Steve Phoenix: The Untold Story

In this delightfully offbeat cult film, a small time cable TV reporter with dreams of the big time stumbles into a story far stranger than he ever imagined. It takes him on a journey into an underground world of subversion, talk radio and garage bands. Along the way, he discovers a shocking truth about the American way.

A first feature for producer/director Bill Haley, Steve Phoenix: The Untold Story is a movie buff's treat. Visit the Steve Phoenix Movie Facebook Page and watch the trailer here:

Heartland

After losing their beloved daughter to a rare heart condition, two Iowa parents transformed their grief into a force for good by establishing the Erika Kate Foundation, a national assistance program for families with children who have been diagnosed with life threatening heart conditions. Heartland is a tribute to their philanthropy and a memorial for their daughter's tragically short life.

Originally from Taiwan, New York-based producer/director Hai-Tao Wu created Heartland as a graduate student final project. Here is the trailer: Heartland Trailer

Run

Tom, a brilliant 15-year-old footballer, destined for greatness, collapses on the football pitch. He wakes up in a hospital bed and his nightmare begins. His younger brother, Chris, desperately tries to pull Tom out of his spiraling depression, but Tom retreats into a silent world.
 
Will Chris be able to save Tom, or will the tragedy destroy Tom’s spirit forever? Produced, written and directed by United Kingdom filmmaker Shelagh Mcleod, this passionate, earnest short film is based on a true story. Watch the trailer here: 

No Greater Pain

Mothers In Charge is a Philadelphia organization with the dual mission of assisting women who have lost children to violence and raising awareness about violence and justice issues. Dorothy Johnson-Speight started the organization in 2004 after the death of her son. Since then, she has been the voice of countless mothers who have lost their loved ones; Johnson-Speight works endlessly to achieve justice.

Produced by Stephen McWilliams of Villanova University, No Greater Pain is a demonstrative challenge to senseless violence and its repercussions. Here is the preview:

The Grove

More Americans have been lost to AIDS than in all the U.S. wars since 1900. But few know of the existence of the national AIDS memorial, a seven-acre grove and sanctuary hidden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The Grove shows how one community responded to its overwhelming grief, and how the seeds of a few visionaries blossomed into something larger and more provocative than they could have imagined. How do we mark a time of unimaginable loss? And what does it mean to be a national memorial? 

Produced and directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson, this 2012 Official Selection won Best Documentary Feature honors at the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. The Independent Weekly calls The Grove, "A heartrending work that provokes questions about the narrative of history and the intentions of memorials." Watch the trailer for this moving documentary here:

Grounded

This fantastical sci-fi short from Los Angeles, California dramatizes an astronaut's visit to a hostile, extrasolar planet. In addition to creating a space adventure, writer/director Kevin Margo uses his ethereal canvas to explore deeper issues of aging, cyclical trajectories and multi-generational behavior, and does so with special effects rarely seen in the indie film fest world.

Space and indie fans alike, you can check out the trailer and post comments here: Grounded Preview

Hath No Man

A citizen of Singapore, filmmaker Linus Koh presents a gripping struggle between faith and war in this Swinburne University of Technology final project.

An Australian World War II veteran walks into a church and as he sits down, he reminisces of his time in the war. Emanating from Crete, 1941, his memories take him through the vents of a German ambush that changed everything. Hath No Man tells a story of camaraderie, friendship and love between an Australian war cameraman and his battlefield comrade.

Beautifully shot in Australia on Arri Alexa, the Red Camera and 16mm, Hath No Man demonstrates why sophisticated cinephiles watch student films. Parental discretion advised for this preview: Hath No Man Trailer

Carbon for Water

In Kenya's Western Province, most drinking water is contaminated. The wood many Kenyans use to boil this water to make it safe is increasingly valuable. Women and girls, who bear the responsibility for finding water and fuel, often miss school or work while seeking both fuel and water. Some even encounter sexual violence. Yet waterborne illness remains a daily—and life-threatening—reality for them and their families. 

Co-Directed by Evan and Carmen Elsa Lopez Abramson, Carbon For Water introduces audiences to the inspiring people who face these hardships and explores one company's innovative solution for improving the health of millions of Kenyans and the environment in which they live. 

Watch the preview for this 2012 Official Selection here: Carbon for Water Preview

From Nomad to Nobody

Shot on location in Tibet and northern India, this documentary by Canadian filmmaker Michael Buckley reveals his personal take on the plight of Tibetan nomads who have been forcibly relocated by Chinese officials—shifted off their traditional grazing lands into concrete ghettos—and marginalized.

This world premiere film is now a 2012 Official Selection of New Hope Film Festival. You can watch the preview here: