NewFilmmakers Los Angeles presents a virtual edition of its annual line-up of Documentary films with DocuSlate on December 4th and 5th, 2020, powered by Seed&Spark. The event will include virtual screenings, filmmaker Q&A’s and industry panels. The films programmed include a selection of international features and short documentaries across six programs.
Screenings begin on Friday night with Wild Honey, a debut feature from artists Ava Porter and Farhad Akhmetov that offer an intimate look at ethnic groups across Russia and explores the multifaceted connection to traditional music that unites them.
The line-up continues on Saturday morning with the world premiere of I Am Not A Wind-up Doll, director Air Moniri’s look at what empowerment can look like for a new generation of girls in Iran.
Next, a selection of thought-provoking short documentaries that meditate on the contrast and struggle between confinement and expansiveness, taking us through the stories of a teenager suffering the consequences of a gang injunction following his release from juvenile hall, the frontline battle for the environment through the eyes of Zambian anti-poaching activists, the journey of a quadriplegic race car driver, the tales of refugees cast adrift to form new bonds in foreign lands, and the remarkable story of the friendship that emerged between a Guantánamo detainee and guard.
We are then introduced to the stories of three Argentinian trans women working to educate and inspire a younger generation to continue building a better world in The Labyrinth of the Moons, directed by Lucrecia Mastrangelo.
The program continues with The Man of The Monkey, as we accompany director David Romberg on a strange journey into the uncanny world of those living in isolation in the Brazilian jungle, where a story of displacement, trans-generational trauma and the search for home unwinds.
The evening concludes with an exciting collection of documentary works that use animation, mixed media and experimental mediums and structures to tell their stories. Challenging form and celebrating the creativity available to documentary storytelling, these films provide meditations on causes, the nature of reality, identity, personal passions, the rhythms of nature, family relationships and the journey of the individual within a collective.
All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit projects of all formats, including narrative, documentary, animated and New Media works, which will be considered for all upcoming NFMLA Festivals.
Schedule Details
Friday, December 4th
Feature: Wild Honey
6:45 PM – 8:00 PM – Suggested Screening Time
8:00 PM – 8:45 PM – Audience Q&A
Saturday, December 5th
Feature: I Am Not A Wind-Up Doll
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM – Suggested Screening Time
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM – Audience Q&A
Short Docs #1: Confines & Expanses
12:15 PM – 2:00 PM – Suggested Screening Time
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM – Audience Q&A
Feature: The Labyrinth of the Moons
2:45 PM – 4:00 PM – Suggested Screening Time
4:00 PM – 4:45 PM – Audience Q&A
Feature: The Man of the Monkey
4:45 PM – 6:15 PM – Suggested Screening Time
6:15 PM – 7:00 PM – Audience Q&A
Short Docs #2: Animated & Experimental
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Suggested Screening Time
8:00 PM – 8:45 PM – Audience Q&A
