Magnificent
DOCUMENTARY – SHORTS
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Elinor Coleman
A short film that blends documentary with speculative fiction, revisiting our present from a sustainable future to trace the real-world breakthroughs in hydrogen technology that reshaped our planet.
Benedykt Zasadzki
When Ranjit Bhamra — a severely disabled mouth painter who relies entirely on his teeth to create his art — breaks a front tooth vital to his independence, his world is suddenly thrown into uncertainty. Ranjit’s Precious Tooth follows his extraordinary journey of resilience, artistry, and hope, as a team of compassionate dentists at The Sandford Dental Implant & Cosmetic Centre come together to restore not just his smile, but his freedom to live and create.
This heartfelt documentary celebrates human determination, the power of skilled care, and the beauty of giving someone back the means to express their true self.
Chi Cheng
In The Study Group, an elderly woman and her volunteers welcome immigrants and refugees into a reading circle that becomes much more than English lessons — it becomes a lesson in kindness, connection, and the beauty of belonging.
Rebecca Robinson
00:06:42 Ananas Anam are turning pineapple waste into natural textiles!
It wasn’t that long ago that pineapples were seen as a luxury – but now they can be found on supermarket shelves all year round, fuelling a 400% increase in global pineapple production since 1960. The downside of this phenomenal growth is 25 million tonnes of pineapple waste a year from the plant’s discarded leaves. Most of them are either burned or left to rot, generating high volumes of methane emissions, perhaps the most dangerous of the greenhouse gases.
Fast fashion has gone through a similar period of rapid growth in the last fifty years, with a similar impact on the environment. The sector is responsible for an estimated 10% of greenhouse gas emissions, and uses around 93 billion cubic metres of water per year- or 4% of all freshwater extraction globally. This is set to double by 2030.
Ananas Anam have come up with a solution to both of these problems. Through repurposing the agricultural waste that comes from pineapple production it has created a series of natural textiles, Piñatex and Piñayarn, using the fibres from the discarded leaves. The leaves are collected in bundles before the long fibres are extracted using semi-automatic machines. The fibres are washed, dried naturally by the sun (or in a drying oven during rainy season) and then combined with a corn-based polylactic acid to create a non-woven mesh that forms the basis of the textiles.
As the name suggests, Piñayarn is a compostable and biodegradable yarn, while Piñatex offers a viable alternative to leather, doing away with the tanning process needed for animal skins that usually uses around 250 polluting chemicals. By not burning the leaves, there is also a CO2 emissions saving – the equivalent of 6kg of CO2 for each 1kg of yarn produced.
Not only does this solution offer a circular approach to textile production, but it’s also good for the farmers who produce the pineapples – Ananas Anam supports rural farming communities in Bangladesh like Eco-Fresh Agro, fostering strong partnerships through their transparent supply chain, and demonstrating that by reusing resources, we can do so much more than just follow fashion.
Andrew Lynch, Ben Ayers, Rush Sturges
On Deer Isle, Maine, home to one of the world’s most productive lobster ports, warming waters and invisible microplastic pollution threaten a centuries-old way of life. As veteran lobsterman Joel Billings and his daughter Hannah reckon with the possible end of their family’s tradition, neighbor and microplastics researcher Abby Barrows offers a vision for a more sustainable future through plastic-free aquaculture.
Jeff Siebert
Portrait of a Seaweed Farmer: Ana Borrero, PhD, follows a Spanish marine scientist who leaves behind a high-stress academic career to cultivate something far more sustainable—seaweed and a life in balance. Now working in coastal Norway, Ana channels her scientific expertise into growing an industry poised to combat climate change through regenerative farming. With humor, heart, and humility, Ana reflects on her journey from a microscope-loving child to working mother of two, driven by both environmental urgency and a desire to be present for her young family. A deeply personal look at how one woman found meaning, and a future, beneath the surface.
This film is part of a series funded by a grant from World Wildlife Fund, created to spotlight individuals leading the charge in ocean restoration and sustainable livelihoods. The two other films in the series are available to screen as well. You can view the films at the links below:
Susanna Wright
A raw, redemptive short film about navigating trauma, reclaiming your story, and how five teachers changed everything. From the brink of becoming a statistic to the hope found in a classroom, this is a story of human connection, empathy, and ambitious resilience.
Guy Cohen, Tom Armstrong
Guaviare is a remote region of south east Colombia, known as the gateway to the Colombian Amazon rainforest. For decades it was a lawless region of conflict and violence. Far from the Colombian Government’s control, it became the centre of operations for the FARC, the revolutionary guerilla army fighting a civil war with the Colombian Government, as well as for the Narcos and cocaine production.
In 2016 a peace deal “La Paz” was signed, bringing an end to the war that had been raging for over 50 years. With the FARC no longer preventing access to the area, deforestation rates in Guaviare accelerated as loggers, miners and cattle ranchers moved in.
Many of those who used to be coca farmers of guerilla fighters and call Guaviare home now find themselves struggling to make a living safely, legally, and sustainably.
Lily Lowe-Myers
Transition Leytonstone is a volunteer organisation that aims to make its community the best and most sustainable place to be. We care about the environment – and each other. Current main projects include a community fridge saving large amounts of food from landfill, a community garden and the Library for Change that runs regular events to raise awareness of climate related and sustainable practices.
Christina Yianni
A deeply personal documentary that follows Team England parasurfer and Paralympian, Hannah Dines, who lives with cerebral palsy and PSC, from the shores of Wales to California to compete in the World Championships.
Carter Kirilenko, Adam Combs
Please note: This film is a rough cut, NOT a completed film. There are several scenes still missing involving Rob & Amanda’s background and life experience on Hornby / Denman Island. However, we hope this cut offers a snapshot of the story, tone and our creative vision behind it. We will upload a Final Cut mid December (2024) once the film is complete.
Covering one-third of the world’s coastline, kelp forests provide habitat, nursery grounds, and feeding areas for thousands of species across the globe. Often referred to as the “coral reefs” of cold oceanic regions, kelp forests play a critical role in stabilizing the climate by absorbing vast amounts of carbon. However, increasing water temperatures due to a warming climate are threatening kelp populations worldwide. Over the past seven years, up to 95% of kelp has disappeared in areas across North America’s west coast.
Hornby Island in British Columbia is one of many warming coastal regions where kelp has vanished. In response to the loss of these vital sea forests, a small team of marine biologists and local divers, known as the Kelp Rescue Initiative, has taken action to restore kelp populations along the island’s shoreline. In a groundbreaking study, the team experiments with planting different genetic variations of kelp from warmer regions in hopes of discovering a strain that can withstand the rapidly rising water temperatures. Their research is continually challenged by storms, predators, and the harsh underwater environment, which damage their sites and slow their efforts.
Despite this, they are able to bring back wild kelp to Hornby Island for the first time in 10 years. However, as the scientists push on, they realize the chances of restoring kelp around the world may be slimmer than they initially hoped.
Nina Constable
A short documentary looking at the intricate relationship between beavers and migratory fish and the potential impact global beaver re-introductions might be having on declining fish populations.