Seventh Annual Media That Matters Film Festival collection

Ready to be inspired? An image captures a feeling, a story shares a message, a movie becomes a movement. The seventh annual Media That Matters Film Festival brings you 16 inspiring shorts by youth and independent filmmakers committed to changing the world. The collection includes:

Garbage Dreams, 8:05 min, Documentary
Winner of the Sustainability Award
Egypt’s resident garbage recyclers, the Zaballeen, struggle as Cairo modernizes its waste disposal system.
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Rapping at Fear, 6:44 min, Documentary
Winner of the Speak the Peace Award
In Andrés Tabares’ barrio in Colombia, “social cleansing” groups wage war. When this thirteen-year-old raps against violence, people listen.
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Still Standing, 7:44 min, Documentary
Winner of the Jury Award
Ms. Gertrude returns to what remains of her New Orleans home and fights to rebuild what she can in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
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The Apollos, 6:00 min, Documentary
Winner of the Fair Use Award
Meet the trailblazing students who, over twenty years ago, fought to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday.
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Sovereign Nation / Sovereign Neighbor, 7:00 min, Documentary
Winner of the Independence Award
The Narragansett tribe defends its sovereignty only to encounter violent resistance and entrenched misunderstanding from their home state of Rhode Island.
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Rights on the Line: Vigilantes at the Border, 3:55 min, Documentary
Winner of the Immigration Award
What happens when people cross the line? Vigilantes take the law into their own hands on the U.S.-Mexican border.
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Power Up, 1:39 min, Animation
Winner of the Changemaker Award
“Bomber Man” strikes again! Who will stop him this time?
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Massacre at Murambi, 5:10 min, Documentary
Winner of the Global Justice Award
Does the way we respond to the genocide in Rwanda predict our response to Darfur?
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By-Standing: The Beginning of an American Lifetime, 5:00 min, Spoken Word
Winner of the War and Peace Award
Kelly Tsai speaks truth to power as she raises her voice against war and complacency.
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Grace, 3:12 min, Animation
Winner of the Women’s Justice Award
Three women’s lives share an unwanted and violent thread.
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I'm Not a Boy, 6:10 min, Documentary
Winner of the Empowerment Award
Julie Joyce is not a boy. As a transgendered youth, she just wants what all young people want – to have a positive space to live and grow.
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Ashray, 6:00 min, Documentary
Winner of the Global Health Award
Affected or infected, the children of Ashray in Bombay live together as one family, despite their HIV status.
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Tyttonen (The Young Girl), 5:03 min, Narrative
Winner of the Seeds of Tolerance Award
A woman, trapped by time and age, searches for freedom in her childhood memories.
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The Final Frontier: Explorers or Warriors?, 8:10 min, Documentary
Winner of the Next Generation Award
Two teens from Chicago ask senators, scientists and science fiction fans: Could space be the new battleground?
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Superstar, 6:15 min, Documentary
Winner of the Emerging Voice Award
With the support and guidance of his family, nothing will stop Naiquan from becoming a superstar.
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The Farm Sanctuary, 5:31 min, Documentary
Winner of the Good Food Award
Fifth graders from the Bronx go upstate to meet rescued farm animals and try out veganism, at least for the weekend.
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If you want to purchase a DVD of these short films, instead of downloading them, please go to the Media That Matters website.

Reviews

"Media That Matters continues to illuminate wrongdoing through the power of images and bring the potential for justice where there seemingly is none." – indieWIRE

"Being raised in Brooklyn means you know something about social issues. For me, Media That Matters is one of the festivals that keeps our focus on how to make our communities better and stronger and smarter." – Chris Rock

"Media That Matters is about people making the switch from apathy to action." – Sarah McLachlan

"This socially conscious film festival tackles big issues in short takes." – The New Yorker Magazine