In January, Yahoo Media Group and The Nonfiction Hotlist put out an open call, inviting filmmakers to submit their documentary short films for global recognition and distribution. Nearly 1,000 nonfiction filmmakers from around the world answered, and now the results are in.
Today, Yahoo Media Group and The Nonfiction Hotlist are recognizing their final 20 selections, a curated list of standout documentaries that spans the worlds of art and culture, biography, business, nature, and sports. The films are available now at yahoo.com/nonfictionhotlist, enhancing the company’s video offering and introducing these artists and their work to the roughly 700 million people who visit Yahoo every month. The selections are also available to watch on the Yahoo YouTube channel.
In addition, the documentaries will be featured at the first-ever Yahoo x Nonfiction Hotlist Film Festival, held the weekend of Aug. 22-23 at the American Dream entertainment and retail center in East Rutherford, N.J. Over the two days, the films will screen at the new, state-of-the-art Dream Live Performing Arts Center, bringing a film festival atmosphere directly to the center’s hundreds of thousands of weekend visitors. The festival culminates with a special screening event Sunday evening, highlighted by filmmaker fireside chats and a performance from country musician Joshua Ray Walker, the subject of the selected film, Thank You for Listening. Attendance is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
"The Nonfiction Hotlist exists to give nonfiction storytelling new pathways forward, and there's no better proof of that than today,” said Adam Neuhaus, CEO and co-founder of The Nonfiction Hotlist. “That's what happens when a platform like Yahoo joins us in building something new for this industry, and we hope it's just the start."
“This remarkable collection of films represents the very best of what nonfiction storytelling can be: powerful, surprising, and deeply human,” said Ryan Spoon, President of Yahoo Media Group. “We’re excited to grow our video offering with films of this caliber, and we’re proud to help give these exceptional filmmakers a global stage to showcase their work.”
Of the 20 films selected, five are in the sports category.
How We RoIl
A community of passionate folks find connection and escape on the gravel courts of the Elmwood Park Bocce League, a no-nonsense, community-run organization in the Chicago suburbs. This film explores how bocce acts as a bridge, bringing men and women of all ages and backgrounds together to compete on equal footing and turn a vacant space into a vital gathering place.Directed by Anthony Ciancio.
Panther Pat
In 1970, Patricia Palinkas became the first woman to play professional football when she stepped onto the field for the Orlando Panthers. A schoolteacher with no playbook and everything to prove, her appearance shocked the nation and was quickly forgotten. This film resurrects this high-stakes moment in sports history, tracing how one woman challenged the gender barrier of America's game. Directed by Ashley Brandon. (Available to stream beginning Aug. 19.)
Confessions of a Jumbotron Addict:
An obsessive Brooklyn Nets basketball fan decodes one of the great mysteries of attending live sporting events: how to get up on the jumbotron. With a newfound superpower to get the crowd hyped through ridiculous dance moves, he finds himself at the center of a double-overtime thriller against the Detroit Pistons. Directed by Mickey Duzyj.
Murewa
Two boys form a close friendship in a quiet coastal town, sharing passions for skateboarding and photography. As they grow up, life takes them in drastically different directions: one to university, the other to prison. Through years of home video, the film reflects on the complexities of growing up, and how opportunity and circumstance shape the futures of young people in ways they don't fully grasp at the time. Directed by Ché Scott-Heron Newton.
The Meloneers
Set in Rocky Ford, Colo., a small town in rural America, this coming-of-age story examines the intersection of wrestling and fatherhood. Despite a modest annual budget, the town’s high school wrestling team consistently brings home state championships. Its athletes are the same age Coach Mike Jurney was when his dad disappeared from his life. Jurney was left to live on his own and raise himself, and he refuses to let his wrestlers live that same story. Directed by Brendan Young.
For more information on the Yahoo x The Nonfiction Hotlist selections, visit yahoo.com/nonfictionhotlist.