Indianapolis International Film Festival 2009

When forced to deal with someone from a different background than you, do you accept them, or immediately shun them away? James (Sinclair Wheeler) is a young, single dad working at a factory with his friend, Jermain (Moses Jones), in order to support his mother and child. When Cole (Joey Martin), the factory owner's son, shows up for his first day of work early in the summer, James is told to 'make friends.' Though reluctant at first, the two bond over a shared love of art, specifically graffiti. As the summer comes to a close, tension between the three has become unbearable, so Jermain takes things into his own hands. This project is part of Ball State University's emphasis on immersive learning experiences. Over 180 students, with faculty supervision, spent 18 months working on all aspects of the media project. They wrote, produced, directed, acted, and did the post-production work. All material was shot in the state of Indiana, specifically Muncie and Indianapolis. All music was created by Indiana-based artists and produced in the David Letterman Communication and Media Building on the Ball State University campus.

Quilombola communities are predominantly rural social groups that have formed since the time when Brasil was a Portuguese Colony. The groups were formed by descendants of black slaves to live and resist together the Portuguese rule. There are currently 1,137 Quilombola communities recognized by the Brazilian government. Almost all Quilombola communities live under extreme poverty and lack of food. They have no lands to produce. They are underemployed and discriminated by the dominant classes. The Quilombola communities from Sambaquim and Riach?o do Sambaquim are located in the rural area of Pernambuco's district Panelas, which is 201 kilometers (125 miles) away from the capital Recife. The families of Sambaquim are descendants of the black population from the extinct quilombo of Palmares. The Quilombolas have never had the register of their own land. Land which was taken by local farmers that 'bought' it from registration offices during the first half of the twentieth century. Those who resisted the exodus and the lack of land and money still keep the history of the struggle of their people by dancing, singing and improvising the Mazurca and the Ciranda, local cultural habits. In 2005, members of the Sambaquim and Riach'o do Sambaquim Quilombola Association had the idea of gathering their efforts in order to achieve a collective dream. They made a bingo to raise money to hire a bus in order to make a trip to the ocean: To take a journey to achieve a dream. The furthest the view reaches.

(not for the catalogue!!!) For seven years Andrej and his family have lived in Germany illegally. Hoping for a better life, he once left the Ukraine with his wife Lena. Both work hard and still can't afford much. Moreover, their almost seven year old becomes isolated. When the boy runs off and into the near school, Andrej realizes that he needs to offer his son a future. There seems to be only one way out: forged papers. But those are expensive. Andrej works twice as much as before and doesn't shy away from dangerous jobs. He soon reaches his limits when, to make things worse, his father falls ill. Andrej has to send the hard earned money home. Matters within the family get worse: Andrej feels helpless, Mischa wants to break out and Lena cannot cope with the situation any longer. She makes a suggestion: she could marry Winkelmann, their sub-lessor. On paper, he would accept responsibility for Mischa, the boy would receive residency and all problems would be solved. Andrej is devastated and afraid to lose what matters most: his family. With the courage of the desperate, he enters the school. He wants to plead with the school's principal to admit his son. Andrej's courage finds respect. Mischa is allowed to school. (not for the catalogue!!!)

GARBAGE DREAMS is a moving story of young men searching for a ways to eke out a living for their families and facing tough choices as they try to do the right thing for the planet. Mai Iskander guides us into a 'garbage village,' a place so different from our own, and yet the choices they face there are so hauntingly familiar. Ultimately, GARBAGE DREAMS makes a compelling case that modernization does not always equal progress." - AL GORE Filmed over four years, GARBAGE DREAMS follows three teenage boys – Adham, a bright precocious 17 year old; Osama, a charming impish 16 year old; Nabil, a shy artistic 18 year old, born into the trash trade and growing up in the world's largest garbage village, a ghetto located on the outskirts of Cairo. It is a world folded onto itself, an impenetrable labyrinth of narrow roadways camouflaged by trash; it is the home to 60,000 Zaballeen (also spelt Zabbaleen), arabic for "garbage people." For generations, the residents of Cairo have depended on the Zaballeen to collect their trash, paying them only a minimal amount for their garbage collection services. The Zaballeen survive by recycling the city's waste. These entrepreneurial garbage workers recycle 80% of all the garbage they collect, creating what is arguably the world's most efficient waste disposal system.When the city they keep clean suddenly decides to replace the Zaballeen with multinational garbage disposal companies, the Zaballeen community finds itself at a crossroads. Face to face with the globalization of their trade, each of the teenage boys is forced to make choices that will impact his future and the survival of his community.

An old dying lady and her mentally deficient son go to their lac house. Facing her shortcoming, the lady tries to explain to her son that he needs to move to a foster home but he has a hard time accepting his faith.

It is an experimental film that captures an old man's journey as he walks toward infinity. This film delves into the emotions of how the Old Man feels about, life, death, and eternity. When the Old Man reaches the end of his journey he reaches for the unattainable, graps it, lives it, and then it fades away.

Gone Fishing is the touching story of a boy and old man coming to terms with bereavement through their shared love of fishing, and the legend of Goliath, the biggest pike ever caught! The story is in part autobiographical. While growing up, director Chris Jones and his friends would often attempt to catch the legendary `Oscar the pike,' a fish that according to local myth terrorized the lake at the end of his road, the aptly named Blue Lagoon. This was the inspiration behind the legend of `Goliath,' the big fish in this even bigger tale. Think 'Jaws' but for kids...

In the near future, the world's nations are locked in global war. Fearing for their safety, a small group decides to retreat from the cities to a cabin in the wilderness, with the hope of returning to their lives once the turmoil has passed. But after months of seclusion and increasing doubt, they find themselves confronted by an outsider; and along with him, disturbing news from the outside world. Now, with tensions high and time running short, each person must decide what to do before the world around them crumbles.