2024 Festival Highlights
Iceland, On the Trail of Democracy
2024 Winner
Documentary | 00:57:46 | France
Directed by: Steve Vilhem
The Icelandic revolution, also known as the “Pots and Pans Revolution”, occurred in October 2008 in Iceland. It was rooted in the context of the subprime financial crisis when, in less than a month, the country’s three main banks declared bankruptcy. From this protest emerged an unprecedented process: the drafting of a new Constitution based on participatory democracy, which utilized methods such as random selection, online participation, citizen debates, elections, and more.
It is this citizen initiative that Alix, Ali, and Steve wanted to highlight. To understand the process, they set out to meet the main players of the revolution and the Icelandic citizens at the heart of this approach, who brought an entire country together around a common project, investing themselves in improving their democracy.
2024 Official Selections
The Borders Never Die
2024 Official Selection
Fiction | 00:14:50 | Islamic Republic of Iran
Directed by: Hamidreza Arjomandi
A couple (Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan) have decided to cross the border because of the war in their land. The woman is pregnant. They have difficult and impassable roads ahead of them.
Sermersuaq – The Great Ice
2024 Official Selection
Documentary | 00:13:42 | Italy
Directed by: Patrizia Bruno
Sermersuaq is a powerful documentary that offers an intimate perspective on climate change in the Arctic. It follows the stories of Michael, a hunter from Qaanaaq, the northernmost town of Greenland, and Marc, a scientist on a quest for truth.
Different origins, same common purpose: preserving Sermersuaq, Greenland’s great ice sheet.
Offenders
2024 Official Selection
Documentary | 01:00:00 | Canada
Directed by: Sunil Kalia
Fearlessly challenging constraints on free expression in India, the documentary calls for the defense of free speech amidst censorship and violence. Against the backdrop of Hindu hegemony, it serves as a tribute to the transformative power of safeguarding fundamental rights.
From Cradle to Grave
2024 Official Selection
Fiction | 01:35:00 | Islamic Republic of Iran
Directed by: Davoud Abdolmaleki
Are we responsible for our destiny? Do we have the ability to change the circumstances of our lives? The students of a Girls High school have lived the answers to these questions.
The Future is Ours
2024 Official Selection
Documentary | 00:34:56 | United States
Directed by: Ed Madison
Climate change, school shootings, racial tensions, and devastating wars are just some of the issues Gen Z will soon inherit. “The Future is Ours” is a 35-minute documentary featuring Gen Z journalists from across the country engaged in challenging conversations we all need to hear and have. Many are eligible to vote for the first time in the next election.