With one of the lowest levels of birth registration in Africa, Tanzania’s failing infrastructure and logistical challenges have left decades of backlog in birth registrations. A Tanzanian governmental agency, RITA, joined forces with some strong partners and decided to tackle the issue of birth r...

Human trafficking happens in Singapore. It is real and fiercely alive; a heinous crime that has devastated millions of innocent lives. The scary truth is – each and every one of us could become a victim of trafficking, especially in our globalised society now. Few ever escape and many remain entr...

Refugees is a 360 documentary about the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Thousands have left their homes in search for a better future, and in their search they encounter dangerous obstacles. We went to Lesbos, Greece, where migrants take the leap from Turkey, putting their lives at risk, and capture...

A civil rights activist, Mohammad Jibran Nasir, sparks a social revolution after almost 140 children were killed in the Peshawar Army School tragedy. Narrated by Pakistani actress Fawzia Mirza, this documentary sheds light on the consequences of extreme religion and terrorism in Pakistan and offe...

How do we provide effective aid to Haiti and the Haitian population? By supporting urban and rural development- its culture and, for the first time in Haiti, small entrepreneurs. This film documents the journey through these fours areas of development in Haiti by means of an innovative approach i...

Rain Harvests, exposes the harsh reality of an indigenous community in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Climate change has caused droughts, the rainy season comes only once a year and getting water has become a daily challenge. Without fail, the women of this community must make nearly 5 trips daily to ...

Marginalised for decades, Pygmy peoples are fighting for recognition and land rights. Even the term ‘pygmy’ is laced with historical racism and prejudice, they are not treated as equal citizens in their home country. At the heart of pygmy culture is their forest, central to their spiritual belief...

The signing of the Montreal Protocol in September 1987 launched an unprecedented global effort in the protection of the environment. To this day, it is the only universally ratified environmental treaty, uniting 198 countries in taking on the fight against man-made ozone depleting substances. In...

Permanent Culture documents the journey of Joseph, a man who once worked in exploitative sugarcane fields but then found work at Palos Farm. At this permaculture farm, Joseph has not only found more fulfilling work, but also acquired leadership and ecological knowledge that allows him to now be a...

On the 12th September 2013 the Honduran government granted almost 7% of its territory to the indigenous Miskito people who have lived traditionally on this land for centuries. We follow the leadership of the indigenous organization, MASTA, as they speak to their elders and explore solutions to be...

Out of Plastic is a documentary film that sets out to explore the obscure depths of plastics in the Mediterranean. The film is set in the Balearic Islands, and offers viewers a moment to reflect on the profound presence of plastic in our lives and in our natural environment. The film also offers ...

[Trigger Warning] The story of the Syrian revolution as told through the experiences of two young Syrians, a male rebel fighter and a female journalist, as they fight an oppressive regime for the freedom of their people.

Director & Producer: Matthew VanDyke

2013 | 14 min
USA | Syria
Language:...

[Trigger Warning] Perma gold mine, Benin. Some dream to find something, others realized there was nothing to be found. Some dig relentlessly hoping to become rich, others died in the process. And a few of them say that here, nobody dies.

Director & Producer: Simon Panay
2016 | 24 Min
Benin
Langu...

While industrial resource developments continue to put at risk our natural and cultural significance, people across Australia are standing their ground for nature. This is the story of five everyday Australians who are working with their communities to minimize the impacts of climate change on th...

12-year-old Edelsin Linette Mendez illuminates the consequences of climate change on the coffee market, her community’s traditional source of livelihood and Nicaragua’s primary agricultural product.

Directors: Edelsin Linette Mendez
Producers: Joyce Chopra, Sammy Chadwick, Holly Carter
2016 | 2...

Set in a rural village in Northern Uganda, this short-doc tells the story of a Women's Empowerment Group started by female survivors of the Northern Ugandan War in search of rehabilitation, economic stability, and emotional support.

Director & Producer: Justice Nnanna
15 min | Uganda, USA
Langua...

The community of Lago do Mainá have lived with the forest and the river, nature for them is the most fundamental thing they have. However a military training base and increasing incursions by soldiers created tension between the community and the army. Through the use of social mapping the people...

Step into Geramy’s world, a scrappy, budding inventor, who is trying to find a better way to commute to school. Based in the Philippines, this story highlights the students that swim between the small islands in order to travel to the nearest elementary or high schools in their remote areas.

Dir...

Beirut's Shatila camp was built in 1949 for 3,000 Palestinian refugees, but now hosts up to 40,000 people, including many Syrians displaced by war. Appalling conditions and bleak prospects for the future leave families longing for their lost homes. Three generations of a Palestinian family descri...

La Casita Rosa is a short documentary based on the humanitarian efforts of Las Patronas, a group of Mexican women determined to help feed the countless immigrants riding on top of cargo trains heading to the U.S.

Director: Elvin Herrera
Producers: Elvin Herrera
12 min | Mexico
Languages: Spanish...

Kayayo means “girl-carrier” in the Ga language.
In the capital of Ghana, 10,000 girls from the ages of 6 work as real life shopping baskets - called Kayayo. This documentary is about Bamunu, an 8-year old girl who hasn’t seen her family since she was sent away from home two years ago to work as a...

A story about a bus that delivers legal remedies to women in rural Kyrgyzstan.

Director: Shanshan Chen, (Reporter) Adela Suliman
Producers: Shanshan Chen
4 min | Kyrgyzstan
Languages: Russian
Subtitles: English

FILMMAKER Q&A:
https://simaacademy.com/filmmaker-qa/justice-on-wheels/

This short film offers a portrait of the Isle de Jean Charles, a tiny island deep in the bayou’s of Southern Louisiana. The film explores the changes taking place on the island through the lives of two residents whose families are facing a future where rising seas, coastal erosion and storms are ...

Into the Sea follows the family of Suleiman Hajazzi as they are relocated from a refugee camp in Greece to more permanent housing. Suleiman, his son and wife recount their journey escaping violence in Afghanistan and their hopes and dreams for their future.

Director: Daphne Matziaraki
2020 | 15 ...