Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple - The rise and fall of Jim Jones and The People’s Temple. I was only seven years old when Jonestown happened. This film told the story I was too young to remember with grace through interviews with surviving members of People’s Temple, voice recordings of Jones himself, family members of victims, and old film footage. An important piece of American history captured painfully well on film.

Kobe - “Kobe is a composition of images and sound. With neither narration nor interviews, the film explores the daily tasks and pleasures at a Japanese seaport.” A beautiful piece of visual poetry reminiscent of Baraka. If you liked Baraka, you’ll enjoy Kobe.

A Short History of Sweet Potato Pie - “Residents at the St. Mary’s Court Retirement Community in Washington D.C. agree that nothing is better than Pearl Mallory’s sweet potato pie. Hailing from rural Virginia, Pearl is one of eight children born of the sons and daughters of slaves. Now, at the age of 82, Pearl has lived nearly her entire life in kitchens where she cooks for senior citizens. This tender and humorous portrait of Pearl and the aged residents reveals how simple things often contain the greatest meanings.“ This one was completely over my head. It’s going along, it’s going along, the story is in interesting one, and then, they throw a bunch of sweet potato pies off of a balcony and they smash in the street. Credits roll. What? Can anyone help me out here?

A Revolving Door - 33 year old Tommy Lennon struggles to deal with the dual diagnosis of mental illness and drug addiction. Tommy’s life and his family’s frustration, helplessness, courage and resilience are presented for us without judgement. The title of the film comes from the fact that Tommy is in and out of jail and mental hospitals. Directed by Marilyn Braverman, winner, Best Short.

WWasted Orient - A Beijing rock band embarks on its first nationwide tour as the artists wrestle with life in a transitional society. This was supposed to be some great social commentary on the subculture of a changing China. Instead, it was a noisy tour film that we’ve all seen before. Whiny self-obsessed unemployed rockers drink too much and rock out. Clocking in at 90 minutes, this one could benefited by some brutal editing, cutting it down to somewhere around 20 minutes or so. The point that the director attempted to make, that all of China is not headed towards prosperity and hope was never fully realized.

Chairman George - A Greek-Canadian travels from Ottawa to China ins a quest to play music at the closing ceremonies of the Athens Olympic Games. Pretty good film that told an interesting story well. George played live music after the movie at the Wilma, and was a pretty cool guy.

Seeds - A poor Polish/Russian family lives in a hut on the edges of the community that has rejected them for some unknown reason. Very dark film. Stark. Very moving. Soundtrack by Phillip Glass.

Ha Ha Ha America - “In the filmmaker’s words, it is ‘a love letter from China to America thanking us, and the current administration, for all the business.’ ” This was one of my favorite films in the festival. It humorously examined what is for Americans a painful truth: We are viewed as lazy slovenly hillbillies by the rest of the world, and the rest of the world, specifically China, is raking in the cash because of it. In the words of the film, Americans “suck ass”. You can see the trailer for the film here, and download the soundtrack for free here. Winner, Best MiniDoc. Directed by JD Ligon.

Plan F - Ed Marko lost his sight to a degenerative eye disease at age 20 and becomes a much sought-after auto mechanic. The film shows Ed in his shop working on cars as an old man near Columbus, Ohio. The texture of the film is dirty, and somewhat grainy, intended to mimic Ed’s blindness. Ed’s a likable guy, and the film tells his story well.

The Days and the Hours - “Every morning in downtown San Francisco, homeless people arrive at a church to sleep in the pews. Filling row after row, more than a hundred exhausted men and women find refuge from city streets and shelters. We hear them describe their lives before they lost what most people take for granted. The Days and the Hours is a documentary meditation on the thin line that separates homeless people from everyone else.” An interesting story that makes one gratful for what he has. Powerful film that told its story in a very short amount of time.

Salvation Mountain - Leonard Knight builds a mountain in Slab City, California to prove his love to God. Good movie, especially since it deals with what looks to be a crazy man, but the film never passes judgement on Knight. Winner, Big Sky Award. Directed by Travis Peterson.

American Blackout - Directed by the Guerrilla News Network’s Ian Inaba, American Blackout explores the shutout of blacks during the 2000 and 2004 elections through the efforts of Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney . Though this is a GNN production, it is for the most part unbiased. A great film, one that should viewed by all Americans. The website has a trailer of the film, and ways for you to get involved.

No Umbrella - Fannie Lewis, a councilperson in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country, in Cleveland, Ohio, works tirelessly to get more voting machines and inserts on election day as blacks stand in line for upwards of two hours waiting to exercise their right to vote. Another great film that all Americans should watch.

The Colour of Olives - A Muslim family refuses to move their home when the wall goes up in the West Bank. They are then cut off from their farmland by the wall, and must rely on the soldiers to let them in and out of the gate in order to tend their farm, go to school, and all other activities outside their home. A very personal look at the very complex conflict that continues to rage in the West Bank. Winner, Artistic Vision Award. Directed by Carolina Rivas.