# Mobile Phone Movies for Social Awareness ‘Mankind is No Island' Wins Tropfest By Marissa Brassfield | Published 2008-11-10 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mankind-is-no-island References: [freshcreation](http://www.freshcreation.com/entry/mankind_is_no_island/#When:07:07:01Z) & [tropfest](http://www.tropfest.com/ny/) ‘Mankind is No Island’ by [Jason van Genderen](http://treehousecreative.com/) is a short film shot entirely on a cell phone video camera; it’s a social awareness film that focuses on the homeless of New York City and Sidney, Australia. This 3.5-minute film with a total budget of $57 took first prize at Tropfest, a short film festival that its website bills as the world’s largest. For Tropfest, each of the 100 submissions had to include a sunflower, the 2008 Tropfest Signature Item. You’ll have to watch ‘Mankind is No Island’ to see how a sunflower plays into this visual narrative. ‘Mankind is No Island’ is a curious look into the future of [social activism](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/this-is-not-a-home). While celebrities certainly have the funds to raise awareness of their chosen issues, these guerrilla initiatives feel far more hard-hitting and insightful. On Sunday, we published a piece about A-listers speaking out against poverty; to me, however, Jason van Genderen’s visual narrative work spoke far more loudly. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.9/10 - Popularity: 25% | Activity: 84% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Media](https://www.trendhunter.com/media) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Mobile Phone Movies:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Expanding the use of mobile phones for filmmaking, creating a new platform for creative storytelling. - **Social Awareness Films:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Utilizing film as a tool for raising awareness and initiating change on social issues. - **Guerrilla Initiatives:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Harnessing unconventional and grassroots methods to amplify social activism and impact. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Film Production:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrating mobile phone filmmaking into traditional film production processes, enabling more accessible and cost-effective productions. - **Social Activism:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Leveraging film as a powerful medium for advocacy and mobilizing public support for social causes. - **Technology:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing new technologies and tools to enhance the capabilities of mobile phone cameras for filmmaking purposes. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Homeless Awareness Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/no-address.md) - [Smartphone-Filmed Festive Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/little-garlic.md) - [Smartphone-Shot Live-Actions Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/midnight-film.md) - [Smartphone-Shot Festive Short Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/i-made-a-mixtape-for-you.md) - [Journalist-Focused Short Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-shooting.md) - [Youth-Led Holiday Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/where-are-you-going.md) - [Environmental Film Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/patagonia-films.md) - [Distracted Driving Awareness Videos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/project-yellow-lights-love-story.md) - [Emotional Short Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/johnson-johnson.md)