Forum: The Ecology of Films

Saturday May 30 | 2:00PM | Pacific Cinémathèque

Today a growing number of documentary films address environmental crises around the globe. At DOXA this year, we have ecological films on the Alberta oil sands, wild horses, wild salmon, seed preservation, community gardens, mining, water, and people’s relationship to trees. In this forum, filmmakers and enviromentalists will discuss their inspirations, the potential of films making real change, and how filmmakers can increase the impact of their films, while not increasing the environmental impact of filmmaking.

Moderator
As Climate Change Director, Morag Carter leads the David Suzuki Foundation’s efforts to promote effective science-based solutions to climate change and energy issues. She has over 15 years experience in the areas of public health and environmental policy reform. Morag is a strategic leader and manager with significant political experience at the provincial, federal and international levels.
Participants
	Warren Cariou grew up in Saskatchewan and has worked as a construction worker, a technical writer, and a political aide. He teaches Aboriginal Literature at the University of Manitoba, where he is Canada Research Chair and Director of the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Traditions. Cariou is of Métis, German, and Norwegian heritage. His writing explores the relationships between Native and non-Native communities in Western Canada. Land of Oil and Water is his first film.
	Ben Kempas was born in Stuttgart and studied documentary filmmaking at the University of Television and Film Munich. He directed the feature-length documentaries To Be a Nation Again (1999) and The Loch Long Monster (2001) for television. Upstream Battle (2008) is his theatrical documentary debut.
	Jodie Martinson studied filmmaking at the Berkeley Digital Film Institute in California. She has worked in environmental consulting and documentary filmmaking since 2006. To The Tar Sands is her first feature-length documentary. It was made from the back of her bicycle and screened to a sold-out crowd at the 2008 Calgary International Film Festival. Martinson’s current projects include reporting from India on electronic waste for a documentary for PBS Frontline World.
	Neil McArthur was born in Regina and spent part of his childhood in northern Saskatchewan. Currently a professor at the University of Manitoba, he specialises in the history of European philosophy and literature. His film Out of the Way premiered at the 2006 Calgary International Film Festival. He is a member of the Winnipeg Film Group (WFG) and has trained in film and video production through the WFG and SAW Video in Ottawa.

This forum follows the screening of Upstream Battle.
Forum is free of charge.