Los Angeles, CA – July 30, 2024 – The four-day inaugural World Culture Film Festival (WCFF), from July 25th to July 28th, successfully concluded in a joyous, uplifting awards ceremony on July 28th with Pawo Choyning Dorji’s The Monk and The Gun winning Best Feature Film. Dorji was nominated for an Oscar in 2019 for Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom in the Best International Feature Film category.
There were over 60 participating countries including, Australia, Belgium, Mexico, Tibet, Japan, Germany, and Brazil, and 60+ films in competition as part of the official selections that screened between July 26th and 27th at the newly-reopened former-Downtown Independent Theater, and streamed on the online platform, EOFlix.
A world-class awards ceremony was held at the Art of Living Center in Los Angeles, founded by globally renowned humanitarian and emissary of peace, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. WCFF’s core theme of “entertainment that uplifts” is inspired by Gurudev’s mission of giving guidance to millions worldwide with a vision of a stress-free, violence-free world through his life and work.
Some of the in-competition award-winners were Dash Kolos’ Crown (Best Short Film), Julio Palacio’s Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World (Festival Directors’ Choice Award), Justin Grant and Laurens Goud’s Our Voice, Our Heart (Audience Choice Award), Nyal Mueenuddin’s When the Floods Come (Best Short Documentary), and more (see full list below).
Several honorary awards were given to professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds – visionaries who have achieved path-breaking and innovative work in their respective industries. Some of these distinguished awardees present were Dorji, Sony Pictures' senior vice president Palak Patel, Native American filmmaker, Vernon Foster, and Native American actress and climate warrior, Quannah Chasinghorse. (See full list below). Other luminaries who attended the awards ceremony were Esai Morales, Mark Pennell, Tel Ganeshan and Leslye Moore.
In his acceptance speech, Dorji said, “I didn’t go to film school. I fell in love with storytelling, and I used to work as a stills photographer. Very late, in 2019, I decided to make my first film [Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom] and I wanted it to be set in the world’s remotest school. Everyone told me, ‘Look Pawo, it’s a film, you’re supposed to cheat. Let’s shoot it back here and pretend it’s the world’s remotest school.’ I wanted it to be authentic. We hiked up to the world’s remotest school, we stayed up there for two months making this film. We had no electricity; the entire film was made on solar batteries.”
The awards ceremony was supported by soul-stirring musical performances by talented artists – vocalist Frederick Tabiyus Nah, pianist Narek Torosyan, and violin/cello artists Olga Matevosyan and Hovhannes Alanakyan.
The inaugural WCFF’s dynamic international jury team included Brazilian-American social impact Producer Sandra de Castro Buffington, former Miss India and actress Manasvi Mamgai, writer/director and president of the Filmmakers Alliance (Los Angeles), Jacques Thelemaque, Filmmaker and brand strategist Dr. (Hon.) Anusha Srinivasan Iyer, executive producer and founder of ‘The Flow Project’ Alex Moreno – to name some of the prolific and distinguished industry professionals who judged the films in competition.
In its maiden year itself, WCFF attracted partners such as the USC School of Cinematic Arts, screening a total of 11 USC student films, Filmmakers Alliance, EOFlix, Sumeru Studios, and Ethos Film Awards.
Leading the film festival team are executive directors, Anabelle D. Munro and Sej Saraiya, and executive producer, Jatin Chaurasia.
WCFF is dedicated to showcasing films that inspire, educate, and celebrate diverse cultures, and through compelling narratives and artistic expression, the festival aims to foster unity and understanding among global communities, through the power of storytelling and the beauty of cultural exchange.
Complete list of Award Winners:
BEST SCREENPLAY – Headwind, by Jeff Gendelman
BEST STUDENT FILM – I Am More Dangerous Dead, by Majiye Uchibeke
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY – When The Floods Come, by Nyal Mueenuddin
BEST SHORT FILM – Crown, by Dash Kolos
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD – Our Voice, Our Heart, by Laurens Goud & Justin Grant
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY – Eskawata Kayawai, By Lara Jacoski & Patrick Belem
BEST FEATURE FILM – The Monk and The Gun, by Pawo Choyning Dorji
FESTIVAL DIRECTORS’ CHOICE AWARD - Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World, by Julio Palacio
WCFF LEADERSHIP LEGACY AWARD – Apple TungFong
WCFF SPIRITUAL HERITAGE AWARD – Vernon Foster
WCFF LEGACY AWARD FOR IMPACT INNOVATION – Indrani Pal Chaudhari
WCFF LEGACY AWARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY – Quannah Chasinghorse
WCFF LEGACY AWARD FOR PERFORMING ARTS – Tom Holland
WCFF LEGACY AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA – Palak Patel
WCFF LUMINARY AWARD – Pawo Choyning Dorji
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About World Culture Film Festival:
The World Culture Film Festival is a premier event that showcases diverse cultures through the lens of cinema. With a mission to provide uplifting entertainment and foster unity, the festival brings together filmmakers, artists, and audiences from around the globe. WCFF showcases and awards works that are culturally diverse and unifying, elevate human consciousness through cinema, build bridges between cultures and communities, and foster the growth of conscious media that uplifts and positively influences society. https://www.worldculturefilmfestival.org/
Images for usage. All images courtesy World Culture Film Festival.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1frqcVlgFvuwX2781TqkXfJfvpTLlbBcI?usp=drive_link
About Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: https://www.worldculturefilmfestival.org/our-inspiration
WCFF Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPxpXJzgZwA
Instagram: @worldculturefilmfestival
Facebook: @worldculturefilmfestival
Press/Media inquiries:
Kushal Choksi
Kushal.choksi@artofliving.org
+1.917.836.2819