International College Competition

 Fishing in Esperanza (13m, Argentina): A journey from the civilized chaos into the deep rivers of the Amazon jungle to a small community called Esperanza, where life is still in harmony with nature, and a father and his son are waiting for the fish to bite. Fishing in Esperanza is a poetic short film about hope. In different levels the film tells the story about a filmmaker, a fisherman, a community and a society that are all waiting for a basic incident to take place.

 Breaking Ground (9m, Canada): A Border Guard is faced with Columbian farmer, Paolo, who arrives illegally in a shipping container. Together they must overcome their cultural and language barriers and find a common ground. Thus far, Breaking Ground has been officially selected by the Montana Cine International Film Festival (where it won a Merit Award as a Finalist for Cultural Perspective), the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, the Bayou Inspirational Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival.

 Amber Waves (2m, USA): In ironic reference to the line “for amber waves of grain” in “America the Beautiful,” the short, politically charged film chronicles plastic bags from large companies across various landscapes.

 Between the Harvest (29m, USA): Between the Harvest explores a small town on the coast of Costa Rica that relies on the harvesting of sea turtle eggs for survival. It is exemplary of our complex relationship with the environment and how there is often a human story behind the environmental catastrophe.

 A Wild Idea (26m, Ecuador, USA): A Wild Idea is a documentary about the Yasuni-ITT Initiative-Ecuador’s unprecedented proposal for fighting global climate change: In exchange for payments from the world community, the country will leave untouched its largest oil reserves.

 Mountain Man (14m, USA): ‘Mountain Man’ is a social issue documentary that chronicles, in verité style, Joel’s struggle to find a balance between an obligatory fast paced Orange County lifestyle and the natural beauty in Orange County and the greater Southern California area that goes seemingly unnoticed. This short documentary follows the ebbs and flows of Joel’s work in Naturalist for You. He struggles to attract participants but also experiences the triumphs of fostering inspiration. He struggles to support his family, while also maintaining a constant dedication to his organization.”

 Among Giants (14m, USA): Begins three years into the McKay tree-sit- a response to Green Diamond Resource Company’s clear cutting of redwood forests. Atop his tiny platform a hundred feet up in the ancient redwood canopy, Farmer must battle the elements and avoid isolation as he fights for a sustainable future. The film uses a restrained verité style that reflects the pace of life in the tree village. As Farmer outlasts a vicious storm, counts the rings on a felled tree, and trumps through a recent clear cut, the film asks questions what it means to follow one’s beliefs and make a difference in the world.

National High School Competition

Plugged In by Anna Dodd

Echoes of Exxon by Lauren Lindberg

Green Waste by Denise M. Stilley

Bag Buddies: A Journey from Single-Use to Re-Use by Fletcher Passow

Cardboard by Tara-Nicole Azarian