Greenwich International Film Fest Social Impact Film Showcase

Greenwich International Film Fest Social Impact Film Showcase: The Greenwich International Film Festival’s  (GIFF) Social Impact Film Showcase will be held virtually from February 18-21. The Showcase features ten critically acclaimed films from ten different countries including the US. The films in this Showcase highlight important issues relating to basic human rights, education, health care and maternal issues. “We are very proud of our selection and are so excited for our seventh season,” said Colleen deVeer, GIFF Co-Founder/Director of Programming.

It will also include a variety of panels, Q&As with cast and filmmakers, as well as an award ceremony for the Best Social Impact Film, presented by Ann Bresnan Young. The winner of the Best Social Impact Film that will be awarded on Saturday, February, 20 at 5pm, will receive a $10,000 prize.  The winner will be selected by GIFF jurors Ann Bresnan Young, President of the Bill and Ann Bresnan Foundation, Ryan Harrington, VP of National Geographic Documentary Films and filmmaker Eric Heimbold, Owner of Marabou Pictures LLC & Eric Heimbold Studio.

Highlights of The Showcase include the US premieres of Édouard Bergeon’s In The Name of the Land, Srdan Golubović’s Father, the world premiere of Tanya Chuturkova’s documentary Chocolate Road, and Ruthy Pribar’s Asia. Passes to the virtual Festival are available for $75 at www.greenwichfilm.org.

Narrative Feature Film Highlights from the Showcase

Asia: Israeli Director Ruthy Pribar’s Asia focuses on a pair of Russian immigrants in Israel, candidly exploring the challenges of a mother, Asia, and the desires of her differently-abled daughter Vika. Their relationship, more like sisters than mother and daughter, changes and grows when Vika becomes confined to a wheel chair at an age where she is eager to explore new romantic and sexual experiences. Asia won nine Ophir Awards (Israeli Academy Awards) and three more at The Tribeca Film Festival. Including the Nora Ephron Award, and awards for Best Actress and Cinematography.

Father: This is the US premier of director Srdan Golubović’s Father, about a Serbian father’s fight to raise his two children taken by corrupt local social service’s after his wife, driven by poverty and hunger, commits a desperate act. Driven by despair and his love of his children he travels cross country on foot to take his case directly to the national ministry in Belgrade. Goran Bogdan was nominated for the Best Actor Award at the European Film Awards for his portrayal of the father.

In The Name of the Land: Another US Premiere from Édouard Bergeon, In the Name of the Land is a French film that explores the drama of his own family’s struggles to maintain their family farm, and avoid its takeover from a conglomerate in the face of mounting debt, economic pressure and father/son tensions.

Documentary Film Highlight from the Showcase

Chocolate Road: In this world premiere, Director Tanya Chuturkova, three renowned chocolatiers – Maribel Lieberman, Susumu Koyama and Mikkel Friis-Holm – take us through the process of craft chocolate-making, starting from the plantations and all the way to the final chocolate piece. On their journey, each of them finds how important it is to know the roots of their prime material – the cacao bean, and the social impact of the people involved in the chocolate production chain.

About GIFF

GIFF works to bridge the worlds of film, finance, and philanthropy and this year they are using their platform to give back to the local community through the Community Impact Awards and Make An Impact campaign.  GIFF is honoring six local organizations with the Community Impact Award and $100,000 in GIFF Grant Funding.  GIFF is also highlighting another 15 organizations, known as Community Champions, and engaging the local community to learn more and get involved to #makeanimpact.  The Award recipients and Community Champions will be celebrated at the Community Impact Award Ceremony on February 6.  Those who RSVP to this complimentary event will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite Community Champion for a chance to win the Audience Choice Award, which includes a $10,000 grant from The Stapleton Family Foundation.  For more information, please visit  www.greenwichfilm.org.