environmental film festival 2015

ENVIRONMENTAL
FILM FESTIVAL
2015
Sunday, March 15th
Tower Theaters
South Hadley, MA
Saturday, April 11th
Mahaiwe Performing
Arts Center
Great Barrington, MA
Sunday, April 12th
Triplex Cinema
Great Barrington, MA
Award-winning films
to educate, inspire,
enrage & motivate
us to engage
Free Admission
Welcome to Project Native’s 5th Film Festival
Thank you for joining us for this exciting event. We are thrilled to host
Project Native’s 5th Film Festival and bring you award-winning films on
a variety of important environmental topics.
Project Native is a non-profit environmental organization operating a
full scale native plant nursery, seasonal native butterfly house, seed
bank and 54-acre wildlife sanctuary. The work of Project Native has
always been rooted in place. We grow native plants and encourage
stewardship of natural resources. We operate locally, but our work is an
important part of the larger whole.
The film festival - with its varied subjects - is one way we emphasize the
interrelatedness of our environment. The films cover a wide-range of
environmental topics, and approach the issues from a global, national
or regional level. The goal of this day is to not only show the problems
facing our world, but to also inspire action for positive change.
Education and inspiration are important, but action is necessary!
These films are important educational tools and we feel we can reach
a larger and more diverse audience if we show the films for free. To
help support future educational events, please consider making a taxdeductible donation.
Thanks for coming, sit back and enjoy the show!
Important Festival Info
Colored bars indicate date and venue of screening
March 15th at Tower Theater, South Hadley
April 12th at Triplex Theater, Great Barrington
• Tickets will be available at the box office the day of the festival.
• To guarantee admission plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to start time. In the
event a film is sold out, a rush line will form and seats will be released 5
minutes prior to start time.
• No recording equipment is allowed in the theater.
• Please turn off all cell phones and electronic devices.
• Dress in layers to ensure your comfort.
• Theatre must be cleared between shows. All personal belongings must be
removed from the theatre.
• Please take your trash with you.
DamNation
Director: Travis Rummel & Ben Knight
Tower 10:00am
52 minutes | USA | 2014
This powerful film odyssey across America explores the sea change in our
national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the
growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of
our rivers. Dam removal has moved beyond the fictional Monkey Wrench
Gang to go mainstream. Where obsolete dams come down, rivers bound
back to life, giving salmon and other wild fish the right of return to primeval spawning grounds, after decades without access. DamNation’s majestic cinematography and unexpected discoveries move through rivers
and landscapes altered by dams, but also through a metamorphosis in
values, from conquest of the natural world to knowing ourselves as part
of nature.
DamNation stints neither the history nor the science of dams, and above
all conveys experiences known so far to only a few, including the awe of
watching a 30-pound salmon hurtling 20 feet into the air in a vain attempt
to reach the spawning grounds that lie barricaded upriver. We witness the
seismic power of a dam breaking apart and, once the river breaks free,
the elation in watching wild salmon – after a century of denied access –
swimming their way home.
Did you know?
There are over 80,000 dams 3 feet high or greater in the US, according to
the US Army Corps of Engineers’ National Inventory of Dams.
Plastic Paradise Director: Angela Sun
Tower 11:30am
57 minutes | USA | 2013
EVERY single piece of plastic that has ever been created since the 19th
century is still SOMEWHERE on our planet. So if it never goes away, where
does it go?
Thousands of miles away from civilization, Midway Atoll is in one of the
most remote places on earth. And yet it has become ground zero for The
Great Pacific Garbage Patch, siphoning plastics from three distant continents. In this independent documentary film, journalist/filmmaker Angela
Sun travels on a personal journey of discovery to uncover this mysterious
phenomenon. Along the way she meets scientists, researchers, influencers, and volunteers who shed light on the effects of our rabid plastic consumption and learns the problem is more insidious than we could have
ever imagined.
Action Items
• Don’t forget the 4th R! REFUSE disposable plastic.
• Bring your own bag to the store.
• Bring your own mug to the coffee shop.
• Carry a reusable stainless steel or glass water bottle. Plastic water
bottles leach harmful toxins like Bisphenol-A into your water.
• Say no to straws. Plastic straws make up over 33% of trash found on
beaches.
The Starfish Throwers
Tower 1:00pm
Director / Producer / Cinematographer: Jesse Roesler
82 minutes | USA | 2014
Worlds apart, a five-star chef, a twelve year-old girl, and a retired schoolteacher discover how their individual efforts to feed the poor ignite a
movement in the fight against hunger.
Award-winning chef Narayanan Krishnan, fighting against the caste system in India, quits his job to begin a life of cooking and hand-delivering
fresh meals to hundreds of people in his hometown. Katie Stagliano’s
planting of a single cabbage seedling when she was nine years old blossoms into Katie’s Krops, a non-profit with 73 gardens dedicated to ending
hunger. Retired middle school teacher Mr. Law battles personal health issues as he hand delivers more than a thousand sandwiches nightly to the
hungry in Minneapolis.
This film tells the tale of these remarkable individuals and the challenges
they face. Despite being constantly reminded that hunger is far too big for
one person to solve, they persevere and see their impact ripple further
than their individual actions.
How you can Throw Starfish...
• Find a local organization that is doing good work and volunteer.
• Learn to garden and grow extra food to donate to a food bank.
Remember. Everything big starts small—that means even small actions
really do matter, really do make a difference.
Resistance
Director: Michael Graziano
Tower 2:50pm
72 minutes | USA | 2014
Eighty years ago antibiotics revolutionized medicine. Only now are we realizing the potentially catastrophic consequences of these miracle drugs.
The question is: have we reached a point where we must save antibiotics
to save ourselves?
Resistance uses interviews, archival material, and verite footage to untangle the web of factors behind the global crisis of antibiotic resistance.
Experts and ordinary individuals who have faced this crisis first hand reveal how our use of antibiotics has created profound challenges not only
for hospitals, but for much of modern life – from food to governance to
personal health. With their help the film clarifies what’s at stake, what’s
driving the problem and how we might turn the tide.
Did you know?
Nearly 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States are used on
conventional animal farms.
Read the labels!
Consumers are in the best position to influence food producers. Buying
meat and poultry bearing labels that say “raised without antibiotics” or
“no antibiotics administered” encourages companies to use drugs
responsibly.
Groundswell Rising
Director / Producer: Renard Cohen
Tower 4:30pm
71 minutes | USA | 2015
Groundswell Rising brings us into the lives of people from all walks of life
and all sides of the political spectrum who are dedicating themselves to
resisting, slowing down or stopping fracking. We meet parents, scientists,
artists, teachers, clergy, community organizers and business leaders who
are convinced that this unproven form of gas extraction is a serious health
and environmental risk. Driven by a deep moral conviction, we see how
they are standing up to one of the world’s most powerful industries.
The film takes us back to the groundswells of the past such as the civil
rights movement, women’s rights, the denormalization of cigarette smoking, and the environmental movement, for connection and inspiration.
And looking forward we see how the resistance to fracking is part of a
growing movement towards dealing with climate change and making the
transition to sustainable energy. The notion that burning more fossil fuels
as a bridge to a cleaner planet is explored.
We will see how an industry rich with political connections managed to
slip into a position of almost untouchable power and how at-risk communities have come together to fight back. And we will see how not protecting the cyclical flow of air and water puts us all at risk, no matter where
we live. Groundswell Rising is a story told by those who are living it, with
honesty, passion and a sincere desire to protect our children and the
world we leave them.
SPECIAL EVENT
JUST EAT IT: A food waste story
Screening with filmmakers in attendance
Saturday, April 11 at 7:00pm
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington
We all love food. As a society, we devour countless cooking shows,
culinary magazines and foodie blogs. So how could we possibly be
throwing nearly 50% of it in the trash?
Filmmakers and food lovers Jen and Grant dive into the issue of food
waste from the farm, through retail, all the way to the back of their
own fridge. After catching a glimpse of the billions of dollars of good
food that is tossed each year in North America, they pledge to quit
grocery shopping cold turkey and survive only on foods that have
been discarded. In a nation where one in ten people is food insecure,
the images they capture of squandered groceries are both shocking
and strangely compelling.
Just Eat It brings farmers, retailers, inspiring organizations, and consumers to the table in a cinematic story that is equal parts education
and delicious entertainment.
Following the film there will be a question and answer period with
filmmakers Jen Rustemeyer and Grant Baldwin.
Please call the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center Box Office,
(413) 528-0100, to reserve your FREE tickets for this event.
Children & Family Program
Deepo: A Fish Story in 3D
13 min.
Join Deepo, an orange Garibaldi
fish, on an animated undersea
adventure. Sing along with friendly
sharks, sea turtles and playful dolphins. Experience this underwater
journey revealing the impact of
pollution on ocean inhabitants.
After the film, complete a survey
for a chance to win a prize.
Raffle items donated by:
TRIPLEX 10:00am
Watermelon Magic in 3D
30 min.
Watermelon Magic is like no other
film. It’s a sweet combination of
story and science and the first big
screen film devoted to one of our
most basic human needs: healthy
food. International audiences will
delight in this nearly wordless
burst of color and music. Weaving
together documentary and narrative elements, Watermelon Magic
chronicles a season on the family
farm as young Sylvie grows a patch
of watermelons to sell at market.
How will she let her babies go?
Get Involved!
• Plant a garden.
• Grow organically (no pesticides, herbicides, etc.)
• Connect with nature. Explore. Walk. Hike. Bike.
• Visit Project Native’s Butterfly House (Open June 20th- September)
• Go to a farmer’s market and meet local farmers.
• Volunteer.
Extreme Realities Director: Hal Weiner
TRIPLEX 10:10am
53 minutes | USA | 2014
Just pick up any newspaper or watch any television news report and it becomes evident that unprecedented extreme weather events such as severe drought and heat waves, more intense hurricanes, increased tornado
and wildfire activity, and crippling blizzards are leaving a trail of death and
destruction throughout the world.
In the wake of these disasters, we ask ourselves these fundamental questions: Are these merely weather events that happen once in a hundred
years — or are they early warning signals of a new reality — a new normal — a tipping point pushing our planet towards an environmental cliff?
And can we stop this from happening?
Extreme Realities investigates the link between severe weather, climate
change, and threats to our national security.
Action Items
• Build community. Get to know your neighbors. Support local non-profits.
• Form resiliency circles - groups that get together to figure out the best
ways to help your community become resilient. (In Pittsfield, one group
ran a Repair Cafe where people came to have their items repaired and
have some snacks and conversation while they waited.)
• Get a Mass Save energy assessment and follow through with insulating
and weatherizing.
• Buy energy efficient appliances (rebates through Mass Save).
Open Sesame: The Story of Seed TRIPLEX 11:30am
Director: Sean Kaminsky
82 minutes | USA | 2014
One of the world’s most precious resources is at risk. This timely and emotionally moving documentary illuminates what is at stake and what can be
done to protect the source of nearly all our food: SEEDS. Seeds provide the
basis for everything from fabric to food to fuels. Seeds are as essential to
life as the air we breathe or water we drink…but given far less attention.
According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN), approximately 90 percent of the fruit and vegetable varieties that existed 100
years ago no longer exist today. Heritage grain is near extinction. Seeds
that were lovingly nurtured over decades or even hundreds of years have
been lost forever. Maintaining seed biodiversity allows us to breed new
varieties that are resistant to pests or thrive in temperature extremes. This
is essential in a changing climate.
Action Items
• Plant native plants!
• Teach the skills of saving open pollinated seeds for future plantings.
• Create community gardens using heirloom seeds.
• Practice sustainable, organic gardening.
• Host seed saving workshops in your community.
• Sign online petitions for Seed Freedom and Food Democracy
ê On Earth Day, April 22nd, a new Community Seed Library
will be launched at Mason Library in Great Barrington.
Oil & Water
TRIPLEX 1:20pm
Directed by: Francine Strickwerda & Laurel Spellman Smith
English Cofan Spanish
78 minutes | INDIA | 2013
From the early 70s to the 90s, oil companies contaminated vast swaths of
pristine jungle by slopping billions of gallons of toxic waste into unlined
pits. Oil & Water portrays this environmental disaster from the unique
perspectives of young people at both ends of the spectrum - Hugo Lucitante, from the indigenous Cofan tribe in Ecuador, and David Poritz, from
Amherst, Massachusetts.
This film follows the two teenagers with their feet in both worlds as their
paths intersect over the next six years. While still in college, David fights
an uphill battle to establish a “fair trade” certification system for oil production. Meanwhile, Hugo gets married to Sadie, a friend from his American high school, and the couple moves back and forth between his Cofan
lands and the U.S. to save up for college. Oil & Water is a sobering look at
the enormous pressures David and Hugo face, but it also demonstrates
how two determined people can make a positive difference in the world.
Action Items
• Wait until 8! To decrease the peak electricity loads - a common excuse
for wanting to build new fossil fuel infrastructure like pipelines - run the
washer, dryer, dishwasher, etc. either before noon or after 8 pm.
• Join one of the groups working to stop new fossil fuel infrastructure in
Massachusetts and encourage energy efficiency and renewables.
Angel Azul
Directors: Marcy Cravat
TRIPLEX 3:15pm
72 minutes | USA | 2014
Angel Azul explores the artistic journey of Jason deCaires Taylor, an innovative artist who combines creativity with an important environmental
solution; the creation of artificial coral reefs from statues he’s cast from
live models. When algae overtakes the reefs however, experts provide the
facts about the perilous situation coral reefs currently face and solutions
necessary to save them. Peter Coyote generously provides insightful narration that leaves viewers pondering our connection to this valuable and
beautiful ecosystem.
Actions you can take to reduce your carbon and nutrient footprints
and help prevent further ocean acidification, the major cause of
coral reefs dying:
• Use hot water more efficiently. Wash clothes in cold water, lower temperature settings of heaters, use efficient faucets and showerheads.
• Use green gardening techniques. Runoff from fertilizing your yard contributes to ocean acidification, particularly if you live on the coast. Native
plants require less fertilizer and can reduce how much nutrient pollution
comes from your household.
• Healthy, resilient marine ecosystems will be better able to withstand the
stresses from ocean acidification. Buy fish known to be
sustainably harvested. Look for the Marine Stewardship
Council’s Certified Sustainable Seafood label.
Cowspiracy
Director: Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn
TRIPLEX 5:00pm
91 minutes | USA | 2014
A groundbreaking documentary following intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen
as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today –
and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are
too afraid to talk about it.
Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution, is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the
transportation industry, and is a primary driver of rainforest destruction,
species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean “dead zones,” and
virtually every other environmental ill. Yet it goes on, almost entirely
unchallenged.
As Andersen approaches leaders in the environmental movement, he
increasingly uncovers what appears to be an intentional refusal to discuss
the issue of animal agriculture, while industry whistleblowers and watchdogs warn him of the risks to his freedom and even his life if he dares to
persist.As eye-opening as Blackfish and as inspiring as An Inconvenient
Truth, this shocking yet humorous documentary reveals the absolutely
devastating environmental impact large-scale factory farming has on our
planet, and offers a path to global sustainability for a growing population.
Action Items
• Adopt a vegan diet or reduce your consumption of animal products.
The Human Experiment
Directed by: Dana Nachman & Don Hardy
TRIPLEX 7:10pm
91 minutes | USA | 2013
The Human Experiment lifts the veil on the shocking reality that thousands of untested chemicals are in our everyday products, our homes and
inside of us. Simultaneously, the prevalence of many diseases continues
to rise. From Oscar® winner Sean Penn and Emmy® winning journalists
Dana Nachman and Don Hardy, The Human Experiment tells the personal
stories of people who believe their lives have been affected by chemicals
and takes viewers to the front lines as activists go head-to-head with the
powerful and well-funded chemical industry. These activists bring to light
a corrupt system that’s been hidden from consumers... until now.
Action Items
• Support labeling regulations that give consumers the right to know
what is in the products they purchase.
• Put pressure on companies that make baby products to stop using
flame retardants and other known endocrine-disruptors in their products.
• Avoid consuming animal products that have been treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH).
• Eliminate artificial food dyes from your diet.
• Do not purchase cosmetics with “microbeads”. These tiny plastic balls
added to facial scrubs, body washes and even toothpaste, are so small
that they pass through wastewater treatment plants and are being found
in alarming numbers in the Great Lakes and other bodies of water.
Thanks to all of our wonderful sponsors. This festival
would not be possible without your support.
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
Bobbie Hallig
SUPPORTERS
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opportunities and our wildlife
connectivity projects happening at
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130 College Street, Ste. 150, So. Hadley
413.540.0377
UNDERWRITERS
BERKSHIREGROWN.ORG
Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Inc.
South Hadley Food Pantry
413-530-8240
Please donate to help support future educational events.
Donation jars are located in the lobby of the theater.
All donations are greatly appreciated.
Thank YOU!
Connect
with
Nature
PROJECT NATIVE
A 54-acre non-profit native plant nursery,
seed bank, native butterfly house,
nature trails & wildlife sanctuary
342 North Plain Rd (Rte. 41)
Housatonic, MA 01236
www.projectnative.org
413-274-3433
NURSERY & NATURE SHOP
Open April 22nd - October
Mon - Sat 9:30 - 5:00
Sunday 10:30 - 5:00
NATIVE BUTTERFLY HOUSE
Open June 20th - September
Daily 10:30 - 4:00
weather permitting