The International Migration & Environmental Film Festival (IMEFF) 2024, themed “Redefining Home, Preserving Habitat”, has come to a close, and we are thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s awards. The festival, which ran from October 9 to 15, featured a diverse selection of films exploring migration, environmental issues, and the intersection of human stories with nature’s struggle.
Award Winners
Best Feature Narrative:
“Alexa: a Tale of the Mixteca”
Directed by José Assadourian Martínez (Mexico)
A moving exploration of migration, “Alexa” tells the story of a small community in Mexico’s Mixteca region, struggling with depopulation and cultural erosion due to migration.
Best Short Film:
“Protecting the River Krupa”
Directed by Ciril Jazbec (Croatia)
This film follows efforts to protect one of Europe’s last free-flowing rivers, highlighting a community’s fight for conservation.
Best Documentary:
“The Illusion of Abundance”
Directed by Erika Gonzalez Ramirez, Matthieu Lietaert (Colombia)
A powerful documentary that exposes the exploitation of natural resources by corporations in Latin America, as three female activists fight to protect their communities.
Best Animation:
“Amplifying Feedback Loop”
Directed by Vanessa Sweet (United States)
A poetic and visually stunning animation that explores the cyclic relationship between human emotions and environmental impacts.
Best Photo:
“Sisters”
Directed by Andrea Gluckman (United States)
This touching portrait captures the resilience and bond of these two sisters, whose lives were deeply impacted by the Rwandan genocide.
Best Poetry Film:
“Project Hazmatic: Demolition Suite”
Directed by Willa Carroll (United States)
This evocative film captures the unexpected beauty and ravaged spectacle of the Anthropocene, offering a poetic reflection on the fragility of life amidst environmental destruction.
Best Environmental Film:
“Logging Algonquin”
Directed by Conor DeVries (Canada)
“Logging Algonquin” shines a light on the complex balance between conservation and resource use within one of Canada’s most iconic natural parks.
Best Migration Story:
“The Vazaha (The Stranger)”
Directed by Anthony Trapanese (Madagascar)
A heart-wrenching story of two women navigating the complexities of globalization and traditional life in Madagascar.
IMEFF 2024 Honorable Mentions
- “Whale Call” directed by Ron Goodlin
- “Between Borders” directed by Juan José Cea Escobar and Jose Fuca
- “Turbulent Waters” directed by Elena Näsänen
- “Letter from the Age of Ecocide” directed by Shireen Rahimi
- “Holding the Frontline” directed by Jess Donnelly
- “The Last Border” directed by André Carvalho Ramos
- “Mundo Maya” directed by Steve Hamm
- “The Human Effect Revision 2023” directed by Ed Breeding
- “Cardboard Scavengers” directed by Marcela Moran, Maritza Bautista
- “Sudden Silence – How Animals Reclaim a World in Lockdown” directed by Susanne Maria Krauß
- “The Elephants and the Grass” directed by Beau Rosario, Brandon Gulish
- “F-1” directed by Ya-Chi Yang
- “Amphibious” directed by Ghazal Partou
- “Raid on the Atlantic” directed by Nicolas Van Ingen
- “Home” directed by Bárbara Bárcia
- “Animals at the Borders” directed by Cornelia Volk
- “Voices from the Frontlines” directed by Maarten Koets, Kamal Amakrane
- “The Root of it All” directed by Kalyn Edworthy
- “Planet Ocean Blues” directed by Michael Buckley
- “The Youth Climate Corps BC” directed by Arian Tomar
- “Imalirijit” directed by Vincent L’Hérault, Tim Anaviapik Soucie
- “Preening” directed by Ian Gibbins (Australia)
- “Inundations” directed by Anne Ciecko (United States)
- “Cause a Sea Change: Save Sharks” directed by Jed Winer (United States)
