Shame on You – Jeffrey Himple (Princeton, New Jersey)
This film exposes the untold personal costs of victims of the debt collection industry that is enabled by fear of the judicial system and hidden shame about debt. In this animated documentary, we recreate our telephone interviews and the personal stories of people trapped in debt collection lawsuits. We want audiences to openly discuss how shame is used in relation to debt, and to assertively talk about their own debt collection cases. The low value/high volume debt collection business is massive – one of 4 people have experienced debt collection lawsuits. But the stories are untold and cases are unopposed because of shame. Consequently, in some states 90% of debtors are unrepresented in courts and just as many end in default judgements against debtors. Here, our interviewees start a conversation about an industry that uses shame and the courts against people who have everything to lose. This is the shame that should be carried by those who put them in these debts in the first place. 2023; 11 min.
Altona – The Affolter Brothers (New Westminster, BC, Canada)
His throat was slit. He was set on fire. Left for dead. Yet his greatest challenge… was learning to forgive. This true crime documentary examines the far-reaching effects of a deadly attack that shattered a community and the survivor who needed to face his demons in order to overcome them. The debut feature from the award-winning Affolter brothers, Altona combines stunning animation with never-before-told eyewitness accounts to ask the question, can you forgive what you’ll never forget? 2023; 94 min. *This film contains extremely graphic and sensitive material that may be triggering to some audiences.