Environmental Film Festival: Christchurch 21-24th September

REEL EARTH AOTEAROA Environmental Film Festival
SESSIONS: NZ-Pacific :: Mining :: Wildlife :: Water :: World
7:30pm Daily 21-24 September
The Otautahi Social Centre
206 Barbadoes St
Christchrch

REEL EARTH AOTEAROA Environmental Film Festival

SESSIONS: NZ-Pacific :: Mining :: Wildlife :: Water & World

7:30pm Daily 21-24 September

The Otautahi Social Centre

206 Barbadoes St

Christchrch

Tickers: Per Session $10 waged, $8 low income, $5 kids
Festival Pass $25, $20, $10
Bookings Phone: Geoff 027 321 0406
Email: savehappyvalley@yahoo.com
Door Sales Available
Proceeds benefit Save Happy Valley Coalition: www.savehappyvalley.org.nz

www.aeff.org.nz
A National Event in 2007, born in Palmerston North

Featuring:

Friday 21st September 730pm: NZ - Pacific

Prints of Darkness (24 min) If you go down to the woods today… well you better look over your shoulder if those woods happen to be in Mid-Canterbury. For the past decade, the legend of a large feline creature has crept into NZ folklore. Prints of Darkness is a trip down Highway 72 to the heart of cat country. Interviews with eye witnesses, skeptics, a psychologist, and wildlife experts are combined to shed light on the possibility that there may just be 'something out there'. With startling new evidence and an examination of certain age-old theories, Prints of Darkness takes a classic tale of stealth and intrigue to the big screen.

A Moment of Clarity (24 min) Step inside the twisted mind of an angst ridden killer; the exotic rat. Rattus is forced to come to terms with the present in a NZ Southern Beech Forest, where the ecology dictates sustainability, and who comes out on top. See the forest through the eyes of Rattus, from the oldest beech to the youngest bird. The fresh perspective redefines the beauty of our Southern forests, and draws into question just who belongs where in New Zealand today.

Intermission

Atlantis Approaching (51 min) Al Gore talked about the plight of Pacific Islanders in AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. Meet them up close in ATLANTIS APPROACHING, a compelling new look at global warming and sustainability through the intriguing (and sometime quirky) lens of an island microcosm.

Carpa Diem (2 min) The spot "Carpa Diem" is the best commercial advert produced this year on energy. The spot won the first prize, in the commercial section movie, during the eleventh edition of International Festival for the author film on the energy subject in Lausanne, in Switzerland. The international jury, composed by seven experts in environmental and by specialists, selected "Carpa Diem" as best spot of the year.

Saturday 22nd September 730pm:

Mining Curse of Copper (34 min) A Canadian Mining Company is in the process of obtaining rights to mine copper in one of the world's biological hotspots - a pristine cloud forest in the heart of the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. Local communities strongly oppose the mine as it will ruin their livelihoods and destroy their environment, which is home to many endangered species. The mining company is ignoring their heart-felt pleas and pushing forward with the project, with disastrous consequences.

Global Focus Ireland (4 min) Small Family Farms, Big Oil Interests The small, sparsely populated farming community of Rossport in North Mayo County is a beautiful, unspoiled part of Ireland's western seaboard. Since 1996, the discovery of the Corrib gas field off the nearby coast has brought a group of committed activists from Rossport into the public eye as they oppose the construction of Shell Oil's illegally-approved pipeline through their land. Leading this fight is Willie Corduff, a lifetime resident of Rossport who still lives on the farm passed down to him by his father. The proposed pipeline would cut directly through Corduff's land, jeopardizing the delicate bog ecosystem and threatening both the safety of Rossport's citizens and the local farmers' way of life.

Intermission

Out of Balance (65 min) In Spring 2006, mainstream media announced that the debate about the human impact on climate was over. But the debate among most climate scientists had ended long ago, unbeknownst to most Americans. 'Out of Balance' looks at how ExxonMobil spearheaded the misinformation campaign while making record profits. 'Out of Balance' also looks at the history of the company, showing a pattern of behaviour that goes all the way back to Standard Oil days, through the response to the Exxon Valez oil spill, to their current refusal to take action against climate change. Leading climate scientists such as Michael Oppenheimer and Robert Watson, environmentalists from Exxpose Exxon, Greenpeace and other organisations join with a former Exxon executive, US government whistle-blower Ross Gelbspan to explain how we have gotten to this challenging place, with climate, and the influence of the world's largest company out of balance. They conclude with hope, and ideas for immediate action. 'Climate Change' is a short film exploring the issues and impacts of greenhouse effect and climate change and looks at some of the actions individuals can take to make a difference. The target audience is the general community and schools.

Sunday 23rd September 730pm:

Wildlife Global Focus IV - Iceland (5 min) Multi-National Challenge, Innovative Solution Throughout the latter part of the 20th century, the once-plentiful wild salmon populations in the chilly waters of the North Atlantic dwindled to dangerously low levels, affecting not only the sensitive ocean and river ecosystems of the region, but also the rural communities for whom salmon fishing is a long-held local tradition and source of income. In the early 1990s Orri Vigfússon started an innovative, multinational initiative to buy out the fishing rights of commercial salmon fishers whose over-fishing was causing the decline. He represents a new breed of environmental leader who utilizes business skills and negotiating to effectively protect precious natural resources. Through his work, Vigfússon has succeeded in preventing the seemingly inevitable decimation of wild North Atlantic salmon populations.

Fledging Expectations (24 min) Set in the Vineyards of Marlborough, this film highlights the hopeless war between winegrower and the guzzling hoards of pest birds. Guns, scarecrows and even disco balls have all failed to make an impact on the masses of greedy starlings. In desperation, winegrowers have turned on the bird’s home, stripping every tree from the planes and leaving a barren landscape denuded of everything but vines. Another choice remains but it’s not without its controversy. World renowned Falconer, Dr Nick Fox is offering a new solution to the Winemakers plight in the form of a novel conservation and crop protection endeavour. The Falcons for Grapes Project is an effort to re-introduce the rare New Zealand Falcon back onto the Marlborough Planes, in the hopes that this adept, swift and magnificent predator will strike against the pest bird problem and swoop in to be the winemakers’ hero. However, Starlings are not the only birds up for grabs on Marlborough's menu. Local pigeon and chicken fanciers are certain that falcons will stray off the vineyards to find easier targets not to mention a more comfortable place to live. Fledging Expectations documents the pioneering journey of the first two falcons of the project. Follow the two infants from their high country homestead to their new home in the vineyards; striving to adapt as a sceptical community watches on. Can the falcons be the hero? Or will the lure of a plump chicken be enough to destroy the project and all its aspirations?

Store Wars (5 min) Store Wars is a hilarious mini-movie about a small band of organic vegetable puppets.

Intermission

Ride of the Mergansers (11 min) The Hooded Merganser is a rare and reclusive duck found only in North America. Every spring, in the Great Lakes region, the wary hen lays and incubates her eggs in a nest high in the trees. Just 24 hours after hatching, the tiny ducklings must make the perilous leap to the ground below to begin life in the wild. This age-old rite is rarely observed by humans. 'Ride of the Mergansers,' an 11-minute wildlife documentary, brings this hidden drama to the screen. Filmed entirely in northern Minnesota, 'Ride of the Mergansers' is a heartwarming blend of natural history, humor, and suspense. You'll be entertained, educated, and inspired - and leave with a newfound appreciation of the phrase 'leap of faith.'

Mad Mac and the Flat Ugly Snail (24 min) "For a flat ugly snail, they take a grip on your soul, your being, on your karma." Drawn by adventure, driven by idealism; this is the story of the New Zealand abalone industry as seen by one of its most colourful characters. The story of New Zealand's lucrative paua (abalone) industry through the eyes of a man whose leadership and vision changed it, and whose ambition and excess eventually brought him down.

Geckos Rock (24 min) Secrets are held in Fiordland's alpine crest. A remarkable creature has been discovered there, teetering on the brink of extinction. Yet against all odds the alpine gecko eeks out an existence where only mountaineers dare venture. Geckos Rock takes you on a journey with Tony - the true southern man and dedicated gecko guru who is committed to exploring this alpine gecko stronghold - and protecting it.

Monday 24th September 730pm: Water & World

Tasmanias Forests: A global treasure, A national responsibility (10 min) Tasmania is globally renowned for its pristine wilderness. But the Tasmanian community is divided by the logging of oldgrowth forests for woodchips. Set to a soundtrack by The John Butler Trio, this short film documents the logging practices and the subsequent community protests within Tasmania. 2004 The Wilderness Society

Bluffed (24 min) Remember the fable of the Emperor's New Clothes? Well, a similar tale is happening in Bluff, right on New Zealand's back doorstep. The Bluff oyster may be a national icon but there is a darker side to the oyster industry that few will admit to.

Intermission

'The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil' (53 min) When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba was faced with new challenges: How to feed its people and create a new, low-energy society. Today, the small country provides an example of community in action after facing a drastic reduction in fossil fuel resources and other imports. Learn about the hardships the Cubans endured as they transitioned from large-scale industrial agriculture to small organic farms and urban gardens—and how their communities became stronger in the process.

Global Focus IV – Mongolia (5 min) Protecting Water Sources On the sprawling, sparsely-populated steppes of Mongolia, outdated and unregulated mining practices have put waterways across the country in jeopardy. With most of its population living in poverty in rural areas and many working as semi-nomadic herdsman, Mongolia faces a serious challenge: to utilize their resources in international trade and to regulate industry in order to protect the natural environment that supports citizens living in very tough conditions. With an unwavering commitment to address this challenge, Munkhbayar is leading the effort to protect Mongolia's precious water resources from the dangers of unregulated mining.

Related

http://www.aeff.org.nz

http://www.savehappyvalley.org.nz/envtfilmfest