[Mark Rabinowitz] The Democratic National Convention approaches and yours truly will be attending his 3rd convention since 1988. I am a film and political junkie and as luck would have it, there are a load of political films and political panels (and parties) in Denver over the next week or so. I can't wait. There are two main film-related mini-fests going on at the DNC, Cinemocracy and the Impact Film Festival as well as copious book signings (Heather Thomas, no shit!) panels and events.

Cinemocracy, an open call for entry film festival made up of 5-minute films that invoke the spirit of democracy. Get it? So they announced their ten finalists today, all to be screened at Cinemocracy Rocks at Red Rocks on August 25th and at the DNC. They are (in no particular order):

"What is Democracy?" by Skelly Aggett-Carosella, Ivar Cloudshadow, Trevor Green, Gabe Greenberg, Noa Greenwald, Jade Hunter, Aidan McGinnis, Izaiah Read, Sienna Richert and Emma Wilson (Located in Boulder, CO)
"Democracy is a Spectacle" by Joseph La Sac (Tacoma, WA)
"Democracy: a Steady, Loving Confrontation" by Jen Saffron (Pittsburgh, PA)
"If You Really Knew Me" by Betsy Leighton (Denver, CO)
"Democracy: A Marriage" by Isha Aran (Lakewood, CO)
"Demokratia" by Josh Massaro, Isaac J. Ramos, Melissa Lane and John Knauff (Highlands Ranch, CO)
"The Right to Have a Voice" by Jessica Rosenberger and Austin Talley (Chicago, IL)
"Sunrise" (original music video) by Sylvia Florescu and Robert Florescu (Denver, CO)
"Cinema+(Dem)ocracy=Cinemocracy" by Alan Dominguez (Denver, CO)
"You Can't Eat Freedom" by Martin Higgins (Lonetree, CO)

Cinemocracy also chose 3 special Award Winners, whose films will be screened at the Red Rocks event but will not be entered in the final competition:

Cinemocracy Local Awareness Award: "A Vision Of Democracy" by Jennifer R.S. McDaniel (Denver, CO)
Cinemocracy Special Jury Selection: "The Short End Of The Spaghetti" by Ryan Charmatz (Greenwood Village, CO)
Cinemocracy Best International Submission: "Everyday Democracy" by Charlie Timms - (Gospel Oak, United Kingdom)

The Impact Film Festival (IFF) is running at both the DNC and the RNC in Minneapolis on September 1-4, 2008 and will "showcase two to three socially-themed documentary and dramatic films per day and feature panel discussions with an engaging mix of filmmakers, entertainers, lawmakers and other civic leaders." Eleven films will screen, including docs "The Black List: Vol. 1," "14 Women," "The Accidental Advocate," "Boogie Man," "Flow," "Freeheld," "I.O.U.S.A.," "Kicking It," "RFK Remembered" and "Trouble The Water" as well as narrative feature "Battle In Seattle." While I've seen "The Black List," I am looking forward to catching up on some of the docs (as well as Stuart Townshend's narrative "Battle in Seattle"). The panels are amazing, as well.

Here's their sizzle reel. Cool, no?

Impact Film Festival Sizzle Reel from Impact on Vimeo.