The 19th annual Global Peace Film Festival is almost upon us. This year the event returns in a hybrid format: The first week of the fest (Sept. 20-26) will be in-person at locations throughout Central Florida, and the following week (Sept. 27-Oct. 3), films will be available online through Eventive.
While the event has a global focus, it also has many local connections outside of its Central Florida venues.
“I’ve had several films screened at this festival, and so have my students. We appreciate this festival’s support of local filmmakers very much,” University of Central Florida professor Lisa Mills, whose film “Son of a Sweeper” screens at this year’s fest, said in an email.
“This is a festival that features films that can change hearts and minds about social and environmental issues,” she said.
Here are a few films featured in the 2021 lineup that have Sunshine State ties.
‘Son of a Sweeper’
Winter Springs resident Mills said her movie profiles Vimal Kumar, a social justice activist for “untouchables,” who traditionally perform India’s most dreaded jobs, such as garbage collection, sewer cleaning and dead animal pickup.
The son of a woman who swept floors and cleaned toilets, Kumar founded “Movement for Scavenger Community,” which sets up education centers within “sweeper communities” across India in the hopes that “academic excellence can lift up children so that they have a chance at a better life than their parents.”
‘Grape Leaves’
Orlando resident Dina Najjar’s narrative drama “Grape Leaves” is based on the real-life experiences of herself and co-writer Salem Murphy as Arab Americans.
“My perspective is from the side of someone who was born and raised in the states by immigrant parents, and Salem’s perspective is from someone who is an immigrant,” Najjar said in an email. “We had many similar experiences, which were combined as inspiration for this film.”
Shot entirely in Orlando with a female crew and featuring music by local artist Atsumi, the movie tells the story of Salma, a well-respected Arab American professor who is stunned into silence after an unthinkable tragedy forces her to rethink relationships with those closest to her.
“My mission is to create a world filled with diversity without stereotypes, especially when it comes to film and television,” Najjar said. “We are stronger together, and we are all more similar than we think. The film highlights this and shows how food is something that unites us all.”
Najjar feels honored to be included in the Global Peace Film Festival.
“I am a big fan of its mission and commitment to positive change and creating a more peaceful, just world,” she said. “‘Grape Leaves’ encourages people to ‘Be Willing’ and to get to know people for who they are instead of relying on stereotypes.”
‘A Break for Impact’
Central Florida residents Christine Kane and Aaron Hosé co-directed “A Break for Impact.” From producers to on-camera talent, the film’s entire team is Orlando-based.
Kane describes the movie as “very much a Florida story,” as it follows a University of Central Florida legal studies professor and four of her students who travel during spring break to the Texas-Mexico border to assist with the humanitarian crisis. Along the way, they make shocking discoveries about the treatment of Central American asylum-seekers.
“The Global Peace Film Festival focuses on compassion and making connections between story and action, which is at the core of our mission as well,” Kane said. “We want to not only bring awareness to the issues presented in our film but also illustrate how people can get involved to help bring about change.”
‘The Neighborhood of Democracy’
Kristen Locker, a graduate student studying film production at University of Central Florida, explores how her family developed their beliefs and how those beliefs have shaped their dynamics in “The Neighborhood of Democracy.”
“My documentary is a glimpse into the political melting pot of a blue-collar worker, an immigrant, a nursing student and a liberal arts film student,” the Orlando resident said. “While making this documentary I, and I’d like to say my family, got to reflect on who we are and how that affects the people around us.”
The Global Peace Film Festival marks Locker’s first festival appearance as a filmmaker.
“I feel grateful that my work aligns to the mission of GPFF,” she said.
If you go: The 19th annual Global Peace Film Festival takes place Sept. 20-26 in-person throughout Central Florida and virtually Sept. 27-Oct. 3 via Eventive. Watch “Son of a Sweeper” at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 22, “A Break for Impact” at 6 p.m. Sept. 22 and “Grape Leaves” and “The Neighborhood of Democracy” at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 25, all at the Winter Park Public Library (460 E. New England Ave. in Winter Park). These films will also be a part of the virtual fest. Passes, which are on sale now, cost $125 for the entire in-person event; $100 for the entire virtual fest; $40 for the in-person weekend pass (Sept. 24-26) and the virtual 10-film package; and $20 for the virtual five-film package. Individual tickets ($10 plus fees) are also on sale. For more information, visit peacefilmfest.org.
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