When I first heard about a night at the IFC on March 13th showcasing 6 short clips from upcoming documentaries, I immediately was intrigued. The annual event, Film Collection, consists of viewing impactful and at times heart-wrenching films followed by Q&A with the director/producers.

Each year the Film Collection event benefits a chosen charity - this year it was Charity: Water, an organization that brings clean water to communities in need in countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, India, Bangladesh, and Malawi.

With the storytelling abilities of Hanady Salman, personally, I felt most connected to the War of 33 and am anxious for the full length documentary to be released, however plan to see all of the full length features. The event was truly captivating - keep your eyes out for the release of all these films!

This year's films included:

Fair Trade - Directed by Michael Dreher, short
"The shortest distance and at the same time the most obvious gap between the so-called Third World Countries and Europe is the Straits of Gibraltar. 'Fair Trade' is one of the many stories that happen there every day."

Soldiers of Conscience - Directed by Catherine Ryan, documentary feature
"Their country asked them to kill. Their hearts asked them to stop. From West Point grads to drill sergeants, from Abu Ghraib interrogators to low-ranking reservist -mechanics; soldiers in the US Army today reveal their deepest moral concerns about what they are asked to do in war."

Reborn - Directed by Drea Cooper, documentary feature
"'Reborn: New Orleans Schools' chronicles the first official year of public school in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The centerpiece is the charter school movement's efforts to radically transform education for the city's mostly African-American public school children, many of whom would still be attending some of the worst performing schools in the nation."

Still Bill - Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack
"'Still Bill' follows the story of Bill Withers, best known for his classics, 'Ain't No Sunshine,' 'Grandma's Hands,' 'Lean on Me,' Lovely Day,' and 'Just the Two of Us.' But Withers' musical life is just one part of a complex man who was raised in the coal mining towns of West Virginia, sailed for nine years in the Navy, worked as an airplane mechanic, rose to the top of the charts, and then left it behind to raise a family: a life rich with meaning, beyond ethereal fame."

War of 33: Letters from Beirut - Directed by Richard Rowley, documentary feature
"'The War of 33' is an intimate, personal and powerful telling of the story of the 2006 war in Lebanon. A series of letters written by Hanady Salman carves a narrative arc through the intense and haunting images of conflict. She tells the stories of her family and the people she lives the war with and the everyday Lebanese, struggling to maintain their sanity and their humanity during a time of war."

The Americana Project - Directed by Topaz Adizes, documentary feature
"'The Americana Project' explores the various shades of American identity using both the intimate story of two teens in their few months of high school before they enlist in the U.S. Army and the global perspective of foreigners living in various cities around the world."

[Summaries provided by Film Collection]