PUMA.Creative Impact Award Film Trailers
October, 2011The PUMA.Creative Impact Award will be presented at the first annual PUMA.Creative Impact Award Gala in London, England on October 11th. The €50,000 award honours the documentary film that has made the most significant global impact. The films cover environmental issues, social justice or global conflict. View trailers of the five finalist films below:
The Age of Stupid
Director: Franny Armstrong, Producer: Lizzie Gillett
“The Age of Stupid” stars Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, watching “archive” footage of our time now and asking… Why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?
Impact Highlights:
- Launched the 10:10 Global campaign in 46 countries, with over 100,000 individuals signing up alongside corporations and government departments, pledging to cut 10% of emissions
- Launched the “Global Day of Doing” (10:10:10) coordinating over 7,000 local carbon cutting events in 188 countries
- Raised almost £1m to sustain the 10:10 campaign
Burma VJ
Director: Anders Østergaard, Producer: Lise Lense-Møller
Armed with small handycams, undercover video journalists in Burma keep up the flow of news from their closed country despite risking torture and life in jail. Their material is smuggled out of Burma and broadcast back via satellite.
Impact Highlights:
- With an estimated 30 million viewers, Burma VJ put the issue of Burma firmly on the international agenda
- The ensuing political pressure helped bring about the release of Aung San Suu Kyi
- Inspired a new generation of VJs and independent journalists within Burma
The End of the Line
Director: Rupert Murray, Producers: Claire Lewis & George Duffield
“The End of the Line,” is the world’s first major feature documentary about the devastating impact that overfishing has had – and is having – on our oceans. The film provides a dramatic expose of those in power who are taking advantage of the seas with catastrophic consequences on the world’s fish supply.
Impact Highlights:
- Raised £6m to launch the Blue Marine Foundation, dedicated to creating a global network of marine reserves
- Had significant impact on supermarket and consumer brands – from sandwich chain Pret A Manger to cat food brands Sheba and Whiskas all moving to use sustainably-sourced fish
- Used as a strategic lobbying tool in both the UK and European parliaments to engage politicians in the issue of over-fishing
The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court
Director: Pamela Yates, Producer: Paco de Onís
A David and Goliath battle of titanic proportions unfolds as International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo faces down warlords, genocidal dictators, and world superpowers in his struggle to tame the Wild West of global conflict zones and bring perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice.
Impact Highlights:
- The film team distributed, free of charge, screening kits to over 600 NGOs from 78 countries, to raise awareness of the International Criminal Court
- Used extensively in education programs including a 2-week ‘Teach the Reckoning’ workshop bringing together 700 educators from 70 countries representing a network of over 25,000 high school teachers
- Used widely in Africa; it supported critical debate within the Kenyan judiciary and triggered an investigation into post-election violence
Trouble the Water
Director-Producers: Tia Lessin & Carl Deal
An aspiring rap artist, trapped in New Orleans by deadly floodwaters, survives the disaster and seizes a chance for a new beginning. Celebrating community resilience in the face of massive government failures, “Trouble the Water” raises searing questions about race and class in America.
Impact Highlights:
- Repeatedly used in strategic political campaigning; from raising a 20,000-strong letter campaign to the speaker of the House of Representatives, to strategic screenings at the national Democratic and Republican conventions
- Triggered a major lobbying effort by 400 campaigners, including hurricane-survivors and supporters from across the country who travelled to Washington DC for training, advocacy and action.
- Launched a “Share Your Story” campaign to gather hundreds of testimonies from constituents that were used to lobby policy leaders
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