Five documentaries were honored Sunday night in Palo Alto as the 29th UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival) wrapped up its 11-day run with the theme Passion for Change.
Over those two weeks, 60 films from all over the world were screened and discussed with the audience members and forty filmmakers present. Taking the prize for UNAFF Grand Jury Best Documentary was “Hollywood Does Abortion,” a provocative journey through pop culture that explores how Hollywood’s abortion storylines — from “Maude” and “Dirty Dancing” to “Juno” and “Grey’s Anatomy” — helped shape America’s political reality.
The UNAFF Grand Jury Best Short Documentary award went to “Bamako Chic: Threads of Power, Color and Culture” about self-empowered Malian women who sparked a revolution, inspired by beauty–and economic survival. They transformed the cloth dyeing tradition using colorful powdered dyes and unbridled creative design.
“Adapted,” a story about three outdoor enthusiasts determined to reclaim their lives after sustaining traumatic spinal-cord injuries, won the award for Best Cinematography. After losing an older and beloved friend, filmmaker Anna Fitch spends a decade obsessively building a detailed, scale version of her friend Yo’s house in her studio. In this magical place their relationship continues. “Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird)” took the prize for Best Editing.
The festival’s Youth Vision award was given to “One in a Million.” Filmed over 10 years, it follows Israa from childhood to adulthood on an extraordinary journey from Syria to Germany – and back again.
The 29th UNAFF Visionary Award was presented to Academy Award-winning actor, director and environmentalist Jeff Bridges for his commitment to fighting childhood hunger, protecting rainforests and Indigenous cultures, and using documentary film as a vehicle for activism.
