WASHINGTON (Sept. 28, 2012)—National Geographic’s All Roads Film Project announced the award winners of this year’s All Roads Film Festival last night at a reception at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The award for Best Documentary went to “Los Descendientes del Jaguar” (“Children of the Jaguar”), which chronicles the courtroom triumph of the Sarayaku people of the Amazon over oil exploration that took place on their land without their consent. The Best of Narratives award was won by “Burros” (“Donkeys”), the tale of a 10-year-old Mexican boy’s adventures as he runs away from his aunt’s house and finds his way home. The Best of Stories award went to “Busong” (“Palawan Fate”), a Philippines film that deals with animism.
The winners were selected by a jury, and this year’s award, handmade by Santa Fe artist Beau Duran, depicts a traditional Tesuque Pueblo corn maiden spirit.
All Roads Film Festival Director Francene Blythe presented the awards in front of a crowd that included the All Roads Film Project board members and representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines and the Mexican Cultural Institute as well as the talented filmmakers whose work comprised the festival.
“Every year, the All Roads Film Festival has the opportunity to host fresh new filmmakers from around the world. This year we are pleased to present another outstanding collection of films, including documentaries, short films and full-length features,” said Blythe. “These awards, chosen by a distinguished jury, recognize those films that have made the most impact this year, but as in years past, the films that will be screened this weekend represent some of the most impressive indigenous filmmakers in the world.”
This year marks the eighth All Roads Film Festival, a groundbreaking program that offers contemporary stories by or about indigenous and under-represented minority cultures.
The 2012 Festival continues through Sunday, Sept. 30, at the National Geographic Society, with the theme “Vibrant Cultures from Around the World.” A full festival schedule and ticketing information are available at http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/event-series/all-roads-film-festival-washington-dc/.
For the official All Roads Film Festival trailer, go to http://www.youtube.com/embed/DA0QcpBuGdY.
The All Roads Film Festival is part of the All Roads Film Project, a National Geographic program created to provide an international platform for indigenous and under-represented minority-culture artists to share cultures, stories and perspectives through the power of film and photography. In addition to providing a venue for their films, All Roads offers its filmmakers and photographers a series of networking opportunities and awards a minimum of 10 film grants a year to support the development and production of film and video projects by or about indigenous and under-represented minority-culture communities. Film grant recipients are considered for inclusion in the All Roads Film Festival and other National Geographic-affiliated broadcast outlets.
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This image was shot in the Kyrgyz lands of the Wakhan Corridor. The intimacy of this everyday life moment, shot inside of a family yurt, is in total contrast with the harsh environment these nomadic tribes live in. On the right we notice a television and a sound console. These tribes live weeks away from any village by foot. In spite of being located at an altitude of 4,300 meters in one of the most remote areas of Afghanistan they are equipped with solar panels, satellite dishes and cellphones. Ancestral ways of living, with touches of modernity.