Elevating The Word “Impact” To A Global Invitation
— 49 Stories Advance As Finalists In The 6th Annual Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA 2018)
By Lucy Xiong
Los Angeles (January 9, 2018) — Documentary film does not live in a vacuum. When done well, it captures the realities of our world — how the stories of some are really a part of one story that we all play a part in. The most powerful revelation of documentary film is not what is depicted on the screen, but the impact we all have and can have on the story being captured.
This year, SIMA has selected 13 Features, 10 Shorts, 8 Innovation Impact Videos, 8 Creative Impact Videos, and 10 VR Experiences as finalists in the 6th Annual International Social Impact Media Awards. Selected from submissions from 53 countries, these stories situate the ripples generated by the actions of our governments, economies, and how we acquiesce to, or defy their interests.
Who receives the debris of our mundane consumption after it exits our concern through trash and recycling bins? A Plastic Ocean and Plastic China, takes us past the pacifying design of beverages and packaging through the full journey of the plastic we don’t think about.
Who are the people whose lives and labor bring forth the institutions and infrastructures we thoughtlessly accept and expect in our societies to exist (The Worker’s Cup and The Mauritania Railway)?
When our governments decide to bring war to the homes of civilians who had no ability to consent (Nowhere to Hide and City of Ghosts) and the corporations we patronize reduce existing communities to obstacles of their bottom line (The Opposition and Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas) — can we comprehend how violence has been woven into people’s lives?
We’re reminded no war just ends when troops retreat. The violence echos in the everyday lives of the people and countries who survived them (Big Sonia and A Cambodian Spring). We are accountable every day we allow corporations to dictate how we treat our planet (SEED). In every moment we acquiesce to greed, we increasingly jeopardize life on this planet (Thank You For The Rain).
“Everything is connected, and changing.” — Sojung Bahng (Floating Walk)
This year, we want to graduate from the examination of stories to the impact. This year, we elevate the word “impact” to an invitation to ask what your impact is on the trajectory of change.
The short-listed films are now eligible for entry into SIMA’s global Traveling Series, and move on to the final round of judging, where they will compete for awards, industry accolades and cash prizes of up to $1000 per category. Winners will be announced on February 7, 2018 and showcased in Los Angeles at SIMA FEST in May 2018.
List of SIMA 2018 finalists: http://bit.ly/SIMA2018Finalists
More information: simaawards.org
To download the SIMA 2018 press kit, click here
ABOUT SIMA
SIMA (Social Impact Media Awards) is a non-profit impact media agency dedicated to advancing cross-cultural understanding, human rights and education by celebrating contemporary social-issue documentaries of excellence, screening films in communities and classrooms worldwide, and connecting international audiences, educators and organizations with the best global impact media.
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