Welcome to the Mission Film Festival

Welcome to the Mission World Community Film Festival | 2009

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The Mission World Community Film Festival makes its debut Oct. 30-Nov.1 in Mission at the Heritage Park Centre / Clarke Foundation Theatre. An event not to be missed, the Festival features 32 compelling documentaries that address an array of issues critical to our times, from global water supply to food security, indigenous/cultural struggles, human rights, environmental issues and others.

Many of the films are award winning and breathtaking, some controversial and shocking. All are eye opening. The award winning ‘Fierce Light’ ( Friday Night Feature film) explores the roots of spiritual activism of some of the most influential leaders of our times, people like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Desmond Tutu, along with lesser know activists such as Alice Walker, Julia “Butterfly” Hill and Thich Nhat Hahn. It is a visually powerful and moving film, about the necessity of spiritual action in the world. After this film, filmmaker Velcrow Ripper will interact with the audience via a link from a studio in Los Angeles.

‘Taking Root: the Vision of Wangari Maathai’, tells the story of the Green Belt Movement of Kenya and it’s founder Wangari Matthai, the first environmentalist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The environment, human rights, and democracy are drawn together in this film about a 30 year journey of courage and hope of the Green Belt Movement. Working tirelessly against deforestation, poverty, embedded economic interests and political corruption, the movement became a powerful political force that helped defeat a 24 years of dictatorship.
These are just two of the 32 inspiring films featured over the weekend. There will also be guest speakers after select films, interacting and answering questions. Participatory, educational, entertaining, stimulating, the festival aims at building community both locally and globally.

The Festival also features a Bazaar where festival goers can connect with community groups and people involved in social justice, the environment and international development agencies. Participants include organizations such as CUSO-VSO, Western Canada Wilderness Committee, Zerowaste, Council of Canadians, Mission Indian Friendship Society and many more.

The inaugural weekend will lay the foundation for the event to become a featured part of Mission on an annual basis. As one organizer put it, “these films are simply incredible. You can’t get them on television or find them at the movie house, but they need to be seen. They are too important to miss.”

Clarke Theatre
33700 Prentiss Avenue,
Mission, BC

Films will be shown simultaneously in 4 rooms throughout the Heritage Park Centre:
The Clarke Theatre, The Cafeteria, The Drama Room The Lounge.
Some rooms will have limited seating capacity, so be sure to plan ahead!

Triage
Taking Root: The vision of Wangari Maathi
Sharkwater
49 Megawatts
Dream People of the Amazon
From Under the Bushy Trees
Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World
The Story of Stuff
The World According to Monsanto
The U.S. and Us
Its Still Elementary
Tar Sands: Canada for Sale
The War on Democracy
Fauberg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans
Strong Coffee: The Story of Cafe Femenino
YouMe and the SPP: Trading Democracy for Corporate Rule
Voices in Wartime
Devil Plays Hardball
Hannah's Story
Island on the Edge
The Real Dirt on Farmer John

One Water
The Fallen Feather
Sun Cookers
A Silent Forest
Burning the Future: Coal in America
Archeology of Memory: Villa Grimaldi
Two Rivers
The Forest Through the Trees
Angels in the Dust
Raised to be Heroes
Hijacked Future