'08 Festival
DBIFF '08/Take II: Phoenix, Arizona
Date: Saturday, December 27th and Sunday December 28th at 2 p.m
Location: Marriott Hotel. Phoenix, Arizona
Discover: Watch the Festival Ad - View Stills/Poster - Watch Full Videos
Trailers and Full Videos:
Official Selection:
ABOUT A BOY FROM JENJAROM (Documentary, Malaysia, 2:45 min.)
Director: Manesh Nesaratnam
Producer: Amy Lim
This video was made for Lim Soon Kam, when he won the award for The Outstanding Young Malaysia Awards in Moral and Religious Leadership Category Year 2006 in Malaysia. It captures the response of the community of which he was much loved and has contributed to. This video was screened during his award night.
ARDIA (Short film, Spain, 13:04 min.)
Writer/Director: Karlos Alastruey
Producer: Maria Marchena
Cast: Marta Saña, Santiago Lahuerta, Javier I. Baigorri
A sheep gets limp ans is sent to the slaughterhouse. A boy with an uncommon way of interacting with reality is sent to an asylum.
ARMED (Music video, United States, 5:30 min.)
Writer/Director/Producer: Justin Baldoni
Music: Devon Gundry
Cast: Devon Gundry, Alex Rocco, Eva La Rue, Kaya La Rue, Darrow Igus, Shannon Rocco, Red Grammer, Benny Cassette, Melissa Ordway, Lindsay Lugsch, Tom Baker Joe Sanchez, David Wilson
"Armed with the power of Thy name" - A prayer.
ARON TE BEKU (Documentary, New Zealand, 44 min.)
Director/Producer: Ken Zembe
Writer: Kirsten Zemke
This is a story of a well known New Zealand artist Robin White and her unique Baha'i pioneering family who have been working and living on a small atoll in the Pacific Islands nation of Kiribati. The camera reveals the family's sacrifice and adaptability to a very different life style from their life in New Zealand. The film not only captures the beauty of the Gilbertese people, but the exquisite beauty of their tropical islands.
Note: This film was broadcasted for two concecutive days on the hotel's television network which was accessable at any time in all the rooms.
CORDE (Documentary, Cambodia, 13:45 min.)
Writer/Director: Amy Lim
Producer: Rizwan Baran
This documentary is made for CORDE (Cambodian Organization for Research, Development & Education), a Baha’i-inspired NGO based in Cambodia. This is a profile video about this organization and its objectives and functions. It was produced with low budget and a team of four in 2003.
CHOKE (Short film, Australia, 8 min.)
Writer/Director: Sophia Sourris
Producer: Faramarz K-Rahber
Cast: Matt Reimer, Brian Cannon, Ky Robinson, Jamie Robinson, Kate Lee
Choke is about a recently deceased man doomed to follow his family on earth until his son forgives him for keeping his adoption a secret.
DONKEY IN LAHORE (Documentary, Pakistan/Australia 117 min.)
Writer/Director/Producer: Faramarz K-Rahber
Cast: Amir (as himself), Amber (as herself)
DONKEY IN LAHORE is an observational documentary that follows the
quixotic courtship of Brian, an ex-goth puppeteer from Australia, and Amber, the traditional Muslim girl he met and fell in love with during a short trip to Pakistan in 2000. Upon his return to Australia, Brian decides to convert to Islam and return to Pakistan to seek her hand in marriage. Can this unlikely couple survive the challenges they are about to face?
THE GALLERY (Short film, United States, 20 min.)
Writer/Director: Russell Aziz
Producer: Jason Michael Brescia
Cast: Landon LaVigne
With a pocketful of stolen cash from his father, 16-year-old Alex escapes to Los Angeles in a taxicab to search for his old childhood crush, and to break free from the monotony of his daily life. He lives out of a luxury suite and spends his nights dining in restaurants and visiting art galleries as he searches for her. He quickly begins to drain his supply of cash however, and he grows desperate as his dreams decay.
JUSTICE (Short film, France, 5 min.)
Writer/Director/Producer: Bruno Behnam
Cast: Rodrigo Feldman, Lionel Antone
Two men are both side of a jail cell. A prisoner and a visitor. They don't know each other but they're linked, whatever their willing is.
LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE (TV Show, Canada, 22:30 min.)
Director: Michael Kennedy
Writer: Zarqa Nawaz, Rebeca Schechter and Al Rae
Music: Jack Lenz
Cast: Zaib Shaikh, Carlo Rot, Manoj Sood, Sitara Hewitt, Sheila McCarthy , Arlene Duncan, Neil Crone, Derek McGrath, Debra McGrath
The show is about a small Muslim community in the fictional prairie town of Mercy. The series takes an unabashedly comedic look at the congregation of the rural mosque and their attempt to live in harmony with each other, and the often skeptical, even down right suspicious, residents of their little prairie town.
THE PRAYER (Short film, Spain, 3:40 min.)
Writer/Director: Karlos Alastruey
Producer: Maria Marchena
Cast: Aintzane Alastruey
A little girl goes out to the forest to prepare herself for a prayer session.
SON MALOSO (Music Video, Hungary, 3:30 min.)
Director/Produicer: David Dely
Producer: Chameleon Records
Cast/Group: Tumba y Quema
Afro-Colombian world music video.
TSEHAI LOVES LEARNING (TV Show, Ethiopia, 10:35 min.)
Writers/Directors: Bruktawit Tigabu, Shane Etzenhouser
Producers: Whiz Kids Workshop
Cast: Bruktawit Tigabu, Solomon Admasu, Yibeltal Alemu, Redeit Alemu
Six-year-old giraffe Tsehai learns all about truthfulness.
UNCLE HATHI (Animation, India, 9 min.)
Director: Shayam Lal
Writer/Producer: Elham Mohajer
Animators: Shyam Lal, R. K. Sudarshan, Anurag Singh, Devendra Singh, Abhishek Sing, Vineet Satulay
Creepy Snake is feeling bored and decides to bring some excitment in the Jungle.
THE WAYFARER (Documentary, United Kingdom, 60 min.)
Writer/Director: Jess Firth
Producers: Chantelle Brader, Jess Firth
Score: Edward White
The Wayfarer is an intriguing and informative new film about one young man’s journey around the world to understand the Bahá’í faith - its beliefs, its humanitarian efforts, and its ongoing struggle against persecution. Filmmaker Jess Firth first encountered the Faith while visiting an old school-friend from New Zealand who now works at the Baha’i World Centre. Intrigued by what he saw of this new religion, Jess set out on a year-long journey through five different countries, meeting Bahá’ís, experiencing their holy places, questioning their beliefs and visiting their development projects< = >