The film’s heartwarming display of compassion for dairy and beef cattle warmed judge’s hearts, winning Best Overall Film and Best Animal Advocacy Film.
Ottawa, Canada (October 18, 2020) – The third annual International Vegan Film Festival, which this year went virtual, allowing viewers from around the world to participate, came to a close this past Saturday, October 17. Following the festival completion, the full list of festival award winners were announced in both the film and photo essay categories.
The Festival Award Show can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/TL7Yc95TdQE
The German film Butenland, directed by Marc Piershel, won Best Overall Film and Best Animal Advocacy Film at this year’s festival. Out of all 42 films submitted, Butenland was the only one to win in two categories. View trailer here or rent/buy it here.
The feature-length film tells the story of the German farm, Hof Butenland, run by former dairy farmer Jan Gerdes and animal rights activist Karin Mück. There is no livestock at Hof Butenland, just rescued farmed animals who now enjoy a peaceful coexistence that seems almost utopian. Filmmaker Pierschel followed the farm’s founders for more than two years with his camera. The intimate portrait captures moments of happiness and sadness, questions the current status of farm animals in our society, and leaves the viewer deeply touched.
Commenting on the film’s emotional power and storytelling, Festival judge Miyoko Schinner explains, “Butenland is a rare film that displays through stunning cinematography and storytelling the journey of two individuals, a dairy farmer and an animal rights activist, who form a deep connection through their individual relationship with animals. The love between this unlikely pair merges into an increasing love and understanding of the animals in their lives, leading them to found the first farm sanctuary in Germany. Their compelling journey becomes the journey of the viewer, who by the end, will no doubt embrace the same conclusion: that even cows deserve life, love, and happiness.”
The winner of the Best Lifestyle Film went to Regan Russell— A Short Film, a Canadian short film directed by Varun Virlan. The 32-minute piece showed the story of Regan Russell, the 65-year-old activist protesting at the Fearmans slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ontario. In June 2019 she hosted a special vigil to provide water to thirsty, dehydrated pigs in transport trucks, and to protest Ontario’s new “ag-gag” law Bill 156 which had passed just two days prior. During the vigil Regan was standing at the entrance to the slaughterhouse when a pig transport truck drove into her, dragging her body for more than 50 feet, killing her. Judges were moved by her commitment to animal activism, as her death shook the vegan community. View trailer here and the the film here
The Best Environmental Protection Film award was given to Monbiot: Arresting the Truth, directed by UK filmmaker Alex Lockwood in collaboration with We Animals Media. The powerful film follows British journalist, George Monbiot, as he sets out to deliberately get arrested to draw attention to government inaction over climate change. The film explores his story, his motivations and why this unlikely hero is putting himself on the frontline of environmental activism. View trailer here and the film here.
When asked what he like most about the film, Festival judge Jim Amos states, “What I found so striking about Monbiot Arresting The Truth is that director Alex Lockwood and the film’s subject, British environmentalist and journalist George Monbiot, don’t need to rely on blow horns or graphic images in George’s quest to educate our leaders that we are at an environmental tipping point. Monbiot’s stoic yet deeply passionate commitment to our planet shines through in every frame of this artfully crafted and profoundly emotional 19 minute short film.”
The festival also celebrated PSAs. In this year’s Best PSA category, the award went to Milk Does A Body Bad, directed by Game Changers director Louis Psihoyos and produced by from Switch4Good, an American organization dedicated to combating the typical pro-dairy commercials on air. The PSA features professional dairy-free athletes discussing how a dairy-free diet has helped their bodies.
2020 INTERNATIONAL VEGAN FILM FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST WINNERS:
Alongside the film portion of the festival, the IVFF also features a photo essay contest. Both aspiring and professional photographers are invited to submit a series of 3 to 5 images alongside a few sentences explaining the story that the images tell. View the winning photos and nominees here. UK photographer Amy Jones won two awards: both Best Overall Photo and Best Animal Welfare Photo.
Animal Welfare – and overall best photo essay
Winner – Next In Line
Photos by: Amy Jones
Location: UK
From Amy Jones: “Farmed animals endure so many acts of physical and emotional violence throughout their short lives. There is physical suffering, such as painfully cramped conditions and the horrific slaughter process itself. And there’s the emotional violence, like being forced to witness the death of others – something that many of us, as human animals, are rarely exposed to. These images portray this emotional violence as a moment in time, one where the animals watch the death of another individual, likely with the understanding that they are next in line.”
Lifestyle Category
Winner – Ban Duck Shooting!
Photos by: Stefano Belacchi
Location: Australia
From Stefano Belacchi: “These photos I took in 2017, portray the direct action of activists from different Melbourne based organizations, which have been interfering with the hunt and have been rescuing injured and dead birds left behind by the hunters. These actions were followed by a demonstration in front of the local government headquarters where the activists brought the bodies of hundreds of ducks illegally killed and thrown away by hunters. As a result of this demo, the government decided to stop the hunting season.”
Environmental Protection Category
Winner – Aquaculture and Fishing in the Mediterranean
Photos by: Selene Magnolia
Location: Mediterranean Sea
From Selene Magnolia: “These images are part of a wider documentation about the shocking reality for the fish who are trapped in present-day aquaculture conditions in and around the Mediterranean Sea. These fish suffer slow deaths defined by nets, asphyxiation, ice, and blood. Whether they are the intended targets for a vessel’s trawling nets, or just ‘disposable’ bycatch species caught in the fray, once these animals are extracted from their ocean home and hit a vessel’s deck, they are en route to the same fate. Farmed fish are not spared the pain of this prolonged system either.”
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
2020 Trailer
https://youtu.be/tBdxLVmEHvk
2020 Vegan Photo Essay Contest Winner
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k7nrq8r727f5n5n/AACTpufWInDKaTgud_C5YBx2a?dl=0
Film List & Descriptions
https://www.theivff.com/20182019films-130923-972317.html
Film Images and Poster
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/nsxl79hxzoov7g6/AAD4MLq757jK2aHyfwPqnUJca?dl=0
Film Clips
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hz774liov1b5i4o/AACjoPWXYUSFHp-pOe0H_G3-a?dl=0
IVFF Logo
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8mqbjgdnd23jqri/AAAP-Z_jhs7qv0B2IwB5wfBaa?dl=0
Regarding the film about Regan Russell, this very unfortunate incident took place just this past June 2020. I believe that she was a very seasoned participant, but not technically the host. These witnessing vigils at Fearman’s were actually regular events. What was special about this one was that it was also a protest against Ontario’s new “ag-gag” law Bill 156 which had passed just two days prior and which would make such vigils illegal in the future. When she was hit, Regan was standing at the entrance to the slaughterhouse property.