SONS

Documentary Short Film, 27 minutes 33 seconds

Nominee: Documentary Short Film

Synopsis:

"SONS" is a poignant documentary short that captures the resilience of a Ukrainian family striving for normalcy amidst the chaos of war. Interwoven with their story is that of an American family from Missouri, journeying to Ukraine to recover the remains of their son, a former Marine who was killed in action while volunteering with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This film explores themes of loss, courage, and the enduring bonds of family in the face of conflict.

Eli Davidson,

Jeff Weeks

Bios:

Eli Davidson is a Los Angeles-based writer and director, whose interest in narrative screenwriting blossomed from documentary filmmaking. Eli is the writer/director of a ten year project that follows a Ukrainian father and son—chronicling how war shapes a generation.

He began filming on the frontlines of the Donbas region in the first year of the large-scale invasion in 2022. Since then, his award-winning films have been viewed around the world—on screens like the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival, the TCL Chinese Theater, and various University campuses.

Eli believes that the skills he learned from directing a project of this scale directly informed his organized approach towards screenwriting today. Through these experiences, Eli has learned to maintain long term vision, remain disciplined when managing multiple storylines, adapt to changing conditions, commit to truthful storytelling, and to operate as a team player in high stress environments.

He has written, directed, and produced multiple independent award-winning narrative shorts--including placing 3rd at the Jakob Owens Horror Short Film Contest.

Eli has four kids and a wildly supportive wife, who all seem to find their way into his work eventually.