2021 Festival

2021 ILLUMINATE Film Festival Lineup

ILLUMINATE is pleased to announce that our annual film festival took place May 20-26, 2021. The festival will continue to bring you the best of conscious film as we move to a hybrid festival format, with almost all of the films playing virtually and a limited number of films showing at open air, drive-in or theater venues in spectacular Sedona, Arizona.

After being cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19, ILLUMINATE will offer its largest lineup ever and once again bring people together to experience life-altering shifts through inspirational films. ILLUMINATE 2021 spans 7 days and will present 29 of the most compelling conscious themed films of the year.  

Our largest-ever lineup features 9 World Premieres, 8 North American, US or Southwest Premieres, 4 Luminary Tributes, 75+ filmmakers, film subjects, industry mentors, wisdom teachers, thought-leaders and healers, and an all-new 9-day "Life-Quest" Guided Festival Experience.

In accordance with IFF tradition, the festival will begin with a free-to-the-public Pre-Festival Kickoff Open Air Screening of We Are the Thousand on May 19th. The festival program will include virtual gala screenings, world premieres, post-screening presentations with directors and producers and Reel Healing immersions.

The Festival will present its fifth annual Conscious Visionary Award to Deepak Chopra, world-renowned author and pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation, in conjunction with the film The Way of Miracles. 

Look no further for inspired wisdom than this year’s nationally renowned guests, who will join us virtually, including Ken Wilber, Marci Shimoff, Bob Proctor, Lisa Nichols, Gregg Braden, Bruce Lipton and Lynne McTaggart, who will receive this year's Humanitarian Award.

In addition, the Festival will host a series of virtual film industry programs at the festival’s largest-ever Conscious Film Convergence, which offers panels, networking and mentoring for those working to elevate consciousness through filmmaking. Highlights include Spotlight Conversations with ILLUMINATE's 2021 Inspiration and Impact Storyteller Award recipient, Oscar-winning director and Pixar Animations Studios Chief Creative Officer, Pete Docter (Soul, Monsters Inc., Up, Inside Out); Trailblazer Award recipient, prominent film financier and Artemis Rising Foundation founder Regina K. Scully; and acclaimed Hollywood screenwriter, educator, and author Christopher Vogler (The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers). Among a roster of over 25 esteemed panelists, other highlighted guests include Level Forward CEO Adrienne Becker, Harpo Films Executive Vice President Carla Gardini, Area 23a’s Kirt Eftekhar and others.

NOTE:  The live in-person screenings will be held in accordance with recommended national guidelines around reduced capacity and socially distanced seating.

2021 film lineup included:

AMA’ARA – THE SONG OF THE WHALES
WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Sebastian Jobst · Documentary Feature
Germany · 2021 · 95 minutes · English

Enter a world of transcendence in AMA'ARA – The SONG of the WHALES. Spiritual singer and healer Marina Trost follows her calling to cross oceans to save the whales and create a new, loving relationship between humans and these majestic beings. Through channeled music and mesmerizing cinematography, we feel Marina's passion and how she connects intuitively to the whales’ beauty and majesty. Spirituality, sacred song, and healing flow beyond time and space. In this cinematic meditation, we uncover song as a vehicle to our own transcendence. This film is a powerfully poetic love song for our troubled times.

OPENING FILM
AWARE – GLIMPSES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Director: Frauke Sandig & Eric Black · Documentary Feature
Germany/United States · 2020 · 102 minutes · English

What is consciousness? Is it in all living beings? What happens when we die? Why do we seem to be hardwired for mystical experience? Travel along as scientists give us peeks into a realm previously dominated by philosophy and religion. Aware follows six brilliant researchers who approach our greatest mysteries from radically different viewpoints. High-tech brain research and Eastern meditation, psychedelics, and the consciousness of plants help us see the world anew, challenge our beliefs, and maybe even initiate our own journey into the unknown.

BIG VS SMALL
SOUTHWEST PREMIERE
Director: Minna Dufton · Documentary Feature
Finland · 2020 · 76 minutes · Portuguese, Finnish, English

This remarkable film profiles Joana Andrade, the first Portuguese woman to surf some of the world's biggest waves in Nazaré, and her journey of personal transformation in the dark stillness of a frozen Finnish lake. A visual treat about power and strength on the water's surface while facing long-buried demons beneath it, this story is about trust and letting go, and what happens when two champion athletes share their extraordinary talents—because the battle is not always on the waves. 

Paired with HYDROTHERAPY
Directors: Jack Davies, Fin Davies · Documentary Short
United Kingdom · 2020 · 6 minutes · English

In her battle with chronic disease, Laura Owen Sanderson discovers the healing power of wild swimming and the freedom of rewilding.

DREAMER
Director: Nick Nanton · Documentary Feature
USA · 2021 · 75 minutes · English

Take off with the first armless pilot, Jessica Cox. Explore commercial space travel with pioneers Anousheh Ansari and Peter Diamandis. And get techie with Segway and IBOT inventor Dean Kamen. What do they have in common? They were told to get their heads out of the clouds because “it can’t be done.” But they persevered through obstacles and setbacks to make their dreams come true. Now these pioneers are changing the world while inspiring the next generation of dreamers. Featuring entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson, Lisa Nichols and Jim Kwik. Dare to dream with them!

GRACE AND GRIT
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Director: Sebastian Siegel · Narrative Feature
USA · 2021 · 111 minutes · English

Grace and Grit tells the true story of iconic philosopher Ken Wilber and his wife Treya. Based on the acclaimed book chronicling Treya's journals, they fall madly in love in 1980s California and are immediately faced with challenges that tear them apart. They overcome by discovering connection beyond this world and love beyond life. Starring Mena Suvari and Stuart Townsend, with Frances Fisher, Mariel Hemingway, Rebekah Graf, and Nick Stahl. Written and directed by Sebastian Siegel.

THE LINDWORM
Director: Adam Loften & Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee · Documentary Short
USA · 2018 · 10 minutes · English

This poetic fable eloquently reveals the power of myth. We journey with serpents and princesses, prodigal sons and family, to find forgiveness, self-understanding, and an open heart.

MUCHO MUCHO AMOR: The Legend of Walter Mercado
Director: Cristina Costantini & Kareem Tabsch · Documentary Feature
USA · 2020 · 95 minutes · English

Every day for decades, the beloved Puerto Rican astrologer, psychic, and gender-fluid legend Walter Mercado charmed the world with the first-ever televised horoscopes. Equal parts Oprah, Liberace, and Mr. Rogers, Walter reached over 120 million viewers at his peak. He enthralled the Latin world with sequined capes, opulent jewelry, and horoscopes that shared a message of love and hope. Then, he mysteriously disappeared. Find out what happened as Mucho Mucho Amor celebrates a magical life set apart—and inspires us with courage to live our purpose to the fullest.

PLAYING FOR KEEPS
SOUTHWEST PREMIERE
Director: James Redford · Documentary Feature
USA · 2020 · 62 minutes · English

Confess. When was the last time you did something purely for joy? Our world focuses on productivity, not play, right? Yet, hard science (and body wisdom) tells us that play is neither silly nor impractical. In fact, wanting enjoyable experiences for their own sake is hard-wired into our brains. In Playing For Keeps, we peek into the playtime of Dateline anchor Lester Holt, hula dancer Caroline Cárdenas, and the founder of The National Institute for Play. We learn there are no excuses needed to seek your joy!

RUN WOMAN RUN
ARIZONA PREMIERE
Director: Zoe Leigh Hopkins · Narrative Feature
Canada · 2020 · 100 minutes · English and Mohawk with English subtitles

In this feel-good anti rom-com, Beck, a bereaved single mom of the Six Nations, lost her path when her mom died of suicide. A steady diet of donuts sends her into a diabetic coma, her all-time low. But by hitting rock bottom, Beck summons the ghost of her ancestor, Tom Longboat, a famous Mohawk distance runner, who comes to help her turn her life around. Will Beck be inspired to run—for her ancestors, the Earth, and the family she loves?

CLOSING FILM
SAMADHI ROAD
WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Irmãos Ahimsa (Julio & Daniel Hey) · Documentary Feature
Brazil/Portugal · 2021 · 90 minutes · Portuguese, English

"Who am I?" "What is the purpose of existence?" "How can I overcome the fear of dying?” In Samadhi Road, two brothers embrace the tradition of orality and journey across continents. They seek insight and wisdom from learned masters and elders sharing their glimpses of spiritual awakening. Through interviews with Benny Golson, Sonny Rollins, Kaz Tanahashi, Agnes Heller, Robert Thurman, the inimitable Mooji, and others, we follow a path of enlightenment and deep learning converging in a universal discourse of love and respect for human life.

THE 1 FIELD
US PREMIERE
Director: Tsipi Raz · Documentary Feature
Israel · 2019 · 124 minutes · English
During a peace pilgrimage across Israel, channeler Lee Carroll conveys to hundreds of journeyers messages about “the one field” that connects everything through energy and vibration. In a beautiful landscape shadowed by violence, we hear real-life stories of connecting consciousness with intent. Groundbreaking scientists from various fields examine Carroll's statements in real time with twenty-first-century measuring tools. Key figures such as Lynne McTaggart; Bruce Lipton, PhD; and Gregg Braden provide clues to the power of consciousness with science, insights, and personal stories. They offer us a unique bridge between spirituality and science that leaves us with a lot to ponder.

THE CALLING
WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Roger Ingraham & Nicklas Schrimpf · Documentary Feature
South Africa/USA · 2021 · 65 minutes · English, Zulu

In this time-bending docu-narrative, we uncover how sadness, longing, or even sickness can be our most profound guide. This is the story of two women, Tarynn and Makhosi Sarah, who are mysteriously invited, at different times, to South Africa by indigenous shamans to gain clarity from their healing crises and discover how they might serve a higher purpose. Will the signs, synchronicities and ceremonies help them answer their unique calling? How do we find our purpose? What good can we do with this time we are given?

Paired with KAPAEMAHU
Director: Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson · Animated Short
USA · 2020 · 9 minutes · Hawaiian

This Oscar-nominated short animation reveals a hidden healing lineage brought from Tahiti to Hawaii by dual male and female spirits, imbued into four boulders on Waikiki Beach.

THE MAGNITUDE OF ALL THINGS
SOUTHWEST PREMIERE
Director: Jennifer Abbott · Documentary Feature
Canada · 2020 · 85 minutes · English, English subtitles

When Jennifer Abbott lost her sister to cancer, her grief propelled her to face not only her own mortality, but also that of humankind as she realized that we are at an environmental crossroads. Jennifer’s new documentary is about the love of the Earth, sisterly love, and how coming to terms with loss can move us to action. A Sundance award-winning director, she takes us around the world to the frontlines of climate change and to, ultimately, find acceptance and hope. Along the way, we meet climate activists Roger Hallam of Extinction Rebellion, Pachamama Alliance, and Greta Thunberg.

Paired with THE CHURCH FORESTS OF ETHIOPIA
Director: Jeremy Seifert · Documentary Short
USA · 2019 · 9 minutes · English

In Ethiopia, church forests are withstanding environmental destruction—but just barely. Find out how these lush pockets hang on, and what their future holds.

THE REMEMBERER
ARIZONA PREMIERE
Director: Ariel Guntern · Documentary Feature
USA/Argentina · 2019 · 60 minutes · Spanish, English subtitles

The Rememberer tells the astounding story of Matías De Stefano, an Indigo child who was born in Argentina in 1987. He possesses the ability to remember everything beyond his birth, to multiple past lives dating back to ancient civilizations that held powerful spiritual understandings of how the Universe works. This film is a powerful Satsang led by Matías himself. It takes us on a journey through his memories, showing us the lost story of humanity. While in mysterious and hypnotic meditative states, he transmits an energy that speaks directly to our souls and higher consciousness. Perhaps, we, too, need to awaken and remember.

CENTERPIECE FILM
THE SEEDS OF VANDANA SHIVA
WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Camilla Becket & James Becket · Documentary Feature
USA/Australia · 2021 · 84 minutes · English

Enter the remarkable life story of eco-activist and agro-ecologist, Vandana Shiva, who rose from obscurity to become the most articulate voice for organic food systems. With a mastery in quantum physics, Vandana bridges her knowledge as a scientist and philosopher with her driven spirituality and deep connection to nature to show us what it takes to protect our food. Along the way, she wins nonviolent victories against the goliaths of chemical agribusiness. In the end, we see a leader of Gandhian stature, struggling over who controls the world’s food systems, and asks us, “Who will prevail?”

THE WAY OF MIRACLES
WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Christina Vircillo Bresson · Documentary Feature
USA · 2021 · 82 minutes · English

Through the work of holistic practitioner Mark Mincolla, PhD, The Way of Miracles takes us on an eye-opening journey of human healing. East meets West in traditional medicine and ancient holistic teachings, miracle recoveries, and cutting-edge science. He examines how the energetic properties of food, thought, and emotion affect our immune systems, resulting in disease—or health. Discover how to harness the power of healing, gain understanding of the higher self, and align with universal love. Learn from both patients and celebrated luminaries, including Dr. Deepak Chopra; Bruce Lipton, PhD; Dr. Paul Mills; Shamini Jain, PhD; and Rupert Sheldrake, PhD.

UNSINKABLE: THE SECRET TO BOUNCING BACK
WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Riley Dayne · Documentary Feature
Canada/USA · 2020 · 82 minutes · English

Bestselling author of Unsinkable and renowned “bounce back” expert Sonia Ricotti, embarks on her life-changing journey to discover the true secrets to bouncing back quickly when life knocks you down. We hear from many of the world’s top bounce-back experts, such as Dr. John Gray, Marci Shimoff, Lisa Nichols, and Dr. Joe Dispenza. Their life-changing stories show us we CAN overcome difficult situations with ease and turn our lives around. Unsinkable: The Secret to Bouncing Back takes us from stressed, sad, and fearful to calm, peaceful, and happy. Walk away with a new lease on life!

PRE-FESTIVAL KICK-OFF SCREENING
WE ARE THE THOUSAND
ARIZONA PREMIERE
Director: Anita Rivaroli · Documentary Feature
Italy · 2020 · 80 minutes · Italian, English

Filled with impossible challenges, a band of indefatigable heroes, and lots of music, We Are The Thousand introduces us to Fabio, who dreams of bringing the Foo Fighters to his small Italian town. He gathers 1,000 musicians, amateur and pro, all ages, to form the largest band ever seen in the hope of grabbing his idol's attention. Will they be able to play in sync? Will their passion for rock and roll truly unite them to meet this impossible goal? Winner of the SPOTLIGHT Audience Award at South by Southwest 2021 Film Festival, this exuberant documentary explores how impossible goals can be reached together. It immerses us in a communal experience of the healing power of music.

CONSCIOUS SHORTS I

SNOWY
ARIZONA PREMIERE
Director: Kaitlyn Schwalje & Alex Wolf Lewis · Documentary Short
USA · 2020 · 13 minutes · English

Snowy, a four-inch-long pet turtle, has lived a life of isolation in the family basement for over ten years. Is it time for a turtle intervention?

TOUCHED: A MASSAGE STORY
WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Chandler Toffa · Documentary Short
USA/Denmark · 2020 · 29 minutes · English

Uncover the wisdom found in the hands of world-renowned massage therapist, Jonathan Grassi, and the power of human connection through the medicine of touch.

THE WATER WALKER
ARIZONA PREMIERE
Director: James Burns · Documentary Short
Canada · 2020 · 14 minutes · English

In this deeply moving documentary-animation hybrid, we meet indigenous youth climate activist Autumn Peltier, who uses her passion and wisdom to preserve the world and its future.

INVITATION TO THE DANCE
SOUTHWEST PREMIERE
Director: Sarah Shoemaker · Documentary Short
USA · 2020 · 38 minutes · English

A ballet teacher with an open heart joins five adults with special needs to show us the power of being seen, included, and valued as human beings.

CONSCIOUS SHORTS II

DOTTIE
ARIZONA PREMIERE
Director: Dandan Lui · Documentary Short
USA · 2020 · 13 minutes · Spanish, English

Dottie, an 86-year old New Mexican matriarch, shares intimate stories and words of deep wisdom. As a breast cancer survivor, she elegantly illuminates the circle of life.

DAY OF A STRANGER
WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Cassidy Hall · Documentary Short
USA · 2021 · 31 minutes · English

Day of A Stranger is a contemplative film that explores the mind of one of the twentieth century’s greatest religious thinkers, Thomas Merton.

LOTUS
WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Angelika Fürstler & Austin Ahlborg · Documentary Short
France/USA · 2020 · 9 minutes · English

Drama and poetic filmmaking combine, immersing us in a cycle of rebirth, growth, and transformation inspired by Angelika’s near death experience and personal awakening. LOTUS helps us dive deep.

LARRY ROSENBERG: LONG PATH HOME
SOUTHWEST PREMIERE
Director: Mary Ostrow · Documentary Short
USA · 2018 · 38 minutes · English

This is the remarkable story of world-renowned meditation teacher, Larry Rosenberg, and how his life-long quest for self-discovery has helped thousands find freedom from suffering.

The full festival schedule for ILLUMINATE 2021 was announced the last week of April, as well as Luminary Tributes, Filmmaker Q&As, Reel Healings, parties, the "Life-Quest" Guided Festival Experience, Conscious Film Convergence and more.