Last year, UNAFF jurors reviewed almost 600 submissions from all over the world and selected 60 films for the final program. To complement the screenings offered online, UNAFF conducted daily Zoom meetings with filmmakers, subjects, and experts, which was open to the public.

UNAFF presents six awards: UNAFF Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary, UNAFF Grand Jury Award for Best Short Documentary, UNAFF Youth Vision Award, UNAFF Award for Best Cinematography, UNAFF Award for Best Editing, and UNAFF Visionary Award.

UNAFF has won two WAVE Awards for best promotional trailer and was nominated for a CreaTV Award. Also, MovieMaker Magazine listed UNAFF twice as one of the “Top 25 Festivals worth the Entry Fee.” Furthermore, UNAFF won the prestigious Earl W. Eames Award for innovatively combining new technologies with traditional media. As an acknowledgment of the 10th anniversary, UNAFF received the “Community Treasure Award” from Stanford University President John Hennessy for its contribution in promoting dialogue and education about different cultures and issues. At the occasion of its 20th anniversary, UNAFF was awarded a COMMENDATION from the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Clara. For the last nineteen years the Mayor of Palo Alto has proclaimed the festival days as UNAFF Week, consistently recognizing the significance that UNAFF has for the community. Also, UNAFF received the Academy Foundation Grant for the UNAFF and Kids program and its Founder and Director received the prestigious UNESCO Fellini Medal.

Through our UNAFF and Kids and UNAFF in Schools programs we have devoted our attention to the young, while the wiser among us continue their lifelong educations through our UNAFF for Seniors program. The UNAFF Panels program provides a platform for some of the best experts addressing challenging topics, and our UNAFF Café maintains a steady supply of interesting films and informal discussions. Utilizing already-defined public spaces dedicated to diverse interests, our collaboration with libraries through the UNAFF in Libraries program brings together documentary films and the love of literature. Our UNAFF Archive offers a plethora of research materials for students of film, politics, and international relations. UNAFF With Veterans brings documentaries to veterans and their families, while UNAFF Women’s Salon is a forum where women can gather informally for active discussions in a supportive and engaging environment.

Our popular UNAFF Traveling Film Festival has taken place in San Francisco, Berkeley, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Davis, Saratoga, Sonoma, Sebastopol, San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Honolulu, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Burlington, Bellevue, Miami, La Crosse, Fryeburg, Denver, Houston, Durham at Duke University, Chapel Hill, New Haven at Yale University, Waukesha at University of Wisconsin, Boston and Cambridge at Harvard University, and internationally in Paris, Venice, Montreal, Belgrade, Phnom Penh and Abu Dhabi. 

By making a tax-deductible donation to UNAFF you will directly give a chance to tens of thousands of people to see these important films that bring us together as a diverse community. Please send your gift (check payable to “IDA” with the memo field “for UNAFF”) to: 

Alternatively, you can click on the “Donate” button here at www.unaff.org

We hope that the variety of film programs and other related events during UNAFF 2021 will present you with a truly exciting and memorable experience. 

Jasmina Bojic UNAFF Founder in Berlin with Bruno Chatelin filmfestivals.com