Mission//

Damah encourages an emerging generation of filmmakers from diverse perspectives to voice the spiritual aspect of the human experience through film and provides a forum for these artists to develop, discuss and display their vision.

Damah is a non-profit organization that relies on the submissions, contributions and the goodwill of many diverse communities.

History//

In January, 2001, a group of individuals met to brainstorm about how they could support artists who desired to explore spirituality. They had a desire to create an event where people from a wide spectrum of spiritual backgrounds could come together to form a community where ideas, thoughts and perspectives on the spiritual aspect of life could be explored through the art of the short film.

Out of this initial meeting, The Damah Film Festival – Spiritual Experiences in Film was born. With little time to prepare, this eclectic group of visionaries partnered with other like-minded film enthusiasts, and in October 2001, the first festival was held in Seattle, WA. It was an amazing success and we’ve never looked back.

We’re now in our 7th year and looking forward to what lies ahead.

• Check out our Compilation DVDs – Vol. 1-6 by clicking here.
  
• Damah is the only short film festival with the unique focus of exploring the spiritual dimension of life through diverse perspectives.
  
• We have awarded $45,000 in prize money and received over 1000 film submissions from 20 countries over the past four festivals.
  
• Our past festivals have featured Screenings, Panel Discussions and Workshops, Interactive Screenings and Q&As – all designed to stimulate discussion and provide a platform for spiritual expression.

Board of Directors//

Mike Adamson
David Anderson www.compassacademy.org
Sean Dimond: www.untamed.be
Mark Joseph: www.mjmgroup.com
Melissa Immel
Katherine Makinney www.postmodernparables.com

Reference Board//

Spencer Burke
Phil Cooke
Karen Covell
Mako Fujimura
Michael Guido
Dallas Jenkins
Pip Piper
Dave Richards
Dustin Rubeck
Chris Seay
Nancy Stafford
Chako Van Leeuwen

Executive Team//

Executive Director: Jimmy Duke

Contact Us//

Damah Film Festival
(310) 237-5436

Damah (dù mah’)[1] noun. 1. a metaphor that transforms. 2. an art form that starts with a commonly accepted way of looking at the world and adds a surprise or unexpected twist that results in a new perspective that inspires and transforms the viewer. 3. the merging of the known, the unknown and the transcendent. 4. similar to the storytelling form known as the parable.

“I feel like my experience at the Damah Festival has definitely marked a turning point in my career as a storyteller.” -Damah filmmaker, winner of Best of Show Award, 2002