Shorts Series 17

Punishment Island (Akampene)

In a region between Uganda and Rwanda, 12-year-old Kyitaragabirwe Mauda was the last unmarried pregnant girl sent to die on the isolated island known as Punishment Island. Sent there to preserve family honor, the now 105-year-old grandmother tells her compelling story.

Second Shot

Investigating the complexities of the US parole process through the lens of one of New York’s most notorious murders and through intimate storytelling on both the victim and perpetrator’s sides, this exposé uncovers the impossibility of using punishment as a form of healing.

AWARDS:

Best Short Documentary – Social Justice Film Festival 2022

Life With CTE: A Warren Sapp Story

NFL Hall of Fame and Super Bowl Champion, Warren Sapp takes us inside his mind while living with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), the ongoing brain disease initiated by hard hits and concussions. This short documentary pushes the limits of the reality of contact sports and how we’ve overlooked the consequences of blunt force trauma from tackling and forceful impact. Top CTE researcher Chris Nowinski and ex-NFL player Najeh Davenport, also effected with CTE, present the case for preventing CTE from happening.

The Bond

Pregnant and incarcerated, Aria fights for her most precious connection against a system designed to isolate her.

AWARDS:

Best Student Film – Bronzelens Film Festival 2022,
Creative Producing Jury Award – Urbanworld Film Festival 2022,
Audience Choice Award – Atlanta Film Festival 2022

Black Madonna

At a crossroads and living in a deteriorating neighborhood, a climate justice activist discovers she’s pregnant.