Indianapolis International Film Festival 2009

With all of the problems facing the world today including war, poverty, weapons, environmental degradation, starvation, overpopulation and severe desperation among millions, people are longing for meaning. Many seek answers in spirituality, but often faith and religion are hijacked by a fundamentalist few who use the name of God to promote their own ends. With this dichotomy in mind, the documentary film Beyond Our Differences calls upon key religious leaders, politicians, and luminaries in their respective fields to tackle the most complex issues in the modern age, and we ask what inspires them to affect positive change. The hope is that their personal experiences will provide a new perspective on how non-violent activism and compassion can be effectively used in resolving even the most difficult disputes. This tapestry of voices and viewpoints regarding spirituality is woven with one universal expression of hope. By providing such a variety of experiences against the backdrop of rich landscapes and religious images, we hope that individual viewers will understand this unified message of hope and will become empowered through their own expressions of faith to impact positive change in their lives and the lives of others. The film also gives hope by exploring past and present religious-inspired movements that have resulted in positive change. In addition to documenting the work of great leaders such as Gandhi, Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama we will also follow several modern-day visionaries whose faith have afforded them the courage to promote social change.Over seventy interviews have been completed in over ten countries on four continents, including contributions from His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Ela Gandhi, Ambassador Andrew Young, Deepak Chopra, Former President of Iran Mohammad Khatami, Peter Gabriel, author Paulo Coelho, and Prime Minister of Egypt Ahmed Nazif.Beyond Our Differences is directed by Peter Bisanz and produced by Vladimir Trushchenkov, Catherine Tatge and Tonko Soljan.

College student Elena Torres has developed an expert system for surviving in a world she cannot afford.  As long as she remains anonymous, and all alone, she'll be alright.  But when she meets an unlikely ally in collegiate Republican-at-large Jason Whitsell, she must decide whether she can trust him with her secrets.

A jug of wine, a loaf of bread - but wait - what kind of bread? A comedy about a first date with extra baggage.

Skyscracia - a floating city among the clouds, miles above Earth, where inhabitants have the technology to fly with the help of enchanted capes. Atreus, our hero, is the star of a national cape ceremony, in which he will receive his cape and fly for the very first time. With much fanfare, Atreus is adorned with his new cape. He takes off into the sky, soaring through the air with agility & grace. His bliss is cut short in mid-flight - a lightning bolt in a cloudless sky - and our young hero falls. He dives for miles, picking-up speed and losing control until he crashes onto the cold hard rock of Earth's floor.This new world is not a friendly place. When Atreus comes to, he is greeted by mammoth storm clouds, thunder, wind and sand. Being stranded here is the curse of death, and Atreus lives out his last days searching for signs of hope. On his deathbed, weak and starved and delirious, his pursuit ends, and Atreus at last finds salvation - in the form of a dream from which he does not wake.

Joanne is an eight year old with one driving passion in life “to perfect" the ultimate Houdini-esk trick. A bright and imaginative loner struggling to come to terms with a neglectful and uninterested mother, Joanne's every waking moment is consumed with practising escapology at any opportunity. Despite the fact that her escape attempts are frequently unsuccessful, Joanne is confident that given a little time and constant training she will be able to perform a daring attempt that would make even Houdini proud.

Rob is married with a little girl he adores. A successful chef, he lives his life as he runs his kitchen, but his familiar regime of order and control is shaken when he falls in love with a young male trainee. At the last moment, he decides to make his feelings known, and so writes the letter that could promise his release but could also destroy his ordered life.

Shelly the chicken wasn't looking for a fight, but he found one. Can he face his fears and stand up for himself?