PIF'EDd Newsletter July 28, 2010

Planet in Focus International Environmental Film Festival Announces 2010 Dates!

Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival, Canada's largest and longest running environmental film festival, is pleased to announce this year's programming theme. In keeping with the United Nations' declaration that 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity, the 11th Annual edition of the festival focuses on the thread "Life on Earth." The festival runs October 13-17, 2010 in Toronto, Canada.

Click to read the entire media release on our website.

Advertising and Sponsorship Opportunities Available!

HAVE A GREEN COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION?
BOOK AN ADVERTISEMENT IN OUR FESTIVAL PROGRAM GUIDE or ONSCREEN SLIDE!

The Planet in Focus Program Guide is a keepsake used by festival-goers year-round. Book now to secure a Premium Advertisement location.
Email Guru Thirugnanasampanthar guru@planetinfocus.org

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE!

We work hard to ensure a high-quality festival experience for our audiences. If you represent a green company or organization, we’d be delighted to speak with you about how we might work together this year.
Email Natalie Martens, Sponsorship and Promotions Coordinator Natalie@planetinfocus.org

Mixed Greens Screenings at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art- Friday, July 30th 6:45pm

111 Queen’s Park, Toronto
pay-what-you-can admission

A Blooming Business
52 min, Netherlands/ Kenya

An Official Selection from our 2009 Film Festival. The roses we enjoy may come with more thorns than we realize. Delving deep into the heart of the global flower industry, A BLOOMING BUSINESS shows us the difficult reality behind the pretty flowers. In Kenya, giant flower factories use massive amounts of pesticides and chemicals to keep their flowers alive and then pollute the local water supply, harming the very same people they employ. An investigation reveals the horrific working conditions and sexual abuse that the workers must endure in order to keep their job. A BLOOMING BUSINESS explores the human and environmental repercussions of the floral industry. A rose may no longer smell as sweet.

“It’s time to wake up and smell the imported roses.” -Edinburgh Int’l Film Festival

“Part poetry, part explosive exposé.” -Newport Int'l Film Festival

“A quietly formidable film.” -Vancouver Film Festival

Check out the "A Blooming Business" trailer online

Come early and enjoy 2-for-1 admission to the Museum, or come only for the screening and pay what you can. Mixed Greens happens the last Friday of every month, 6:45pm.

Kids Mixed Greens at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, August 8th 2:00pm

Come join us at for another screening program for children at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto. Enjoy family-friendly activities, free admission to screening but donations are accepted. Museum hours are 10am-5pm, free for children under 12.

Varmints, Directed by Marc Craste UK, animation

Varmint is a term applied to animals considered pests or associated with disease. However, in this beautifully rendered animation based on Helen Ward’s award winning picture book, an innocent creature tries to save a world in danger of being lost forever through heartlessness, recklessness and indifference. Created with rich earth tones, an imaginary world is also the known world in which we can all recognize ourselves. Varmints is a cautionary tale for children of all ages.

Warming, A Film by Colleen MacIsaac, Canada, 2007, animation

Warming attempts to address the issue of climate change in a lyrical and visually contemplative manner. Focusing on the interconnected nature of the ecosystems and societies in which we live, it explores the causes and effects of global warming across the planet through an ever-shifting montage of painted watercolour images.

The True Cost of Food, Directed by Tate Hausman, USA, 2005, animation

A short animation made to alert people about some of the serious problems of producing and eating food using dangerous synthetic chemicals, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), and more. This film highlights how producing and buying organic food from smaller and more ethical stores is the best solution for many of these problems.

Look for upcoming Kids Mixed Greens events on our website!

Score: A Hockey Musical Opens The Toronto International Film Festival

Green Screen Toronto Initiative is a pan-industry effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and “green” film productions. Planet in Focus has been spearheading this Initiative in collaboration with other industry partners, and we are very pleased to report that our first production Score: A Hockey Musical, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF takes place September 9-19, 2010.

If you are interested in learning more about this Initiative, be sure to check out our website (www.greenscreentoronto.com), and be sure to attend our Green Screen workshop taking place on October 15, 2010 at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre during the Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival. Contact Anne Mark for details annem@planetinfocus.org

NFB/Mediatheque: Special workshop: REMIXING OUR WORLD

August 4 at 7 PM @ NFB Mediatheque – 150 John St, at Richmond St W
FREE - REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Participants will arrange cut-out images from magazines to critically address environmental issues and superimpose them on an untouched landscape – remixing the portrayal of our environment and challenging how we think about it.
For participants 18 years of age and older.

For more information, contact the NFB at 416-973-3012.

BIXI Toronto the new bike-sharing initiative for our city has arrived!

The popular public bike sharing system launched in Montreal in 2009 has made its way to Toronto in the form of BIXI Toronto. BIXI’s aim is for Toronto to have its own bikeshare program as of Spring 2011. A membership provides you with unlimited usage of the system, 12 months a year. You can purchase a membership at the BIXI Toronto Bash on July 28th at The Gladstone, 7pm. If you www.toronto.bixi.com
For more information at: bixitoronto@toronto.ca