RUNNATION FILM FESTIVAL 2020/21 – SYNOPSIS
2020 marks the sixth year of The RunNation Film Festival. The festival is an original, inspiring event that has been attended by running celebrities, thousands of runners and non-runners around Australia, New Zealand & many parts of the world. We receive film submissions from Australia & across the globe and curate it into an incredible two-hour screening. It is not just about running; it is about the celebration of the human spirit, using running as medium of story telling.
Fenice: Running for Life
Length: 5 mins
Directors: Carolina Di Lazzaro, Giorgio Ghiotto Protagonist: Najla Fratella
“Fenice” from Latin word “phoenix-icis” represents the mythical bird who dies and is born again from its ashes. Najla is the human representation of this mythical bird.
Born in the middle of the Libyan Desert, and then raised in Italy, Najla struggled to escape the life that her extremist parents exposed her to, resulting in her attempted suicide at the age of 16. Fate said differently, she survived. It wasn’t her time. Soon after, Najla was reborn- stronger and more positive than ever. Now she’s 25 years old and she is inspiring and motivating everyone to follow her true passion: running- she helps people with disabilities, recovering drug addicts or just people who never ran before. Every day Najla spreads her passion around her city, Milan and also around the world, showing the true beauty of the sport, through her authentic and unrivaled energy.
Running changed her life and now, she changes lives with running.
Blazing Trail
Length: up to 10 mins (in production)
Production Team: Lachlan Gardiner, Kai Pantano and Alexander Wootten
Caine Warburton is an Australian firefighter and accomplished, sponsored trail runner. This story follows Caine through The Scenic Rim, as the worlds of a sponsored athlete and professional firefighter collide. Blazing Trail explores Caine’s passion for trail running the ridge lines of the gorgeous Mt Barney and the fragile ecology of theregenerating National Park.
This film follows his journey on the trail and the front line of defending Queensland from bushfire devastation, close to one year since the devastating fires that engulfed Australia.
After serving in the Australian Army, Caine went on to record 46 podium finishes out of 55 races. He proposed to his then girlfriend on the finishing line of an Ultra Marathon. Caine is a father and husband, whose passion for the outdoors, fitness and protecting the wilderness is only outweighed by his dedication to his young family.
Confessions of a Runner
Length: 29 mins Director: Bachar Khattar
Main Protagonist: Patrick Vaughan
Ultra-running evokes notions of insanity, dedication, and the pursuit of mind over body. A blend of eye-popping scenery, extreme human achievement, and revealing personal stories, Confessions of a Runner features Patrick Vaughan – an accomplished trail runner, small business owner, parent, and survivor of serious physical impairments – as he shares his story of healing and redemption while pursuing the record for completing the 470km Lebanon Mountain Trail. Exquisite handheld and drone cinematography and a soundtrack from local musicians provide context to this rugged north-to-south trail run, traversing from Syria to the Israeli border. Experience the Lebanese Mountain Trail through the strides and sweat of Patrick and the experiences of guide and record-holder Avedis Kalpaklian and other local runners. Patrick keeps one eye on his GPS and the other eye on the prize, breaking the record of eight days set by Avedis, a stand-out Lebanese mountain athlete and ultra-runner. Unscripted and unpredictable, Confessions is an exploration of what has driven Patrick to run incredible distances and redefine his limits in an inspiring journey to peace and redemption.
Unfenced
Length: 10 mins
Directors: Javier Fernandez & Greg Mionske
The Red Desert in southwest Wyoming is the largest unfenced area in the continental United States. But pressure from the oil and gas lobby is currently shaping how the Bureau of Land Management administers this unique landscape. In order to raise awareness about this threatened ecosystem, several Wyoming conservation groups have banded together to organize a trail race that brings runners, local stakeholders and concerned citizens together to experience this place and see exactly what is at stake.
Running 500km in 5 Days in Uganda: Love Mercy
Length: 15 mins
Main Protagonists: Luca Turrini, Justin & Kate McDonald, Matt Farmer and Pat Farmer
5 athletes took on a journey from the south to the north of Uganda in 2019 – a 500km journey. It bonded them over the little things in life, and a greater appreciation for why they run. Watch Luca Turrini, Justin & Kate McDonald, Matt Farmer and Pat Farmer take on this epic adventure. Learn more about what these fantastic adventure was for, and what Love Mercy does in northern Uganda… lovemercyfoundation.org/
Sky Project
Length: 16 mins Director: Ryan Scura
Main Protagonist: Magda Boulet
Magda Boulet grew up in Poland as a swimmer, but immigrated to the United States in 1991 and found running shortly thereafter. She specialized in the marathon and went on to represent the USA in the 2008 Olympics. Since 2013, Magda has shifted her focus to trail running where she continues to explore her limits. This October, Magda set out on the longest run of her life: 172 miles around Lake Tahoe, attempting to set the Fastest Known Time on the Tahoe Rim Trail. As a mother, ex-Olympic marathoner, and VP of R&D at GU Energy Labs, Magda is a master at balancing her training with her career and time with her family. The film uses this super-human feat to dive into her motivations, perspective, and priorities.
Bob and Marion
Length: 5 mins
Director: Amanda Bluglass & Callum Earnshaw
“It’s the agony and the ecstasy,” reflect Marion (78) and Bob Luker (81). An intimate portrait of a lifetime’s marathon running, set against Dartmoor’s epic landscape. When Bob Luker decided to try his first distance run after turning forty, he got the running bug, and so did his wife Marion. Once they tried one, they couldn’t stop. Half a lifetime later, they’ve run more marathons and ultras than they can remember. Bob calculates he’s run the equivalent of twice round the world at the equator. “Christ! I’m 80 years old and I’m still out running. Beat that!”
