The Impact DOCS Awards Announces July 2023 Winners!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Rick Prickett, Competition Director
858-257-2583
La Jolla, CA, July 2023 - The Impact DOCS Awards goal is to discover and honor the achievements of filmmakers who produce high quality documentaries. Impact DOCS puts filmmakers first and provides a direct opportunity for recognition and publicity for high quality productions. It is international in scope and has granted awards to producers in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Palestine, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States.
~ Best of Show ~
Kurt Norton – The Broken Promise
Kurt Norton (USA), The Broken Promise, Doc Feature – An unflinching look at genocide, how it takes root in societies and the chilling ways that it is unfolding today in the world around us. Tightly crafted and expertly scripted The Broken Promise asks: Why does genocide keep happening? What makes people dehumanize one another? And how do the things we buy enable it? It also highlights poignant insights from genocide survivors, scholars and human rights activist with the clear message that from the Armenia Genocide to Darfur to China to Ukraine the message is painfully clear: genocide is not a once-in-a-generation event humanity can witness, wring our collective hands over, and consign to the history books. It is a tool authoritarians wield all too easily – and big business is complicit in its use. The Broken Promise takes a hard look at humanity’s worst moments and the ways consumerism is complicit in allowing them to happen and how to ensure that “never again” can be right now. A critical doc for our times. Gravitas Docufilms
. ~ Outstanding Achievement ~
Philippe Blanc – The Whaler
Philippe Blanc (Switzerland), The Whaler, Doc Feature – Swiss Press and Prixltalia Award winning journalist RSI’s Philippe Blanc – uses exceptional journalistic integrity to expose the horrors of an illegal whaling trade. Working with conservation heroes on the Sea Shepherd ship – he uncovers Iceland’s slaughter of 160 Fin whales in 2022 – a practice banned by the IWC (International Whaling Commission) as they are an endangered species. Not only illegal – but brutally and horribly inhumane. Tightly crafted, excellent editing and exceptional research support the work of a crew from Swiss television – who intercepted Icelandic whaling ships and documented the cruel methods of this hunting. An investigation that exposes violations of international regulations, ghost ships and the code of silence behind a business exclusively aimed at Japan. The problematic nature of the controls is confirmed in an exclusive interview with the president of the IWC, who is also an official of the Federal Veterinary Office in Bern. A production of Radio Televisione Svizzera (RSI)
. ~ Outstanding Achievement ~
Laura Casey & Spencer Parker – Untreated & Unheard: The Addiction Crisis in America
Laura Casey and Spencer Parker (USA), Untreated & Unheard: The Addiction Crisis in America, Documentary Feature. A collaboration between Paramount Studio and Partnership to End Addiction – this doc provides an unflinching look at the epidemic of addiction in American culture and the systematic failures to adequately address it. Through personal stories – this deftly directed and impactful doc reveals the horrors of a broken structure. Substance use disorder kills more people every year than any other disease and yet only 1 in 10 people who need treatment get access to it. These are unheard stories of the addiction crisis from families whose lives have been forever changed by addiction and the experts dedicated to changing the outcome for those suffering from this fatal disease. It follows families on the front line of America’s greatest public health crisis sharing their loss, frustration, and hope for how we can do better. Horizon Media. Airs on Amazon, Peacock, Rocu.
. ~ Award of Excellence Special Mention ~
Pam Miller, FOX Sports (USA), Paula Murphy: Undaunted, Doc Short – Eight-time Emmy winner Miller’s deft direction delivers the story of Paula Murphy – a housewife and mother who blew away limits and expectations in her phenomenal racing career. Entertaining, immersive, exceptionally crafted in every way. Insightful stories from from 95-year old Paula herself. Hosted by Fox Sports Jenny Taft. Aired Fox Sports.
Alison Bartlett (USA), Zen Brownie, Doc Short – Emmy-nominee Bartlett, with narration from Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges, tells the tale of Buddhist Monks, Greyston Bakery and how inclusivity, kindness and compassion created a profitable business. Along with Professor Michael Pirson, the film explores Humanistic Model Management and Open Hiring. Colorful commentary from Ben & Jerry. Tightly crafted, inspiring, entertaining.
Mike Hill (Australia), Live the Life You Please, Doc Feature – A powerful doc about the end of life and shaping our present-day choices. With exceptionally crafted and inspiring stories, award winning Hill makes the case for the power of care choices – from urban hospitals to indigenous in-country settings. An emotional journey through the lives of a diverse range of people in their last chapter. A potent and inspirational doc.
Jennifer Greenstreet (USA), Just Like You – Anxiety + Depression, Doc Feature – Midwest Emmy-winner Greenstreet’s insightful and enlightening doc showcases the struggles of 10 brave kids with anxiety and depression to highlight the fear and stigma plaguing the mental health community. Emotional stories, approachable graphics and trendy soundtrack – appeals to all age levels. From Just Like You Films.
Christopher Stoudt (USA), The Orchestra Chuck Built, Doc Short – L.A. Emmy-nominee Stoudt presents the story of the tireless work of Chuck Dickerson and the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. Through the largest majority Black orchestra in the USA, he is fostering life-changing opportunities for his community. A heart-warming portrait of a tireless mentor and a testament to the transformative power of music.
Stephan John Wellink (Australia), Pushing the Boundaries: The Mavis Bramston Show, Doc Feature – a lively, thought-provoking and entertaining doc about groundbreaking 60’s TV -The Mavis Bramston Show. Carried by a lively soundtrack and creative on-point graphics – it explores how the show pushed the boundaries of a rapidly changing Australian society and set the scene for generations of satirical programs.
Fiona Cochrane (Australia), PATOU: In Black & White, Doc Short – The colorful story of Jamaican singer Pat Powell (Patou). Cochrane weaves heart-breaking and heart-warming stories of his 40-year global career with intimate interviews from his friends and family. A thoroughly engaging and well-crafted doc – expertly blending his real-life experiences of career highs and lows, family, self-identity and racism. F-reel Productions.
Luke Bradford, Korn Ferry (United Kingdom), Grace, Disability Issues – An expertly crated and tightly presented doc – tells the tale of “radical acceptance” through the story of medical student Grace Spence Green – as she creates a new life following a tragic accident that took her ability to walk. Beautiful production design, saturated colors, creative cinematography and well crafted, tight story-telling. Korn Ferry / Frogspawn Film.
~ Award of Excellence ~
Adam Fischer (USA), Powering Puerto Rico, Documentary Feature
Aleš Urbanczik, Grzegorz Oleksa (Switzerland), Finding the Line – An Exploration of Structural Integration, Documentary Feature
Amine Harboul (South Africa), Zambezia: A Well for Change, Documentary Short (Student), Cinematography (Student)
Breanna McCabe (USA), Higgins Ridge, Documentary Feature
Dan Watt (USA), EVERYBODY DANCE, Documentary Feature
Daniel Clarke (Australia), Lost in the Woods, Documentary Feature, Research
Dave Garcia (USA), Led by Compassion, Documentary Short, Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising
Dave Garcia (USA), BENNY: Our Musical Lineage, Documentary Short, Latin / Hispanic
David Naglieri (USA), In Solidarity with Ukraine, Documentary Feature
Fiona Cochrane (Australia), PATOU: In Black & White, Direction, Women Filmmakers
Goran Zaneti and Matthieu Brajot (USA), Developing Our Future, Documentary Short
Jaime Gutierrez (USA), The Asylum, Documentary Feature
Jay Coggeshall and Susan Henoch (USA), The Life You’re Given, Documentary Feature
John Parr (United Kingdom), Unconquered, Documentary Short, Disability Issues
Jue Wang (China), Unhusk, Documentary Feature
Kurt Norton (USA), The Broken Promise, Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising, Editing
Luke Bradford (United Kingdom), Grace, Direction, Editing
Maya Anandan (India), SEVA, Documentary Short
Micah Levin (USA), Dear Ani, Documentary Short
Michael Brant DeMaria and Chris Jadallah (USA), We Are Nature, Documentary Short, Viewer Impact: Motivational / Inspirational
Molly Hermann and Rob Lyall (USA), One Pill Can Kill, Documentary Short
Pam Miller (USA), Hope Rewarded: The Unlikely Return of North Wilkesboro Speedway, Documentary Feature
Pam Miller, FOX Sports (USA), Paula Murphy: Undaunted, Women Filmmakers, On-Camera Talent (Jenny Taft)
Philippe Blanc (Switzerland), The Whaler, Nature / Environment / Wildlife
Phillip Large, Fred Bell, Joe Mantegna, Dan Ramm, Dick Shalhoub, Frank Jones (USA), Women in Aviation, Palm Springs Air Museum, Documentary Feature
Rafael Pease (USA), Tupungato: Empathy in Death, Documentary Feature
Riccardo Bagnato Bulgarelli (RSI) (Switzerland), The Consulting Virus, Documentary Feature
Ron James (USA), Accidental Truth – UFO Revelations, Documentary Feature
Safiya Songhai (USA), Interception: Jayne Kennedy • American Sportscaster, Documentary Short
Sierra Productions (USA), TRANSFORMATION, Documentary Feature
Tim Searfoss (USA), One Second at a Time: Battling the Monster of Addiction, Documentary Feature
Vesna Marich (United Kingdom), The Woman Who Stops the Wind, Documentary Short
~ Award of Merit Special Mention ~
Alessandra Carlino (USA), Going Home, Documentary Short
Benjamin Allen Cha (USA), Food For Thought, Documentary Short (Student), Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger
Cliff Springs (USA), Beloved Children of the Holocaust, Documentary Feature
Diogo Varela Silva (Portugal), João Ayres, an Independent Painter, Documentary Feature
Duy Huynh and Andrew Kelly (Australia), How to Thrive, Documentary Feature, Health / Medicine / Science
Șerban Georgescu (Romania), Our Daily Bread, Documentary Feature
Julio Mendez, Kristy Espinoza and Yulma Garcia (USA), 5 Ways to Live Before You Die, Documentary Short
Lyle Gibson (USA), The Journey of Pentecostalism from Tennessee to Kansas, Documentary Feature
Peter Williams (United Kingdom), LIDICE – THE VILLAGE THAT REFUSED TO DIE, Documentary Feature
Philip Richard Sugden (USA), Activismo: Art & Dissidence in Cuba, Documentary Feature
Susan Morgan Cooper (USA), I Can’t Give You Anything But Love: The Jimmy McHugh Story, Documentary Short
Tyler Wursta (USA), A New LVHS: Pioneering Animal Welfare in the Lehigh Valley, Documentary Short, Viewer Impact: Content / Message Delivery
Yeeun Lee, Yujeong Noh, Dabeen An and Soyeon Kim, PoljjakFilm (Korea), HAEIL, Documentary Feature (Student), Women Filmmakers (Student)
~ Award of Merit ~
Aleš Urbanczik, Grzegorz Oleksa (Switzerland), Finding the Line – An Exploration of Structural Integration, Narration / Voice-Over Talent, Research
Luciano Barsuglia (USA), The Horror We Make, Documentary Feature
Charles and Mary Love (USA), Women’s Suffrage, Documentary Feature
Claudie Simard (Canada), Resilience in Midwifery, Documentary Feature
Cynthia N. White and Alexander S White (USA), Sticks and Stones, Documentary Short
Daniel W. Smith (USA), Anonymous Mom, Documentary Short
Dave Garcia (USA), Led by Compassion, Viewer Impact: Motivational / Inspirational
Dave Garcia (USA), BENNY: Our Musical Lineage, History / Biographical
David Brown (USA), Breaking The Stigma: ADHD in African Americans, Documentary Feature (Student)
Elisa Mereghetti and Marco Mensa (Italy), 5 Nanomoles – the Olympic Dream of a Trans woman, Documentary Feature, Use of Film / Video for Social Change
Gary Stuart Turner, Thrive Films (Canada), REAL, Documentary Feature
Genevieve Sulway (United Kingdom), I am Kanaka, Documentary Short
Gillian Fritzsche (USA), Reopening, Documentary Short, Viewer Impact: Motivational / Inspirational
Hallie Harper (USA), Eva’s Journey, Documentary Short (Student), History / Biographical (Student), Direction (Student)
Hilary Fennell, 3 Rock Productions (United Kingdom), The Secret Artists, Documentary Feature
Huayu Yang (China), New Creation in Love, Documentary Feature
Julio Mendez, Kristy Espinoza and Yulma Garcia (USA), 5 Ways to Live Before You Die, Script / Writer (Yulma Garcia and Sandra Orellana), Health / Medicine / Science
Kate P.R. Dunn and Gary Hayes (Canada), Wholistic Conversations on Liver Wellness: An Indigenous Perspective, Documentary Short (Student), Native Peoples (Student)
Khabu (China), Water Mill at Badi, Documentary Short
Mike Hill (Australia), Sam’s Story, Documentary Short
Mitra Elena Ghaffari (Cuba), Bicycle Island (A Donde nos Lleva), Documentary Short (Student), Original Score (Student)
Prof. Amir Har-Gil (Israel), Poetry Zaban, Documentary Feature
Qing Li (China), Xu Aihua: A story of a Zhejiang Entrepreneur, Documentary Feature
Randy Michael Stoudt (USA), Woven the Documentary, Documentary Feature
Robert William Connolly (Canada), Tesla’s Medicine: The Universal Fluid, Documentary Feature
Robin Rayne (USA), Unmet: North Carolina’s Disability Crisis, Documentary Short
Sean James Spencer (USA), Nguyen, Documentary Feature
Sebastian Rogers (USA), Case Notes, Documentary Short
Sharon Ann Rowland (Australia), Alchemy: Pathway to Profound Powers, Documentary Feature
Viknesh Saravanan Kasthuri and Alexander Si-Yuan Homer (USA), A World of Hurt: How Medical Malpractice Fails Everyone, Documentary Short (Student)
Yue Wang (China), The Way of Heaven, Documentary Short (Student)
Zoya Dimitrova (Bulgaria), Happy Stones, Documentary Feature
~ Award of Recognition ~
Chientung Chung (Taiwan), Purple Crow Butterfly Highway, Documentary Short
Darryl M. Haase (USA), HOLLYWOOD’S PASTOR: The H.K. Rasbach Story, Documentary Feature
Dayna Reggero (USA), Gulf Coast Love Story, Documentary Short
Dmitriy Arbatov (USA), Borobudur, Documentary Short
Fer Casals and Valeria Massimino (Argentina), IF YOU DON’T WANNA KNOW GO AWAY, Documentary Short
Flavio Cammerano (Italy), I Custodi del Tempo Inseguendo il Sogno di Icaro, Documentary Feature
Guillermo Rosabal-Coto (Costa Rica), We are the Music, Documentary Short, Viewer Impact: Motivational / Inspirational
Jamelah Fain (USA), Changing Perception: The Langdon Park Forest Patch, Documentary Short, Nature / Environment / Wildlife, Women Filmmakers
Joseph Richardson and Che Bullock (USA), Life After the Gunshot, Documentary Feature
Kate Way and Jason Kotoch (USA), Stop Time, Documentary Feature
Kelly Siu (Hong Kong), Find My Way, Documentary Short, Women Filmmakers
Keyonda Smith (USA), Still Steal Away, African American, Viewer Impact: Content / Message Delivery
Maya Simone (USA), Naming Space: The AADS Story, Documentary Short (Student)
Mitchell Waters (USA), Tears, Fears, Guns & Solutions, Documentary Short
Mogan Selvakannu (Malaysia), Don’t Rock the Boat, Documentary Feature
Mohsen Hadi (Iran), One of my Dreams, Documentary Feature
Nancy Estella Wyllie (USA), Twenty Square Feet, Documentary Short
Paul May (Canada), Far Horizon: Flat Earth vs NASA, Documentary Feature
Rani Khanna (United Kingdom), More Than Blood, Documentary Short
Rose Collis (United Kingdom), One For The Books: The Maupin Marathon, Documentary Feature, History / Biographical
Sada Rajiah and Desire Prevost (Mauritius), NJ The Legend, Documentary Feature, History / Biographical, Viewer Impact: Motivational / Inspirational
Sergio “Chapete” Bonacci Lapalma (Argentina/Hong Kong/USA), BJ: The Life and Times of Bosco and Jojo, Documentary Feature
Shihyun Wang (Taiwan), Growing with our Family Tree, Asian
Stanford Seed (USA), She Means Business, Documentary Short
Susan Thomson (United Kingdom), Ghost Empire § Belize, Documentary Feature, LGBTQ+, Use of Film / Video for Social Change
Traci L. Slatton (USA), The Sculptor’s Wife: A Love Story in Documentation, Documentary Short
Virginia Orzel, SUNY Brockport (USA), Camp Abilities, A Loss of Sight, Never a Loss of Vision, Documentary Feature, Disability Issues
Xiao Bai Tarr (USA), People Power – Stop Texas Bill Targeting Chinese Immigrants, Documentary Feature
Xiaolei Bai (China), Lawyers of China, Docume
