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Best Documentary -Amsterdam
International Film Festival "Highly Recommended. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a fascinating individual. While his actions and policies would not be appropriate everywhere, they appear to work well for Maricopa County, Arizona, as witnessed by his high approval rating and constant reelection to office. This documentary follows Arpaio while he does his job, visits prisoners, discusses his policies, in his home with his wife, running an election campaign against an opponent, and justifying various inflammatory incidents." -EMRO Review Maricopa County, Arizona, is home for over three million Americans. It is a place where dealing with crime figures is the number one election issue. At the center of this community is the self-styled toughest sheriff in the West, Joe Arpaio. Sheriff Joe has a philosophy of zero tolerance towards crime, which has been embraced by deputies and the community alike. Part of the mission of the sheriff's office is "to operate a safe, constitutional jail system," while critics such as Amnesty International claim the sheriff's tactics are questionable and trample an individual's constitutional rights. This program provides unique access into the controversial world of "Tent City," where the sheriff and his men rule with an iron fist. He's put men and women into grueling chain gangs; legalized Wild West style posses; built a 1,200+ person prison out of Korean war tents and razor wire in the baking Arizona desert, dressed inmates into black and white striped clothing and pink underwear, given guards use of 75,000 volt electric stun guns, and with an 85% approval rating in the county proudly boasts of being on the leading edge of law enforcement and incarceration. Produced by Maximum Films. 08DR JSCA 52 min. |
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"Highly Recommended. Like a successful skit from TV's
'Saturday Night Live', this program builds its humor out of our sense of
puzzlement. Through its deadpan narration, strong offbeat characters, and
excellent acting, this program is an entertaining film portrait of an
American family, where Mom is obsessed by bingo playing and Dad is a
television zombie. It is a successful short study that is a study in humor
or Americana." -Choice No matter which way you look at it, playing Bingo is a form of gambling. Now, no one's going to knock the fun derived from this card game that brings joy to millions every day, but, let's face it, as this classic, tongue-in-cheek documentary reveals, some people can get too carried away with things - be it Bingo or television. In this program we see an entertaining portrait of a family in which Mom is obsessed by Bingo playing and Dad is not just a couch potato, but could be described as a television zombie; the parody is obvious, but also the producer purposely uses humor to address these issues, which can open the door to some serious discussions. Produced by David Russell. 08DR/CL JSCA 15 min. |
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"Highly Recommended. This powerful program pulls no
punches addressing the serious subject of the death penalty. All sides,
though often painful, are shown." -Ed. Media Review Continues the public debate on capital punishment. This compelling program on the last man shot by firing squad in the U.S. includes an exclusive interview of the man by teen-agers just before his execution. Produced by Wandering Eye Productions. 08DR/CL JSCA 60 min. |
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Best Documentary Award -Telly
Awards "The production values of this documentary are top drawer: color is vivid, sound is clear, and editing fast paced. A variety of on-location settings keep the documentary visually interesting." -EMRO Review Divided into four compelling segments, Children and Dreams, Education and the Family, Women and Change, and One of Us, the program's main theme is to learn if good can come out of evil. Produced by the Stanford Video Media Group, Inc. 08DR/CL JSCA 60 min. |
| The issue of homelessness presents a large number of complex problems that people across the country are trying to face. This excellent documentary provides concerned individuals with practical answers. Produced by Sharp Productions, Inc. 08DR JSCA 60 min. |
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Silver Apple Award -NEMN
Festival Highlights the battle between residents in Tuscarora, NV, including artist Dennis Parks, and a mining company to have their respective rights recognized; reflects an independence associated with settling the West. Produced by David Schickele. 08DR/CL JSCA 60 min. |
| Winning a major lottery is one sure way to enter the exclusive realm known as "The Millionaires' Club"; something most people have dreamed about. We see the faces of those smiling, lucky winners throughout the media when they win the jackpot; then we never hear about them again. Is winning the lottery everything it's made out to be? This documentary provides some answers to that inquisitive question. Here we meet four lottery winners who defied the odds. They share their stories, from how the sudden windfall of money changed their lives to the unexpected trials and tribulations that came with their newfound wealth. One man lost everything in eleven weeks; one woman believes she was guided by a higher power; an older man drove 100 miles once a week to buy his tickets; a couple who open their estate twice a year to offer free holidays to sick children. Woven throughout these stories are facts and statistics about the origins of lotteries, the numbers of players, and the odds of winning the biggest prizes. Released in association with CCI, Releasing, Inc. 08DR JSCA 60 min. |
| Follows the work of "Heal the Children," which arranges for international children to come to the US for medical treatment. Here we learn three children's stories and meet the founders of the organization. Produced by the Wisconsin Ed. Comm. Board. 08DR IJSCA 30 min. |
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"Recommended. This documentary tells the story of
families living in a town affected by toxic pollution. The viewer gets a
very good sense of the human toll through interviews conducted with the
people affected. The use of historical photographs and footage show the
piece was well researched." -EMRO Review The film Erin Brockovich raised awareness toward industry's arrogance towards environmental issues, and this documentary charts a similar story focusing on Toms River, New Jersey, which ranks among the most polluted areas in the United States, according to Federal research. This far from enviable record is due to unauthorized dumping by the chemical giant, Union Carbide, and to toxic emissions of a Swiss multinational company, Ciba. To date there are 113 children suffering from cancer in the area; also 50 have died. This program records the struggle and confusion among the families affected by the diseases, as well as looking at the actions of the chemical companies that are engaged in a controversial clean-up operation. Footnote: "Under the supervision of a mediator, a settlement was reached in the Tom's River case and today Ciba Specialty Chemicals and Union Carbide continue to implement cleanups at two Superfund sites - the Ciba-Geigy Superfund site and Reich Farms site. All involved agreed that a settlement would best advance the community's interest and involvement in the public health issues being studied." -Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP. Produced by TSI, Inc. 08DR JSCA 32 min. |
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Best Film: Govt. and Civics
-Telly Awards Written in a light-hearted fashion to avoid a monotonous litany of voting facts, this program presents a non-stop situational "day in the life" of a voting registrar. The aim is easy: to get people to vote. Produced by Silvern Enterprises, Inc. 08DR SCA 30 min. |