The Artivist Film Festival & Awards is an international film festival and awards ceremony dedicated to recognizing

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

efforts of filmmakers, specifically in the areas of human rights, child advocacy, environmental preservation, and animal rights.

Background

The Festival is held annually and tours internationally. Its mission is to strengthen the voice of activist/

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

s (''"

artivist Artivism is a portmanteau word combining ''art'' and ''activism'', and is sometimes also referred to as ''Social Artivism''. The term artivism in US English takes roots, or branches, off of a 1997 gathering between Chicano artists from East Los An ...

s"''), while raising awareness for global causes. The festival is produced by Artivist Collective, a nonprofit organization founded in August 2003 by Diaky Diaz, Bettina Wolff, and Christopher Riedesel. The first ''Artivist Film & Awards Festival'' was held April 27, 2007 at

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

Egyptian Theater Egyptian-style theatres are based on the traditional and historic design elements of Ancient Egypt. The first Egyptian Theatre to be constructed in the US – which inspired many of the identically-named theatres that followed it – was Grauma ...

. Honorees were

Ed Begley, Jr. Edward James Begley Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is an American actor and environmental activist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He played Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the television series '' St. ...

, Tippi Hedren, Mike Farrell and

France Nuyen France Nuyen (born France Nguyễn Vân Nga on 31 July 1939) is a French actress, model, and psychological counsellor. Early life Nguyen was born in Marseille. Her mother was French, and her father was widely reported to be Vietnamese, althoug ...

. Set to coincide with

Earth Day Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 b ...

, when the 2nd Annual ''Artivist Film Festival'' began on April 20, 2005, Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn declared the day "Artivist Day", and among the festival's 2005 honorees were

James Cromwell James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940) is an American actor and activist. Some of his best-known films include ''Babe'' (1995), '' Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), ''L.A. Confidential'' (1997), '' The Green Mile'' (1999), ''The Queen'' ...

and Mira Sorvino. The third annual festival was held in Los Angeles on November 9, 2006, and premiered the film '' Fast Food Nation''. Festival honorees included Joaquin Phoenix, Daryl Hannah, and Matthew McConaughey.

Board and honorees

Artivist's advisory board includes Congressman

Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich (; born October 8, 1946) is an American politician. A U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013, he was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008. He ran for ...

, actor

, actor/director James Haven, and Senator

Barbara Boxer Barbara Sue Boxer (née Levy; born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and lobbyist who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the U.S. ...

. Past honorees include Ted Danson, Alyssa Milano,

Claes Nobel Claes Nobel ( , ; July 20, 1930 – April 28, 2021) was the founder of the National Society of High School Scholars. Biography Nobel was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on July 20, 1930. His parents were Alf and Esther Nobel. Nobel was the ...

, Mira Sorvino,

, Tippi Hedren, Mike Farrell,

, Joaquin Phoenix, Daryl Hannah, and Matthew McConaughey, among others.

Award winners

2011

*Best Feature - Artivist Spirit: ''"Love Hate Love"'' directed by

Dana Nachman Dana Nachman is an independent documentary filmmaker based in Northern California. She has written, directed, and produced six feature documentaries including the 2020 film Dear Santa and the 2018 Pick of the Litter and ''Witch Hunt'', ''The Human E ...

and Don Hardy *Best Short - Artivist Spirit: ''"Crooked Beauty"'' directed by Ken Paul Rosenthal *Best Feature - Children's Advocacy: ''"

Surfing Soweto ''Surfing Soweto '' is a 2010 documentary film directed by Sara Blecher. Synopsis ''Surfing Soweto'' is the story of a forgotten generation: Bitch Nigga, Lefa and Mzembe are three of the most notorious train surfers in Soweto. They represent ...

"'' directed by

Sara Blecher Sara Blecher (born Gauteng) is a South African director and producer. Biography Originally from South Africa, Blecher's family moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1981, when she was 12 years old. Her family is originally of Jewish Lithuanian origin, ...

*Best Short - Children's Advocacy: ''"Grace"'' directed by Meagan Kelly *Best Feature - Animal Advocacy: ''"Green"'' directed by Patrick Rouxel *Best Short - Animal Advocacy: ''"Saving Pelican 895"'' directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky *Best Feature - Environmental Preservation: ''"Spoil"'' directed by Trip Jennings *Best Short - Environmental Preservation: ''"The Leaves Keep Falling"'' directed by Julie Winokur *Best Feature - International Human Rights: ''"Because We Were Beautiful"'' directed by Frank van Osch *Best Short - International Human Rights: ''"Umoja"'' directed by Elizabeth Tadic

2010

*Best Feature - Artivist Spirit: ''"ReGeneration"'' directed by Philip Montgomery *Best Short - Artivist Spirit: ''"Arena"'' directed by Jota Aronack *Best Feature - Children's Advocacy: ''" Kids of the Majestic"'' directed by Dylan Verrechia *Best Short - Children's Advocacy: ''"Sarah"'' directed by Brandon Hess *Best Feature - Animal Advocacy: ''"Africa's Lost Eden"'' directed by James Byrne *Best Short - Animal Advocacy: ''"Albatrocity"'' directed by J. Ollie Lucks, Iain Frengley, Edward Saltau *Best Feature - Environmental Preservation: ''"Deep Green"'' directed by Matt Briggs *Best Short - Environmental Preservation: ''"The Krill is Gone"'' directed by Jeffrey Bost *Best Feature - International Human Rights: ''"Complexo - Universo Paralelo"'' directed by Mário Patrocinio *Best Short - International Human Rights: ''"Mine: Story of a Sacred Mountain"'' directed by Toby Marsden

2009

*Best Feature - Artivist Spirit: ''"Intelligent Life"'' directed by Brian Malone *Best Short - Artivist Spirit: ''"Rough Cut"'' directed by Taghreed Saadeh *Best Feature - Children's Advocacy: ''" Children of War"'' directed by Bryan Single *Best Short - Children's Advocacy: ''"The One Wayz"'' directed by Linda Chavez *Best Feature - Animal Advocacy: ''"Ice Bears of the Beaufort"'' directed by Arthur C. Smith III *Best Short - Animal Advocacy: ''"Abe"'' directed by Khen Shalem *Best Feature - Environmental Preservation: ''"Belonging"'' directed by Gerard Ungerman *Best Short - Environmental Preservation: ''"Urubus têm Asas (Vultures Have Wings)"'' directed by Marcos Negrão and Andre Rangel *Best Feature - International Human Rights: ''"La Mission"'' directed by Peter Bratt *Best Short - International Human Rights: ''"Intersection"'' directed by Jae Woe Kim

2008

*Best Feature - Artivist Spirit: ''" Zeitgeist: Addendum"'' directed by Peter Joseph ''(This was the festival opening movie)'' *Best Short - Artivist Spirit: ''"Sovereignty"'' directed by Jonathan Sale *Best Feature - International Human Rights: ''"

They Turned Our Desert Into Fire In Modern English, ''they'' is a Grammatical person, third-person personal pronoun, pronoun relating to a Subject (grammar), grammatical subject. Morphology In Standard English, Standard Modern English, ''they'' has five distinct word Morp ...

"'' directed by Marck Brecke *Best Short - International Human Rights: ''"Tibet: Beyond Fear"'' directed by Michael Perlman *Best Feature - Children's Advocacy: ''" Bomb Harvest"'' directed by Kim Mordaunt *Best Short - Children's Advocacy: ''" Returned: Child Soldiers of Nepal's Maoist Army"'' directed by Robert Koenig *Best Feature - Animal Advocacy: ''"Companions to None"'' directed by Bill Buchanan *Best Short - Animal Advocacy: ''"Blinders"'' directed by Donald Moss *Best Feature - Environmental Preservation: ''" One Water"'' directed by Sanjeev Chatterjee *Best Short - Environmental Preservation: ''"Eudaimonia"'' directed by Jude Shingle

2007

*Best Feature - Artivist Spirit: ''" Zeitgeist"'' directed by Peter Joseph *Best Short - Artivist Spirit: ''"The Rich Have Their Own Photographers"'' directed by Ezra Bookstein *Best Feature - International Human Rights: ''"

American Drug War ''American Drug War: The Last White Hope'' is a 2007 documentary film by writer and director Kevin Booth about the war on drugs in the United States. Synopsis The film holds the view that the war on drugs has become one of the longest, da ...

"'' directed by Kevin Booth *Best Short - International Human Rights: ''"The Worst Job in the World"'' directed by Jens Pedersen *Best Feature - Children's Advocacy: '
Glue Boys
'' directed by Phil Hamer *Best Short - Children's Advocacy: ''"Girl Stars: Anita the Beekeeper"'' directed by Vikash Nowlakh *Best Feature - Animal Advocacy: ''"Beyond Closed Doors"'' directed by Hugh Dorigo *Best Short - Animal Advocacy: ''"Sharks - Stewards of the Reef"'' directed by Holiday Johnson *Best Feature - Environmental Preservation: ''"Out of Balance"'' directed by Tom Jackson *Best Short - Environmental Preservation: ''"Anthropology 101"'' directed by Wayne Brittendon

2006

*Best Short - Human Rights: ''"A QUESTION OF LOYALTY"'' directed by Randall Wilkins *Best Feature - Human Rights: ''"

Occupation 101 ''Occupation 101: Voice of the Silenced Majority'' is a 2006 documentary film on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict directed by Sufyan Omeish and Abdallah Omeish, and narrated by Alison Weir, founder of ''If Americans Knew''. The film focuses on ...

"'' directed by Sufyan Omeish and Abdallah Omeish *Best Short - Children's Advocacy: ''"DAUGHTERS AND SONS: PREVENTING CHILD TRAFFICKING IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE"'' directed by Sarah Feinbloom *Best Feature - Children's Advocacy: ''"SITA: A GIRL OF JAMBU"'' directed by Kathleen Man *Best Short - International Environmental Preservation: ''"FREEDOM FUELS"'' directed by Martin O'Brien *Best Feature - International Environmental Preservation: ''"

Crude Impact ''Crude Impact'' is a 2006 film written and directed by James Jandak Wood. It is a documentary about the effect of fossil fuels on issues such as global warming, the environmental crisis, society and the questionable practices of oil companies. C ...

"'' directed by James Jandak Wood *Best Short - Animal Advocacy: ''" THE MEATRIX II"'' directed by Louis Fox *Best Feature - Animal Advocacy: ''"MAD COWBOY"'' directed by Dr. Michael Tobias *Best Short - Artivist Spirit: ''"BELIEVE"'' directed by Synthian Sharp *Best Feature - Artivist Spirit: ''"CLASS ACT"'' directed by Sara Sackner

2005

*Best Short – Environmental Preservation: ''"OIL AND WATER"'' directed by Corwin Fergus *Best Feature– Environmental Preservation: ''"OIL ON ICE"'' directed by Dale Djerassi *Best Short – Animal Advocacy: ''"WITNESS"'' directed by Jennifer Stein *Best Feature – Animal Advocacy: ''"

Earthlings Earthling or Earthlings may refer to: Film and television * ''Earthling'' (film), a 2010 sci-fi film * ''Earthlings'' (film), a 2005 animal rights documentary * ''The Earthling'', a 1980 drama film * "Earthling" (''Fringe''), a 2009 TV episode ...

"'' directed by Shaun Monson *Best Short – International Human Rights: ''" Seoul Train"'' directed by Jim Butterworth, Lisa Sleeth & Aaron Lubarsky *Best Feature – International Human Rights: ''"TRUDELL"'' directed by Heather Rae *Best Short – Children's Advocacy:
"HUMMINGBIRD"
' directed b
Holly Mosher
*Best Feature – Children's Advocacy: ''"STOLEN CHILDHOODS"'' directed by Len Morris *Best Short – Artivist Spirit: ''"EMMANUEL'S GIFT"'' directed by Lisa Lax and Nancy Lax *Best Feature – Artivist Spirit: ''"HOPE"'' directed by Catherine Margerin

2004

*Best Feature – Environmental Preservation: ''"BLUE VINYL"'' directed by Judith Helfland *Best Short– Environmental Preservation: ''"GOOD RIDDANCE"'' directed by Nick Hilligoss *Best Feature – Animal Rights: ''"CHATTEL"'' directed by Rebecca Harrell *Best Short– Animal Rights: ''"4 DAYS"'' directed by Richard Hauck *Best Feature – Children's Advocacy: ''"BORN INTO BROTHELS"'' directed by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski *Best Short – Children's Advocacy: ''"OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER"'' directed by Joel Venet *Best Feature – Human Rights: ''"WE INTERRUPT THIS EMPIRE"'' directed by Rana Freedman *Best Short – Human Rights: ''"BID 'EM IN"'' directed by Neal Sopata *Best Feature – Artivist Spirit: ''"A LIFE OF DEATH"'' directed by Dawn Westlake *Best Short – Artivist Spirit: ''"OUTSIDE THE LINES"'', Directed by Markus Stilman *Audience Award: ''"NOTHING WITHOUT YOU"'' directed by Ted Mattison and Paul Kelleher

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Artivist Film Festival and Awards Contemporary art awards Political art Film festivals held in multiple countries Cultural festivals in the United States Human rights film festivals Environmental film festivals in the United States International art awards