Dawn Breakers International Film Festival
Encyclopedia
Dawn Breakers International Film Festival (DBIFF) is an international film festival
that is held in various cities throughout the world. The festival originated in 2007 and debuted in Phoenix, Arizona on December 2008. It was held in Zurich
, Switzerland in 2009, San Diego in 2010 and Houston in 2011. Since it is a traveling festival and may take place more than once within a year, it is also named by "Take
s" alongside the year.
The Festival is a Bahá'í-inspired non-profit organization and is considered as one of the major developments in the changing culture of the Baha'i Faith in the past fifteen years. Several publications have covered the festival and the films including the Indian Express, the official Baha'i news service. and the Samoan
news.
The name of the festival, though spelled differently, is inspired by The Dawn-breakers
.
Switzerland from December 26, 2009 to December 31, 2009. This year's line-up included twice as many films as last year and took place over five days.
. On November 13, 2010 a press release announced the festival's official selection which included 44 films in all categories.
William Sears (Bahá'í)
a popular TV host from the 50s was honored during the festival. Two of this year's selection are shortlisted for the 83rd Academy Awards
. and one was nominated. Most of this year's selection were either world or international premiers.
A Media Boot Camp in association with the Baha'i Media Services is scheduled to be held during the Association for Baha'i Studies conference in San Francisco in August, 2011.
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
that is held in various cities throughout the world. The festival originated in 2007 and debuted in Phoenix, Arizona on December 2008. It was held in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland in 2009, San Diego in 2010 and Houston in 2011. Since it is a traveling festival and may take place more than once within a year, it is also named by "Take
Take
A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production.-Film:In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup"...
s" alongside the year.
The Festival is a Bahá'í-inspired non-profit organization and is considered as one of the major developments in the changing culture of the Baha'i Faith in the past fifteen years. Several publications have covered the festival and the films including the Indian Express, the official Baha'i news service. and the Samoan
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
news.
The name of the festival, though spelled differently, is inspired by The Dawn-breakers
The Dawn-breakers (book)
The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl’s Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Revelation or Nabíl's Narrative is a historical account of the early Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths penned by Nabíl-i-A`zam in 1887-8...
.
2007 / Take 1
The festival took place in San Diego with a circle of invited guests and audiences only. A number of films were screened through the two-day festival, however no public announcement of the official selections were made as there were no selection process that year and all films were invites only.2008 / Take 2
In 2008, it attracted some 500 attendees each day and a total of 1000 for both days from around the world. Films shown in the festival were selected from around the globe, some countries included India, Australia, United States, Spain, United Kingdom, Cambodia, France, Malaysia, Hungary, Pakistan, Canada and Ethiopia.Films
- Armed - Music video, Justin BaldoniJustin BaldoniJustin Louis Baldoni is an American actor. Baldoni has acted in films such as Wedding Daze and in the television series Everwood and Heroes.-Background:...
's directoral debut - A Boy from Jenjarom - Short documentary
- Ardia - Short film
- Corde - Short documentary
- Choke - Short film
- Donkey In LahoreDonkey in LahoreDonkey In Lahore is a 2008 documentary by Faramarz Rahber about the life of an Australian who falls in love with a Pakistani woman and decides to marry her...
- Full-length documentary, TribecaTriBeCaTribeca is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York in the United States. Its name is an acronym based on the words "Triangle below Canal Street", and is properly bounded by Canal Street, West Street, Broadway, and Vesey Street...
winner - Justice - Short film
- Little Mosque on the PrairieLittle Mosque on the PrairieLittle Mosque on the Prairie is a Canadian sitcom on CBC, created by Zarqa Nawaz and produced by WestWind Pictures. It is filmed in Toronto, Ontario and Indian Head, Saskatchewan...
- Television show - Son Maloso - Music Video
- The Gallery - Short film
- The Prayer - Short film
- The Wayfarer - Full-length documentary
- Tsehai Loves LearningTsehai Loves LearningTsehai Loves Learning is an Ethiopian children TV show. The characters are puppets and animated characters speaking the local language of Amharic. It reaches an estimated 2,800,000 to 5,000,000 children....
- Animated television show (Ethiopia) - Uncle HathiUncle HathiUncle Haathi and his Friends — Creepy the Mischief Maker is an animated children's television show in India. The show was introduced in North America as a selection to the 2008 Dawn Breakers International Film Festival in Arizona, United States....
- Animated television show (India)
2009 / Take 3
The 2009, also known as Take 3 Dawn Breakers International Film Festival took place in ZurichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
Switzerland from December 26, 2009 to December 31, 2009. This year's line-up included twice as many films as last year and took place over five days.
Films
- 18:44, Short film, New Zealand, World Premier
- Afghan, Short film
- Amor in Motion, Short film, World Premier
- Antes Que O Mundo AcabeAntes Que o Mundo AcabeAntes Que O Mundo Acabe is a 2009 Brazilian film by Ana Luiza Azevedo. It had its world premier at the Take 3 Dawn Breakers International Film Festival in Zurich, and was released worldwide in 2010.-External links:*...
(Before the World Ends), Feature film, World Premier - Arising to ServeArising to ServeArising to Serve is a documentary about the 41 Baha'i Regional Conferences that took place around the world. The film had its world premiere at the Dawn Breakers International Film Festival in 2009 and was also released online.-External links:*...
, Full-length doc, World Premier - Baber Makes An Entrance – Little Mosque on the PrairieLittle Mosque on the PrairieLittle Mosque on the Prairie is a Canadian sitcom on CBC, created by Zarqa Nawaz and produced by WestWind Pictures. It is filmed in Toronto, Ontario and Indian Head, Saskatchewan...
, TV, World Premier - Chase, Short film, World Premier
- IL Diavlo (The Devil), Short film
- El Espiritu de mi MamaEl Espiritu de mi MamaEl Espiritu de mi Mama is a Spanish language feature film by Ali Allie about a Garifuna woman's journey home to Honduras to embrace her cultural roots. It premiered at SXSW in 1999. It has been released on DVD.-External links:**...
, Feature film (Mexico), World Premier - Essences & Particularities, Experimental, World Premier
- Fast Slow Dissolving Tablets, Short film, World Premier
- Fragile, Short film
- The Fashioner, Documentary, World Premier
- From Reservation to Revelation, Documentary, World Premier
- Got You, Music video, World Premier
- Hossein AmanatHossein AmanatHossein Amanat is an Iranian-Canadian architect. He is best known for being the architect of the Azadi Tower in Tehran, Iran, and the Bahá'í Arc buildings in Haifa, Israel. He is a Bahá'í.- Practice :...
- Baha'i Architect, Documentary, World Premier - The Voyages of Jenny Alexandria, Animation
- Lie Zi (Master Lie), Animation, World Premier
- Light Upon Light, Short film, World Premier
- The Lost City, Short film
- Method Acting, Short film
- Murder With Impunity, Webcast, World Premier
- My New Home, Short film
- The Power of ForgivenessThe Power of ForgivenessThe Power of Forgiveness is a documentary by Martin Doblmeier about the process of forgiveness. It features interviews with renowned Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, best-selling authors Thomas Moore and Marianne Williamson and others...
, Documentary, World Premier - The Promise of World PeaceThe Promise of World PeaceThe Promise of World Peace is a documentary produced in English, Spanish and Persian that explores the vision of the Baha'i Faith for the betterment of the world. In 2009, it was selected and shown at the Dawn Breakers International Film Festival in Switzerland. The film is released in...
, Documentary, World Premier - The Providence EffectThe Providence EffectThe Providence Effect is a 2009 documentary film directed by Rollin Binzer about the transformation of Providence-St. Mel from a typical "inner city" school to a top tier institution. It had its world premier at the Dawn Breakers International Film Festival in Zurich.-Background:This documentary...
, Documentary International Premier - Red Fish, Short film
- Social Studies, Short film, World Premier
- Speak and Lie, Animation, World Premier
- School, Short film, World Premier
- The Study Circle, Webcast, World Premier
- Tanha-e (Solitude), Animation
- Tokaheya Inajin - The First to Arise, Documentary, World Premier
- Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns, Short film
- United for Baha'i Human Rights, Webcast, World Premier
- What Goes Around Comes Around, Music Video,
2010 / Take 4
The 2010 film festival took place in the United States in the city of San Diego. It was scheduled for November 26 through 27 at the Sheraton Hotel across San Diego International AirportSan Diego International Airport
San Diego International Airport , sometimes referred to as Lindbergh Field, is a public airport located northwest of the central business district of San Diego, California and from the Mexico – United States border at Tijuana, Mexico...
. On November 13, 2010 a press release announced the festival's official selection which included 44 films in all categories.
William Sears (Bahá'í)
William Sears (Bahá'í)
William Sears was a Hand of the Cause of God, writer and a popular television and radio personality. In 2010, he was honored at the Dawn Breakers International Film Festival for achieving excellence as a professional media personality.-Personal life:Sears was married twice and had two children...
a popular TV host from the 50s was honored during the festival. Two of this year's selection are shortlisted for the 83rd Academy Awards
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
. and one was nominated. Most of this year's selection were either world or international premiers.
Films
Below is a particle list of the selected films with notes about each film.- A Cut Above
- Adam – The Man
- All Birds Whistle
- Aqueous Duende - experimental film
- Annie, Forget Your Gun
- Y aquellas (And These)
- Bobo & Kipi - TV show from Congo
- Das Verlorene Paradies (Paradise Lost)
- Dr. Elham Show Websisodes from South Africa
- Enoch OlingaEnoch OlingaEnoch Olinga was born to an Anglican family of the Iteso ethnic group in Uganda. He became a Bahá'í, earned the title Knight of Bahá'u'lláh and was appointed as the youngest Hand of the Cause, the highest appointed position in the religion. He served the interests of the religion widely and...
- FeelingFeelingFeeling is the nominalization of the verb to feel. The word was first used in the English language to describe the physical sensation of touch through either experience or perception. The word is also used to describe experiences, other than the physical sensation of touch, such as "a feeling of...
from Afghanistan - Faith in Common starting Anthony AziziAnthony AziziAnthony Azizi is an American television actor.Born in New York City of Iranian descent, Azizi is mainly known for his television work. He has had recurring roles on 24 as terrorist Mamud Faheen , on 24 as Rafique and on Commander in Chief as presidential aide Vince Taylor...
Music by KC Porter - Escuchar (Listen) - Spain
- The Butterfly Circus funded by Doorstep
- Hemels Bewegen (The Conquest of High Passes)
- Plastic & Glass - french experimental
- Out of Sight
- No Longer There - Music video of Carl Young by Jack LenzJack LenzJack Lenz is a Canadian Bahá'í composer. He has written, performed, and produced music for film, television, and theatre, along with working on non-soundtrack album ventures. He is also the founder of Live Unity Enterprises, an organization devoted to the production of music for the Bahá'í...
- Nebeneinander (Side By Side)
- Madregot (Stairs)
- Madagascar, canet de voyage, nominated for the Oscars
- Linger - Singapore's new wave
- Letters to Ourselves
- Jewel in the Lotus - about the House of Worship in India
- Glenn, The Flying Robot feature film from Ireland
- The Secret FriendThe Secret FriendThe Secret Friend is a 2010 comedy-drama film based on the 1997 short story of the same name by Brazilian writer João Silvério Trevisan. The film, directed by Flavio Alves, features Viola Harris and Siobhan Fallon in the major roles...
- The Road HomeThe Road HomeThe Road Home may refer to:* The Road Home , a 1995 album by Heart* The Road Home , a Chinese film directed by Zhang Yimou, featuring Zhang Ziyi in her film debut* The Road Home , an American film directed by Drew Johnson...
Student Oscar winner - The Last Conversation - about the Persecution of Baha'isPersecution of Bahá'ísThe persecution of Bahá'ís is the religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries, especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and the location of one of the largest Bahá'í populations in the world...
- The Invigilator
- Hands of the Cause - four volume film about the Hands of the CauseHands of the CauseThe Hands of the Cause of God, Hands of the Cause, or Hands were a select group of Bahá'ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá'í Faith...
- Straight Ahead
- Shoghi Effendi (documentary) about Shoghi EffendiShoghi EffendiShoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
- Roca Bon - exploring the art of Mark TobeyMark TobeyMark George Tobey was an American abstract expressionist painter, born in Centerville, Wisconsin. Widely recognized throughout the United States and Europe, Tobey is the most noted among the "mystical painters of the Northwest." Senior in age and experience, Tobey had a strong influence on the...
- River to Reef - environmental film
- Kol Shtut (Any Little Thing)
- Laredo, TexasLaredo, TexasLaredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
- To Comfort You
- Where There is Love - video of Elika Mahony
- Vostok StationVostok StationVostok Station was a Russian Antarctic research station. It was at the southern Pole of Cold, with the lowest reliably measured natural temperature on Earth of −89.2 °C . Research includes ice core drilling and magnetometry...
- Us (film)
- Urs (film)
- Zero on the Oscar shortlist
2011 / Take 5
A two-day festival was held in Houston, Texas. This festival marked DBIFF's premier in the South and the first major event to be held in the Houston Baha'i Center.A Media Boot Camp in association with the Baha'i Media Services is scheduled to be held during the Association for Baha'i Studies conference in San Francisco in August, 2011.