Bringing the Mother Earth to life.
2010
Be informed, be entertained be inspired!
Welcome to the Reel Earth The southern hemisphere’s leading international environmental film festival. On behalf of the Wellington branch of Forest & Bird, we’d like to say thank you for your support. 2
This is the festival’s fifth season ~ its second in Wellington ... and it keeps getting bigger and better. This year we are extending the Wellington festival to run over two weeks to do justice to the many inspirational, award~winning films, documentaries and animations from New Zealand and across the world.
From their base in Palmerston North, the Reel Earth team selects and premieres the best of these films. An accredited jury panel also judge the films, awarding those that excel in filmcraft and story telling. All of the winning films are featured in the Wellington season, along with a programme of guest speakers over the two weeks.
The 2009 festival covers some of the big environmental issues that face us today, as well as showcasing the worlds’ beautiful natural environment and some of the people who are working to make it a better, more sustainable place.
The films are entertaining, often beautiful and funny, and very inspirational. There is such a great range from New Zealand and all over the world that there really is something for everyone.
Reel Earth is the result of collaboration between a handful of likeminded people in 2004. The team saw the value in giving people a unique opportunity to see and experience some of the many excellent ‘environmental’ movies made each year ~ movies that rarely, if ever, gain mainstream cinema or TV release.
We really hope you enjoy them. Vicki Connor
Wellington Branch Forest & Bird
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2010 Environmental Film Festival ~ Be informed, be entertained, be inspired!
Ticket Information Adults $14.50. Student / Film Society / Senior $12.50. Children $9.00
All screenings will be at The Paramount, Courtenay Place. Tickets for some screenings are limited. We recommend booking in advance by calling The Paramount on 04 384 4080. The Wellington Season of the Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival is brought to you by the Wellington Branch of Forest & Bird. All the money raised will go towards our Places for Penguins project, an ongoing initiative that works to ensure the little blue penguin has a home on Wellington’s coast for generations to come.
The Paramount Cinema, Courtney Place, Wellington.
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Ticket Information & The Event Sponsors
A big thank you! Graphic Press & Packaging are proud to be the principal sponsor of the Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival 2009. Graphic Press have been supplying Forest & Bird with environmentally responsible print solutions for the last 4 years. Based in Levin, we are a grass roots company who pride ourselves on excellent customer service. We understand the value of supporting our local community and doing what we can to protect our environment. We print with vegetable oil based ink which is mineral oil free and from renewable resources. We recommend New SIlk Gloss/Matt from BJ Ball papers. The New Silk range consists of environmentally responsible papers manufactured under the EMS system ISO14001 using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) FSC Certified Mixed Source Pulp sourced
from well managed and legally harvested forests. Oji paper, the manufacturer of New Silk, is a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Graphic Press offer design, prepress, printing and binding services in the lower North Island and nationwide. Our quality of print, range of services and commitment to exceeding customer expectation makes us a logical choice for small business or experienced print buyers.
For more information on our company visit www.graphicpress. co.nz or call 06 3682177. We hope you enjoy the films. The Graphic Press Team.
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2010 Environmental Film Festival ~ Be informed, be entertained, be inspired!
Opening Night Please join us for the opening night of the Wellington season of the Festival. Tickets are $20 and include a glass of wine.Winner of Reel Earth’s best feature film award ‘So Right, So Smart’ will launch the festival, followed by Robb Donzee, Managing Director of Interface NZ. Call The Paramount to book your ticket 04 384 4080.
Guest Speakers This year we have a number of excellent guest speakers throughout the festival ~ passionate and dedicated people working at the heart of the environmental and sustainability movement. Experts in their field, the speakers will share their thoughts on the films and the issues they raise.
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Robb Donze
Managing Director, Interface NZ.
Robb is the Founder & Managing Director of InterfaceNZ, Ltd. Founded in 1996, the company is now recognised for its leadership in sustainable business practices. Robb will share the InterfaceNZ story ~ including how getting the entire staff to embrace the companies core sustainability values is key to the their success.
Thursday 1 October, 6.00pm following So Right, So Smart
Pete Bethune
Innovator & Skipper, Earthrace.
Pete is passionate about the environment and has spent the last five years promoting biodiesel as part of a transition towards sustainability. Pete recently skippered Earthrace in a record setting voyage around the globe. Hear Pete talk about his adventures so far and his plans to take Earthrace down to Antarctica to join Sea Shepherd in disrupting Japanese whaling operations in November. Thursday 2 October, 6.00pm following Pirate of the Sea www.earthrace.net
The Reel Earth Guest Speakers
Kirstie Knowles
Marine Advocate, Forest and Bird.
Kirstie is Forest & Bird’s marine conservation advocate and a passionate champion of New Zealand’s unique marine environment. Kirstie will talk about some of issues ~ depleting fish stocks, environmental damage, how to protect our marine species ~ from a New Zealand perspective.
Tuesday 6 October, 6.00pm following The Deadline / Wild Ocean
Kevin Hackwell
Advocacy Manager, Forest and Bird.
Kevin Hackwell is Forest & Bird’s advocacy manager. He has been a passionate conservationist for 40 years, and fought to protect West Coast beech forests from logging. Kevin will talk about New Zealand’s unique natural environment and the challenges we face protecting it.
Wednesday 7 October, 6.00pm following Whetu Rere - the Sealion and the Comet and Feral Peril
Chris Harris
Campaign Director, Greenpeace.
Chris Harris is the campaigns director for Greenpeace New Zealand. He has worked in the non-profit sector for nearly thirty years, on issues as diverse as climate change, forest conservation, water, nuclear and mining issues. Chris will describe the organisation’s work in this area and the talk briefly about the problems facing the oceans, and as a result of global warming and overfishing. Tuesday 13 October, 6.00pm following The Deadline / Wild Ocean
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2010 Environmental Film Festival ~ Be informed, be entertained, be inspired!
Movie Schedule Thursday 1 October
Sunday 4 October
Tuesday 6 October
2pm
Karearea: The Pine Falcon 49 mins
Grandma Builds and Earthship
Friday 2 October
Whetu Rere ~ the Sealion 24 mins and the Comet
2pm
58 mins
Herbal Pathways
21 mins
2pm
6pm
Green Shorts
6pm
The Deadlline
51 mins
6pm
6pm
So Right, So Smart
99 mins
Karearea: The Pine Falcon 49 mins Whetu Rere ~ the Sealion and the Comet
24 mins
Monday 5 October
Pirate for the Sea
101 mins
2pm
One Water
68 mins
6pm
Crude
104 mins
Saturday 3 October
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91 mins
2pm
Green Shorts
91 mins
6pm
Tara ~ Journey to the Heart of the Climate Machine
90 mins
Voyage of the Vezo
Wild Ocean
40 mins
Wednesday 7 October 21 mins
2pm
A Grain of Sand
83 mins
6pm
Whetu Rere ~ the Sealion and the Comet
24 mins
Feral Peril
The Program Festival Films
Thursday 8 October
Sunday 11 October
Wednesday 14 October
2pm
The Great Squeeze
75 mins
2pm
Green Shorts
6pm
So Right, So Smart
99 mins
6pm
Karearea: The Pine Falcon 49 mins
Friday 9 October
Whetu Rere ~ the Sealion and the Comet
2pm
Grandma Builds and Earthship
58 mins
Monday 12 October
Herbal Pathways
21 mins
2pm
6pm
Tara ~ Journey to the Heart of the Climate Machine
90 mins
6pm
One Water
Voyage of the Vezo Addicted to Plastic
91 mins
24 mins
68 mins
21 mins 85 mins
Tuesday 13 October
Saturday 10 October 2pm
Pirate for the Sea
101 mins
6pm
Crude
104 mins
2pm
Agent Orange: 30 Years Later
56 mins
Herbal Pathways
21 mins
6pm
Wild Ocean
40 mins
The Deadlline
2pm
Legacy of the Great Aletsch 52 mins
Cheat Neutral
6pm
Carbon Weevils
7 mins
Tara ~ Journey to the Heart of the Climate Machine
90 mins
13 mins
Thursday 15 October 6pm
SPECIAL ADDITIONAL SCREENING
Key
Features a guest speaker.
The Cove
51 mins
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2010 Environmental Film Festival ~ Be informed, be entertained, be inspired!
A Grain of Sand Director: Joseph Johnson Cami Spain 2008 / 83 mins
“The work of a few can be the inspiration of many.” The story of Brendon Grimshaw’s fight to save the piece of paradise on which he lives ~ Moyenne Island, in the Seychelles ~ might seem of marginal relevance to Aotearoa, but many aspects have echoes here, particularly given our government’s intention to relax the laws governing foreign investment. Moreover, on a global scale, A Grain of Sand provides much to mull over; not least, the pressure exerted by the World Bank to ‘liberalise’ economies in return for aid. As Grimshaw reflects, “They get away with a lot of bad things by using the word ‘development’”. Because of its elevation, rising sea levels threaten Moyenne Island less than many other small Seychelles islands, and its monetary value has skyrocketed, leaving Grimshaw and his allies struggling to protect the island from rapacious developers after he dies.
Wednesday 7 October, 2.00pm
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83mins
Addicted to Plastic Director: Ian Connacher Canada 2008 / 85 mins
Can you imagine a world without plastic? From Styrofoam cups to artificial organs, the paint on your walls and the dashboard of your environmentally friendly hybrid car, plastics are the most ubiquitous and versatile material ever invented. But plastics clog our landfills, litter our shorelines, float in abundance in our oceans, and seriously threaten the health of humans and wildlife. Addicted to Plastic documents a three year journey encompassing 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The film details plastic’s path over the last 100 years and provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. Enjoy the sight of the Australian manufacturer of a starch-based plastic eating his own product, learn how corporations like Sony are moving towards safer, more environmentally responsible plastics, and be encouraged that the days of toxic, ecologically unsound plastics look to be numbered. Monday 12 October, 6.00pm
85 mins
The Festival Films
Agent Orange: 30 Years Later Director: John Trinh USA 2008 / 56 mins
Runner Up: Best Feature Film Director: Joe Berlinger USA 2009 / 104 mins
Through its production of the infamous Agent Orange, Monsanto played a major part in the ecological devastation of much of Vietnam. Now, Monsanto has returned to Vietnam, and again operates under controversy. In 2001, farmers in Vietnam’s Ninh Thuan province accused Monsanto of pressuring them to use genetically modified seeds that resulted in corn and maize crop failures and economic ruin. Monsanto responded by demanding the government take action against the newspaper which printed the story about the farmers complaints. This film makes viewers aware of the human and environmental impacts of Agent Orange, the need for compassion and a heightened sense of responsibility for our actions towards each other as stewards of the plane. Despite the horror of Agent Orange, the film is at times intensely moving and beautiful, showing also the better side of human nature~qualities like kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Tuesday 13 October, 2.00pm
Crude
56 mins
A classic but as-yet-unfinished David-and-Goliath story, Crude documents the battle between indigenous Ecuadorian communities and the giant multinational Chevron corporation. Under dispute is Chevron’s part in one of the world’s greatest environmental catastrophes. Two young attorneys claim that over three decades Texaco, which merged with Chevron in 2001, systematically polluted one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, poisoning the area and leaving a toxic legacy that manifests as increased rates of cancer, birth defects, and a multiplicity of other health ailments. Chevron vigorously denies the claims. Filmed in true documentary style, with both sides given ample opportunity to state their cases, Crude is a gripping film likely to evoke strong emotions and vigorous debate. One of the festival’s top films.
Monday 5 October, 6.00pm Saturday 10 October, 6.00pm
104 mins www.crudethemovie.com
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2010 Environmental Film Festival ~ Be informed, be entertained, be inspired!
Feral Peril
The Deadline
Nominated for Best Feature Film
Director: Philip Stebbing United Kingdom 2008 / 51 mins
Director: Andrew Sully Australia 2008 / 53 mins
A well paced, professional documentary, The Deadline follows the attempts by Greenpeace campaigners on the Esperanza to protest the plundering of fish populations off the coast of Africa, and with luck curtail some of the worst offences. Unlicensed ships use packaging from licensed vessels and catches are transferred at sea, out of sight; by-catch is shovelled, dead, overboard; nets use illegal mesh sizes; and official observers on board the fishing vessels are effectively powerless. How long can our oceans survive in the face of this contempt for the basic principles of ecology? While the action takes place far from our shores, the issues are global and New Zealand is held up as an example of how marine reserves have an important role in managing fisheries.
Tuesday 6 October, 6.00pm
Feral Peril explains why foxes would be such an ecological catastrophe for Tasmania, and explores why the iconic Tasmanian devil may have an important role to play ~ if it can survive an unrelated and gruesome threat to its own survival. Several issues, including the setting of priorities for conservation funding and the importance of effective relationships with hunters, have great relevance for New Zealand. A fascinating and highly entertaining film.
58mins
Tuesday 13 October, 6.00pm www.the deadline.info
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Set as a detective thriller, Feral Peril investigates whether foxes really have invaded Tasmania. Producer Ian Walker was “intrigued by the idea that there was a lot of money being spent in Tasmania to set up a very high-tech bunch of people who were dedicated to eradicating foxes, but their dilemma was that they couldn’t find one”.
Wednesday 7 October, 6.00pm
53 mins
The Festival Films
Grandma Builds An Earthship
Director: Kent Gunnufson USA 2008 / 58 mins
Who says age and inexperience are barriers to accomplishment? She might be 67 years old with a cardiac problem, but Pascha dug the trenches, placed the timbers, wired the outlets, milled the cabinets, trowelled the walls, and did most of the other work to build her home in the mountains at 3000 metres. And, as if the Colorado Rockies weren’t hard enough, she overcame a mountain of regulatory barriers to build her home using alternative construction methods and energy sources (it’s completely off the grid). But the challenges of building her dream home also built her inner spirit, and the film inspires not just by showing possibilities for alternative building but by showing the power of imagination, determination, and humour.
Herbal Pathways Runner Up: Best Short Film
Director: Anna Hickman New Zealand / Vietnam 2009 / 22 mins
Filmed in the stunning mountainous Sa Pa region of Northern Vietnam, ‘Herbal Pathways’ shares a quietly intimate and informative account of the Medicinal Plants Innovation Project (MPIP). MPIP brought NZAID and the hill tribe people together on a quest to fulfil two objectives ~ poverty alleviation and plant conservation. Intellectually engaging, Pathways combines stunning cinematography with the hugely positive story of the conservation of important medicinal plants and of the communities that rely on these plants.
Tuesday 6 October, 2.00pm Tuesday 6 October, 2.00pm Friday 9 October, 2.00pm
58mins
Friday 9 October, 2.00pm Tuesday 13 October, 2.00pm
21mins
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2010 Environmental Film Festival ~ Be informed, be entertained, be inspired!
Green Shorts This select seven showcases the best of short films from Reel Earth 2009.
Swing
A creative collection featuring animation, documentaries, humour and great cinema-photography. Sit back and be entertained!
Nomination: Best Animation & Best NZ Film Winner: Emerging Filmmakers
Saturday 3rd October, 2.00pm Sunday 4th October, 6.00pm Sunday 11th October, 2.00pm
91 mins
Director: Dawn Tuffery New Zealand 2007 / 6 mins
As a small creature swings through the trees, alien property developers go to work. Everyone finds out about the soil stabilising propeties of trees the hard way, in this captivating claymation.
Voyage of the Vezo Winner: Best Short Film Director Giovanni Paolo Autran USA 2008 / 24 mins
An outstanding short film that will have you mesmerised by the beauty and colour of the exotic scenery and emotionally engaged with the plight of the Vezo ~ the coastal society of southwest Madagascar. Their livelihood has always relied on the reef, but as fewer and smaller fish are being caught Maro Bezozo wonders if the Vezo’s relationship with the ocean has fallen out of balance. Maro and his nephew Sambalahay embark on a 100 km voyage, sailing north to seek understanding and solutions. This is their story.
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The Festival Films
Carbon Weevils
Director: Tim Britton United Kingdom 2007 / 7 mins
A view at breakneck speed of the evolution of one particular species ~ the Carbon Weevil,- whose purpose and role is to excavate the earth’s carbon deposits and convert them into carbon dioxide.
Smoking Kills Runner Up: Best NZ Film Director: Tim Britton United Kingdom 2007 / 7 mins
Retrace the journey of a cigarette butt and the environmental havoc it leaves in its wake.
Theft
Director: Iain Frengley New Zealand 2008 / 5 mins
The thin line between right and wrong is being tested in the dark alleys of Dunedin. This film shows the different sides of the waste debate. What is the biggest crime?
Garbage Angels Winner: Best Animation Film Director: Pierre Trudeau Canada 2008 / 6 mins
Disregarded everyday items take on a life of their own on the dump. Watch beautiful garbage as you’ve never seen it before and appreciate its tale of our society, where everything seems to be disposable.
Lessons from a Melting Icecap Nomination: Best Short Film & Best New Zealand Film Winner: Best New Zealand Film Director: Christophe Fauchere USA 2008 / 38 mins
In mid 2007, three Dunedin school girls won a nationwide contest and found themselves journeying first to London then to Greenland to encounter a 1.8 million square kilometre icecap. Told through the travel log of the naïve yet enthusiastic girls and using an adept mix of graphics and actual footage, Lessonsfrom a Melting Icecap takes the huge, often intangible issues of climate change, sustainability and our reliance on oil, and gives them a human face ~ a young, hopeful, very Kiwi one.
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2010 Environmental Film Festival ~ Be informed, be entertained, be inspired!
The Great Squeeze: Surviving the Human Project
Director: Christophe Fauchere USA 2008 / 75 mins
For a century or more we’ve been living the high life on the world’s resources. But what happens when the easily extractable resources have been exhausted? How close to that situation are we, and what are the implications? Very close, according to a host of scientists and other experts and the implications are frightening. The looming crisis in fresh water, climate change, loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystem services, the destruction of the oceans, and myriad other consequences of our rapid population growth confront us with crucial questions. Can we save our way of life? Our civilisation? But these analyses shouldn’t paralyse us into inaction. The Great Squeeze offers hope through the knowledge that some of our most incisive thinkers are addressing the problems and proposing feasible solutions.
Karearea: The Pine Falcon
Winner: Best Cinematography NZ Film Winner: Director’s Merit Award Runner Up: Best New Zealand Film
Director: Sandy Crichton New Zealand 2008 / 49 mins
Spectacular footage of wild New Zealand falcons that reveals behaviour not previously known; with a strong storyline that cleverly weaves several threads to maintain not just interest but tension; and with an emotional appeal that puts the anthropomorphic excesses of many “wildlife” documentaries to shame. It’s all the more remarkable because it was filmed by one person, Sandy Crichton, whose energy does justice to the wildness of the birds. But Karearea is more than a film about falcons. It’s a film about relationships ~ among the film maker, the birds, the loggers trying to accommodate the falcons while pressured to meet production targets, and aging wildlife photographer George Chance, who three decades ago set the standard for still photography of these iconic New Zealand birds. A festival sell out. Friday 2 October, 2.00pm Sunday 4th October, 2.00pm
Thursday 8th October, 2.00pm
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75 mins
Sunday 11th October, 6.00pm
49 mins
The Festival Films
Legacy of the Great Aletsch
Director: Nick Brandestini Switzerland 2009 / 52 mins
“The mountain man and the farmer, you don’t find them in the first rows in church. But because they are closer to nature, they have a special relation to God. The wire to God is shorter at 2500 metres than down here.” The Great Aletsch glacier arises near Switzerland’s Jungfraujoch. Ski legend/hotelier Art Furrer, mountain guide Martin Nellen, and others explain, with humour, humility and insight, the significance of the glacier for them personally and in a wider context. But what we see is the past; the rapidly shrinking glacier shows the impact not of the current climate, but that of the 1970s–80s. Thirty years from now, what will remain of the glacier to show the impact of our current climate ~ and what will this mean for those whose lives depend so intimately on the Aletsch’s survival?
Wednesday 14 October, 2.00pm
52 mins
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2010 Environmental Film Festival ~ Be informed, be entertained, be inspired!
One Water
Pirate for the Sea
Director: Ron Colby USA 2008 / 101 mins
Director: Sanjeev Chatterjee USA 2008 / 68 mins
Water: essential for life; yet, too often, the bearer of death and for many of the world’s population, a very scarce resource. When you see a man harvesting a block of ice from a high glacier and carrying it on a donkey and his own back to a town many kilometres away to sell you realise we in New Zealand we have virtually no concept of how valuable water is for much of the world’s population. And when something is that valuable, someone will try to profit from it.
Earlier this year Paul Watson, captain of the Sea Shepherd vessel confronting Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean, claimed he’d been shot in the chest by one of the whalers, with a bullet-proof vest saving his life. Given the controversy surrounding Watson, the attempt on his life, if true, seems hardly surprising. The youngest founding member of Greenpeace Canada, Watson organized early campaigns protesting the killing of seals, whales and dolphins.
One Water shows us the true value of water; how it is becoming increasingly polluted, scarce, and turned into a commercial commodity. Listen to arguments for and against the privatisation of water, then think of the implications. Powerfully filmed and at times poetic in its presentation, One Water discusses one of our most precious and influential resources. You might never take it for granted again.
After Greenpeace kicked him out for taking his activism too far, he founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and went on to sink whaling ships, stop the Canadian seal hunt for ten years, and in general devote his life to what some have called environmental terrorism. Pirate for the Sea allows Watson to present and justify his approach; it’s up to you to assess the validity of his arguments. Dramatic, controversial, and highly topical.
Monday 5 October, 2.00pm Monday 12 October, 2.00pm
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68 mins
Friday 2 October, 6.00pm Saturday 10 October, 2.00pm
101 mins lisa@seashepherd.org.nz
The Festival Films
So Right So Smart
Winner: Best Feature Film Directors: Justin Maine, Leanne RobinsonMaine, Guy Noerr & Michael Swantek USA 2008 / 75 mins
One of the slickest, most professional films submitted to this year’s festival, So Right So Smart tells the story of how, in an epiphanal moment, Ray Anderson, founder of the hugely successful Interface Corporation, realised the implications of his company’s way of operating. Anderson accepted the ethical challenge and began to realise sustainability helped, not hindered, his business goals. The film also shows how ecologically sound business practices foster better business in general, using examples such as clothing company Patagonia and the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Insights from luminaries like Paul Hawken, David Suzuki, Lester Brown, and many others entertain and inform. A truly inspirational film that should be required viewing for all our politicians and captains of industry. Highly recommended. Thursday 1 October, 6.00pm Thursday 8 October, 6.00pm
99 mins
Tara - Journey to the Heart of the Climate Machine
Director: Michael Pitiot France 2008 / 91 mins
An extraordinary tale of a scientific mission to gather data crucial for understanding climate change, Tara is the story of how a large multinational scientific organisation led by New Zealander Grant Redvers deliberately strands the ‘Tara’ (formerly Sir Peter Blake’s ‘Seamaster’) so it will drift with the Arctic pack ice throughout the Arctic winter. During the expedition, daily life for the crew focuses around two things: collecting data, and sheer survival. Unexpected fragmentation of the ice, giant pressure ridges, polar bears, blizzards and the unrelenting extreme cold threaten the mission and sometimes the lives of the crew. Rescue is impossible in the polar night; self-reliance is survival. New scientific discoveries combine with drama to deliver and educational and gripping film.
Saturday 3 October, 6.00pm Friday 9 October, 6.00pm Wednesday 14 October, 6.00pm
90 mins www.taraexpeditions.org
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2010 Environmental Film Festival ~ Be informed, be entertained, be inspired!
Whetu Rere ~ The Sea Lion & the Comet
Director: Kat Baulu and Alastair Jamieson New Zealand 2007 / 24 mins
On New Zealand’s Otago coast, the world’s rarest species of sea lion is making a tentative comeback to the mainland. Just one female ~ ’Mum’ ~ is pioneering her species’ historic return. Whetu Rere is a quietly told, poignant tale of Mum’s latest pup, whose grasp on life is tenuous and fragile. Locals and conservationists alike strive to care for the pup, but will their efforts be enough?
Friday 2 October, 2.00pm
24 mins
Wild Ocean
Director: Steve McNicholas USA 2008 / 40 mins
Stunning photography of one of the world’s most spectacular coastlines and the wildlife flourishing above and below the ocean’s surface would be reason enough to see this film, but Wild Ocean offers much more. This big budget film explores the wild KwaZulu~Natal coast of southern Africa, where each year the migration of billions of fish attracts the ocean’s great predators ~ including humans. It reveals the economic and cultural impact of the ocean and champions the creation of marine reserves; yet, while it explores the causes and effects of human impacts on the fragile ocean ecology, Wild Ocean remains an inspirational and optimistic film that takes audiences to a rare unspoiled marine wilderness to glimpse what the oceans of the world once looked like.
Sunday 4 October, 2.00pm
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Wednesday 7 October, 6.00pm
Tuesday 6 October, 6.00pm
Sunday 11 October, 6.00pm
Tuesday 13 October, 6.00pm
www.sealionfilm.co.nz
40 mins www.wildoceanfilm.com
The Festival Films
“A certain Oscar nominee...” Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times
The Cove
“One of the most audacious and perilous operations in the history of the conservation movement.”
Winner - The Audience Awards, Sundance Film Festival 2009
Director: Louie Psihoyos USA 2008 / 94 mins
Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times
In addition to the Wellington season of The Reel Earth Film Festival, we are delighted to be able to screen The Cove.
entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury~tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen hunt. The nature of what they do is so chilling they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it.
In a sleepy lagoon off the coast of Japan lies a shocking secret that a few desperate men will stop at nothing to keep hidden from the world.
National Geographic photographer Louis Psihoyos joins forces with former dolphin trainer turned activist Ric O’Barry to lead an “Oceans Eleven”-style team who will carry out an undercover operation to photograph the off-limits cove. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery that adds up to an urgent plea for hope.
Taiji, is a small town that appears to be devoted to the playful dolphins and whales that swim off their coast. But in a remote, glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs the fishermen, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin Thursday 15 October, 6.00pm 123 mins
www.wildoceanfilm.com
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2010 Environmental Film Festival ~ Be informed, be entertained, be inspired!
The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Incorporated has been operating since 1923. Our mission is to preserve and protect the native plants and animals and natural features of New Zealand. Forest & Bird is active on a wide range of conservation and environmental issues. These include the protection of native animal species, forests, tussock grasslands, wetlands, coastlines and marine ecosystems, energy and resource conservation, sustainable fisheries and sustainable land management. Forest & Bird is also involved in South Pacific rainforest conservation work and is working to ensure the protection of Antarctica from environmental damage.
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Forest & Bird Wellington Branch The Wellington Branch is the Society’s oldest and largest, covering Wellington City including Tawa. We have 1300 members and we are always looking for more. The Wellington Branch has played a leading role in some important local projects including the eradication of mice on Mana Island (at that time the largest rodent eradication in the world and still the third largest involving mice), establishing the Taputeranga Marine Reserve on Wellington’s South Coast, and managing a home nursery scheme of 10,000 plants per year for the past 13 years for local community groups. One of our flagship projects is ‘Places for Penguins’, involving Wellingtonians in restoring and protecting the natural
Forest & Bird New Zealand
habitat of the local little blue penguin community. All the money raised by the film festival will go to this project. Joining Forest & Bird costs just $52 a year and can be as involved as you like. You can come along to the various talks and walks or do your bit by lending a hand at one of the many volunteer events organised around the region. Or you can just enjoy the quarterly magazine and regular branch newsletters ~ it’s up to you.
If you want to find out more about joining Forest & Bird visit www.forestandbird.org.nz or call
Dave Allen ~ Atuanui 2009
Ark in the Park ~ Robin release 2009
Dune planting ~ Wellimgton 2009
0800 200 064 Minke Dolphin ~ Kaikora 2009
www.forestandbird.org 23
Award winning films covering some of the big global issues that face us today, the worlds’ beautiful natural environment and some of the people who are working to make it a better, more sustainable place. This special community event would not be possible without the help of our sponsors:
The Paramount Cinema 04 384 4080