Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival

The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base. Is the Midwestern icon actually a canary in the American coal mine? Haunting and beautifully shot, DETROPIA is a cinematic tapestry of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising.

Danish journalist, Mads Brügger goes undercover to show what it takes to become an ambassador in Central Africa.  The documentary, filmed mostly with hidden cameras, offers an inside look into the corruption of the blood diamond trade in Africa.  The film carries an interesting dichotomy of comic relief while carrying high stakes of real consequences.

At 15, Inocente, an undocumented immigrant, is forced to live year after year in the city’s homeless shelters. Art is her personal revolution that creates a world that looks nothing like her past: a father deported for domestic abuse and an a desperate alcoholic mother of four.  Through her art, Inocente takes control of her own destiny and proves that circumstances do not define her, her dreams do.

What went wrong with America’s healthcare system, and how can it be fixed?  ESCAPE FIRE examines the nuts and bolts of the current battle raging over a healthcare system that is seemingly broken.  From professionals trying to make a positive difference to harrowing personal stories, this powerful film focuses on finding workable solutions.

Farmer, a direct action environmental activist decides to tree-sit in the McKay Tract, a 60-acre grove of ancient redwoods that is under threat to be clearcut by the Green Diamond Resource Company.  Atop his perch in the ancient redwood canopy, he must battle the elements and avoid isolation as he fights for a sustainable future.

In the rugged canyonlands of Northern Arizona, Navajo and Hopi cross-country runners from two rival high schools put it all on the line for tribal pride, triumph over personal adversity, and state championship glory.  As Chinle and Tuba City High School cross-country teams square off against each other, RACING THE REZ gives a face and voice to a people seldom seen or heard in their own country.

Believers and skeptics alike MUST see the work done by photographer James Balog in this stunning documentary capturing the peril of Earth’s melting glaciers as they disappear at a rate no one has previously thought possible. Follow Balog on his precarious adventure to photograph the world’s glaciers, using thirty cameras on three continents.