To watch any of these winning indie films from around the world, click on
Vimeo or YouTube to the right of each film image & description. Use the password provided for each film as needed. Some films are no longer available.
2019 Moondance Selected Films to View Now!
Also 2017, 2018 Selected Films, below
THE NUN’S KADDISH: Short film, directed by Luis Ismael, Portugal. A heart-warming vignette that portrays a true story of inter-faith kindness when a Nun tries to carry out the dying wishes of a Jewish man in her care. The Pope himself found this to be a positive and moving episode. 7 minutes.
THE TIMEPIECE: Short film, directed by KARAN CHOUDHARY & Michael Anastasio, USA. When Sunny, a young, straight guy from India, meets Larry, a middle-aged gay guy in New York, they discover their shared love of film, acting, life, and each other’s company. But their friendship is tested when Larry’s prized possession goes missing and he jumps to a biased conclusion accusing Sunny of the theft. Will these newfound friends overcome their differences to forget and forgive? Only time will tell. 14 minutes.
THROUGH GABRIEL’S EYES: Short film, directed by Amy Giaquinto, USA. Written by 7 year-old, Gabriel Giaquinto. A 7 year-old boy wants to buy a gun. What he wants to do with it is truly inspiring. 3 minutes.
TIME TRANCE: Animation film, directed by Benjamin Ridgway , USA. Time needs a witness. This is a meditation on the perception of time and the ever-changing state of reality. 2 minutes.
GREYISH: Animation film, directed by Eghbal Shirzaei, Iran. A minimal short story about an old man and his life stages, as a metaphor of our life! 5 minutes.
ADINA E – I COULDN’T HELP MYSELF: Music video, directed by Yoni Goodman, Israel. Going over old notebooks and childhood drawings, a woman reminisces about loves lost and won. 4 minutes.
AFREEN, Feature film, directed by Aashish Chanana, Canada. is a hard-hitting realistic drama laced with suspense and thriller elements. Set primarily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2016, the film combines factual and fictional events and characters to tell an unconventional and gripping story: that of a young former refugee, brutalized years ago in the Iraq War, who seeks revenge on the West by joining a local ISIS terror cell that’s planning a major urban massacre. I believe the topical relevance and timeliness of this project – not to mention its swift pace, enticing visuals, and colorful characters – gives the film ample potential to attract a large audience. The film refuses to take political sides, instead portraying the hard reality and emotional humanity of the situation, thereby offering something interesting for filmgoers of any background or persuasion. With over 40 nominations and Awards till now, from all over the world, we feel inspired to make more meaningful movies. 108 minutes.
No longer available.
RISING SILENCE, Feature documentary film, directed by Leesa Gazi, UK & Bangladesh, is a journey of relationships between women dealing with war, violence, and daily prejudice to heal and create the future with unconditional love. 75 minutes.
ELEPHANTBIRD, short film, directed by Masoud Soheili, Iran. The last wish of an old Afghan man is to give his “elephant-bird” (turkey) to his grandchild, but this simple wish is hard to realize. A mini-bus is on a journey across the mountains to Kabul. Each person on the bus has a reason to take this journey. An old man is traveling to give a turkey to his grandchild, as his last wish before dying. However, the main road is blocked by insurgents. They decide to use an alternative road, which is not very secure, and there is still the possibility of getting caught by insurgents. 15 minutes.
PW: Elephant-bird2019
AKHARIN MAHI (THE LAST FISH),Animation film, directed by Maryam Naghibi & Mahmoud Saemin, Iran. A fisherman with a fishing hood and an old boat is trying to find some fish but he is not successful. Bored and disappointed he falls asleep and he dreams he is catching a lot of fish. 8 minutes.
PW: 7654321
YIBIN, GOLDEN GATEWAY, Feature documentary film, directed by Chris Nebe, USA. Dating back over 2,200 years, Yibin was established at the confluence of the Min and He River, which create the mighty Yangtze River, the lifeline of Southern China. From the mysterious sacred burial rites of the Bo People, who vanished a long time ago, to the splendid beauty of the Miao culture, this time-honored city has become the magic golden gateway of the Yangtze River. Through the Dousha Gate passed the famous ancient Tea Road, while in Yibin, the making of the most delicious liquors in the world flourished since ancient times. Endless Bamboo forests have created a unique culture. The amazing World Geo Park with the Dayanwan Tiankeng, the largest funnel on earth and its spectacular rock formations are a spiritual wonderland of nature. 61 minutes.
PW: Monarex2018
2018 Moondance Selected Films
You can now 
& comment on each film after you view them!
♦ All of these 2018 Moondance selected films are also winners in those categories!
ANIMATION FILMS
BALANCE, directed by Barzan Rostami (IRAN), A story about the soldiers who are sacrificing their lives and resist in order to the people of the city and future generations live in peace. 3 minutes
No longer available.
LAYMUN, directed by Catherine Prowse & Hannah Quinn (UK). In a Middle Eastern war zone a woman defies the destruction around her by filling her home with beautiful lemon plants. 5 minutes
LEAF TANGO, directed by Joel Stutz (UK). A charming and entertaining cartoon animation of two Leaf characters dancing the tango and playing classical music. 2 minutes
No longer available.
THE TRAIN, directed by Javad Matouri & Mohamad Amin Hamedani (IRAN). A person riding a flying bicycle in the sky , full of happiness. During the story we realize that he is running a geared seat which is running a monster factory mechanism. Gradually we realize he trapped in slavery’s cycle. 2 minutes
ANIMATION FILM FOR KIDS
WHO IS MR. PEEPERS?, directed by Maciek Albrecht (USA). Jump into the colorful and awe-inspiring world of Mr. Peepers, an adolescent rooster in search of a place to call home. Along the way, Mr. Peepers interacts with a colorful cast of characters as he strives to find his way in the world. “Where Is Mr. Peepers?” Is a collaborative animated effort features a mixture of animation styles – everything from 3D animation to cut-out animation crafted by animators stationed all around the globe. 12 minutes
No longer available.
DRONE FILMS
BEAUTY & BOUNTY, directed by Doug Armknecht (USA). Drones give us unique perspectives on the world, and this is especially striking over the sweeping landscapes of farm country. Jhan LaRosh describes how drones are used on his family farm to capture stunning views and share them with the world. This film shows the beauty of the Kansas plains and the bounty of wheat harvest. 3 minutes
GREEN AND BLUE: THE AERIAL, directed by Jacob Carter (USA). Aerial Cinematography taken over the UK and Ireland. 6 minutes
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILMS
BEYOND SKIING EVEREST, directed by Mike Marolt (USA). This film is the amazing story of Story of 3 Aspen, Colorado-based guys climbing and skiing the greater ranges of the world for the past 30 years. These life-long friends progressing high altitude skiing from the first American ski descent of an 8,000 meter peak to being inducted to the USA National Ski Hall of Fame. The film covers nearly 30 years and arguably the most extensive skiing resume in the 5,000 meter to 8,000 meter peaks including a pioneering effort to the ultimate- climbing and skiing in the Winter Himalaya. 80 minutes
No longer available.
FEATURE FILMS
PHANTOMPAIN, directed by Andreas Olenberg (GERMANY). A criminal taxi driver looks for the culprit for the death of his brother and meets the attending chief physician. Two years after his brother’s deadly car accident, Finn discovers that his brother neither died of heart failure nor any other natural cause. In face of adversity, the boys are forced to start relying on each other. 112 minutes
No longer available.
ONE HALF DAYS, Feature film, directed by Greg Chaney (USA). Kokona is trying to break up with her boyfriend but can’t find the courage. Before John has time to really consider what this might mean, he offers to help by posing as her new boyfriend. They spend the rest of the day getting to know each other at an accelerated rate so they can realistically pass as a couple. At the end of the day they find that maybe this is more than a charade. What will happen next? 60 minutes
SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILMS
MORE WOMEN LEADERS NEEDED, directed by Kirthi Nath (USA). As the value of women’s leadership and voices come to a forefront, it is also important to look deeper then gender and explore women’s rights and leadership from intersectional, values-based, multi-generational and multi-racial perspectives. This film was birthed from the intention to participate in current day movements and center voices and perspectives usually left on the margins, if included at all. 3 minutes
THE ALEPPO, directed by Amir Osanlou (IRAN). Our daily life is full of voices that most of us do not hear because of repetition, As if they no longer exist. Sounds of car bug, car radio sound, traffic jerky voice, children’s voice, bird sounds that read every morning to inform us from the beginning of the day. But in Aleppo, people were accustomed to the sounds of war, rockets and mortars, To the sound of the mother’s cries and the cry of the fathers,Break the glass and destroy the houses. Now the war is over and everything is drowned in silence and wind. Silence is as eternity as is full of fear and loneliness. Full of stories buried under the rubble. Aleppo: silence of war. A film depicting this fragile silence after the war. The silence from years of war. A silence that does not mean peace, nor the meaning of war. 29 minutes
SHORT FILMS
GOOD BUSINESS SENSE, directed by Emmett Loverde (USA). A businessman proposes to his girlfriend in a private dining room at a fancy restaurant. He uses a business presentation, of course, which upsets her. Yuppie Barth has Good Business Sense, and tonight he’s making the boardroom presentation of his life: a proposal of marriage to the equally industrious Claudia. Everything is perfect — including the ring for which his assistants shopped everywhere. But Claudia wants flowers and violins, not charts and graphs… Luckily a sympathetic waiter is at the ready to make sure things don’t veer too far off course. 21 minutes
JUST SOMEONE I KNOW, directed by Ashley Pegg (UK). Tam, 14, has been bought bright new trainers by a much older man who works at the garage. When her best friend Sash follows her and discovers Tam is being groomed, their friendship is tested to the max. Just Someone I Know has a strong social message to protect young people from child sexual exploitation. It is important the film is seen internationally. The film was made with young people who helped to create the story and they also performed in the film, working with M6 Theatre in Rochdale, which is one of the most deprived areas in the UK. 8 minutes
MOONCHILD, directed by Bruno Mazzocchi (FRANCE). The melancholic space odyssey of a daydreamer. 6 minutes
POLLY, directed by Cassiah Joski-Jethi (UK). ‘Polly’ is set in a world where teenage girls must live to the expectations of a cult-like society obsessed with doll-like perfection; one girl, Polly, doesn’t quite fit in and in her search for acceptance, commits an unthinkable act. This is a visually daring and thought-provoking short film led by a female writer/director and featuring an all female cast that explores the unfair pressures on young women to achieve perfection. 13 minutes
No longer available.
THE GREAT ESCAPE, directed by Shelagh McLeod (UK). An old man loses hope when his only child commits him to a nursing home, but….. 15 minutes
UTENSILS, directed by Ryan Larkin (USA). A young girl must figure out why everyone at the dinner table is eating their soup with a fork. As a half-Chinese filmmaker, Ryan is interested in cultural clashes, generation gaps, and racial identity. His work often explores these themes through the lens of magical realism, finding creative ways to visualize abstract concepts. 7 minutes
SCATTERED, directed by Ellie Harvie (CANADA). Where would you want your ashes to be scattered? Who would scatter them? Two women venture into the woods to scatter their friend’s ashes and fumble for a way to say good bye. When you hit a certain age you start to lose people. Cremation and scatterings are no longer sacred events in your imagination. They become a part of the nitty-gritty of life. Winner of the Telus Storyhive $10k grant woman-directed short films. 10 minutes
JA BE JA (SWAPPED), directed by Milad Nasim Sobhan (IRAN). Hamid is in a phase in his life that must find an attraction for his silent and unattractive life. This path leads to search in finding a double for himself. But this is not all. 15 minutes
No longer available.
VESPER, directed by Keyvan Sheikhalishahi (FRANCE). Marge Ofenbey shuts herself away from all in a house to flee her sinister and manipulative husband. She asks her nephew Christian for help. But, Christian will soon discover the secrets hidden by Marge and Walter. What are Walter’s true intentions? Why is Marge haunted by stars? 24 minutes
SHORT MULTI-MEDIA FILM
ZEN TALE, directed by Daniel Munteanu (USA). The film’s impressionist photography is from the city of Kyoto, a walkthrough of some well known sites such as Kokedera (Moss Temple), Kifune Jijna Shrine, Nijo-Jo castle and Fushimi Inari and its red torii, are among the most known. There are 16 haiku of perfect form, written in English and based on the director’s actual experiences in his stay in the old capital. Those complement the overlaid kanji that appear from time to time to better define the stage and mood. In the end, Zen Tale is a meditation on the impermanence of all things, the beauty of nature and the mystery of existence, all filled with a luminous sadness and the inner spirit of old zen masters. 18 minutes
MUSIC VIDEOS
ADINA E – CHANGING, directed by Yoni Goodman (ISRAEL). A music video I did for Adina E’s song “Changing”. Took some time to make but I’m very happy with the result. The Art was done by the incredible Maayan Shinar and the animation was done by myself and the also incredible Sefi Gayego! 4 minutes
JEU DE SCÈNE, directed by Joe Hoster / Edouard Lichtenauer (SWITZERLAND). Self-mockery of an unknown classical composer in the 21st Century. 6 minutes
SAVANNAH, directed by Imogen McCluskey (Australia). ‘Savannah’ is the debut music video from Sydney-based artist Ivy-Jane Browne, in collaboration with Fat Salmon Productions. Dark synth-pop with ‘Under the Skin’ vibes, the video tells the story of a woman with dark power over men, and in turn their power over her. They are her prisoners and captors, her shadows and obsessions, her victory and her downfall, her prize and her punishment. 4 minutes
THE LAST LAUGH, directed by Ivar Aase (NORWAY). At a 20 year anniversary, the boys from school reunite with the class bully, and the party quickly turns as sour as their liquor. Bitterness, blues and drunkenness are all ingredients in this rural music video from Norwegian artist General Forsamling, directed by Ivar Aase. 5 minutes
No longer available.
COPY SHOP, short multimedia film, directed by Virgil Widrich (Austria/Luxembourg). The surrealistic story of an everyman who works in a copy shop and copies himself over & over until he fills the whole world. The film “Copy Shop” consists of nearly 18,000 photocopied digital frames, which are animated and filmed with a 35mm camera. It won 35 international awards, won an Oscar nomination and was shown in over 200 festivals and in many cinemas and TV channels worldwide. 12 minutes.
FAST FILM, short film, directed by Virgil Widrich (Austria/Luxembourg). “Fast Film” provides a tour de force through film history, from its silent beginnings to present-day Hollywood. Bits of found film and different types of animation illustrate a classic chase scene scenario: A woman is abducted and a man comes to her rescue, but during their escape they find themselves in the enemy’s secret headquarters. The filmmakers printed out some 65,000 individual images from 300 films, folded them into paper objects, arranged them in complex tableaux, and then brought them to life in an amusing & memorable way with an animation camera. Over 300 festival invitations, winner of 36 international film awards. 14 minutes
BACK TRACK,short film, directed by Virgil Widrich (Austria/Luxembourg). Virgil Widrich’s short film is a 3D-remix of feature films from the 1950s and 60s which were projected on glass and photographed in 3D. A unique & fascinating way of telling a story and creating a film. 7 minutes
♦ ♦ FEAR, LOVE & A TINY RED CAR, Feature film, directors: Salvo Campisano, Filippo Arlotta (Italy) 93 minutes. An intense, beautifully filmed dark comedy story that will surprise and thrill you until the last frame. A tiny red car drives off with a screech of tires in a rustic Italian village, and a man begins his wild run to catch it. During the chase, the man finds himself involved in a series of very strange encounters with a diverse cast of odd characters who will help him in his struggle to achieve self. Time passes, the tiny red car is always farther away. What will happen at the end of the countdown ? This film also won the 2017 Moondance for Best Actor (Salvo Campisano), Best Film Score (Alexander Cimini) & Best Supporting Actor (Lucia Fossi).
No longer available.
♦ A SKYTRIBE CHRONICLE, Short multi-media Film, Director, Gregg Lauer, (USA) 15 minutes. Director’s statement: Director’s statement: “I was flying high on a very successful art career, my paintings selling well, living the artist’s dream in Boulder, Colorado. Filled with daring and replete with connections, I moved to California to hit it big. I did not. Eight months later, after a complete failure-to-launch, and the utter inability to paint, I admitted defeat and let go of my artistic dreams and aspirations. Clawing my way back to Colorado, trying to escape the nightmare of California, my vehicle broke down twice on the Nevada border and I gave up. Out of the ashes of self-defeat, stranded in café in the desert, a mysterious event occurred, by which the following 20 years of art-making were completely inspired.”
♦ COOKING THE EARTH, animation film, directors: Michele D’Acosta & Eliza Wyatt (UK) 3 minutes. Cooking The Earth is a dystopian vision of climate crime. This animated & iive-action short film is a journey into the chaotic world of a turbulent chef – and is a satire on the planet we are “baking” in the 21st century.
♦ GAME, short film, director: Jeannie Donohoe (USA) 16 minutes. The director is also a former Moondance short film winner, for “Lambing Season”. She was selected from over 4,600 applicants to write and direct “Game” for Lexus Short Films, produced by the Weinstein Company. GAME is a story about going all the way, pursuing your dreams, and playing at the top of your game. AJ doesn’t see herself as a girl basketball player. She sees herself as a basketball player. She asks the world to do the same. The relationship between Coach and AJ, over the course of the short film, speaks to the willingness to reward ambition, hard work, and equal talent with equal opportunities.
♦ HANOOZ NA (NOT YET), short film, director: Arian Vazirdaftari (Iran) 15 minutes. It`s 21 year-old Hasti’s Birthday. She studies abroad and her parents in Iran want to congratulate her via Skype. But…well, you can imagine what happens, when the old world meets the new world.
No longer available.
♦ ♦ JIMMORTAL, Filmed TV Pilot, Directors: Owen Weber & Hunter Bradley (US) 30 minutes. “Silicon Valley” meets “Louie”. Jim and Lyle are Millennials…just not from this millennium. They’re the youngest old guys, you’ve ever met. But a freak fire and a meeting, with potentially world-changing consequences, unwittingly puts the brothers on a crash course with the fate of all humanity, eternity and, if Jim can help it, the end of it all.
♦ KARMA, animation film, director: Zhaoyu Zhou (USA) 4 minutes. A boy meets a strange fish in a mysterious forest.
♦ KOSNIN, short film, director: Sara Seligman (USA) 12 minutes. 10-year old Héctor wants to ‘fly,’ like the voladores in his community. His single mother can’t afford the costs, but Héctor is determined to achieve his dream, and through hard work and a little help, sets out to do what others in his community have done for generations – FLY.
♦ LEARNING TO DRIVE, short film, director: Roderick Stevens (USA) 19 minutes. Inspired by the true story of a feisty young man with Down syndrome, determined to become independent and to convince his scatterbrained brother to teach him how to drive.
♦ MOODY WINTER, short drone film, director: Jurgis Kreilis (Latvia) 4 minutes. To appreciate the beauty of the winter you don’t necessarily need colorful sunrise, sunset or bright sunlight through the day. Winter can be insistent, surly and moody. Clouds can hang, barely move and once bright sky can turn grey, and snow falls, while freezing temperatures “burn” the air. We went out and created this aerial drone film to demonstrate the different winters of Latvia.
♦ NIOFAR, short documentary film, director: Hugo Lemant (France) 7 minutes. Niofar tells the story of a French girl who went to Senegal to meet its inhabitants, in the hope of becoming integrated. The film is a visual poem on the meeting: “I” against “you”, “he” who is a stranger, but the three blend into “us”. In the Wolof language, Niofiar means “to be together”. The film is an ode to sharing and cultural exchanges.
♦ ORIGIN, feature documentary film, director: Mary Jo Ramsey-Smith (USA) 57 minutes. Exploring the perils of the ever-expanding human presence on the planet. Seeking transformative ways to change the way we think/speak/act toward one another … and this world. ORIGIN is an exploration based on the work of philosopher Jean Gebser in The Ever-Present Origin.
No longer Available
♦ ♦ THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA (Старик и море): Composer: Joanna Moradiellos (Australia) 21 minutes. This unique film is a 1999 paint-on-glass-animated short film directed by the famed Russian animator, Aleksandr Petrov, based on the classic short novel of the same name by Ernest Hemingway, and tells the tale of Santiago, an ageing Cuban fisherman who struggles with a giant marlin out in the Gulf Stream, off the coast of Florida. The film has won many awards, including the Academy Award for Animated Short Film. This is a new, modern soundtrack to this film, written in 2017, and has won the 2017 Moondance for Best Film Score. All music and audio is composed, performed and mixed by Joanna Moradiellos. The music comes from the heart and the film score certainly does this stunning and amazing film justice, as the composer interpreted the artist’s pictures and Hemingway’s symbolic story with her music. Moondance International Film Festival 2017 has full & exclusive permission from The Production Studio, Pascal Blais, Canada, and award-winning director/animator Alexander Petrov. Russia, to screen this film with Joanna’s new soundtrack.
♦ PARSIEN (LIMIT) (RATED R), short film, director: Javad Daraei (Iran) 8 minutes. A lonely man in a quiet village neighborhood asks for help from people he see passing by, until someone suddenly enters his home…
No longer available.
♦ THE PAST WE LIVE IN, short film, director: Jérôme Weber (Luxembourg) 15 minutes. Félix celebrates his 92nd birthday in the company of his family, as his past catches up with him. “The Past We Live In” is the story of a former forcibly recruited WWII soldier, who now suffers from dementia and relives an emotional wartime friendship by confusing his 7-year old nephew with an old friend from the second World War.
No longer available.
♦ ♦ THE SERVANT, animation, director: Farnoush Abedi (Iran) 10 minutes. A frustrated writer, on the verge of suicide, catches an insect in a glass, and instead of following his first impulse and killing it, he lets the bug grow. Over time, however, it earns a different and more gloomy function, and soon they fight a match for the roles to be reversed between them: Which one will be the champion?
♦ THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, music video, Director: Fabio D’Andrea, ((UK), 6 minutes. A father, coping with the loss of his wife, strives to maintain a sense of harmony and stability in the life of his young daughter, who dreams of becoming a ballerina princess.
No longer available.
♦ ♦ THINK FAST, short film, director: Bridget Stokes (US) 12 minutes. The film tells the story of a powerful woman, constantly surrounded by oppositional forces, who manages to dig deep and find the grit it takes to persevere. But what happens when everything you’ve worked for is suddenly ripped apart by a ringing phone? In Sara Wagner’s case, all hell breaks loose. Then RING! Sara answers, but It’s a desperate Wrong Number Caller who misdialed a suicide hotline! A ready-to-jump teen on speaker, and a ticking clock. It’s now or never, if Sara must save a life to save her career, and she’s got to THINK FAST!
No longer available.
♦ TOGETHER AS THE WIND BLOWS, music video, director: Jose Manalang (Japan) 6 minutes. This is a vibrant music video about the plight of Filipino workers searching for greener pastures abroad.
♦ WEAVERS OF IMAGINATION, short documentary film, directors: Sadegh Jafari (Iran) 21 minutes. This is the story of a group of talented blind men and women who weave intricate Persian carpets by using Braille. Weaving carpets requires precision and sight and it is difficult even for the sighted people. These unsighted people think that if there was a place where the sighted people did not bother & ridicule them, they would have a better life.
A SPECIAL MOONDANCE SELECTION OF FILMS ON MYSTERIOUS CHINA!
Directed & Produced by MONAREX HOLLYWOOD
Yangzhou – A City of Timeless Culture
A true gem in modern China
We follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo, who meticulously recorded his fascinating observations of Yangzhou’s epic cultural heritage in his bestselling book “The Travels of Marco Polo,” which for over 700 years never went out of print. Strategically situated on the junction of the famous Grand Canal and the Yangtze River, Yangzhou has been one of the most prosperous cities in China since ancient times because of its flourishing trade in salt, silk and grain. The lavish mansions and gardens of rich salt merchants are a unique testimony to the wealth of this city that attracted poets, painters and writers from all over the Middle Kingdom. Since time immemorial exquisite arts and crafts have been a treasure trove of his acclaimed city of timeless culture, recipient of the United Nations Habitat Scroll Of Honor. The Slender West Lake is a major tourist attraction and reflects the eternal spirit of Yangzhou where myth and legends come alive. Within Jiangsu Province, the charming city of Yangzhou is regarded as home to the most beautiful women in China and a favorite destination of past Emperors who wished for rest and relaxation. Again, Monarex artfully explores this region of China, offering a taste of what treasures are held in this 5000 year-old culture. (30 minutes) Directed by Chris D. Nebe & JJ Osbun
CHINA NET – An Economic Miracle
“China Net” is a film about China’s Internet that documents the impact the Web has had on the Chinese economy. China often gets a bad rap for the way the Internet is treated within its borders. While there are some valid points of discussion on that front, after spending years in China, we also see a different side of that story. This film takes a look at how the Internet has affected China’s economy through the stories of industry leaders and everyday people. In less than 40 years China has lifted more than 700 million of its citizens out of extreme poverty. The Internet is partially responsible for this unique achievement and continues to be a dynamic force in the country’s unprecedented socio-economic development. (60 minutes) Directed by Chris D. Nebe & JJ Osbun
Burma Road – Flying Tigers
The Burma Road was a WWII military supply line built by hand through treacherous terrain… it was the only supply line that China had in the fight against Imperial Japan. The Burma Road was built out of dire necessity. China stood no chance of fending off the Imperial Japanese invasion without a supply line. Such a road was thought to take more than five years to build, even with modern machinery… but the Chinese built it in less than one year with their bare hands! The same determination that built the Burma Road also built the airfields used by the infamous Flying Tigers, American Volunteer Group (AVG). The charismatic Lt. General Claire Lee Chennault developed innovative fighting tactics for his ragtag P-40 squadrons that broke the Japanese grip on China. Without a secure hold on China, the Allied Forces were then able to destabilize Japan in the Pacific and ultimately force their surrender. (56 minutes) Directed by Chris D. Nebe & JJ Osbun
Land of Legends
Hubei Province in subtropical Central China is the Land of Legends and a Thousand Lakes. It dates back to the 7th Century BC, when it was home to the powerful state of CHU. The epic history of Hubei includes the heartbreaking tale of MULAN, the young courageous woman immortalized in the DISNEY hit movie and the evolution of Wudang KUNG FU made world famous in the film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. Today, Hubei is home to the THREE GORGES DAM the largest Hydro Electric Plant in the world. This marvel of innovative engineering controls the raging torrents of the mighty Yangtze River, the bloodline of 5000 years of Chinese culture. Hubei is a Hi-Tech center, but its rich history is always present. Time honored traditions prevail in sacred BUDDHIST monasteries and on the Holy Mountain of TAOISM, which inspires the faithful with this eternal mantra of LAO TZU: “Nature has its way and everything has a place where it belongs. Those who tamper with nature will harm it and lose it!”. (90 minutes) Directed by Chris D. Nebe & JJ Osbun 
Secrets of the Silk Road
Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, Genghis Khan’s Mongol Warriors, Mullahs, Monks and Merchants all traveled the legendary Silk Road in search of fame and fortune. The Silk Road connected China with Central Asia, India, the Middle East and Europe. It was history’s most famous and fabulous trade route. Experience the mythical past and the mysteries of the East! Revel in this magic adventure and discover the fascinating ancient culture of modern China’s remote Western Region. (90 minutes)Directed by Chris D. Nebe & JJ Osbun
MAKING OF PU’ERH TEA
Tea is one of the most influential products in world history and it all started here, in China. The manufacturing of pu’erh tea, one of the most cherished varieties, is still done in the traditional fashion in rural areas of China. (3 minutes) Directed by JJ Osbun
Outstanding Film Recommended by Moondance
THE UNRULY MYSTIC: SAINT HILDEGARD
Feature documentary film, directed by Michael M. Conti (USA) Crazy Wisdom Films.
Discover why Saint Hildegard is the patron saint of creativity, and how her influence resonates today. The 12th-century abbess was a Christian mystic and visionary. She was also a musical composer, writer, and healer that created natural remedies widely used in Europe today.
Saint Hildegard is venerated worldwide by theologians, artists, musicians, medical practitioners, and educators. This film is a celebration of one woman’s legacy and a reminder that we should listen, seek calmness, and heed the calling of our souls. 65 minutes.
Available in English, German, Spanish and Japanese