2023 film selection
Refuge, Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 7pm
In this time of divisiveness in our country, Refuge weaves together some tangible examples of everyday people working to overcome these divisions resulting in a remarkable story of transformation. This story demonstrates what is possible when we open ourselves to the beautiful tapestry of our shared humanity as a healing antidote to polarization and hate. It’s a story about fear and love in the American South.
Visit refugemovie.com for more information on the film.
Film screening followed by audience Q&A with Chris Buckley and Arno Michaelis – former white supremacists featured in the film, and current intervention specialists working with Parents for Peace.
Youth Documentary Academy- Short Films Program, Friday, April 14, 2023 at 7pm
Skinned Knees – Olive Van Eimeren
Incorporating insights from journals, her own poetry, and interviews for this YDA project, she explores these memories with various family members, looking for reconciliation within her family, while also finding her own healing.
Leaving Africa – Rose Nseya
In Leaving Africa, filmmaker and Congolese refugee, Rose Nseya, recounts the harrowing odyssey of fleeing her homeland and the complex process of refugee resettlement as she finds safety reuniting with her grandmother and a new start as a high school student in Colorado.
Blind Sighted – Mitch Davila-Armendano
The stories about young Americans with disabilities are in desperate need of a refresh. Even as assistive technologies help people adapt, there is still a stigma associated with blindness and other common disabilities
Under the Wire – Madison Legg
Filmmaker Madison Legg recounts the challenges she and her brother faced as immigrants and foster children growing up in a loving family but still facing the taboos associated with talking about depression and self-harm. By breaking the silence, Madison transforms her own family and inspires the broader community to face these issues with honesty and empathy.
For more info visit youthdocumentary.org.
Film screening followed by audience Q&A with four YDA filmmakers – Olive Van Eimeren, Rose Nseya, Mitch Davila-Armendano, and Madison Legg – Tom Shepard, and Cassandra Walton.
Waterman, Saturday, April 15, 2023 at 7pm
Prepare to meet a larger-than-life legend in Waterman, a film about native Hawaiian, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku. As a five-time Olympic medalist, he shattered records in swimming while also being recognized as the undisputed father of surfing. Duke overcame a lifetime of personal challenges and is celebrated in Hawaii today as the true Ambassador of Aloha.
Visit watermanthemovie.com for more information on the film.
Followed by a Q&A with Chet Thomas, co-Producer, Waterman, and Steve Hawk, a fixture of the Coastside surf scene and former editor of both Surfer and Sierra magazines.
2022 film selection
Come From Away, Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 7pm
Come From Away, tells the true story of what transpired when 7,000 passengers are stranded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in a small town in Newfoundland at Gander International Airport where they were housed and welcomed as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon.
Visit comefromaway.com for more information on the film.
Film screening was followed by a conversation with Craig Detweiler, Windrider Co-Founder.
Q & A Participants:
- Christopher Ashley, Director
Watch the filmmakers conversation replay streamed Thursday, June 23, 2022
Mission: JOY – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times, Friday, June 24 at 7pm
Mission: JOY is a documentary with unprecedented access to the unlikely friendship of two international icons who transcend religion: His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu. These unlikely friends impart lessons gleaned from lived experience, ancient traditions, and the latest cutting-edge science regarding how to live with joy in the face of all of life’s challenges from the extraordinary to the mundane.
Visit MissionJoy.org for more information on the film.
Film screening was followed by a conversation with Will Stoller-Lee, Windrider Co-Founder/Windrider Bay Area Project Director.
Q & A Participants:
Peggy Callahan – Co-Director and Producer.
Doug Abrams – featured in the film.
Dr. Elissa Epel – vice chair of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.
Watch the filmmakers conversation replay streamed Friday, June 24, 2022
2021 film selection
Carterland, Thursday, July 8, 2021
Carterland tells the story of President Carter’s foresight in protecting our environment and championing social justice in the U.S. and abroad.
Visit carterlandmovie.com for more information on the film.
Film screening was followed by a conversation with Jason Carter.
Q & A Participants:
- Will & Jim Pattiz, Directors
- Craig Detweiler, Moderator and Windrider Institute Co-Founder
Watch the filmmakers conversation replay streamed Thursday, July 8, 2021
River City Drumbeat, Friday, July 9, 2021
River City Drumbeat is the story of a couple in Louisville, Kentucky, committed to providing students a way to thrive through art and fight against the obstacles often suffered by the youth in their community. They started a drum corps and taught the students music, discipline, teamwork and pride in their African heritage.
Visitwww.rivercitydrumbeatmovie.com for more information on the film.
Q & A Participants:
Marlon Johnson & Anne Flatté, Director/Producers
Edward “Nardie” White, Featured in the Film
Saila Kariat,Windrider Team Member
Knocking Down Fences Saturday, July 10, 2021
Knocking Down the Fences shows an incredible black, softball player flying through the air, catching balls clearly out of reach. A.J. Andrews is the first woman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award, recognizing her amazing athletic talent.
Visit www.knockingdownthefences.com for more information on the film.
Q & A Participants:
Meg Shutzer, Director
John Priddy, Windrider Institute CEO and Co-Founder
Tree #3 , Saturday, July 10, 2021
Tree #3 is Itai’s story of living in Texas as an immigrant from Israel. This boy dreams of having the lead role in a school play, but is repeatedly cast as a bush or a tree. Undeterred by blatant discrimination, he makes the most of being Tree #3 and finds his moment to unexpectedly shine.
Visit www.treenumberthreefilm.com for more information on the film.
Q & A Participants:
- Omer Ben-Shachar, Writer/Director/Producer
- Claudia S. Murray, Filmmaker
Red Horizon, Saturday, July 10, 2021
Red Horizon is a documentary about an amazing group of young African-American men and women being trained as pilots, looking to help diversify the pilot profession. Less than 3% of pilots are black, and less than 1% are black women. These men and women are carrying on the legacy of the black Tuskegee Airmen, who served with distinction in WWII and returned home to face the same racism they had before.
Visit www.redhorizonfilm.com for more information on the film.
Q & A Participants:
T.C. Johnstone, Director
Will Stoller-Lee, Windrider Forum Co-Founder
Rising Phoenix, Thursday, July 15, 2021
Rising Phoenix tells the inspiring story of elite athletes qualifying to compete at the Paralympics. The “Parallel” Olympics hosts disabled athletes who overcome major obstacles to compete at the highest level. They demonstrate perseverance, camaraderie and riveting athletic ability.
Visit RisingPhoenix.Education for more information on the film.
Q & A Participants:
- Tatyana McFadden, 17 time Paralympic Games medalist
- Greg Nugent, Producer and 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Marketing Director
- Terri Bullock, Windrider Bay Area director
Giving Voice, Friday, July 16, 2021
Giving Voice follows the lives of six high school students as they compete in the August Wilson Monologue Competition. August Wilson was an award-winning American playwright, who wrote about the African American experience. Viola Davis described his writing by saying, “He captures our humor, our vulnerabilities, our tragedies, our trauma. And he humanizes us. And he allows us to talk.”
Q & A Participants:
- Janis Burley Wilson, CEO of the August Wilson Cultural Center
- Celeste Lescene, Storyteller and Activist
- James D. Stern, Director/Producer
- John Priddy, Windrider CEO and Co-Founder
2020 film selection
That’s My Jazz, Saturday, June 27, 2020
A world-renowned pastry chef, reflects on his relationship with his deceased father Milton Abel Sr., famed Kansas City jazz musician.
Visit breakwaterstudios.com for more information on the film.
Q & A Participants:
- Ben Proudfoot, Director
- Craig Detweiler, Moderator and Windrider Institute Co-Founder
Watch the full program replay streamed Saturday, June 27, 2020
Walk Run Cha-Cha, Saturday, June 27, 2020
Paul and Millie Cao fell in love as teenagers in Vietnam but were soon separated by the war. Years later they finally reunited in California. Now, after decades of working hard to build new lives, they are making up for lost time on the dance floor.
Visit feltfilms.com for more information on the film.
Q & A Participants:
- Laura Nix, Director
- John Priddy, Moderator and Windrider Institute CEO and Co-Founder
Watch the full program replay streamed Saturday, June 27, 2020
Identity: The Andrew Nemr Story, Saturday, June 27, 2020
This documentary short showcases Andrew as he dances through his struggles with being bullied, his place in the tap dance community, and the larger questions of identity.
Visit andrewnemr.com for more information on Andrew and the film.
Q & A Participants:
- Andrew Nemr, Featured in the Film
- Jonathan Cipiti, Moderator and Director
Watch the full program replay streamed Saturday, June 27, 2020
Nocturne in Black, Sunday, July 5, 2020
In the midst of war-ravaged Syria, Karim seeks solace by secretly playing his piano for himself and his neighbors. Secretly, because music has been banned by the Jihadists in local control under their strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. When Karim’s piano is soon discovered, it is destroyed by the Jihadists with heartbreaking and courageous consequences for the entire community.
Q & A Participants:
- Jimmy Keyrouz, Writer & Director
- John Priddy, Moderator and Windrider Institute CEO and Co-Founder
Teen Press, Sunday, July 12, 2020
“Teen Press” follows eight students who are selected for a highly sought-after elective class at the Santa Barbara Middle School. The film follows eight students from the competitive selection process through the awkwardness of their initial training. Then we see these young people courageously interviewing celebrities on the red carpet and sitting down for in-depth discussions with influential leaders who are making an impact in business and politics. These curious and capable young people remind all of us about some of the most important lessons in life and offer insights that transcend formal education.
Q & A Participants:
- T.C. Johnstone, Director
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator and Windrider Forum Co-Founder
The Driver Is Red, Sunday, July 19, 2020
A riveting account of secret service agent Zvi Aharoni as he hunts down a notorious fugitive in the remote outskirts of Buenos Aires. The film is imaginatively illustrated through striking hand-drawn animation to describe the suspense of a case that would send shockwaves around the world. The sketch drawings of Director/Writer Randall Christopher together with distinctive first-person narration of Mark Pinter and haunting score of Spencer Rabin will motivate you to learn more about the actual historical events that inspired this film.
Q & A Participants:
- Randall Christopher, Writer & Director, Animator
- Marina Dimmett, Moderator and Director of the Windrider Forum; Senior Producer, Windrider Productions
Beneath the Ink, Sunday, July 26, 2020
Tattoo artist Billy Joe White sends out a Facebook invitation to his customers asking them to “bring me your mistakes”. The overwhelming response in this small town in the Appalachia region of southern Ohio encourages the viewer to look beneath the surface as Billy shares his heartfelt mission to “erase the hate”. One by one, Billy Joe covers up embarrassing and shocking tattoos, turning them into something beautiful, and offering people a second chance.
Q & A Participants:
- Billy Joe White, Featured in the film
- Craig Detweiler, Moderator and Windrider Institute Co-Founder
Soar, Sunday, August 2, 2020
An aspiring engineer with multiple blueprints for failed airplane launches encounters an unexpected guest when a tiny young aviator with a fantastic flying machine crashes into her life. Both of our discouraged aviators gradually realize that their ability to succeed might depend upon each of them learning to improvise and work together to find a creative solution – before it’s too late!
Q & A Participants:
- Timothy Reckart, Writer & Director, Animator, Head Over Heels
- Alyce Tzue, Writer & Director, Animation Lead, Soar
Head Over Heels, Sunday, August 2, 2020
After years of marriage, Walter and Madge have grown apart in ways that are tangibly illustrated by the design of this film that shows how each of them experience their daily routine from two entirely opposite points of view. This whimsical, insightful fable explore how Walter and Madge have gone from ‘head over heels” in love with one another to sparring over every one of their differences. The viewer watches the couple attempt to reignite the magic in their relationship as they seek a new equilibrium in their lives.
Q & A Participants:
- Timothy Reckart, Writer & Director, Animator, Head Over Heels
- Alyce Tzue, Writer & Director, Animation Lead, Soar
DeKalb Elementary, Sunday, August 9, 2020
Heartwarming and unexpected, this film is a tense but poignant story of a troubled young man who enters an elementary school with a rifle in hand intent on punishing innocent bystanders. Experience the visceral fear of those who are trapped in the school office, the vulnerability of mental illness, and ultimately the compassion and heroism that helps bring the situation to its resolution. The film will keep the viewer on the edge of their seat as this tense scenario plays itself out from the narrow confines of the school office with an ending that will leave you breathless. (Inspired by an actual incident)
Q & A Participants:
- Reed Van Dyk, Writer & Director
- Dea Jenkins, Moderator
Wondrous, Sunday, August 16, 2020
This 5-minute short film is an immersive experience that blends visual imagery, music/sound, and the spoken word of poet Vandoren Wheeler. Join a young boy with an innocent sense of wonder and curiosity as he takes you on a magical journey from the dazzling sights of a busy urban landscapes to the breathtaking beauty and magnificence of the natural world.
Q & A Participants:
- Sebastian Rogers, Director
- Craig Detweiler, Moderator and Windrider Institute Co-Founder
Kintsugi, Sunday, August 16, 2020
Kintsugi is an 16th century Japanese art form which repairs broken and chipped pottery using a lacquer embellished with gold or other precious metals. Visual artist Makoto Fujimura and Kintsugi Master Kunio Nakamura invite us to explore a deeper understanding of the redemptive beauty of this ancient art form as we encounter surprising comfort and restoration in the midst of brokenness.
Q & A Participants:
- Makoto Fujimura, Featured in the film
- Craig Detweiler, Moderator and Windrider Institute Co-Founder
2019 film selection
Q Ball, Thursday, June 27, 2019 at 7pm
Across the Bay from the NBA champion Golden State Warriors is another Warriors team, one that plays only home games. Felony convictions derailed the lives of the San Quentin Prison squad, some of them promising players.
World premiered at SFFILM Festival 2019
Q & A Participants:
- James Niebuhr, Cinematographer
- Harry “ATL” Smith, Featured in the film
- Brian Carson, Strength & Conditioning and Assistant Basketball Coach for Junipero Serra High School
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator and Windrider Institute Director & Co-Founder
Short Film Program: Friday, June 28, 2019
“Esta Es Tu Cuba”, Brian Robau, Director; John Sayage, Producer
Esta es tu Cuba is a short film inspired by the real life stories of the families involved in Operation Pedro Pan, the mass exodus of over 14,000 unaccompanied minors from Cuba to Miami. Esta es tu Cuba takes place in 1960’s Cuba.
Winner of the 2018 Student Academy Award (Bronze) in the Domestic Dramatic Category, Winner of the 2018 Caucus Gold Circle Award 1st Place, Winner of the 2019 HBO Ibero-American Award, Winner of the 2019 Student Emmy (College Television Award) – Best Drama, Winner 2019 Windrider @ Sundance – Best Student Film
“Beneath the Ink”, Cy Dodson, Director/Editor
“Bring Me Your Mistakes” is the invitation Ohio tattoo artist Billy Joe White makes. A documentary, set in the Appalachia region of Ohio, it tells Billy’s story as he shares his heartfelt mission to “erase the hate”.
Winner of the 2018 BendFilm Festival, Best Documentary Short, Winner of the Dances With Films 2018, Audience Award – Documentary Short, Winner of the 2019 Fargo Film Festival – Best Documentary Short, Winner of the 2018 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, Best Documentary Short – Special Mention, Winner 2018 Palm Springs International ShortFest, Audience Award – Best Documentary Short
“Period. End of Sentence”, Ruby Schiff and Avery Siegel, Executive Producers
“Who knew a film about girls menstruating could win an Academy Award?!” to quote Rayka Zehtabchi as she accepted the award for best Short Documentary at this year’s Oscars. The film begins with interviews with boys and girls in India, discussing a topic that is rarely talked about in their country.
Winner of the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject, Winner of the 2018 AFI Fest Audience Award, Best Short Film, Winner of the 2018 AFI Fest Grand Jury Prize – Special Mention, Best Documentary Short, Winner of the 2018 Cleveland International Film Festival, Best Documentary Short Film, Winner of the 2018 National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) Audience Award – Opening Night Films, Winner of the 2018 Port Townsend Film Festival Audience Award, Best Documentary Short Film
Q&A Participants:
- Brian Robau, “Esta es tu Cuba” Director
- John Sayage, “Esta es tu Cuba” Producer
- Cy Dodson, “Beneath the Ink” Director/Editor
- Ruby Schiff and Avery Siegel, “Period. End of Sentence” Executive Producers
- Craig Detweiler, Moderator and Windrider Institute Co-Founder
Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements, Saturday, June 29, 2019
Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements is a deeply personal story spanning three centuries of the deaf experience, told through the eyes of a young deaf boy growing up, his deaf grandfather growing old, and Beethoven when he wrote his iconic sonata. Irene Taylor Brodsky’s 11-year-old son Jonas learns Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, a beautiful and heart-wrenching piece written during the year Beethoven was stricken with his own deafness.
Q & A Participants:
- Irene Taylor Brodsky, Director and Producer
- Tahria Sheather, Producer
- Jonas Brodsky & Sally Taylor, Featured in the Film
- John Priddy, Moderator and Windrider Institute CEO & Co-Founder
2018 film selection
Skid Row Marathon, Thursday, June 28, 2018 at 7pm
When a criminal court judge starts a running club on LA’s notorious skid row and begins training a motley group of addicts and criminals to run marathons, lives begin to change.
SKID ROW MARATHON follows four runners as they rise from the mean streets of LA to run marathons around the world, fighting the pull of homelessness and addiction at every turn.
Their story is one of hope, friendship, and dignity.
Q & A Participants:
- Mark Hayes, Filmmaker
- Gabi Hayes, Producer
- Judge Craig Mitchell & Rafael Cabrera, subjects from the film
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
Short Film Program: Friday, June 29, 2018
“Fanny Pack”, Uttera Singh, Filmmaker
What happens when a young Indian-American girl, following her dreams is chased through an airport by her fanny pack clad Indian father, who hopes she will follow his dreams? Find out in this delightful comedy starring Uttera Singh (also the filmmaker) and Brian George (Raj’s father in The Big Bang Theory).
Audience Choice Award, Heartland Film Festival; Audience Choice Award, Virginia Film Festival
“The Driver Is Red”, Jared Callahan, Producer
A riveting account of the hunt by Israeli secret service for a notorious Nazi fugitive in the remote outskirts of Buenos Aires, a case that would send shockwaves around the world, imaginatively illustrated through striking hand-drawn animation.
“Refugee”, Joyce Chen, Co-Director and Co-Producer
“Refugee” tells the story of Aicha Diop, a West African refugee who made the biggest sacrifice of all when she boarded a plane for the US in 2003, leaving her 5 children behind. Despite the trauma of her past, a life-threatening illness, and the harsh realities of life in the South Bronx, Aicha perseveres, driven solely by the desire to provide her children with a better future and to be reunited with them once again. “Refugee” is the remarkable story of a mother’s love, and how the power of hope can propel us through insurmountable obstacles, even after losing everything.
Q&A Participants:
- Uttera Singh, “Fanny Pack” Filmmaker
- Jared Callahan, “The Driver is Red” Filmmaker
- Diana Essex, Deputy Director of Asylum Access
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
- John Priddy, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
Inventing Tomorrow, Saturday, June 28, 2018
Follow seven passionate young scientists and innovators from India, Mexico, Indonesia and Hawaii as they tackle some daunting environmental issues facing humanity today — right in their own backyards. Each student is preparing original scientific research for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), considered the Olympics of high school science fairs, attracting 1800 finalists from over 75 countries. Meet these teenagers, with their own unique struggles, who are navigating the typical doubts and insecurities that mark adolescence as they prepare to leave home, some for the very first time, to attend this competition. They will win your hearts and give you hope for the future of our planet!
Q & A Participants:
- Laura Nix, Director
- Sahithi Pingali, Jesús Alfonso Martínez Aranda, & Jose Manuel Elizade Esparaza, Students Featured
- John Priddy, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
2017 film selection
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble, Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 7 PM
This beautiful and inspiring documentary tracks the formation and travels of the Silk Road Ensemble, a multicultural music group formed by world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Although initially strangers, many from warring countries, the musicians quickly realize that they speak the common language of music. Follow their amazing journey as they explore the power of music to bring connection, joy and hope.
Q & A Participants:
- Haruka Fujii, a percussionist from the Silk Road Ensemble
- Eduardo A. Braniff, Executive Director
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
Short Film Program: Friday, July 7, 2017
“Teen Press”, T.C. Johnstone, FilmmakerThis uplifting short documentary chronicles the story of the Santa Barbara Teen Press, a journalism program created by two teachers who used the opportunity to cover their own local film festival as journalists to inspire their students. They taught them to research issues, educate themselves on the backgrounds of potential interviewees, and create interesting and engaging questions to draw their subjects into conversation. The students soon find themselves interviewing celebrities on the red carpet as well as world leaders, and through this experience, they learn that they have the ability to engage with anyone and help them tell their stories.
Audience Choice Award, Heartland Film Festival; Audience Choice Award, Virginia Film Festival
“DeKalb Elementary“, Reed Van Dyk, Filmmaker
Based on an actual incident in Atlanta, GA, DeKalb Elementary is a tense yet poignant story of a troubled young man who enters the DeKalb school office with a rifle in hand. See how this too-common scenario plays itself out from inside the office, and experience the vulnerability of mental illness, the fear of those trapped, and ultimately the compassion and heroism that helps bring the situation to its resolution.
Jury Award Winner, 2017 Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival; Special Jury Recognition in Acting, 2017 SXSW; Special Jury Award, 2017 Festival Regard; 2018 Oscar Nomination Live Action Short Film
“SOAR“, Alyce Tzue, Filmmaker
This delightful animated short film captures the benefits of teamwork. A young girl partners with her unexpected guest, a miniature boy whose airplane crashes on her picnic table, just as she’s trying to build her own plane from complicated blueprints. The pair work together with beautiful results.
2015 Gold Medal Student Academy Award Winner
“Nocturne in Black“, Felecia Hunter, Producer
In the midst of war-ravaged Syria, Karim seeks solace by secretly playing his piano for himself and his neighbors. Secretly, because music has been banned by the Jihadists in local control under their strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. When Karim’s piano is soon discovered, it is destroyed by the Jihadists with heartbreaking and courageous consequences for the entire community.
Gold Medal Winner, 2016 Student Academy Awards; short listed for the 2017 Oscars in the Live Action Short category;
Q&A Participants:
- T.C. Johnstone, “Teen Press” Filmmaker
- Reed Van Dyk, “DeKalb Elementary” Filmmaker
- Alyce Tzue, “SOAR” Filmmaker
- Felecia Hunter, “Nocturne in Black” Producer
- John Priddy, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
STEP, Amanda Lipitz, Filmmaker; Step team members Blessin Giraldo, Cori Grainger, and Tayla Solomon; and Paula Dofat, Director of College Counseling, Saturday, July 8, 2017
STEP is the true-life story of a girls’ high-school step dance team set against the background of the heart of Baltimore. These young women learn to laugh, love and thrive – on and off the stage – even when the world seems to work against them. Empowered by their teachers, teammates, counselors, coaches and families, they chase their ultimate dreams: to win a step championship and to be accepted into college.
This all female school is reshaping the futures of its students’ lives by making it their goal to have every member of their senior class accepted to and graduate from college, many of whom will be the first in their family to do so. Deeply insightful and emotionally inspiring, STEP embodies the true meaning of sisterhood through a story of courageous young women worth cheering for.
STEP world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 to sold out screenings where it was acquired for world-wide distribution by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The film will open in select theaters on August 4.
Q & A Participants:
- Amanda Lipitz, Filmmaker
- Step team members Blessin Giraldo, Cori Grainger, and Tayla Solomon
- Paula Dofat, Director of College Counseling
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
2016 film selection
Searchdog, Mary Healey Jamiel, Filmmaker, Thursday, April 14, 2016
A documentary following Sergeant Matthew “Matt” Zarrella for more than four years as he identifies dogs at rescue shelters—frequently those labeled as problem dogs scheduled to be put down within the week—and rehabilitates and trains them into dependable search-and-rescue dogs. Rather than being unmanageable, they become the trusted partners of teams on a time critical search for a missing person, hoping to make it a rescue rather than a recovery.
2016 Best in Fest Selection, Palm Springs International Film Festival
Q & A Participants:
- Matt Zarrella, Marine Veteran, Retired Rhode Island State Police Sergeant, and Search-and-Rescue Dog Trainer
- Buster, Marine K-9 Veteran and Matt’s Search-and-Rescue dog
- Mary Healey Jamiel, Filmmaker
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
Short Film Program: Friday, April 15, 2016
“Frogman”, Tyler Trumbo, Filmmaker
A boy idolizes his father, whose stories are larger than life. His father, a frogman (Navy Seal), is frequently away on secret missions. However, the frogman changes, becomes distant, and over the years, the boy feels abandoned. Only a frightening diagnosis presents the possibility of reconciliation.
2017 WISFF Outstanding Documentary Award
“This Way Up”, Jeremy Cloe, Filmmaker & Co-Writer
An unemployed, down-on-his-luck father finds himself living in a storm drain and keeping up a charade of being too busy working to visit his daughter. When his daughter perseveres to see him, the father enlists help from a teenage vagrant to create a fake life. Unforeseen consequences ensue.
2016 WISFF Grand Jury Award Winner; 2015 Student Academy Award — Narrative
“Day One”, Henry (Hank) Hughes, Filmmaker
Inspired by a true story, Day One follows a new interpreter during her first day on the job, which has her accompanying a US Army unit as they search for a local terrorist. She quickly discovers the brutal complexities. Gender and religious barriers emerge with lives hanging in the balance. A crisis confronts both sides of the battle, and they are forced to work together for a moment in time.
NBC Universal 2016 Short Film Festival winner of three of the seven awards: Best Drama, Best Director and Audience Award; 2016 WISFF Director’s Choice Award; 2016 Academy Award Nominee — Best Short Live Action
Q&A Participants:
- Henry (Hank) Hughes, “Day One” Filmmaker
- Patrick Humphrey, “Frogman” Film Narrator and real-life son of Frogman
- Mike Langer, “This Way Up” Producer & Co-Writer
- John Priddy, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
How to Dance in Ohio, Alexander Shiva, Filmmaker, Saturday, April 16, 2016
In Columbus, Ohio, three young women living on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic event – a spring formal dance. Entertaining, funny, and heartwarming, How To Dance in Ohio challenges us to question and celebrate the path to human connection and to rethink the definition of normal.
World Premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival
Q & A Participants:
- Dr. Emilio Amigo, Founder and Director of Amigo Family Counseling, Columbus, Ohio (featured in film), clinical psychologist working with autism spectrum disorders
- Caroline McKenzie, Featured in the film
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
2015 film selection
One Day Short Film Program: Thursday, August 13, 2015
“1440 and Counting”, Tony Gapastione, Filmmaker
Mrs. Nickel (Loretta Devine) is a burned-out teacher full of regret. She is one day away, fourteen hundred and forty minutes from retirement and a fresh start. She’s packing up her apartment when she is confronted by a desperate man from her past. When she discovers that he is in danger, her life is turned upside down within minutes.
The San Francisco Film Awards 2015: Short Film Award of Excellence; Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood 2015: Award of Merit; Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood 2015: Best Actress, Loretta Devine
“Winter Light”, Julian Higgins, Filmmaker
Adapted from a story by James Lee Burke, WINTER LIGHT is a modern-day revisionist Western set in the frozen wilderness of Montana. The half-hour short tells the story of Roger Guidry, a cantankerous college professor who finds himself alienated and marginalized as he nears retirement. When Roger confronts two hunters he discovers trespassing on his property, he begins an escalating battle of wills that will test his faith in everything he holds dear.
LA Shorts Fest 2015: Best of Fest; Raindance Film Festival (UK) 2015: Short Film of the Festival; New Hampshire Film Festival 2015: New Hampshire Film of the Year; Breckenridge Film Festival 2015: Best Cinematography; Las Vegas Film Festival 2015: Best Short Cinematography; Cine Gear Expo 2015: Best Independent Short; Blowup Arthouse Film Festival 2015: Special Jury Award for Outstanding Directing
“And the Wind Falls”, Shuming He, Filmmaker
The theft of a large sum of money belonging to a guest found dead threatens a motel housekeeper’s emerging sense of dignity and any chance she has of reuniting with her daughter. What choice would she make when faced with the inevitable consequences of her actions?
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival 2015: Short Narrative Gold; 6th Singapore Short Film Awards 2015: Best Director Special Mention: Shuming He; Sunderland Shorts Film Festival 2015: Selection; The Audience Awards: 2nd Place
Q & A Participants:
- Tony Gapastione, “1440 and Counting” Filmmaker
- Shumming He, “And the Wind Falls” Filmmaker
- Julian Higgins, “Winter Light” Filmmaker
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
2014 film selection
Hank and Asha, James Duff, Filmmaker, and Julia Morrison, Filmmaker, Thursday June 19, 2014
In this charming romantic comedy, an Indian woman studying in Prague and a lonely New Yorker begin an unconventional correspondence through video letters – two strangers searching for human connection in a hyper-connected world.
Prescott Film Festival 2014: Best Screenplay; Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival 2014: Best Screenplay; Wild Rose Independent Film Festival 2014: Best Feature Berkshire International Film Festival 2014: Audience Award; RiverRun Film Festival 2014: Audience Award; Ashland Independent Film Festival 2014: Best Feature; Slamdance Film Festival 2013: Audience Award; Rhode Island Film Festival 2013: Best Feature, First Prize; Napa Valley Film Festival 2013: Best Feature; Portland Film Festival 2013: Best Feature; Savannah Film Festival 2013: HBO Films Best Producer Award; Bend Film Festival 2013: Audience Award; Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival 2013: Audience Award; Napa Valley Film Festival 2013: Audience Award, Best Actor; Napa Valley Film Festival 2013: Audience Award, Best Actress; Brooklyn Film Festival 2013: Best Producer; Woods Hole Film Festival 2013: Best Cinematography
Q & A Participants:
- James Duff, Director/Writer/Producer
- Julia Morrison, Director/Writer/Producer
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
Short Term 12, Destin Daniel Cretton, Filmmaker, Friday, June 20, 2014
The film tells the story of a group of troubled kids in a residence home. They struggle with various problems, such as anger management, abusive parents, and cutting and are being guided back to a better life by counselors with their own challenges. With 35 wins and 100 nominations; Short Term 12 stars Brie Larson, 2016 Oscar award winner for Best Actress in Room (2015); Short Term 12 was heavily based on Cretton’s original short film by the same name.
Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2014: Virtuoso Award, Brie Larson; Seattle Film Critics Awards 2014: Best Actress, Brie Larson; CinEuphoria Awards 2014: Audience Award, Top Ten of the Year; Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association 2014: Dorian Award, Unsung Film of the Year; Georgia Film Critics Association 2014: GFCA Award, Best Adapted Screenplay, Destin Daniel Cretton; Chlotrudis Awards 2014: Chlotrudis Award, Best Actress, Brie Larson; Central Ohio Film Critics Association 2014: COFCA Award, Best Overlooked Film; Central Ohio Film Critics Association 2014: 2nd Place Best Actress, Brie Larson; Central Ohio Film Critics Association 2014: 2nd Place, Best Original Screenplay Destin Daniel Cretton; Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2013: Child Protection Award, Special Mention; Aspen Filmiest 2013: Audience Award, Audience Special Recognition -‐ Feature; Athens International Film Festival 2013: Audience Award, Best Film; Austin Film Critics Association 2013: Best Actress, Brie Larson; Austin Film Critics Association 2013: Breakthrough Artist Award, Brie Larson; Awards Circuit Community Awards 2013: Honorable Mentions; Black Film Critics Circle Awards 2013: Best Actress, Brie Larson; Black Film Critics Circle Awards 2013: Top Ten Films, 6th; Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2013: CFCA Award, Most Promising Filmmaker, Destin Danial Cretton; Detroit Film Critic Society, US 2013: Best Actress, Brie Larson; Detroit Film Critic Society, US 2013: Breakthrough Artist, Brie Larson; Ghent International Film Festival 2013: Audience Award, Destin Daniel Cretton; Gotham Awards 2013: Gotham Independent Film Award, Best Actress, Brie Larson; Hamburg Film Festival 2013: Young Talent Award, Destin Daniel Cretton; Hamptons International Film Festival 2013: Breakthrough Performer, Brie Larson; Locarno International Film Festival 2013: Best Actress, Brie Larson; Locarno International Film Festival 2013: Junior Jury Award, International Competition Destin Daniel Cretton; Locarno International Film Festival 2013: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Destin Daniel Cretton; Locarno International Film Festival 2013: Special Mention Destin Daniel Cretton; Los Angeles Film Festival 2013; Audience Award, Best Narrative Feature; Nantucket Film Festival 2013: Tony Cox Award for Screenwriting, Best Screenplay, Destin Daniel Cretton; National Board of Review, USA 2013: NBR, Top Ten Independent Films; St. Louis Film Critics Association, US 2013: Best Artistic/Creative Film; SXSW Film Festival 2013: SXSW Competition Award, Narrative Feature; Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2013: Just Film Award, Best Film; Valladolid International Film Festival 2013: Audience Award, Best Film
Q & A Participants:
- Destin Daniel Cretton, Filmmaker/Director/Writer
- Chap Clark, Moderator, Author
Short Film Program: Saturday (afternoon), June 21, 2014
“Old Immigrant’s Dance”, Charlene Music, Filmmaker
Old Immigrant’s Dance or Danza del Viejo Immigrante (a.k.a. “Danza”) wades into the waters of the current discussion on comprehensive immigration reform. Set in the 30 Street Senior Center against the backdrop of San Francisco (a city settled by immigrants), Danza looks at the unique challenges and opportunities facing elderly immigrants in the United States. It is also a film infused with the passion of dance, moments of enduring sweetness, and the compelling stories of sacrifice and devotion of four families.
Angelus Film Festival: Winner Outstanding Documentary; Big Sky Documentary Film Festival: Winner Best Short Film; Short Escape Brussels: Audience Award; Official Selection United Nations Association Film Festival; Official Selection Boston Latino International Film Festival
“The Fence”, Rory Kennedy, Filmmaker
In Oct. 2006, the U.S. government decided to build a 700-mile fence along its troubled 2000-mile-plus border with Mexico. Three years, 19 construction companies, 350 engineers, thousands of construction workers, tens of thousands of tons of metal and $3 billion later, was it all worth it?
THE FENCE (LA BARDA), Rory Kennedy’s latest HBO documentary, investigates the impact of the project, revealing how its stated goals – containing illegal immigration, cracking down on drug trafficking and protecting America from terrorists – have given way to unforeseen consequences.
International Documentary Association 2010: Nominated for IDA Award, Distinguished Short Documentary
“The Dream is Now”, Davis Guggenheim and Laurene Powell Jobs, Filmmakers
“The Dream is Now” is a compelling 30-minute documentary by Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), commissioned by Laurene Powell Jobs. The film gives voice to and puts a human face on the undocumented children of immigrants who are desperate to earn their citizenship and give back to the only country they’ve ever called “home.” The film also goes beyond the personal. It places these stories in a larger context and puts in perspective the consequences of continuing our current policies and maintaining the status quo versus the potential opportunities that immigration could have, both personally and corporately, on our country. The film is part of a campaign launched by Laurene Powell Jobs.
Q & A Participants:
- Bill Hing, Author and Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco teaching Immigration Policy, Rebellious Lawyering, Negotiation and Evidence. His books include Ethical Borders-NAFTA; Globalization and Mexican Migration; Deporting our Souls-Values, Morality, and Immigration Policy; Defining America Through Immigration Policy; and Making and Remaking Asian America Through Immigration Policy
- Ola Kaso, Featured student in “The Dream is Now”
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
Alive Inside – A Story of Music and Memory, Michael Rossato-Bennett, Filmmaker, Saturday, June 21, 2014
As dementia continues to affect millions of elderly Americans, Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory reveals a remarkable, music-based breakthrough that has already transformed lives. Spearheaded by social worker Dan Cohen and captured on camera over the course of three years by filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett, we learn that songs from a patient’s past can awaken memories and emotions that have been asleep for years, sometimes decades. Within a moment of hearing “I Get Around” by the Beach Boys, Alzheimer’s patient MaryLou jolts back to life, dancing around the living room and expressing a euphoria her husband hasn’t witnessed since her illness took effect. Countless instances in Alive Inside provide proof that music stimulates activity in dementia-affected parts of the brain and transforms the quality of life of those often left to languish in silence.”
Sundance Film Festival 2014: Audience Award, Documentary; Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival 2014: 3rd Place, Audience Award; Boston Film Festival 2014: Special Award, Michael Rossato-‐Bennett (director); Fort Myers Beach Film Festival 2014: Best Documentary; Milano International Film Festival Awards 2014: Best Documentary; Milwaukee Film Festival 2014: Audience Award, Feature Film; Provincetown International Film Festival 2014: Audience Award, Best Documentary; Seattle International Film Festival 2014: 2nd Place Golden Space Needle Award, Best Documentary; Sedona International Film Festival 2014: Audience Award, Best Documentary
Q & A Participants:
- Pauline de Lange Martinez, Education Services Manager Alzheimer’s Association – No. Calif. & No. Nevada Chapters
- Alexandra McDougald, Producer
- Chap Clark, Moderator, Author
2013 film selection
Not That Funny, Lauralee Farrer, Filmmaker, Thursday, June 27, 2013
A simple story of how far a serious man will go for love. Exploring a rare side of gifted comedic actor Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development, Chuck), this audience award-winner has deeper themes of acceptance, friendship, and risk-taking beneath its light-hearted surface.
Newport Beach Film Festival 2012: Audience Award, US Feature; Local Sightings Film Festival 2012: Audience Award, Best Feature; Rainier Independent Film Festival 2012: Audience Favorite; Starz Denver Film Festival 2012: Official Selection; Heartland Film Festival 2012: Official Selection; BendFilm Festival 2012: Official Selection; Ashland Independent Film Festival 2012: Official Selection; Fandana Film Festival 2012: Official Selection
Q & A Participants:
- Lauralee Farrer, Filmmaker/Director/
Screenwriter - Dr. Kutter Callaway, Moderator
Trash Dance, Andrew Garrison, Filmmaker, Friday, June 28, 2013
A choreographer finds beauty and grace in garbage trucks, and ralliesreluctant Austin sanitation workers to perform a most unlikely and stunning spectacle. On an abandoned airport runway, two dozen sanitation workers—and their trucks—inspire an audience of thousands.
PBS Broadcast 2015: AmericaReFramed, The World Channel; American Conservation Film Festival 2014: Green Fire Award Winner; San Francisco Docfest 2014: Staff Prize, Best Feature; Sedona International Film Festival 2013: Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature; Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2012: Audience Award, Andrew Garrison; Heartland Film Festival 2012: Crystal Heart Award, Documentary Feature; Silverdocs Documentary Festival 2012: Audience Award, Best Feature; SXSW Film Festival 2012: Louis Black/Lone Star Award, Special Jury Recognition, Andrew Garrison; Woods Hole Film Festival: Jury Prize, Best Documentary Feature; Docuwest: Best Feature; Rockport Film Festival 2012: Best of Fest Award; SF DocFest: Staff Award, Best Feature; Cinedans-‐Amsterdam: Audience Award, Best Feature Documentary
Q & A Participants:
- Andrew Garrison, Filmmaker
- Ivory Jackson, Jr., Featured in the film
- Allison Orr, Choreographer
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
Short Film Program: Saturday (afternoon), June 29, 2013
“HARK”, Jonathan Fung, Filmmaker
“Hark” is about a man who is confronted with a moral dilemma to save his own life or risk the life of another. The characters in Hark are ordinary people making choices to survive. The story draws attention to the harsh reality of human trafficking and shines light where there is darkness.
Awareness Film Festival, CA 2013: Grand Jury, Short Narrative; Third World Independent Film Festival: Best Short Film; Wine Country Film Festival: Best Short Film; Festival De Cannes: Court Métrage; Creatv Awards: Best Director, Jonathan Fung; The Response Film Festival: Official Selection; Cinequest Film Festival: Official Selection; Freedom Summit Film Festival: Official Selection; San Jose Short Film Festival: Official Selection; The Rescue Conference: Official Selection
“Thief”, Julian Higgins, Filmmaker
“Thief” tells the haunting story of Mehdi, an Iraqi boy who unwittingly befriends the young Saddam Hussein in 1959. Forty years later, in 2003, the two men come face-to-face a second time, and Mehdi must weigh his desire for revenge against his need to make peace with the past. 23 wins, 23 nominations; Director Julian Higgins also screened Winter Light at Windrider Bay Area in 2015.
American Film Institute, USA 2011: Franklin J. Schaffner Fellow Award, Julian Higgins; Angelus Awards Student Film Festival 2011: Triumph Award, Best Short Film; ATAS Foundation College Television Awards 2011: Directing Award, Julian Higgins; ATAS Foundation College Television Awards 2011: First Place, Drama; Bearfest -‐ Big Bear Lake International Film Festival 2011: Jury Award, Best Student Film; Bearfest -‐ Big Bear Lake International Film Festival 2011: Jury Award, Best Cinematography; Big Island Film Festival 2011: Golden Honu Award: Best Student Short; Breckenridge Festival of Film 2011: Best of Fest, Best Student Film; Dances with Films 2011: Audience Award, Fusion Section -‐ Shorts; Guam International Film Festival 2011: Grand Jury Award, Best Short Narrative; Heartland Film Festival 2011: Jimmy Stewart Crystal Heart Memorial Award, Best Student Narrative Short; Heartland Film Festival 2011: Vision Award, Best Short Film; Jacksonville Film Festival 2011: Jury Award, Best Short; Las Vegas International Film Festival 2012: Grand Jury Prize, Special Jury Prize; Nantucket Film Festival 2011: Audience Award, Best Short; Ojai Film Festival 2011: Honorable Mention, Best Student Film -‐ Limelight Award; Sedona International Film Festival 2012: Director’s Choice Award, Best Student Short Film; Student Academy Awards, USA 2011: Gold Medal, Narrative; Tacoma Film Festival 2012: Best Short Film; The Film Series at Cine Gear Expo -‐ A Tribute to the Visual Art of Filmmaking 2011: Jury Prize, Best Student Short Film; Traverse City Film Festival 2011: Founders Prize, Best Narrative Short; Woods Hole Film Festival 2011: Audience Award, Best Dramatic Short; Woods Hole Film Festival 2011: Jury Prize: Best Short Drama
“Love Hacking”, Jenni Nelson, Filmmaker
“Love Hacking” is a short documentary that follows the journey of Tim Heath, a robot inventor living in Silicon Valley. After a personal reawakening, Tim radically shifts his outlook on courtship and utilizes the technology he knows best in order to find love.
Next Reel International Singapore: Documentary Award & Filmmakers Choice; Angelus Student Film Festival: Outstanding Documentary; Big Sky Doc Film Fest: Official Selection; Dallas International Film Fest: Official Selection; Sebastopol Documentary Film Fest: Official Selection; Indian Film Fest Los Angeles: Official Selection
Q & A Participants:
- Jonathan Fung, “Hark” Filmmaker
- Julian Higgins, “Thief” Filmmaker
- Jenni Nelson, “Love Hacking” Filmmaker
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
Linsanity, Evan Jackson Leong, Director, Saturday, June 29, 2013
Jeremy Lin’s inspirational story at a time when Lin was still struggling to find a place in a league that didn’t want him while never wavering on his faith and hope for an opportunity.
Asian American International Film Festival 2013: Asian Media Award; VC Film Fest -‐ Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2013: Emerging Filmmaker Award, Evan Leong; Sundance Film Festival 2013: Official Selection; SXSW Film Festival 2013: Official Selection
Q & A Participants:
- Chris Chen, Producer
- Peter Diepenbrock, Jeremy Lin’s high school coach at Palo Alto High School
- Allen Lu, Producer
- John Priddy, Moderator, and Windrider Institute Co-Founder
2012 film selection
Rising From Ashes, T. C. Johnstone, Filmmaker, Thursday, July 12, 2012
A feature length documentary about the first Rwandan National Cycling Team and their six year journey to fulfill every athlete’s dream to attend the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
RiverRun International Film Festival 2013: Audience Choice Award, Documentary Feature; San Luis Obispo International Film Festival 2013: George Sidney Independent Film Competition, Special Jury Prize, Best Sports Documentary; Crested Butte Film Festival 2013: Festival Award, Best Documentary; Albuquerque Film and Media Experience 2013: Audience Choice Award, Best Documentary; Aspen Filmiest 2012: Audience Award, Audience Favorite Documentary; Austin Film Festival 2012: Audience Award, Audience Choice Award; Bahamas International Film Festival 2012: Audience Award, Audience Choice Award; Boulder International Film Festival 2012: Award of Excellence, T.C. Johnstone; Denver International Film Festival 2012: People’s Choice Award, Documentary Film; Hamptons International Film Festival 2012: Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for a Film of Conflict and Resolution, T.C. Johnstone; Heartland Film Festival 2012: Best Documentary Feature; Napa Valley Film Festival 2012: Audience Award, Best Documentary
Q & A Participants:
- T. C. Johnstone, Filmmaker
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, and Windrider Co-Founder
The Hammer, Oren Kaplan, Filmmaker, Friday, July 13, 2012
A docudrama depicting the struggles and successes of Matt Hamill as he pursues his education and his passion for wrestling. Born deaf, Matt must determine how to navigate in a hearing world and achieve his dream.
Cleveland International Film Festival 2011: Best American Independent Feature Film; Florida Film Festival 2011: Audience Award, Narrative Feature; Heartland Film Festival 2011: Crystal Heart Award, Feature Film; Miami Film Festival 2011: Audience Award, Best Feature Film; Newport Beach Film Festival 2011: Audience Award, Best Feature; AFI Fest 2010: Audience Award, Best Feature Film
Q & A Participants:
- Oren Kaplan, Director/Filmmaker
- Shoshannah Stern, Lead Actress
- Chap Clark, Moderator, Author
Red Dog, Kriv Stenders, Director, Saturday, July 14, 2012
The true story of a dog in the back country of Australia. He becomes the catalyst for creating a real community out of a group of mavericks and teaches a town the importance of being there for each other.
White Sands International Film Festival 2012: Grand Jury Award, Kriv Stenders Australian Film Institute 2012: Samsung AACTA Award, Best Film; Australian Film Institute 2012 AFI Members’ Choice Award, Nelson Woss, Julie Ryan; IF Awards 2011: Box Office Achievement; IF Awards 2011: Best Script, Daniel Taplitz; IF Awards 2011: Best Actor, Josh Lucas; IF Awards 2011: Best Direction, Kriv Stenders; IF Awards 2011: Best Feature Film; IF Awards 2011: Best Music
Q & A Participants:
- Josh Lucas, Lead Actor
- Daniel Taplitz, Screenwriter
- Ralph Winter, Moderator, Academy Award nominee and producer, Member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the DGA and the PGA
2011 film selection
The Dry Land, Ryan Piers Williams, Filmmaker, Thursday, April 28, 2011
James, a soldier returning home to small-town Texas from the war in Iraq, finds that he is still facing a daily battle on the journey back to himself.
Deauville Film Festival 2010: Nominated for the Grand Special Prize; Edinburgh International Film Festival 2010: Best New International Feature; Imagen Foundation Awards 2010: Nominated for Best Actress, American Ferrera; Sundance Film Festival 2010: Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic
Q & A Participants:
- Dana Hendrickson, Founder of Rebuild Hope
- Ryan Piers Williams, Filmmaker
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, Windrider Co-Founder
Bhutto, Duane Baughman, Filmmaker, Friday, April 29, 2011
As the first woman to lead an Islamic nation, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s life unfolds like a Greek tragedy. BHUTTO is a sweeping epic of a transcendent, controversial leader whose legacy will be debated for generations to come.
Peabody Awards 2012: Peabody Award, Yellow Pad Productions; International Documentary Association 2010: Video Source Award; Sonoma Valley Film Festival 2010: Special Jury Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary; Sundance Film Festival 2010: Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, Documentary
Q & A Participants:
- Jasmina Bojic, Film Critic/Lecturer, Stanford University, Founder and Executive Director of UNAFF
- Dr. Dudley Woodberry, Dean emeritus and senior professor at Fuller Theological School, specializing in Islamic studies
- Meritt Sawyer, Moderator, Windrider Producer Emeritus
Short Film Program: Saturday (afternoon), April 30, 2011
“Kavi”, Gregg Helvey, Filmmaker
2010 Oscar-Nominee and Winner of the 2009 Student Academy Awards, KAVI is about a boy in India, who wants to play cricket and go to school, but instead he is forced to work in a brick kiln as a modern-day slave. Unsatisfied with his fate, Kavi must either accept what he’s always been told, or fight for a different life even if he’s unsure of the ultimate outcome.
Garden State Film Festival 2011: Jury Award, Best Short Film; Academy Awards 2010: Oscar Nominee, Best Short Film, Live Action; Aspen Shortsfest 2010: Youth Jury Prize, Gregg Helvey; ATAS Foundation College Television Awards 2010: Humanitarian Award, Gregg Helvey; ATAS Foundation College Television Awards 2010: Second Place, Drama; Cinequest San Jose Film Festival 2010: Best Student Short, Gregg Helvey; Ojai Film Festival 2010: Panavision Award, Best Student Film; Omaha Film Festival 2010: Jury Award, Best Cinematography; San Luis Obispo International Film Festival 2010: George Sidney Independent Film Competition, Best Student Film; Sedona International Film Festival 2010: Directors Choice Award, Best Short Film; Sonoma Valley Film Festival 2010: Audience Award, Best Short Film; Lucas -‐ International Festival of Films for Children and Young People 2010: Lucas, Best Short Film; Angelus Awards Student Film Festival 2009: Triumph Award, Gregg Helvey; Drama Short Film Festival 2009: Grand Prix, Best Short Film; HATCHfest 2009: Groundbreakers Award, Outstanding Filmmaker, Gregg Helvey; HATCHfest 2009: Groundbreakers Award, Best Director, Gregg Helvey; Heartland Film Festival 2009: Crystal Heart Award, Best Short Overall; Heartland Film Festival 2009: Jimmy Stewart Crystal Heart Memorial Award, Gregg Helvey, Daniel Harwich; Los Angeles Indian Film Festival 2009: Audience Award; Student Academy Awards 2009: Gold Medal, Narrative; USA Film Festival 2009: Grand Prize, Short Film
“On the Road to Tel-Aviv”, Khen Shalem, Filmmaker
A drama (with comedy elements) that shows how, under the tense reality of war and terror, enemies can sometimes find themselves in the same boat (or in the same bus).
Ashland Independent Film Festival 2010: Ashland Independent Film Award, Best Short; Angelus Awards Student Film Festival 2009: Excellence in Filmmaking Award, Khen Shalem; Carolina Film and Video Festival 2009: CFVF Award, Best Narrative Short (Student); Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival 2009: International Student Competition, Short Narrative; New York City Short Film Festival 2009: Festival Award, Best Student Short; Newport Beach Film Festival 2009: Jury Award, Outstanding Achievement in Short Film; Phoenix Film Festival 2009: Copper Wing Award, Best College Short Film; Rochester International Film Festival 2009: Festival Trophy, Best Short
“Kunjo”, Terrie Samundra, Filmmaker
Kunjo, a 12-year-old Rajasthani refugee, spends her days begging in the streets of a rural village in North India. When an unlikely friendship blossoms between Kunjo and Preeta, an educated schoolgirl from a higher caste, Kunjo reveals her secret passion for storytelling.
Los Angeles Indian Film Festival 2010: Audience Award, Best Short Film; Angelus Awards Student Film Festival 2010: Spirit of Angelus Award, Terrie Samundra; Athens International Film and Video Festival, Ohio, USA 2009: Narrative Film Award, Best Short
Q & A Participants:
- Gregg Helvey, “Kavi” Filmmaker
- Khen Shalem, “On the Road to Tel Aviv” Filmmaker
- Terrie Samundra, “Kunjo” Filmmaker
- Chap Clark, Moderator, Author
Cool It (Based on the book of the same name, Bjorn Lomborg, Author), Terry Botwick, Screenwriter, Saturday, April 30, 2011
A film that follows Bjorn Lomborg on his mission to bring the smartest solutions to climate change, environmental pollution, and other major problems in the world.
Hamptions International Film Festival 2010: Nominated for the Golden Starfish Award, Documentary Feature
Q & A Participants:
- Terry Botwick, Screenwirter
- Elton Sherwin, Author and Senior Managing Director with Ridgewood Capital, specializing in oil and gas, energy technologies and renewable power industries
- Ralph Winter, Moderator, Academy Award nominee and producer, Member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the DGA and the PGA
2010 film selection (WRBA Inaugural Year)
After the Storm, James Lecesne, Filmmaker, Thursday, April 8, 2010
This documentary follows a group of New York Broadway actors inspired to help the youth of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Led by James Lecesne, the group stages a musical theatre production of the Broadway play “Once on This Island”, with local teenagers at a community center that had been badly damaged by the hurricane. They raised enough money to repair and reopen the community center. The film explores the devastation of New Orleans and the power of art for healing and rebuilding.
Heartland Film Festival 2009: Audience Award, Documentary Feature; Heartland Film Festival 2009: Crystal Heart Award, Documentary Feature, Hilla Medalia; Los Angeles Film Festival 2009: Nominated for the Documentary Award; Woodstock Film Festival 2009: Audience Award, Hilla Medalia
Q & A Participants:
- James Lecesne, Filmmaker
- Ed Priddy, Producer, Peabody Award Winner, Windrider Institute Co-Founder
- John Priddy, Producer, Peabody Award Winner, Windrider Institute, Co-Founder
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, Windrider, Co-Founder
Sympathy for Delicious, Mark Ruffalo, Director/Actor, Friday, April 9, 2010
Sympathy for Delicious marks acclaimed actor Mark Ruffalo’s first foray into film directing. This inspired and unusual film tells the story of an up-and-coming DJ (Christopher Thornton) in the underground music scene in Los Angeles, who is paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. He leaves his career, falls into depression and meets Father Joe (Mark Ruffalo), a passionate young priest. Father Joe introduces him to faith-healing, and he discovers he has the gift of healing others, but ironically, not himself. In anger, he uses his gift to pursue fame and fortune. Ultimately, he is forced to confront his own demons and find the power of compassion.
Sundance Film Festival 2010: Special Jury Prize, Dramatic; Sundance Film Festival 2010: Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic
Q & A Participants:
- Mark Ruffalo, Director/Actor
- Christopher Thornton, Writer/Actor
- Ralph Winter, Moderator, Academy Award nominee and producer, Member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the DGA and the PGA
Short Film Program: Saturday (afternoon), April 10, 2010
“Short Term 12”, Destin Daniel Cretton, Filmmaker
A day at a group home for troubled adolescents. Denim is the head counselor, involved somehow with Natalia, another counselor. During the day, we watch them and other staff deal with a boy who’s getting into fights though he has only a week to go before his 18th birthday, a girl whose birthday it is, a foul-mouthed lad, and others. Do any of us have it together?
Aspen Shortsfest 2009: Special Jury Award; Boston Independent Film Festival 2009: Audience Award, Best Short Film; Chicago International Film Festival 2009: Special Mention, Best Ensemble Cast Performance; CineVegas International Film Festival 2009: Jury Prize, Best Short Film; Gen Art Film Festival 2009: Audience Award, Best Short Film; Seattle International Film Festival 2009: Short Film Competition Award, Grand Jury Award; Sundance Film Festival 2009: Short Filmmaking Award
“Queen of Cactus Cove”, Anna Christopher, Filmmaker
Teenage chess champ Billie (Alia Shawkat) faces the prospect of defeat for the first time when she faces her best friend (Alex Frost) at the biggest chess tournament of her career.
Angelus Awards Student Film Festival 2006: Triumph Award, Anna Christopher; Heartland Film Festival 2007: Jimmy Stewart Crystal Heart Memorial Award, Anna Christopher; Moondance International Film Festival 2006: DGA Director Award, Anna Christopher; Newport International Film Festival, Rhode Island 2006: Audience Award
“Waiting for a Train: The Toshio Hirano Story”, Oscar Bucher, Filmmaker
This short reveals the humorous and heartfelt true story of Toshio Hirano, a Japanese immigrant whose life was transformed by the music of country legend Jimmie Rodgers.
International Documentary Association 2010: David L. Wolpher Student Documentary Award, Oscar Bucher; Angelus Awards Student Film Festival 2009: Outstanding Documentary
Q & A Participants:
- Oscar Bucher, “The Toshio Hirano Story” Filmmaker
- Anna Christopher, “Queen of Cactus Cove” Filmmaker
- Destin Daniel Cretton, “Short Term 12” Filmmaker
- Will Stoller-Lee, Moderator, Windrider Co-Founder
The Answer Man, John Hindman, Filmmaker, Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Answer Man is a romantic comedy starring Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham about love and the search for meaning. Arlen Faber (Daniels) is a reclusive author of Me and God, a book that has redefined spirituality for an entire generation. On the 20th anniversary of his book, everyone continues to try to find him for interviews to find out the answers to life. Truth is, he hasn’t got a clue. His life is turned upside down when Elizabeth (Graham) enters his life, with unexpected results.
Casting Society of America, USA 2010: Nominated for Artios, Outstanding Achievement in Casting -‐ Low Budget Feature -‐ Drama/Comedy; Sundance Film Festival 2009: Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic
Q & A Participants:
- John Hindman, Filmmaker
- Will-Stoller-Lee, Moderator, Windrider Co-Founder