Winners of The Humankindness Film Festival Showcased at Gasparilla International Film Festival

June 18th, 2021 (Tampa, Florida) - Humankind Partnership, (HKP), a Storytelling for Good Company specializing in media creation, virtual events, and video production, has announced the winners of their 1st Annual Humankindness Film Festival which were shown at The Suncoast Credit Union Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) June 11th at the AMC\\ Westshore in Tampa.  

“We are so very pleased to showcase the incredible entries received through this competition at the Suncoast Credit Union Gasparilla International Film Festival”, says President of the Gasparilla International Film Festival, Tammy Briant Spratling, “This year, as the film and movie industries move toward recovery, it is especially important for us to showcase the work of filmmakers such as those who have submitted to this competition. We are pleased to bring kindness to the big screen”.

Humankind Partnership CEO Eileen Sweeney said, “We heard remarkable stories of perseverance, ingenuity and resilience in the face of this global crisis, and we invited people to share their story in this film festival of humanity. The theme of our inaugural year was “resilience”.  The challenge was to present a video of up to 5 minutes in length that illustrated what the term “resilience” means. These stories inspire, equip, and educate audiences.  The Humankindess Film Festival was created to celebrate the resiliency that we’ve seen in our communities as we’ve faced this most challenging year.”

First Place

The winner is Joe Wiens, an actor and singer-songwriter who hails from Gowanda, New York, who moved to Chicago in 2010 and quickly joined up with Shattered Globe Theatre Company, an ensemble-based theatre of actors, artists, and designers.  His winning entry is titled, “At the Shattered Globe”.

Wiens says, "When the pandemic shut down live theatre in Chicago I realized I missed more than just the craft of acting and the thrill of being on stage. I missed my artistic family and our frequent collaborations, as well as just the personal time we would spend together…I knew one day we would come back to the theatre and we would thrive again, we just needed to be patient and try and be creative in the meantime. I sent it kind of as a love letter for them to know that it was only a matter of time."

Second Place

Our Second-place winner is Olivia Siegel from Woodstock, NY, who was inspired by her surroundings and likes every part of the film making process. She said creating “Confessed My Love with Orange Crush'' was a wonderful experience.

Third Place

There was a tie for Third-place: Ana Alhoud of Tampa, FL, and Alex Ober also of Woodstock, NY.

The winning submissions, as well as all finalists, will be posted on Humankind Partnership’s website, humankindpartnership.com and social media channels and other documentary film-related outlets.  

Humankind Partnership (HKP) consults with clients on their Storytelling, Philanthropy and Community Engagement needs and helps them navigate all their Communications challenges. HKP specializes in delivering Social Storytelling, Digital Content and PR strategies across platforms for corporations and non-profits. Through livestreaming events, documentary-style videos, and animated infographics we shape perceptions and enhance brand awareness.