2019 WINNERS ANNOUNCED OF THE 7TH ANNUAL SOCIAL IMPACT MEDIA AWARDS

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brandon Ross, Director of Communications

brandon@simaawards.org

 

Known to celebrate the best contemporary social impact filmmaking from around the globe, SIMA announces 13 winners and 8 jury prize recipients in the Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, VR (Virtual Reality) and Creative Impact categories for their 7th Annual Awards.

“Our winning films allow us to bare witness to the immeasurable courage and ripple effects of individuals tackling today’s most pressing global challenges. They boldly harness cinematic power to move and inspire to such heights that action is bound to follow … If you’re looking to participate in this global movement called humanity then SIMA 2019 Winners can lead your way.”- Daniela Kon, SIMA Founder and Executive Director

Resilience and transformation are striking themes of SIMA’s 2019 award winners.

On Her Shoulders, SIMA 2019 winner for Best Feature Documentary and Best Director, tells the story of twenty-three-year-old Nadia Murad, a survivor of Isis slavery who is now a beacon of hope and global ambassador of the Yazidi community. In Letter From Masanjia, this year’s winner for Best Editing, we’re taken deep into the realities of China’s labour camps through the eyes of a political prisoner determined to expose the unthinkable human rights violations he endured.

Winners in the Virtual Reality (VR) Category include Best Director recipient The Hidden, a piece that critically exposes Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) pursuit of undocumented immigrants in the US. Best VR Experience Winner, Home After War, immerses us into the house and heart of the tragic, real-life story of an Iraqi family that returned to Fallujah after being displaced to find their home and neighbourhood booby trapped by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

This years Jury Prize winners provide us with unparalleled access to worlds traditionally concealed from public eyes.  TransMilitary, Winner of the SIMA 2019 Ethos Jury Prize, follows four individuals who put their careers and livelihoods on the line by coming out as transgender in their courageous battle to achieve equal rights to serve. The Price of Free, Winner of the SIMA 2019 Lens To Action Jury Prize, follows Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi on secret raids and quests for missing children in the hopes of ending the cycle of child labour and poverty  bringing us face to face with how we as consumers perpetuate the cycle driven by international supply chain demand.

COMPLETE WINNERS LIST:

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

Best Documentary, ON HER SHOULDERS by Alexandria Bombach

Best Director, ON HER SHOULDERS by Alexandria Bombach

Best Cinematography, METAMORPHOSIS by Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper
Best Editing, LETTER FROM MASANJIA by Leon Lee
Best Sound Editing, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE by Hao Wu

 

SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Best Short Documentary, LIFEBOAT by Skye Fitzgerald
Best Director, LIFEBOAT by Skye Fitzgerald
Best Cinematography, LITTLE PYONGYANG by Roxy Rezvany
Best Editing, TRANSIT by Mariam El Marakeshy
Best Sound Editing, ONE LEG IN, ONE LEG OUT by Lisa Rideout

 

IMPACT VIDEOS
Humanitas, BREAKING THE SILENCE ON CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE by Von Tan and Ashima Thomas
Creative Activism, R.V by Will Hawkes and Melissa Center

 

VIRTUAL REALITY/ 360 (VR)
Best VR Experience, HOME AFTER WAR by Gayatri Parameswaran and Felix Gaedtke
Best Director, THE HIDDEN by Annie Lukowski and BJ Schwartz
Best Cinematography, AUTHENTICALLY US: SHE FLIES BY HER OWN WINGS by Jesse Ayala and Connor Lonning
Best Editing, THE HIDDEN by Annie Lukowski and BJ Schwartz
Best Sound Experience, HOME AFTER WAR by Gayatri Parameswaran and Felix Gaedtke

 

JURY PRIZES DOCUMENTARY FEATURES + SHORTS:
Transparency, NAE PASARAN by Felipe Bustos Sierra
Stylistic Achievement, BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Giorgio Ferrero and Federico Biasin
Lens To Action, THE PRICE OF FREE by Derek Doneen
Ethos, TRANSMILITARY by Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson

JURY PRIZES VIRTUAL REALITY/ 360 (VR)
Immersive Impact, THE HIDDEN by Annie Lukowski and BJ Schwartz
Creative Advocacy, HOME AFTER WAR by Gayatri Parameswaran and Felix Gaedtke
Journalistic Achievement, HOME AFTER WAR by Gayatri Parameswaran and Felix Gaedtke

 

JURY PRIZES: IMPACT VIDEOS
Innovation, DIGNITY WITH FLOWERS by Von Tan and Lin Yanqin
Impact, MEGOLONYO: WITH A MOTHER YOU ARE RICH by Justice Nnanna

SPECIAL MENTIONS DOCUMENTARY FEATURE CATEGORY

KANGAROO by Mick McIntyre and Kate McIntyre Clere
THE JUDGE by Erika Cohn
UNSETTLING by Iris Zaki

 

SPECIAL MENTIONS DOCUMENTARY SHORT CATEGORY

INDIA’S FORBIDDEN LOVE by Sadhana Subramaniam
PRISONER OF SOCIETY by Rati Tsiteladze

THE FUTURE OF IRAQ by Thee Yezen Al-Obaide and Mats Muri

 

SPECIAL MENTIONS VIRTUAL REALITY/360 CATEGORY
LIVES ON HOLD IN LEBANON by Negin Allamehzadeh

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For Trailers/ Synopsis visit: https://simaawards.org/2019-WINNERS

 

ABOUT SIMA

The annual Social Impact Media Awards are the official global awards competition of SIMA Studios, a non-profit impact media agency dedicated to advancing cross-cultural understanding, human rights and education by celebrating contemporary social-issue filmmaking of excellence, screening films in communities and classrooms worldwide, and connecting international audiences, educators and organizations with the best global impact media.

 

SIMA 2019 SPONSORS

Adobe, Black Magic Design, We Transfer, Big Boy Systems, Vena-Cava,