Planet In Focus - Our Planet, Your Focus, Our Festival

Planet in Focus Workshops Inspire Youth
Creating Environmental Media for Social Change

Toronto, ON - 08/17/ 2005— Planet in Focus (PIF), Canada's acclaimed international environmental film and video festival, is pleased to announce the upcoming season’s youth media programs designed to encourage youth artistic expression, community building, environmental awareness and activism. Programs include PIF’s Youth, Camera, Action, presented in collaboration with Charles Street Video, Innis College, and the Canada Council for the Arts, and animation programs organized in partnership with the National Film Board (NFB). Short films created will be showcased in PIF’s upcoming sixth season at NFB’s John Spotton Theatre, 150 John Street, on Sunday October 2nd between 11 and 3 PM.

"Our mandate is to reach out to youth who do not traditionally have access to the tools of media creation,” states Chris Sanchez, coordinator of this program. “You would be amazed at the creativity and imagination that emerges from these alternative voices.” Youth, Camera, Action has proven to be a great success in the past. This year’s workshop includes developing strategies for expressive environmental activism to hands-on instruction in camera work, editing and sound. Every participant leaves the program having team produced a short, environmental film.

Youth, Camera, Action is for youth 14 to 18 years of age. The program takes place at U of T’s Innis College, 2 Sussex Avenue from August 15th to 26th. After being premiered at PIF, videos produced over the last two seasons will also go live on the NFB’s website in collaboration with the NFB Citizen Shift web-based project and can be accessed at under “reel community” at www.citizen.nfb.ca/onf/info.

New to this year’s festival is PIF’s collaboration with the NFB to produce three different hands on youth animation workshops. On September 22nd, a group of pre-selected high school students will apply claymation and mixed media techniques to produce short animated environmentally themed public service announcements (PSA’s). During the PIF festival dates, on October 2nd, environmentally themed animation workshops will be offered to the public free of charge. The 3D animation instruction from 10:30-12 is designed for children ages 3 to 6; the 1-3 o’clock session for children ages 6 to 12 years of age, with guardians in attendance for both.

Planet in Focus' mission is to promote the use of film and video as a catalyst for public awareness, discussion, and appropriate action on the environmental, ecological, and social health of the planet, with a particular emphasis on the inclusion of diverse perspectives. The educational outreach program includes individual school programs, and the PIF Cross Canada Tour.

PLANET IN FOCUS, September 28th - October 2nd
General ($10), Student/senior ($8), Children ($3), Opening night ($15), Festival passes ($75)
Tickets: 416.531.4689, discounted block seats available, www.planetinfocus.org