Films

Films

Watch award-winning films curated from 140 countries around the globe. SIMA Academy offers you unprecedented access on any device to authentic global perspectives and visually engaging current affairs media. Plus a constantly refreshed selection of international productions from independent distributors.

4K badge Audio 5.1 badge
Films
  • Beyond the Pipeline

    UN Special Rapporteur of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples meets the Standing Rock Sioux leadership and community in March 2017 after months of protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

    On the 10th anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the campaign has come to repr...

Extras

  • Mapping Riverline Communities

    The community of Lago do Mainá have lived with the forest and the river, nature for them is the most fundamental thing they have. However a military training base and increasing incursions by soldiers created tension between the community and the army. Through the use of social mapping the people...

  • Rescued From Human Trafficking in Singapore

    Human trafficking happens in Singapore. It is real and fiercely alive; a heinous crime that has devastated millions of innocent lives. The scary truth is – each and every one of us could become a victim of trafficking, especially in our globalised society now. Few ever escape and many remain entr...

  • Cross World

    Cross World is a short film focusing on the theme of “The #Personal is the #Political”, and highlighting the experience of #refugee #women. An intimate conversation between two refugee girls who have never met. Aya, a 14-year-old Syrian refugee girl and, Justinah, a 23-year-old South Sudanese ref...

  • Girl-hearted

    It’s quite plain to 7 year old Nori: She is a girl, because she has a girl’s heart. But her body is that of a boy.

    Five years ago: Each and every day mother and son argue about what appears trivial: the colors of pants and shirts suddenly matter, soon all he agrees to wear are skirts and dresses...

  • Quipu Calls for Justice

    Esperanza and Teodula are calling for justice in rural Peru, they are part of 300,000 people sterilised without consent more than 18 years ago. The Quipu Project is their phone line that allows the affected across the country to share their shocking testimonies and ensure those responsible are pu...

  • Nobody Dies Here *Viewer Discretion Advised*

    [Trigger Warning] Perma gold mine, Benin. Some dream to find something, others realized there was nothing to be found. Some dig relentlessly hoping to become rich, others died in the process. And a few of them say that here, nobody dies.

    Director & Producer: Simon Panay
    2016 | 24 Min
    Benin
    Langu...

  • Sanctuaries of Silence (VR/360)

    Silence just might be on the verge of extinction and acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton believes that even the most remote corners of the globe are impacted by noise pollution. In Sanctuaries of Silence, join Hempton on an immersive listening journey into Olympic National Park, one of the quietest...

  • Hotel U.S.A.

    A roadside motel in Newark New Jersey harbors refugees during their first night in America. “Hotel U.S.A.” captures a group of newcomers during their first moments in the country, exploring the sense of loss and hope that pervades the refugee experience.

    Director: Andrea Meller
    Producers: Andrea...

  • The Ark (VR/360)

    The northern white rhinoceros is the most endangered animal on the planet. Only three remain, and they are protected at all times by armed bodyguards. “The Ark” is a virtual reality documentary that puts viewers face-to-face with the last northern white rhinos, and tells the story of the global c...

  • Throw

    The first installment of Invisible Thread, an ongoing Early Light Media passion project series, Throw, presented by YoYoExpert.com tells the story of an outsider from East Baltimore, an area challenged by gang violence and poverty. Often misunderstood, Coffin Nachtmahr found acceptance among a su...

  • The Mauritania Railway: Backbone of the Sahara

    The Mauritania Railway is a 704-kilometer line linking the iron-mining center of Zouerat with the port of Nouadhibou. Atop a hopper car, we journey through vast Saharan landscapes with the people who rely on the train for their survival.

    Director: Macgregor
    Producer: Macgregor
    2017 | Spain
    Langu...

  • India's Wushu Warrior Girl

    Fareeha is a 14-year-old Muslim schoolgirl who dreams of becoming a champion fighter. Her school in southern India started teaching the Chinese martial art, wushu, amid rising concerns about violence against women. Fareeha soon falls in love with the sport and qualifies for the national champions...

  • Abbeville: Lynching in America *Viewer Discretion Advised*

    [Trigger Warning] The extraordinary journey of a family overcoming a century of silence to expose the truth. Produced with the Equal Justice initiative, this is a film about the importance of commemorating, remembering and disrupting history. As Bryan Stevenson states, we won’t be able to move fo...

  • 73 Questions

    A 73-question interview with Steve Jones about being on the streets of San Francisco.

    Director: Leah Nichols
    Producer: Leah Nichols
    2017 | 10 mins | USA
    Languages: English
    Subtitles: English

    FILMMAKER Q&A:
    https://simaacademy.com/filmmaker-qa/73-questions/

  • Walking With Reality

    Evan W. Gadda is a student at the University of Nevada, Reno studying Musical Theatre. The team at @One Digital Media within the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center was able to bring a virtual reality experience to him with the hopes to bring this to more people.

    Director: Michelle Rebaleati
    Producer...

  • Fledgling

    A little boy in a refugee camp finds and befriends a lost baby bird. He feeds it, protects it, and at night it sleeps close beside him. The adults observe him with tender sadness, oblivious to the Life that the child had given to a dirty old piece of cloth.

    Director: Juliette Rogasik
    Producer: J...

  • At Home, In Bed, and in The Streets

    From a small country with a revolutionary history, comes a compelling TV drama with a big vision. This documentary follows an inspiring Nicaraguan women’s rights group, Puntos de Encuentro, as it works to end sexual violence at home, in beds, and in the street through a powerful blend of mainstre...

  • Freedom

    Brazil’s African slave descendants, the Quilombola, have fought a long and hard struggle for recognition. After the abolition of the slave trade they were left abandoned and ostracised, devoid of rights and outside of Brazilian mainstream society. But things are slowly changing amongst rural comm...

  • Hope

    The indigenous people of Sungai Utik, a Dayak Iban community in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, have maintained a strong traditional connection to their forests despite continuous pressure from logging and palm oil companies intent on taking their land. Their forests remain intact and their tradition...

  • Pana-Pana

    On the 12th September 2013 the Honduran government granted almost 7% of its territory to the indigenous Miskito people who have lived traditionally on this land for centuries. We follow the leadership of the indigenous organization, MASTA, as they speak to their elders and explore solutions to be...

  • Dayaks and Drones

    Even a well-managed, recognised forest faces constant challenges but innovative drone GPS technology, cooperative campaigning, local government support and eco-tourism are helping the Setulang people thrive. They have shown that community rights, the environment and development go hand in hand.

    ...

  • The Reunion

    Indigenous Harakmbut leaders lead journey to rediscover ancient sacred site to connect with their cultural past and protect their future.

    Director: Paul Redman
    Producer: Tim Lewis

    2014 | 9 min
    Latin America | Peru
    Languages: Spanish
    Subtitles: Portuguese, English, Indonesian, Spanish

  • Stories From the Field: Rural Innovations, Food Security and Women's Empowerment

    In Stories From The Field we see both the challenges and innovations for grassroots development programs and resource-poor farmers in Bangladesh. Meet farmers introducing a unique and sustainable seed selection method that empowers women and could impact global food security.

    Director: Daniela K...

  • Protecting Panama

    Guna communities have long been recognized for protecting the forests along their coastline; despite significant threats from farming and industrial logging, they are proven protectors of their ancestral forests.

    Today they face uncertainty over the sea that surrounds their island homes. Increas...