WFA 2019 Film Guide

This documentary depicts the life of a young girl at a random Syrian refugee camp near the border of Jordan. Fatima, unknown age, is living her life in the camp along with her family and neighbors who escaped from war, which affects her maturity and her very identity.

Fill is a film fairy who lives alone in ruins. She looks lonely. One day, a projector shows up in front of her, and suddenly old films appear among the sound of rolling film. Fill is roped into the screen by a film seed named Moo, and the journey of Fill and Moo begins. Fill and Moo is a short clay animation made for children around the world.

Sold for $100 at the age of 5, Fekri suffers through years of abuse before his plight is discovered. After almost a year of hospitalization and therapy Fekri moves into a group home where he finds support, mentorship, and eventual forgiveness towards the family which sold him. The film brings light to numerous social justice issues while simultaneously giving a voice to those who are not often heard. The film not only raises awareness about child abuse, mental health issues, and human trafficking, it also provides foster youth an opportunity to get involved with the production process, as musicians, production assistants and camera operators.

Frank & Lamar are longtime best friends and black men who rely on each other to navigate the overwhelmingly white workspace of prestigious, progressive education. They struggle to explore their own personal growth while trying to help grow the minds of the youth they teach. From work obstacles to the pressures of maintaining relationships with the women they love, a time-honored friendship is put to the ultimate test: adulthood. When their work, the women they love, and the ways of the world keep screaming at them to grow up, how can the homies possibly manage to keep the party going?

2067AD, a global group of young​ astronomers ​​discover an ​impending​ catastrophic event and ​suddenly find themselves at odds with the Global Order as they attempt to save the world.

A man finds himself in a complicated set of relationships, each with their own 'honey do' checklist of chores for him to perform.

These are real stories of real models and the struggles they have to go through to get where they want to be.

I Loaf You is a 3D animated short film about a torpedo loaf, who is shorter than other baguettes, trying to find his true love. Even if you are different and cannot accomplish certain tasks, you can always try other ways, such as teaming up with others, embracing yourself to meet your goals.

Everyone thinks Addy is in the perfect relationship with her girlfriend Salka. When Addy witnesses her friend help another friend from an abusive relationship, Addy is forced to look at the flaws in her own relationship.

The music-clip IDNTT pictures the process of identification in times of egomaniacal callousness. Provided with a mobile recording studio, camera equipment and a vision, D'Mello and Dr Khan traveled to Brazil and Argentina for ten weeks. The music and video were inspired by, and arose within the countries, refined in collaboration with local musicians and dancers, kindly supported with contacts by the Goethe Institutes in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

After you take your vows, what happens when the future is nothing like what you envisioned? As a man spirals deeper and deeper into his mental illness, his young wife is forced to question whether love is really enough.

A multi-layered documentary centered on a group of young people who were born into a violent and insidious ongoing war -- young Palestinians and Israelis invited to Germany to join a retreat called 'Vacation From War.' In highly charged encounters they confront the entrenched myths and grievances that each side has for the other. Woven into this intense footage are the stories of other embattled lives in the Occupied Territories and Israel: a mother and four children living in the shadow of Gaza's border wall; an imprisoned Palestinian and the subsequent path he's taken; a traumatized Israeli survivor of a suicide bombing; and a daring Palestinian mother whose son's life is saved by an Israeli doctor.

In the Life of Music, a story told in three chapters, tells the story of how one song 'Champa Battambang,' a song made famous by Sinn Sisamuth (the King of Khmer Music), plays a role in the lives of three different generations.

Set in a vast desert landscape, we follow a solitary creature's journey trying to find form and meaning in a big and lonely world. Written by: Stefano Cassini & Caspar Leopard Music by: Caspar Leopard

Pepper, a mid-30s story-boarder by day and illustrator by night, feels trapped when she learns her 'ovarian reserve' - i.e. the eggs left in her ovaries - is dwindling. All of a sudden she realizes she wants a baby but her relationship is on the rocks. The man she's with has it all - a job he loves and time to wait and figure out whether or not a family is in the cards. She wants it all but doesn't know how to make that dream come true. While sorting out her feelings about life, career, and what it means to be an artist, she explores freezing her eggs and discovers it might be the pause button she needs while she puts the puzzle together. It's a story about coming out and finding yourself at a fork in the road.

Due to the different understanding between the two generations on the inheritance of the Beijing Opera, father and son turned against each other many years ago. They never gave in to each other and the misunderstanding became deeper and deeper. They would rather die than surrender, but love each other; perhaps the most Chinese feelings.

On the cusp of a life-altering decision, this candid, first person narrative explores the personal reflections, experiences, trials and tribulations of an African American man in present-day America.

Life After is a story about mothers and daughters, immigrants and their children, and love and forgiveness. This short film follows Nisha, a single mother and Indian immigrant, who travels to New York City to clear out her recently deceased daughter's apartment. Out of her element in her daughter's environment, Nisha discovers surprising new details about Zara. In the midst of her grief, Nisha must decide whether to embrace or ignore the truth about her daughter's short life.

Sara, a 22-year-old girl, is babysitter to 7-year-old Matin. One day Matin tells a story that makes Sara plan to steal something from the house.

Artist Fiel dos Santos grew up during the 16 year civil war in his home country of Mozambique. The only one of his family to never have shot a gun, today he makes art out of guns to commemorate the lives lost. Little Fiel is a stop motion animation/documentary that is loosely based on his life storys. Fiel created eight figures representing his father, mother, five brothers and sister from dismantled civil war guns. Three New York artists turned them into puppets and created immersive stop-motion animation, inspired by Fiel’s memories.

Nina sits opposite Uri Sagur PhD weeping while waiting for her husband to show up to their therapy session. Suddenly, Stu shows up, gets reprimanded by Uri for being late until ... Uri discovers Stu isn’t Nina’s husband and that he’s double booked.

Between mean girls, her first romance, and budding hormones, Lucy begins to realize that she's not like the other teenagers in her class in this coming-of-age horror.

Magne was born with severe brain damage 40 years ago. For 27 years he was locked inside his body – unable to speak, write or otherwise communicate with his environment. His world – and the world of his family – was turned upside down when he learned how to express his thoughts and feelings. What are his dreams, aspirations and fears?

Monsters is a psychological thriller shot in Morocco about three masked men, The Boss, The Brute and The Loser, who invade a rich family in their home in broad daylight to steal their money. But nothing is what it appears.

New York Scherzo follows the lives of three diverse classically trained musicians as they try to make it in New York City. Originally from Seoul, Paris and Nashville they are passionate about their art but struggle to make a living, and face a crossroads where they must decide if they can sustain a career doing what they love. New York Scherzo is a hopeful, yet realistic portrait of three musicians and a provoking story about sustainability in the arts. There are countless documentaries about famous musicians, this is the story of the hustle and what happens before the fame and fortune.