The NewsFest has showcased important true stories from around the world. We offer numerous different categories.  

Some of our previous winning filmmakers include: Rohini Ruhi Hak, who has brought us compelling stories from India, including her international award for “Got Cancer,” a story of children battling cancer; Angela Koh of South Korea, whose stories take place in North and South Korea, while her other projects reveal the challenges with South Korean culture within the USA. Other winners include: Mederbek Zhalilov of Kyrgyzstan, who chronicled voter fraud in his own country; Thea Haavet, who told the story of Tim Peters, a brave refugee advocate, who smuggled desperate individuals from North Korea to freedom in South Korea. Then there was Arizona News television reporter, William Pitts, who shared some of his poignant hand-picked local stories — the ones that resonated with members of his community, and beyond. Joining him in taking awards was also Tommy Tucker, a U.S., citizen who cleverly documented his quest to urge his son to do his homework by holding up camera-friendly posters in various sports venues imploring his son to do better in school. Paul Foulkes of Japan told his own story of struggles with HIV and laid out the surprising gift that the disease had given him. Amy Leigh McCorkle, who allowed audiences to take an intimate look at her struggles with mental health as she chronicled her battles also received honors for her candid reporting. Anabelle Munro, who openly shared her own struggles with eating disorders, showed audiences how they could learn from her travails, Washington D.C. documentarian, Valerie Whitcomb, who recounted her brave account of her experience following a marijuana farmer in Tennessee; and Liane Scott, who brought the festival viewers the angst of the daily struggles among the members of that city’s Black community.

 

     Past winning screenwriters have included award-winning writers such as the renowned Harold Brown of Canada; Ron Podell of Wyoming, John McCarney of Arizona, Arizona News reporter William Pitts, and Bob Messinger of New Jersey.

 

     Among the winning music composers, we’ve honored Jill Sissel, Barbara Heller, The Poppyseeds, Paul Helou, and Jay Mullings.