Asparagus! (A Stalk-umentary), 6 min, Documentary
Directed and produced by Kirsten Kelly and Anne De Mare
Journey to the "Asparagus Capital of the World" to discover why one little vegetable is so important.
» Learn more about this film

Food Justice, A Growing Movement, 8 min, Documentary
Directed and produced by Martina Brimmer and Zora Tucker
Farmers become activists in the fight for food justice in West Oakland, California.
» Learn more about this film

Recycle, 6 min, Documenatry
Directed and produced by Vasco Lucas Nunes and Ondi Timoner
Poet Miguel Diaz transforms poverty into cultivation in the middle of a Los Angeles street.
» Learn more about this film

Inch By Inch: Providence Youth - Gardens for Education, 8 min, Documentary
Directed and produced by Ilana Friedman
Teachers and students in Providence, Rhode Island get their hands dirty and their lives enriched.
» Learn more about this film

Terminator Tomatoes, 5 min, Claymation
Directed and produced by Suzanne Twining
A farmer and his daughter get in too deep with a crop of genetically modified tomatoes.
» Learn more about this film

Young Agrarians, 8 min, Documentary
Directed and produced by Johanna Divine
Young people plant the seeds for a sustainable future in this portrait of organic farming in California.
» Learn more about this film

Profit Cola, 2:06 min, Animation
Produced by Mark Fiore for Parents Action for Children
All aboard! Ride the sugar rollercoaster with Profit Cola. Next stop: childhood obesity.
» Learn more about this film

Directed and produced by Liz Miller
When water costs soar, residents of Highland Park, Michigan, demand to know who will foot the bill.
» Learn more about this film

Don't Worry, 8 min, Puppet Expose
Directed by Emily James and produced by Fulcrum TV
Find out how Sunny D and “that purple stuff” are marketed to children as young as three.
» Learn more about this film

One More Dead Fish, 7:50 min, Documentary
Directed and produced by Allan and Stefan Forbes
Handline fishermen fight to survive in a rapidly globalizing industry.
» Learn more about this film

The Meatrix, 3:47 min, Animation
Directed by Louis Fox and produced by Free Range Graphics & Global Resource Action Center for the Environment
Will Leo the pig take the blue pill and remain in a fantasyland where quaint family farms produce food for our tables?
» Learn more about this film

If you want to purchase a DVD of these short films, instead of downloading them, please go to the Media That Matters website.

Charcoal Traffic tells a story of conflict, family tragedy and environmental devastation that is threatening the very way of life of the Somali people, who have been successful as pastoralists for thousands of years.  A murderous cycle of destruction and conflict over charcoal production is the reality on the ground in Somalia.

11 minutes of extras are also available: an in-depth interview with the film’s presenter Dr Erach Bharucha (see below) and a short documentary on the work of BVIEER

Ready to be inspired? From civil liberties to global warming, the fifth annual Media That Matters shorts collection brings you sixteen innovative shorts by independent and youth filmmakers from around the country. These films will make you think, make you laugh and motivate you to take action. The collection includes:

Battleground Minnesota, 8 min, Youth Documentary
Winner of the Jury Award
Hip-hop activist Shakademic proves that if Walter Mondale can learn how to scratch, young voters can get schooled in election politics.
» Learn more about this film

All That I Can Be, 8:30 min, Youth Documentary
Winner of the Economic Justice Award
William, like many young Americans, feels that joining the military is his only way out of a dead-end job and a rough life.
» Learn more about this film

Pizza Surveillance Feature, 2:20 min, Public Service Announcement
Winner of the Civil Liberties
Want some privacy infringement with that? If the Patriot Act continues to grow in scope, you may get more than mushrooms with your next pizza order.
» Learn more about this film

The News Is What We Make It, 8:21 min, Animation
Winner of the Media Reform Award
When the same company owns all the TV stations in town, where can you turn for an alternative perspective? A high-schooler gets burned and turns insult into action.
» Learn more about this film

Laptop, 0:30 min, Public Service Announcement
Winner of the Digital Divide
A computer is only as advanced as the person behind the keyboard. Laptop reminds us that the digital divide still resides within our borders.
» Learn more about this film

A Girl Named Kai, 8:00 min, Experimental
Winner of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Rights Award
Through a stirring poetic mix of video and sound, Kai appeals to her traditional Taiwanese parents for acceptance in spite of her untraditional take on life and love.
» Learn more about this film

Homecoming, 5:30 min, Youth Documentary
Winner of the Peter Yarrow Peace in Our Classrooms Award
When coming out makes Ron a target for attack, he finds a school where respect and acceptance are taught alongside Math and English.
» Learn more about this film

Bad Choices, 3:00 min, Youth Digital Story
Winner of the Youth Voice Award
Without a support system, it’s hard for a teenager to stay out of trouble. Aderian reflects on the lessons he has learned from his bad choices.
» Learn more about this film

Happy Ending, 8:00 min, Youth Documentary
Winner of the Family and Society Award
Drugs have taken Chris’s mom out of his life but not out of his heart. In this personal travelogue, he goes to Philadelphia in search of a happy ending.
» Learn more about this film

System Failure, 8:00 min, Documentary
Winner of the Criminal Justice Award
Physical abuse, sexual harassment, inadequate education for incarcerated youth – if a society can be graded by how it treats its prisoners, then the state of California gets an “F.”
» Learn more about this film

Fast and Reliable, 7:53 min, Documentary
Winner of the Against the Odds Award
Nothing can stop Dexter the bike messenger — not homelessness or even a close encounter with a ten-ton truck.
» Learn more about this film

Neglected Sky, 1:36 min, Youth Animation
Winner of the Environment Award
In this fast-paced animation, youth producer John Cooney shows us that a little effort can go a long way in reversing global warming.
» Learn more about this film

Young Agrarians, 8:00 min, Documentary
Winner of the Nourishing Change Award
Young people plant the seeds for a sustainable future in this portrait of organic farming in California.
» Learn more about this film

World On Fire, 4:20 min, Music video
Winner of the Citizen Engagement Award
$5,000 could cover the cost of hair and make-up for one day on set in LA or pay for one year’s schooling for 145 girls in Afghanistan. Sarah McLachlan does the math and encourages you to join her.
» Learn more about this film

The Luckiest Nut In The World, 8:00 min, Musical
Winner of the Global Justice Award Sponsored by Oxfam America
A singing peanut and his gang of shelled friends explain that sometimes free trade is just nuts.
» Learn more about this film

Something Other Than Other, 7:05 min, Experimental
Winner of the Tolerance Education Award
New parents Jerry and Andrea have endured their own share of discrimination growing up. They hope their newborn son can grow up identifying as something other than “other.”
» Learn more about this film

If you want to purchase a DVD of these short films, instead of downloading them, please go to the Media That Matters website.