SECTIONS // OFFICIAL COMPETITION FEATURE LENGTH

Virunga

Out of Competition
Orlando von Einsiedel
100' / 2014 / United Kingdom
Web: www.virungamovie.com
French, English, Swahili
English and spanish subtitled

Virunga is the incredible true story of a group of brave people risking their lives to build a better future in a part of Africa the world’s forgotter and a gripping expose of the realities of life in the Congo.
In the forested depths of eastern Congo lies Virunga National Park, one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth and home to the planet’s last remaining mountain gorillas. In this wild, but enchanted environment, a small and embattled team of park rangers - including an ex-child soldier turned ranger, a caretaker of orphan gorillas and a dedicated conservationist - protect this UNESCO world heritage site from armed militia, poachers and the dark forces struggling to control Congo's rich natural resources. When the newly formed M23 rebel group declares war, a new conflict threatens the lives and stability of everyone and everything they've worked so hard to protect, with the filmmakers and the film’s participants caught in the crossfire.
A powerful combination of investigative journalism and nature documentary, VIRUNGA is the incredible true story of a group of courageous people risking their lives to build a better future in a part of Africa the world’s forgotten, and a gripping exposé of the realities of life in the Congo.
From director Orlando von Einsiedel and executive producer Leonardo DiCaprio.

Main Festivals & Awards

Tribeca Film Fest. - Disruption Award / Hot Docs - Best of Fest and Best Emerging Filmmaker / Doxa Film Fest. - Best Feature Doc. Award / DocVille Int. Film Fest. - Conscience Award for Best Doc. / AFI Silverdocs - Best of fest 2014 / Guanjurano - Best Doc. / Little Rock Film Fest. - Best doc (Golden Rock Award) / Cinemambiente Environmental Film Fest. - Best int. doc. and Student Jury award / Green Film Fest. Buenos Areos Argentina - Best doc / Traverse City Film Festival - Best Doc / Camden Int. Film Fest. - Harrell Award for Best Doc. Feature / Crested Butte - Act Now! Award / One World Film Festival - Best of Fest. Jury Award / Hamptons int. - Zelda Penzel ‘Giving Voice to the Voiceless’ Award and Victor Rabinowitz Grant Award for social justice / HRFF Inconvenient Films Fest., Lithuania - Audience Choice Award / Abu Dhabi - Black Pearl award for Best doc. / CPH:Docs - Honourable Mention / One World Int. Human Rights Doc. Film Fest., Czech - Audience Award / Innsbruck Environmental film fest. - Best film / New York Wild Film fest. - Best in Festival / Film Ambiente - Jury Prize / Kinookus Food and Film Fest., Croatia - Best Feature Doc. / Filmambiente - Special Jury Award and People’s Choice Award / 18th Cinemambiente Environmental Film Fest. - Best Int. Doc.  / Int. Human Rights Documentary Film Fest. Vilnius - Audience Award / Thessaloniki Audience Award and WWF Award / Bermuda Int. Film Fest. - Audience Award / ZagrebDox 2015 Big Stamp

Director's Biography

With his documentaries spanning Africa, Asia, America and the Arctic, winning numerous awards, screening at the world’s top film festivals and encompassing everything from a skateboard school in Kabul to the tracking and arrest of pirates in West Africa, you could genuinely say that Orlando’s filmography this far is down right impressive. Praised by critics for his fearless filmmaking and strong sense of the people and places he covers, Orlando's eye for striking shots, combined with his compelling global investigations into social issues, have ensured that he is unequivocally an original and talented filmmaker on the rise. VIRUNGA is Orlando's first feature.