Finalists announced for the 0 PUMA Impact Award

PUMA and The BRITDOC Foundation announced the five finalists for the 2013 PUMA Impact Award.

With a core belief in the power of film to change the way people, governments and corporations behave, the 50,000 award honours, celebrates and supports the documentary film that has made the most significant positive impact on society or the environment. PUMA supports documentary film because the medium can catalyze change and deliver impact.

The five impressive films cover topics ranging from a miscarriage of justice in the Philippines, to violence intervention and prevention on the streets of Chicago, through to bullying in US schools, an exploration of Indonesias death squads and sexual assault in the US military. All of the projects have prompted remarkable and measurable change. Change which will be assessed by a Jury led by activist and actress Susan Sarandon, actor and director Gael Garcia Bernal and Ricken Patel, founding president and executive director of the world's largest online activist community, Avaaz.

Be under no illusion: the tenacity, commitment and perseverance of the compassionate few can change the world, said Sarandon. The work of these five filmmakers is testament to that.

The 2013 finalists are the best examples of documentary film as a catalyst for change, said Justin DeKoszmovszky, PUMA Global Sustainability Strategy Manager. They explore issues critical to all of us and represent the top of their field, both in terms of artistry and activism. They are having fast, tangible impact where it is most challenging. We are thrilled to support the work of these innovative teams together with BRITDOC.

The winning film will be announced at the PUMA Impact Award Celebration in New York on November 13, 2013. 50,000 will be awarded to the creative and campaigning minds behind the winning entry to acknowledge the filmmakers and to help support the continued efforts of the film's campaign for change.

We are very grateful to PUMA for enabling this important initiative highlighting the outstanding work of this group of filmmakers, said Jess Search, Chief Executive, BRITDOC Foundation. Its an incredibly competitive set of finalists in 2013. Each and every project has the highest quality filmmaking at its heart, around which are built campaigns for social justice with huge ambitions.

The PUMA Impact Award finalists for 2013 are:

The Act of Killing (Denmark, 2013), Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, co-directed by Anonymous and Christine Cynn, produced by Signe Byrge S rensen challenges unrepentant death squad leader Anwar Congo and his friends to dramatise their role in the Indonesian genocide. The film has begun a shift in discourse in Indonesia and its understanding of its own difficult past.

Cinematic, character-driven documentary Bully (USA, 2011), Directed by Lee Hirsch, produced by Cynthia Lowen, investigates the most common form of violence young people in the US experience: this year, over 13 million American kids will be bullied. The wide reach of the film put bullying firmly on the map in the US, and makes it acceptable to talk about the issue.

Give Up Tomorrow (USA, 2011), Directed by Michael Collins, produced by Marty Syjuco exposes shocking corruption within the judicial system of the Philippines in one of the most sensational trials in the country's history - that of Paco Larra aga, a 19-year-old student who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of two sisters, despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence. The film has led a remarkable ongoing campaign to overturn the ruling, enabling Paco to be re-housed in San Sebastian and to the launch of the Innocence Project in the Philippines.

The Interrupters (USA, 2011), Directed by Steve James, produced by bestselling author Alex Kotlowitz, co-produced by Zak Piper, tells the moving and surprising stories of three violence interrupters' who try to protect their Chicago communities from the violence they once employed. The film has reframed urban violence and built capacity for the field, ensuring that violence interrupting is an accepted strategy for tackling endemic problems.

The Invisible War (USA, 2012), Directed by Kirby Dick, produced by Amy Ziering, is a groundbreaking investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape within the US military which has now been taken on by the military as a training tool, has exerted pressure on top level decision makers and introduced new codes of conduct for investigating Military Sexual Assault into legislation.

An independent Peer Review Committee made up of documentary and social change experts read the entries for the award. Each film team was asked to demonstrate how it had created increased awareness of an issue, and produced changes in attitude and behaviour. The reviewers considered the impact of the film in political and corporate spheres both locally and globally, and the extent to which it increased the capacity of other organisations and individuals working in the same field.

For consideration all films were: feature length (75 minutes or more), had screened previously at a film festival or on television, and had been released on or after January 1, 2010.

The PUMA Impact Award is one of three awards made possible through a partnership between PUMA and BRITDOC.

For more information about the PUMA Impact Award, please visit: www.britdoc.org/impactaward

LINK:	http://www.filmcontact.com/africa/south-africa/finalists-announced-201...
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