time/location

film info

film description

THUS
7 pm
Bldg 355
Room 203

90 min. 2008 back to schedule
Moxie Films Director: Stelios Kouloglou

Parental Guidance:Violence

From 1971 to 1981 John Perkins was a prominent member of the top-secret team of “economic hit men” who used fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, military coups and murder to help create the global American empire. Working as an economist for consulting firm, Chas T Main, his job was to structure huge loans to Indonesia, Panama and Saudi Arabia -- loans for massive construction projects that would funnel the money back to US contractors, at the cost of national self-sufficiency, independence and endemic poverty for the vast majority of the local population. Economics--not Intelligence--is where the real cloak-and-dagger stuff happens.

THUS
8:45 pm
Bldg 355
Room 203

72 min. 2009 back to schedule
NFB Director: Alan Kohl

Parental Guidance: Coarse language

Details a Montreal stencil artist’s clandestine campaign to make his mark on the city streets. Hailed as an "artist's artist" by Wooster Collective, Roadsworth began to play with the language of the streets, overlaying city asphalt markings with his own images: a crosswalk becomes a giant boot print, vines choked up traffic dividers, and electrical plugs filled parking spots. Each piece begged the question, Who owns public space? As he is prosecuted at home and celebrated abroad, Roadsworth struggles to defend his work, define himself as an artist and address difficult questions about art and freedom of expression. Music by Mitchell Akiyama, Miracle Fortress, and Broken Social Scene.

SAT
10 am
Bldg 200
Room 203

60 min. 2008 back to schedule
Camfed

Parental Guidance: No advisory

Written by Jordan Roberts and narrated by Morgan Freeman, Where the Water Meets the Sky tells the inspiring story of a group of women in a remote region of Northern Zambia who achieve the unimaginable: they learn how to make a film as a way to speak out about their lives, raising an issue that no one will discuss – the plight of young women orphaned by AIDS. In a community where women are rarely given the chance to speak up, the inspiring voices at the core of this moving documentary ring loud and clear. What begins as a workshop in filmmaking becomes a journey in empowerment as the women rise to the challenge of pressing their community to change.

SAT
10 am
Bldg 355
Room 203

51 min. 2008 back to schedule
NFB Director: Ariel Nasr

Parental Guidance: No advisory

"My country fights a war in my father’s country. And I look on with a growing sense of confusion." So Ariel Nasr begins his powerful documentary, Good Morning Kandahar, which gives poignant voice to the dilemmas felt by thousands of young Afghans around the world — many in surprising places — as they grapple with events in their homeland. The film introduces us to young Afghan-Canadians torn between a deep desire to help Afghanistan and fear that things will never change. Good Morning Kandahar is a moving and rich film that brings a profoundly needed personal perspective to a painful controversy. Best Original Music Score, Atlantic Film Festival

SAT
10 am
Bldg 356
Room 109

12 min. 2009 back to schedule
Seva Canada

General: No Advisory

http://www.seva.ca/contest.htm

Seva Canada invited Canadians age 13 and up to help restore sight and prevent blindness in girls and women by creating short videos about vision and gender. Globally someone goes blind every 5 seconds and a child goes blind every minute. Approximately 314 million people worldwide live with serious vision impairment and 45 million people are blind. Two out of three blind people are women or girls, yet they receive care less than half as often as men and boys. Seva Canada is a global leader on the issue of gender equity and blindness.

Local opthamologist, Dr. Martin Spencer, a Seva board member who spends several weeks each year working in Seva programs in India, Nepal, Tibet, Malawi, Guatemala and Cambodia, will be in attendance to introduce the films and provide information about Seva programs.

For more information about Dr. Spencer and Seva programs, see http://www.vergemagazine.com/global-heroes/profiles/?g2_itemId=42

SAT
10:15 am
Bldg 356
Room 109

44 min. 2009 back to schedule
Filmmakers: Warren Cariou and Neil McArthur

General: No Advisory

Underneath the woods and the muskeg of northern Canada lies roughly two trillion barrels of oil, fifteen percent of the world’s known reserves. Land of Oil and Water follows the journey of Warren Cariou, a Métis writer from northern Saskatchewan, who learns that the oil companies from Alberta are expanding into his homeland. Cariou talks to people in the area about their hopes and fears about the development. Aboriginal communities who have experienced the development in Alberta continue the struggle to preserve their traditional way of life in the midst of the largest and most destructive oil recovery operation the world has ever known. It’s time to count the true cost of development and listen to the Métis and First Nations people who call this place home.

SAT
10 am
Bldg 250
Room 125

70 min. 2009 back to schedule
InformAction Director: Karen Cho

General: No Advisory

Five asylum seekers set out on the lengthy journey to be accepted as refugees in Canada. Plunging into the experiences, hopes and struggles of asylum seekers looking for protection, Seeking Refuge follows newly-arrived claimants awaiting their hearings and captures the lives of those who have been denied asylum and are facing deportation. From border crossings to refugee shelters, a moving look at the lives of people who navigate Canada's complex refugee determination system after escaping war, persecution, rape and political unrest. In a situation where the decision to grant or deny asylum could mean life or death for the refugee, Seeking Refuge offers a provocative look at both the refugee system and those whose lives lie in the balance.

SAT
11 am
Bldg 356
Room 109

93 min. 2009 back to schedule
Director: Sandy Cioffi

General: No Advisory

www.sweetcrudemovie.com

The highly acclaimed film about the human and environmental consequences of 50 years of oil extraction in the Niger Delta, the history of non-violent protest, and the members of a new insurgency, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) who are demanding an end to the environmental degradation (equivalent to 50 Exxon Valdez spills) and a share of the $700 billion oil profits. The Nigerian government policy of execution and intimidation extended even to Cioffi and her crew, who were arrested and detained, their film footage seized. This superbly crafted film confronts issues of human rights, resource control, environmental justice and mainstream media agendas. The issues are complex; the answers elusive. But in this moment, there’s an opportunity to find solutions. What if the world paid attention before it was too late? Many awards include: Special Jury Award, DMZ Docs, Korean Documentary

SAT
11 am
Bldg 355
Room 203

90 min. 2009 back to schedule
Brave New Films

This documentary about the ongoing war in Afghanistan features experts from Afghanistan, the U.S., and Russia, among others, discussing critical issues like military escalation, how escalation will affect Pakistan and the surrounding region, the cost of war, civilian casualties, and the rights of Afghan women. Through the production of the full-length documentary film coupled with an online and on-the-ground campaign, Rethink Afghanistan advocates an alternative vision to the current U.S. policy on Afghanistan, and gave birth to a movement based out of the growing need and desire for non-military solutions in the region. As part of the filmmaking process, acclaimed Director Robert Greenwald (Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers, Outfoxed, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price) traveled to Afghanistan to meet with and interview members of Afghanistan's parliament, bloggers, women's rights organizations, and groups committed to the peace movement. 2009 award for Most Valuable Multimedia Activism, Most Valuable Progressives awards

SAT
11:15 am
Bldg 250
Room 125

84 min. 2009 back to schedule
Monterey Media Director: Turk Pipkin

General: No Advisory

Turk Pipkin takes us on his journey to find some positive solutions for a “messed up world”. How can we provide basic rights to every child? The film features the insights of Nobel laureates Muhammad Yunus, Desmond Tutu and Stephen Chu. Willie Nelson and many others offer their insights into what is required for a more equitable world. Music by Ben Harper, Bob Dylan, Jack Johnson, Cat Stevens, Explosions in the Sky and more. Audience Award at the Maui Film Festival

*Sponsored by Bend Over Backwards Yoga*

SAT
11:15 am
Bldg 200
Room 203

53 min. 2009 back to schedule
Working Films Director: Mai Iskander

General: No Advisory

Filmed over four years, Garbage Dreams follows three teenage boys born into the trash trade in the world’s largest garbage village, a ghetto on the outskirts of Cairo. For generations, the residents of Cairo have depended on the Zaballeen to collect their trash, paying them only a minimal amount for their services. These workers recycle 80% of all the garbage they collect. When the city suddenly decides to replace the Zaballeen with multinational garbage disposal companies, the community finds itself at a crossroads. Faced with the globalization of their trade, each of the teenage boys is forced to make choices that will impact his future and the survival of his community. Short Listed for Best Documentary, 2010 Academy Awards; Best Cinematography; Rhode Island Int’l Film Festival

SAT
1 pm
Bldg 356
Room 109

27 min. 2008 back to schedule
Green Planet Films Director: Tad Fettig

General: No Advisory

As few as 10 years ago Bogotá, Colombia was characterized by drug cartels, senseless violence and a 30-year civil war. Every three hours someone was kidnapped. Every 15 minutes someone was murdered. Today as you move around the city you’ll see mega-libraries, greenways, 1,000 parks, over 70,000 trees and a state-of-the art transportation system called the TransMilenio. People from all walks of life are out of their cars, enjoying their city space- parents strolling with their kids, neighbours meeting and talking with one another. This remarkable transition came out of the vision that Enrique Peñalosa, Mayor of Bogotá from 1997 through 2000, had for his city. Peñalosa believed that cities should encourage walking and biking, which would promote community and make the streets safer for everyone.

SAT
1 pm
Bldg 355
Room 203

31 min. 2009 back to schedule
Mofilms
Filmmakers: Martin O’Brien & Robbie Proctor
www.mofilms.org

General: Coarse language

Chevron / Texaco left a toxic legacy in the Northern Ecuadorian region of the Amazon rainforest. A courageous group of people called Los Afectados (The Affected Ones) are seeking justice for the ensuing cancer, sickness, and death in the largest environmental class action lawsuit in history. The lawsuit, representing 30,000 people, charges Chevron/ Texaco with damaging the environment and health of the community. The company denies any responsibility and blames the campesinos for their health problems. Activists Daryl Hannah and Stuart Townsend speak out about the issues. For more information, see www.amazonwatch.org or www.chevrontoxico.org Grand Jury Award, Latin American Environmental Media Festival (New Orleans)

SAT
1 pm
Bldg 200
Room 203

60 min. 2009 back to schedule
Wide Open Exposure Director: Amy Miller

Parental Guidance: Violence

Myths for Profit is a dramatic exposé which explores Canada’s role in industries of war and peace. Through diverse interviews and case studies, this documentary unveils the specific interests and profits that are made by certain corporation, individuals and agencies within Canada. The Canadian government and the military would like us to believe that we are altruistic peacekeepers helping people around the world. But is this accurate? Myths for Profit examines how these misconceptions are maintained and who stands to gain by perpetuating them. This film helps us understand the systems of power in Canada so that we can move forward in challenging how they operate and collectively create change.

SAT
1 pm
Bldg 250
Room 125

22 min. 2009 back to schedule
Reel Rising Productions Directed by Chad Schroter-Gillespie & Nick Middleton

Parental Guidance: Violence

2008 Global Film Festival winner of the Rights and Democracy Student Film Award
Be the Media examines the state of Canada's highly concentrated, deregulated and privatized media industry while showcasing the vital role of local independent citizen journalism and media production in the mid Vancouver Island region. Featuring interviews with a diverse cast of inspired citizens, Be the Media offers a unique and proactive approach to democratizing the media. Original music by Tongue & Groove and Peter Bowles

SAT
1:45 pm
Bldg 250
Room 125

90 min. 2009 back to schedule
Wealth Effect Media Director: Dan Stone

General: No advisory

The 3rd Antarctic Campaign undertaken by the controversial Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was arguably “the perfect combination of imperfections” and the actions taken to stop a Japanese whaling fleet were astonishingly reckless and admirable. The under-trained international volunteer crew has developed a combination of bizarre and brilliant tactics to stop the whalers. But first they must find them in the vast expanse of the Ross Sea. With one ship (The Farley Mowat) too slow to chase down the whaling fleet and their second ship (The Robert Hunter) unsuited for Antarctic ice conditions, the situation becomes increasingly desperate in this real-life David-vs.-Goliath adventure. Numerous awards include: Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography, Woodstock Film Festival; Best Documentary, Monaco International Film Festival; Environmental Film Audience Award, 2009 Vancouver Int’l Film Festival

SAT
1:45 pm
Bldg 356
Room 109

30 min 2008 back to schedule
Amnesty International UK

This film follows Lubicon councillors, elders, and band members as they share with Amnesty International the impact of resource exploitation on their environment, way of life, and traditional economy. Over $14B has been extracted from Lubicon land; the Lubicon have seen not a penny. Since the late 1970s, the Lubicon Cree have seen the land on which they depend transformed by logging and large-scale oil and gas extraction. Despite a 1990 decision by the United Nations Human Rights Committee that the human rights of the Lubicon Cree are being violated by the impact of natural resource extraction, the Canadian authorities have failed to bring about a fair resolution of the long standing land dispute. Shot on location in northern Alberta by an accomplished British film company with long ties to Amnesty International, this film stands as a powerful indictment of a nation and province that have violated international law in their shameful treatment of the Lubicon Cree. Yet the film also stands as a testament to the Lubicons’ enduring resistance, their ability to preserve their culture and values in the face of incredible odds.

SAT
1:45 pm
Bldg 355
Room 203

74 min 2008 back to schedule
NFB Directors Ben Addelman & Samir Mallal

Nollywood Babylon is a feature documentary about the explosive popularity of Nigeria's movie industry. The film drops viewers into the chaos of Lagos' Idumota market. Here, among the bustling stalls, films are sold and unlikely stars are born. Unfazed by low budgets, enterprising filmmakers create a brash, inventive and wildly popular form of B-Movie that has Nigerians Nollywood-obsessed. In these films, voodoo and magic infuse urban stories, reflecting the collision of traditional mysticism and modern culture that Nigerians experience every day. Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal, present an electric vision of a modern African metropolis and a revealing look at the powerhouse that is Nigerian cinema.

SAT
2:15 pm
Bldg 200
Room 203

78 minutes 2008 back to schedule
Johan Kramer and Esther Udaeta

Designed as a not-for-profit project to raise awareness both of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur and the western world's general indifference to it, John Kramer's Sing For Darfur is a sort of docu-drama bringing together film makers from Spain and the Netherlands. Forty different mini-stories come together on the day a worldwide pop concert for Darfur is being held in Barcelona and we discover that the tragedy in Sudan has a different meaning for everyone, but brings some magic for those who care.

SAT
2:30 pm
Bldg 356
Room 109

91 min. 2008 back to schedule
Rye Cinema Director: Malcolm Rogge

Parental Guidance: Coarse language; violence

Under Rich Earth is a story about ordinary people with extraordinary courage. In a remote mountain valley in Ecuador, coffee and sugarcane farmers face the dismal prospect of being forced off their land to make way for a Canadian mining project. The issue creates division between those hoping the project will create jobs and those who feel it will destroy the land. Unprotected by the police and ignored by their government, local activists prepare to face down the invaders on their own. Their resistance ultimately leads to a remarkable and dangerous stand off between farmers and a band of armed paramilitaries deep in the cloud forest. The role of the video camera cannot be underestimated in the outcome. Under Rich Earth offers a surprising and poignant tale of hope and determination. Audience Choice, One of Top Ten Canadian Films at 2009 Vancouver Int’l Film Festival

SAT
3:15 pm
Bldg 200
Room 203

87 min. 2008 back to schedule
NFB Director: Brett Gaylor

Parental Guidance: Coarse language

Web activist and filmmaker Brett Gaylor explores issues of copyright in the information age, mashing up the media landscape of the 20th century and shattering the wall between users and producers. The film's central protagonist is Girl Talk, a mash-up musician topping the charts with his sample-based songs. But is Girl Talk a paragon of people power or the Pied Piper of piracy? Creative Commons founder, Lawrence Lessig, Brazil's Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil and pop culture critic Cory Doctorow are also along for the ride. A participatory media experiment, from day one, Brett shares his raw footage at opensourcecinema.org for anyone to remix. This movie-as-mash-up method allows these remixes to become an integral part of the film. With RiP: A Remix Manifesto, Gaylor and Girl Talk sound an urgent alarm and draw the lines of battle.

SAT
3:45 pm
Bldg 200
Room 203

81 min. 2009 back to schedule
Loaded Pictures Director: Shannon Walsh

Parental Guidance: Coarse language

In Alberta’s pristine boreal forests, the process of oil sands extraction uses up to 4 barrels of fresh water to produce only one barrel of crude oil. H2Oil follows a voyage of discovery, heartbreak and politicization in the stories of those attempting to defend water in Alberta against tar sands expansion. Unlikely alliances are built and lives are changed as they come up against the largest industrial project in human history. Ultimately we ask what is more important, oil or water. And what will be our response? With hope and courage H2Oil tells the story of one of the most significant, and destructive projects of our time.

SAT
3:45 pm
Bldg 250
Room 125

86 min. 2009 back to schedule
NFB Directors: German Gutiérrez & Carmen Garcia

Parental Guidance: Coarse language

In this gripping documentary, directors German Gutiérrez and Carmen Garcia present a searing indictment of the Coca-Cola empire and its alleged kidnapping, torture and murder of union leaders trying to improve working conditions in Colombia, Guatemala and Turkey. The filmmakers follow labour rights lawyers Daniel Kovalik and Terry Collingsworth and an activist for the Stop Killer-Coke! campaign, Ray Rogers, as they attempt to hold the giant U.S. multinational beverage company accountable in this legal and human rights battle. This is an inspiring story of international solidarity and the principled stand taken by courageous union leaders in the global South.

*Sponsored by Nanaimo, Duncan & District Labour Council*

SAT
3:45 pm
Bldg 356
Room 109

75 min. 2008 back to schedule
Productions Multi-Monde Director Martin Frigon

Parental Guidance: No advisory

Mirage of El Dorado leads us into the mountains of northern Chile, where the devastating operations of Canadian mining companies, Barrick Gold and Noranda, threaten a fragile ecosystem of glacier-fed rivers in one of the driest parts of the globe. The film exposes the hypocrisy of the Canadian government towards its own mining companies which corrupt foreign governments and weaken the process of environmental assessments. With a backdrop of breathtaking images and eloquent testimonials, Mirage of El Dorado defies the powers that would have us believe their divine mission is to extract wealth no matter where it lies, purportedly to save local communities from endemic poverty.

SAT
7 pm
Bldg 355
Room 203

5 min each 2009 back to schedule

Greg Ball Winner of 2009 NGFF Community Film Award

Emily Harrison Winner of 2009 Rights and Democracy Student Film Award

Exodus: This fictional animated movie charts the arduous journey of an wandering Canadian bird. After losing his flock in the Alberta tar sands he embarks on a lone migration to find the sanctuary in the forests of British Columbia. Encountering several environmental tragedies wherever he lands, this lonely, roughly drawn character gives us an intimate view and a unique perspective of the alarming destruction of Western Canada's natural landscapes.

Cubaton: Yanara, a young woman, lives with her family in rural Cuba. From the streets of Havana, to a small farming town, this film portraits the Cuban culture and landscape. Through following her on daily activities, we see into Yanara's life as she explains aspects of her country's social system.

SAT
7:30 pm
Bldg 355
Room 203

160 minutes 2008 back to schedule
Richard Brouillette Québec (Canada), B&W

Drawing upon the thinking and analyses of renowned intellectuals, this documentary sketches a portrait of neo-liberal ideology and examines the various mechanisms used to impose its dictates throughout the world. Neo-liberalism’s one-size-fits-all dogmas are well known: deregulation, reducing the role of the State, privatization, limiting inflation rather than unemployment, etc. In other words, depoliticizing the economy and putting it into the hands of the financial class. And these dogmas are gradually settling into our consciousness because they’re being broadcast across a vast and pervasive network of propaganda. Since the end of the Cold War, the rate of neo-liberal reforms has increased dramatically. Often imposed with force, either through the structural adjustment plans of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, under the pressure of financial markets and multinationals, or even by outright war, the neo-liberal doctrine has now reached every corner of the planet.

With: Noam Chomsky, Ignacio Ramonet, Normand Baillargeon, Susan George, Omar Aktouf, Oncle Bernard, Michel Chossudovsky, François Denord, François Brune, Martin Masse, Jean-Luc Migué, Filip Palda and Donald J. Boudreaux