Shortcutz Amsterdam Annual Awards

Protesters. Police. Pepper Spray. For 5 days in 2008, a group of protesters calling themselves Re-create 68 took to the streets of Denver to dissent against the American government at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Defying federal court orders, riot police and bad press, this motley assemblage of men and women ranging in age from 21 to 71, set out to 're-create the spirit of the sixties' and exercise their version of democracy with their voices and bodies as their only political capital. 5 DAYS IN DENVER is an immersive journey through the modern protest experience in America. From arrests during the DNC to the weeks of planning leading up to the many marches and status-quo disruptions, this documentary embeds you in the life of the unconventional patriot.

A team of underdogs go on a world tour to get to the roots of the escalating mercury issue. From fish to vaccines to dental fillings to coal fired plants to the global transport of mercury, they find that mercury is much more toxic and pervasive than they thought and the cover up is even bigger.

'2012 A Journey to the Maya Heartland' examines some of the parallels that exist between the collapse of the Classic Maya civilization in the central lowlands of the Peten jungle in the eighth century AD and the environmental effects we are confronting as a result of Global Climate Change today in our own culture, both in North America - and in particular the American Southwest - as well as in Latin America. Beyond this, 2012 examines some of the wider effects of climate change, from changing demographics to political and economic disruptions, to the very personal issues of truth and justice and how they are playing themselves out in people's lives today.

An inside look at how police, first responders, and other government agencies react when faced with a critical incident such as an active shooter. The West Orange Police Department conducted one of the largest full-scale critical incident drills in New Jersey, involving a mock active shooter at Liberty Middle School. Our cameras captured the gunfire, explosives going off, the wounded, and even hostages held up in one of the classrooms. This documentary hopes to shed light on the best ways for government agencies to prepare and deal more effectively and efficiently with these unfortunately all too common critical incidents that are sweeping our nation. Narrated by Captain Mark Kelly, whose wife, former Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords fell victim to an active shooter incident in 2011.

'Fire in the hole!' B O O M! Blending explosive footage, emotion and the power of a newly freed river after being blocked for 100 years, this video celebrates the power of art-activism and the role it played in the second largest dam removal project in world history. The 20-year effort to remove antiquated Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in Washington state began when two salmon and wild-river loving art activists dared to call for dam demolition.