Dawn Breakers International Film Festival (DBIFF) is an international travelling film festival held in various cities throughout the world. The festival originated in 2007 and debuted in Phoenix, Arizona and has since been held in San Diego, Houston and Zurich. DBIFF was recognized as an important festival and nominated at the 2014 annual list of MovieMaker's "Top 25 Film Festivals of the World" in the Social Cause category. Selected films from this festival has received theatrical distribution, television broadcast and an Academy Award nomination.
The Festival is a non-profit organization focused on showcasing films and filmmakers who produce positive films. It has shown both independent and commercial films in the past few years. The filmmakers submit from around the world and there are no restrictions on what is accepted as long as it meets the theme of the festival. DBIFF is one of the few festivals in the world that also accepts Television, Music Videos and Websidoes in their selection. Several publications have covered the festival and the films including the Indian Express, the official Baha'i news service, and the Samoan news.
The festival is also a Bahá'í-inspired organization and is considered as one of the major developments in the changing culture of the Bahá'í Faith in the past fifteen years. The name of the festival, though spelled differently, is inspired by the book The Dawn-Breakers.
Since it is a traveling festival and may take place more than once within a year, it is also named by "Takes" alongside the year.
The festival took place in San Diego with a circle of invited guests and audiences only. A number of films were screened through the two-day festival, however no public announcement of the official selections were made as there were no selection process that year and all films were invites only.
In 2008, it attracted some 500 attendees each day and a total of 1000 for both days from around the world. Films shown in the festival were selected from around the globe, some countries included India, Australia, United States, Spain, United Kingdom, Cambodia, France, Malaysia, Hungary, Pakistan, Canada and Ethiopia.
Armed - Music video, Justin Baldoni's directoral debutA Boy from Jenjarom - Short documentaryArdia - Short filmCorde - Short documentaryChoke - Short filmDonkey In Lahore - Full-length documentary, Tribeca winnerJustice - Short filmLittle Mosque on the Prairie - Television showSon Maloso - Music VideoThe Gallery - Short filmThe Prayer - Short filmThe Wayfarer - Full-length documentaryTsehai Loves Learning - Animated television show (Ethiopia)Uncle Hathi - Animated television show (India)The 2009, also known as Take 3 Dawn Breakers International Film Festival took place in Zurich from December 26, 2009 to December 31, 2009. This year's line-up included twice as many films as last year and took place over five days.
18:44, Short film, New Zealand, World PremierAfghan, Short filmAmor in Motion, Short film, World PremierAntes Que O Mundo Acabe (Before the World Ends), Feature film, World PremierArising to Serve, Full-length doc, World PremierBaber Makes An Entrance – Little Mosque on the Prairie, TV, World PremierChase, Short film, World PremierIL Diavlo (The Devil), Short filmEl Espiritu de mi Mama, Feature film (Mexico), World PremierEssences & Particularities, Experimental, World PremierFast Slow Dissolving Tablets, Short film, World PremierFragile, Short filmThe Fashioner, Documentary, World PremierFrom Reservation to Revelation, Documentary, World PremierGot You, Music video, World PremierHossein Amanat - Baha'i Architect, Documentary, World PremierThe Voyages of Jenny Alexandria, AnimationLie Zi (Master Lie), Animation, World PremierLight Upon Light, Short film, World PremierThe Lost City, Short filmMethod Acting, Short filmMurder With Impunity, Webcast, World PremierMy New Home, Short filmThe Power of Forgiveness, Documentary, World PremierThe Promise of World Peace, Documentary, World PremierThe Providence Effect, Documentary International PremierRed Fish, Short filmSocial Studies, Short film, World PremierSpeak and Lie, Animation, World PremierSchool, Short film, World PremierThe Study Circle, Webcast, World PremierTanha-e (Solitude), AnimationTokaheya Inajin - The First to Arise, Documentary, World PremierTwo Men, Two Cows, Two Guns, Short filmUnited for Baha'i Human Rights, Webcast, World PremierWhat Goes Around Comes Around, Music Video,The 2010 film festival took place in the United States in the city of San Diego. It was scheduled for November 26 through 27 at the Sheraton Hotel across San Diego International Airport. On November 13, 2010 a press release announced the festival's official selection which included 44 films in all categories.
William Sears (Bahá'í) a popular TV host from the 1950s was honored during the festival. Two of this year's selection are shortlisted for the 83rd Academy Awards. and one was nominated. Most of this year's selection were either world or international premiers.
Below is a particle list of the selected films with notes about each film.
A Cut AboveAdam – The ManAll Birds WhistleAqueous Duende - experimental filmAnnie, Forget Your GunY aquellas (And These)Bobo & Kipi - TV show from CongoDas Verlorene Paradies (Paradise Lost)Dr. Elham Show Websisodes from South AfricaEnoch OlingaFeeling from AfghanistanFaith in Common starting Anthony Azizi Music by KC PorterEscuchar (Listen) - SpainThe Butterfly Circus funded by DoorstepHemels Bewegen (The Conquest of High Passes)Plastic & Glass - French experimentalOut of SightNo Longer There - Music video of Carl Young by Jack LenzNebeneinander (Side By Side)Madregot (Stairs)Madagascar, carnet de voyage, nominated for the OscarsLinger - Singapore's new waveLetters to OurselvesJewel in the Lotus - about the House of Worship in IndiaGlenn, The Flying Robot feature film from IrelandThe Secret FriendThe Road Home Student Oscar winnerThe Last Conversation - about the Persecution of Baha'isThe InvigilatorHands of the Cause - four volume film about the Hands of the CauseStraight AheadShoghi Effendi (documentary) about Shoghi EffendiRoca Bon - exploring the art of Mark TobeyRiver to Reef - environmental filmKol Shtut (Any Little Thing)Laredo, TexasTo Comfort YouWhere There is Love - video of Elika MahonyVostok StationUs (film)Urs (film)Zero on the Oscar shortlistA two-day festival was held in Houston. This festival marked DBIFF's premier in the South and the first major event to be held in the Houston Baha'i Center.
A Media Boot Camp in association with the Baha'i Media Services was scheduled to be held during the Association for Baha'i Studies conference in San Francisco in August 2011.
Take 6 / 2012 festival takes place in Switzerland.
20zwoelf (20zwoelf) / Christian Stahl / Animation / Germany / Switzerland PremiereAmen! / Moritz Mayerhofer / Animation / Germany / Switzerland PremiereAndersartig (Different) / Dennis Stein-Schomburg / Animation / Germany / Switzerland PremiereBaed Az Class ( After The Class ) / Fereshteh Parnian / Short Narrative / Iran / World PremiereBatang Aquarium (Aquarium Kids) / Eleazar L. Del Rosario / Documentary / Philippines / International PremiereBestiaire / Denis Côté / Documentary / Canada/France / Switzerland PremiereBooze Culture / Graeme Noble / Short Narrative / United Kingdom / World PremiereChant Supplications Together: Tap Into the Power of Devotional Singing / Nancy A. Watters / Documentary / Canada / World PremiereD’Symmetrie vum Päiperlek (The Symmetry of the Butterfly) / Paul Scheuer and Maisy Hausemer / Feature Narrative / Luxembourg / International PremiereDon't Hug Me I'm Scared / Joseph Pelling, Becky Sloan / Short Narrative / UK / Switzerland PremiereEi voor later / Marieke Schellart / Documentary / Netherlands / Switzerland PremiereFaced out / Omar Nayef / Documentary / Egypt / World PremiereFast in a Day / Afshin Rohani, Sahba Saberian, Victoria Eyton / Documentary / UK / World PremiereFather's Chair (A Cadeira Do Pai) / Luciano Moura / Feature Narrative / Brazil / Switzerland PremiereFelix (Felix) / Anselm Belser / Short Narrative / Germany / Switzerland PremiereFinding Ambrosia / Colin Scully / Short Narrative / United States / World PremiereFishing Without Nets / Cutter Hodierne / Short Narrative / Kenya / Switzerland PremiereFreedom / Khaled Hafi / Short Narrative / Algeria, France, Tunisia / International PremiereGeschwister (Siblings) / Joya Thome / Short Narrative / Germany / Switzerland PremiereGood Error / Mo'men Abd Elsalam / Animation / Egypt / World PremiereGuilford Street (Οδός Γκύλφορδ) / Christos Ouzounis / Short Narrative / Greece / World PremiereHaraka ( Motion ) / Sarah Rozik / Documentary / Egypt / World PremiereHere in the Last Moment / Nicola Trombley / Experimental / USA / World PremiereHome / Yann Arthus-Bertrand / Documentary / France / World PremiereIranian Taboo / Reza Allamehzadeh / Documentary / Netherlands, U.S.A. / Switzerland PremiereJesus and Buddha: Practicing Across Traditions / John Ankele, Anne Macksoud / Documentary / United States / World Premierel'île (the island) / pauline delwaulle / Documentary / France / International PremiereLandscape of the Elderly / Rami el Harayri & Maarten Stoltz / Short Narrative / Netherlands / Switzerland PremiereLogging Sports / Andreas Attai / Documentary / USA / World PremiereLotus Sutra / Deepak Verma, Neha Chopra / Documentary / India / World PremiereLuminous Journey: Abdu'l-Baha in America, 1912 / Tim Perry / Documentary / United States / World PremiereMay 1926 / Tasnim Mustafa / Short Narrative / Egypt / World PremiereMemoria / Yihwen Chen / Short Narrative / Malaysia / European PremiereMemories / Ferhat Alpözen / Short Narrative / Türkiye / World PremiereMorning Prayer / Nabil Moghaddam / Music Video / Canada / World PremiereMy Last Days / Justin Baldoni / Documentary / USA / World PremiereNeue Nähe / Sonja Vukovic, Christian Stahl / Short Narrative / Germany / Switzerland PremiereNew Light / Sahba Sanai / Short Narrative / Australia / World PremiereOld Angel (老天使) / Yen-Ting Chiang / Animation / Taiwan (ROC) / World PremiereOtis Under Sky / Anlo Sepulveda / Feature Narrative / USA / International PremiereOccupy Skepticism / Juan Sebastian Barreneche / Documentary / United States / World PremierePeter Bossman dobrodošel (Welcome Peter Bossman) / Simon Intihar / Documentary / Slovenia / Switzerland PremiereRaising the Titanic / Alex Mitchell / Documentary / United States / World PremiereReiko's Hina Dolls / Komaki Matsui / Short Narrative / Canada, USA / World PremiereSailor / Brittany Gustafson / Short Narrative / United States of America / World PremiereSilence and Desire (Sessizlik ve Özlem) / Imren Tuzun / Short Narrative / Turkey / European PremiereScorpions (Skorpionit) / Simo Hakalisto / Documentary / Finland / World PremiereSol de Verano (Summer's sun) / David Dely / Music Video / Hungary, Colombia / World PremiereSuper Soul Sunday / Devon Gundry / Television / USA / International PremiereRustman (Zhangis katsi) / Giorgi Tavartkiladze / Short Narrative / Georgia / World PremiereThe Dance / Pardis Parker / Short Narrative / Canada / Switzerland PremiereThe Gospel of Us / Dave McKean / Feature Narrative / United Kingdom / World PremiereThe Most Beautiful Flower Blooms in Winter / Vic Barnes / Short Narrative / United States / World PremiereThe Photograph / Sonbol Taefi, Sohail Sabetian / Music Video / New Zealand, Ireland, China / World PremiereThe Settler / Maram Ashour / Short Narrative / United Arab Emirates / International PremiereThe Sweatshop / Chin Tangsakulsathaporn / Short Narrative / United States / European PremiereThomas Hempel / Regieassistent (Thomas Hempel - First Assistant Director) / Short Narrative / Germany / World PremiereThunder May Have Ruined The Moment / Pete Monro / Experimental / USA / World PremiereTransit in a green landscape / Sonja van Kerkhoff, Sen McGlinn / Music Video / New Zealand / Switzerland PremiereTruks / Joao Inacio / Documentary / Brazil / International PremiereTxiki / Sergio San Martin / Documentary / Spain / Switzerland PremiereUncle Hathi and His Friends - The pink Rabbit / Hamed Mohajer / Animation / India / World PremiereUnder the Staircase / Kimia Ferdowsi Kline / Documentary / United States / International PremierWest Gilgo Mural Project / John Bragino / Documentary / United States / International PremiereThe festival announced a photography contest that would showcase the works of its finalists during the film festival.
The festival was held in Scottsdale, Arizona over two days and was the first time to be coordinated locally. It was the second time DBIFF proceeds went to charity, the first being Houston.
Submission period for the 2014 film festival took place over three months and ended in December 2013.
The 2015 festival was held online with content being broadcast from New York. The festival moved submission system to FilmFreeway.
Submission or festival dates has not been yet announced.
