and nursing times causing weaker calves and increased calf mortality. The quality of life of the southern right whale, a global conservation emblem, is at stake and their protection is vital.
Michael Crosbie, Emily Fleuriot
Stitch and Spice, a 26-minute documentary that sheds light on the lives of garment workers in Bangladesh and Vietnam, exploring the complexities of sustainability-at-scale within the global fashion industry.
In partnership with sustainability advocate Luke Jaque-Rodney, PUMA, and MSL UK, “Stitch & Spice” challenges perceptions of the garment workers, by taking viewers inside the factories where our clothes are made. Through candid conversations between Luke and the workers, facilitated by NGOs and independent translators, our film humanises the individuals behind the clothes we wear.
While accusations of exploitation often dominate the conversation, “Stitch & Spice” aims to reveal the complexities and realities of modern garment production, showing both the challenges and the strides being made toward fair and ethical working conditions. By confronting these issues head-on, we hope to foster a more informed and compassionate dialogue about the fashion industry.
This is a story relevant to everyone because the global fashion supply chain is interconnected with our daily lives. The choices we make as consumers have real-world consequences for workers around the world. “Stitch & Spice” encourages viewers to reconsider their assumptions and see the people behind the labels, empowering us all to contribute to a more transparent, ethical, and sustainable future for the fashion industry.
We hope it inspires audiences to value the craftsmanship and stories behind every stitch, leading to more informed consumer behaviours.”
Aśka Faron
The Sundarbans region in South Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable places in the world. Frequent cyclones destroy people’s livelihoods and contaminate clean water sources, which are already in short supply there. This affects millions of people, including the often marginalised Munda community – an ethnic minority group with Indian origins, who migrated there over two centuries ago. Deben Munda, a descendent of those early settlers, has lived in the Sundarbans all his life – a life marked by hardship, hard work, and the forest itself, at once a source of livelihood and terrible danger. Now, as a reliable supply of clean water is about to be brought to Bhetkhali for the first time, he reflects back on his experiences, his struggles, and his hopes for the future – painting a portrait of an extraordinary life on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and the courageous community who call this land their home.
Ruihan Liang
This short documentary tells a story about the community, people, and animals of London Regent’s canal. After the human’s urbanisation, human’s activities directly affected the biodiversity of animals in nature. More and more animals are forced to live with our human beings. In fact, they also became the residents of city. In this situation, I found this canal community, where you can see birds and humans both living around the canal, as an example of how animals being a part of residents in the city. By interviewing the local people and capturing the animals’ daily life, the documentary provides a special angle from canal’s history and present, to discuss that, as a human, what influence we can make to other “residents” and our sustainable future.
Michael Shaw
Green Mountain Pioneers” is a short 30-minute climate documentary film directed and created by sustainability filmmaker Michael Shaw and produced by Sustainable Alpine Tourism Initiative (SATI) founder, Sarisher Mann. The film showcases sustainability solutions in mountain tourism through the lens of innovators, communities, scientists and policy makers across the Alps.
Mountain regions are hugely important places to address both climate mitigation and adaptation. Beyond their beauty, mountains are an essential part of planet earth’s ecosystem, hosting 50% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and freshwater, and are a home for 15% of the global population. However, these places and the communities living in them are facing significant environmental, social and economic impacts from climate change. The Green Mountain Pioneers film aims to revolutionise a new inspiring positive narrative towards a sustainable, more resilient future for mountain regions and their communities.
Filmed in several mountain regions of the Alps across summer and winter season, the film documents sustainable development issues and solutions in the Alps including renewable energy, circular economy, sustainable tourism, social impact projects, water scarcity, climate change, biodiversity loss and the power of collaboration across society on addressing several UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through the eyes of sustainability leaders across different countries, including experts from the UN, the film humanises a new and inclusive narrative to explore a more sustainable future for mountain regions, Alpine tourism, and people living in these communities.
Anne-Sophie Mouraud, Lucie Francini
Our short film “Coexistence” raises awareness about the significant role played by the European Union in the global shark fin trade, the EU being the first exporter of shark fins to Asia. But “Coexistence” is not just a film about protecting sharks, it’s about reconsidering our relationship with the living world. Because sharks are the most misunderstood and hated animal on the planet, but they are most of all the very symbol of wild beauty, of what humans exploit and dominate. Today, it’s the symbol of what we must save to protect our humanity, to protect our connection with the Ocean and Living Things.
“With “Coexistence”, the goal is also to create new emotions and make people move from fear to fascination, to respect and the desire to protect. It’s time to forget about the movie “JAWS” and see sharks for what they really are: vulnerable and indispensable. We need the Ocean and the Ocean need sharks, so there is only one way for us to survive: coexistence. We truly believe that by acting together, we will be the solution for a better future.
So “Coexistence” is about writing a new story for sharks, but most of all for own human nature. It’s a movement designed to change our inner narratives to reshape our shared reality and take action for good. Together, we can shape a future where sharks thrive, our oceans flourish, and our inner worlds inspire positive change in the world around us.”
Burcu Güler
“Walk of İris” is a documentary that intimately follows the journey of Iris, a resilient trans activist in Istanbul who fights tirelessly for equality amidst systemic oppression. While the film is rooted in the specific cultural context of Turkey, the themes it explores are universal and resonate with audiences globally. The message of the film is to be relevant to anyone and everyone because it delves into
the fundamental human rights that we all share. By presenting her experiences, I aimed the film encourages viewers to reflect on the prejudices and barriers that exist within their own societies.
Discrimination and oppression not only harm those directly affected but also weaken the social fabric that binds communities together. By advocating for inclusivity and understanding, we contribute to a world where diversity is celebrated rather than feared. The film also serves as a call to action, urging everyone to recognize the importance of empathy, solidarity, and active participation in social change.
And I believe that by standing up for the rights of marginalized individuals like Iris, we are taking meaningful steps toward creating a more just and compassionate global society.
Joe Osborn
The film follows the story of the ground breaking Scottish fishing vessel Lorna Jane.
It’s set in Scotland’s West coast in the scenic and alluring Argyll village of Tayvallich. Over the course of almost a year it captures the highs, lows and challenges related to creating the only all electric commercial fishing boat in the UK, or for that matter, maybe anywhere. It is a people and community story with a strong message to governments and environmental policy makers threaded throughout, as well as a snapshot of the determination that can be found in individuals throughout the world. This is one fisherman’s dedication towards the diesel free future we all need to address that reaches all ages, sexes and levels of society. It clearly shows a path with obstacles that can be surmounted at an individual level. It is a compelling story of our times that delivers hope as well as a practical useable solution.
It is a true story, a drama, a documentary, a visual spectacular, a thriller, an action movie, a reality TV show, a comedy, an emotional tragedy, a grab of real life, a feel good as well as a clear environmental statement all set within the West Coast of Scotland’s fishing industry. There is something in this for everyone.
Is it ahead of its time or are we all behind the times?