In This Newsflash:
1. Mixed Greens – Friday, February 29, Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Ontario
2. PIF in New York City
3. Educational Reference Library Now Open
4. 2008 Submissions Now Open


1. Mixed Greens, Friday, January 25, 2008, 6:45pm Pay What You Can

Join us at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, 111 Queen’s Park on the last Friday of each month as we celebrate the best environmental films from our 2007 festival! Selected straight from our 2007 festival line-up, here is your chance to experience again or for the first time this rare and note worthy collection of films from around the country and around the world!

Screening Friday, February 29, 6:45pm

The Nature of Rebirth
Johanna Lampi
Finland, short, 2007
15 mins. (DV)
(Polish with English subtitles)

“If you are quiet in nature, the nature starts to reveal itself. We all die, but what is dying?” Europe’s oldest forest inspires reflection on the symbiosis of death and the nature of rebirth among four individuals deeply affected by its mysteries… Exquisitely shot, this poetic meditation on life and death introduces us to Zbigniew who takes care of the bisons, Jerzy - a passionate entomologist, Joanna an artist transformed by the solace of the forest, and Janusz who walks the forest and ruminates on the effects we humans have on nature. This is an environmental film for the ages.

Snow-White Blacknoses
Sylviane Neuenschwander
Switzerland, documentary, 2006
86 mins. (MiniDV)
(Swiss German with English subtitles)

Reinhold and his fellow sheep-breeding colleagues do shift work in the city, with the rest of their waking hours spent tending meticulously to their beloved Valais Blacknose sheep. The sheep of the Swiss Alps are not bred for their wool, nor for their meat, but rather for their good looks that bring pride and prestige to their owners. The obsession is lost on the wives and children of the sheep farmers; they are perplexed with this labour of love. A sensitive and charming tale about the strong affections between a farmer, his sheep and a vanishing way of life.

For complete program details, please visit our website at www.planetinfocus.org/mixedgreens

2. PIF in New York City

Planet in Focus is proud to present a number of films February 14 – 16 at MoMA in New York City as part of the Museum of Modern Art’s Documentary Fortnight, an initiative that showcases the best of classic and contemporary nonfiction films each February. Documentary Fortnight is presented February 2 through March 3, 2008, in The Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters in New York City. PIF Festival Director Candida Paltiel will be conducting a public Conversation with producer and 2007 Planet in Focus International Industry Eco Hero Award recipient, Robert Redford and Director Laura Dunn of Unforeseen on February 16th at the event.

3. Education Resource Library Now Open

Featuring North America’s largest collection of environmental film and videos, the Planet in Focus Educational Reference Library (ERL) is a unique and valuable resource for students, educators, film industry professionals and for curatorial research. The objectives of the Planet in Focus ERL are to provide an educational tool for environmental studies, promote the use of film and video as genuine mechanisms for opening scholarship, debate and discussion and to advance awareness and interest in environmental film and video making from both the audience and filmmaking perspectives.

Hours of Operation:
Tuesday to Thursday, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Closed for all Statutory Holidays

Location:
We are located in The Distillery District: 55 Mill Street, Case Goods Warehouse, Bldg 74, Studio 402, TO, ON, M5A 3C4

Contact:
E-mail: myan@planetinfocus.org
T. 416 531 1769 F. 416 531 8985
www.planetinfocus.org

Fees per Use:
General public $5, Students (valid ID required) $3

Due to limited facility space, please call or e-mail at least 48 hours ahead to reserve book a date and time and to confirm which films you wish to view.

*Wheelchair Accessible

· Gain immediate access to 2,000 environmental film and video works*
· Our online database is searchable by Theme, Director, Length, Genre, Country
· The collection of works represents 85 countries from around the world and subdivided into several dozen themes including: Aboriginal, Architecture, Archaeology, Arctic, Biodiversity, Climate, Conservation, Consumerism, Culture, Corporate Responsibility, Ecology, Economy, Food, Globalization, Health, Human Rights, Land, Northern Issues, Nuclear, Oil, Pollution, Religion, Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Technology, Tourism, Urban Environments, Transportation, Water, Wildlife, Women
· Works are available for reference on DVD or VHS
· Environmental film festival catalogues and program books are available to visitors
· Links and references to local, national and international environmental sources

If you are interested in working with us to host a public screening as part of our Touring Program, please contact Myan Marcen Gaudaur at: myan@planetinfocus.org or visit our website at www.planetinfocus.org/archive

4. 2008 Submissions Now Open

2008 Planet in Focus Festival (October 22-26, 2008, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Planet in Focus is now accepting submissions for the 2008 Festival which runs October 22 - 26.

Early-Bird Deadline: May 23, 2008
Final Deadline: June 20, 2008

Green Sprouts! Showcase
Back for 2008, the Green Sprouts! Youth Filmmakers' Showcase gives voice to filmmakers 18 years old and younger. The Showcase will run alongside the Youth, Camera, Action! program during the 2008 Festival.

Deadline: June 27, 2008

Please visit our website for more information and to download our 2008 submission forms:
www.planetinfocus.org/festival/submissions