2013
AFN runs from October until May at 7 p.m., generally on the second Wednesday of every month, in the theatre at Edward Milne Community School, 6218 Sooke Rd, Sooke, BC.
An exploration of working cooperatives, both as businesses and service providers, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, the U.S. and Canada. The film will be followed by a discussion on the possibilities for cooperatives in the Sooke area led by Andrew Moore and Don Brown both of whom have education and expertise in the work of establishing cooperatives and decades of experience in guiding people who are interesting in doing so.
Filmmaker Richard Boyce embarks upon a notably heartfelt and thought-provoking journey contrasting the tree farms that dominate the landscape surrounding his home with the ancient rainforest on Vancouver Island. “RainForest” recently won the Best Mountain Culture Film Award at the Whistler Film Festival 2011. The jury praised the film for “re-exposing our most critical environmental issue while at the same time pushing the cinematic experience and limits of storytelling, cinematography and editing.”
Inspired by the Kwakwaka’wakw chief Kwaxsistalla, this powerful and moving documentary provides us with an intimate glimpse into the First Nation’s traditional relationship with the forest, juxtaposed with Boyce’s very personal perspective on the decades-long fight to save Vancouver Island’s thousand year-old trees from clear-cutting practices. Boyce takes his camera high up into the forest canopy, providing us with a unique cinematic experience of the rich forest ecosystem.
After the hour-long screening there will be a discussion and question session with TJ Watt from the Ancient Forest Alliance. TJ is a local conservation photographer and avid big tree hunter from Metchosin. Two years ago he and long time activist Ken Wu co-founded the Ancient Forest Alliance, an organization that works to protect BC endangered old growth forests and forestry jobs. The group recently celebrated their first campaign victory with the protection of the spectacular Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew.
Proceeds from the film night will go to the Ancient Forest Alliance.
More info: http://rainforestmovie.ca/
Annual Farming and Gardening Gala co-presented with Sooke Region Food CHI and featuring the film “To Make a Farm”, a visually beautiful and very real exploration of the ups and downs in the lives of 5 young Canadian farmers over the course of an entire year. The evening will also feature a chance to discuss gardening/farming questions with local growers, booths, a seed exchange and tea and goodies (by donation) prepared by the EMCS Culinary Arts class. It takes a community to feed a community. 7 p.m. to 9:30 Edward Milne Community School Theatre, 6218 Sooke Rd. in Sooke. By donation. Proceeds this month to: Farmer2Farmer Network
Info: http://tomakeafarm.ca/
Feb. 8th is the Awareness Film Night screening of “Peace Out”, a beautifully put together and dynamic film that explores the plans afoot for energy extraction in the vast Peace River region of B.C., including a mega dam, tens of thousands of hydro-fracked shale gas wells and a nuclear power plant.
The screening will be attended by Fabio Wilkinson, one of the filmmakers, local MLA John Horgan and award-winning investigative journalist and CCPA policy analyst Ben Parfitt, who will present a short power point on fracking in the Peace, what it is and what it does. Showtime is at 7:00 and the evening will adjourn at 9:30 rather than the usual 9:00 so that there will be time for discussion and questions from the audience for Fabio, Ben and John. Admission is by donation to the Peace Valley Environment Association.
This film will not be in the Awareness Film Night library after the screening, so come out and see it on the big screen and be there for the discussion.
“2012: Time for Change” presents an optimistic alternative to apocalyptic doom and gloom. Directed by Emmy Award nominee João Amorim, the film follows journalist Daniel Pinchbeck, author of the bestselling 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, on a quest for a new paradigm that integrates the archaic wisdom of tribal cultures with the scientific method. As conscious agents of evolution, we can redesign post-industrial society on ecological principles to make a world that works for all. Rather than breakdown and barbarism, 2012 heralds the birth of a regenerative planetary culture where collaboration replaces competition, where exploration of psyche and spirit becomes the new cutting edge, replacing the sterile materialism that has pushed our world to the brink.
Just a quick reminder that the Awareness Film Night’s screening of “2012: Time For Change” will be this Wednesday (Jan.11) at 7 p.m. in the EMCS theatre (as usual). There will be a brief discussion after the film, open to all moviegoers who wish to participate, focusing on ideas for implementing change in the new year.
