Screening Showcase #1

Films are an effective way to engage new audiences, communicate dynamic ideas and provoke conversation. See short segments of films that seek to influence the debate, learn about the work and share thoughts on impact, distribution, partnerships and the potential to turn reel action into real action.  Line-up subject to change.

A Fierce Green Fire – The Battle For a Living Planet – From its 5 sold-out shows at the Sundance Film Festival to its standing ovation at the DC Environmental Film Festival, and other festivals around the world, FGF has galvanized and inspired audiences.  It is the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement – grassroots and global activism spanning 50 years from conservation to climate change. From halting dams in the Grand Canyon to battling 20,000 tons of toxic waste at Love Canal; from Greenpeace saving the whales to Chico Mendes and the rubbertappers saving the Amazon; from climate change to the promise of transforming our civilization, the film tells vivid stories about people fighting – and succeeding – against enormous odds.  It will be an invaluable tool for organizing and education.

Just Do It  (www.justdoitfilm.com) is the story of one eventful year inside the secret world of ‘direct action’ activists. Granted unprecedented access to film, director Emily James embedded herself inside a group of nonviolent UK activists as they brought media, political and public attention to a myriad of climate change causes; from coal-fired power stations and ever‑expanding airports to investment banks and government offices, despite the very real threat of arrest.  Just Do It is about everyday people, citizens of the world who are fed up with critical situations that are stepping up to make real change happen through the coordination of non-violent direct actions and self-managed alternatives.

Just Do It aims to give all who partake or flirt with the idea of civil disobedience an accessible tool to infect and inform others. Our goal is to spark discussions in communities throughout the U.S. on the role direct action plays in effectuating real change on important social issues such as climate change. Our partners Greenpeace, Rising Tide North America, 350.org and Occupy have already championed screenings across the country – we hope that can use the film as a resource to:  complement an existing event, serve as the catalyst for a new event such as a direct action camp workshop (similar to those depicted in the film),  engage, educate and inspire your members to direct activism!

The secret direct action captured in Just Do It has now gone mainstream with the thousands who have joined and created their own local 99%/ Occupy movements. It is everyday people, citizens of the world who are fed up with critical situations that are stepping up to make real change happen through the coordination of non-violent direct actions and self-managed alternatives.

Just Do It aims to give all who partake or flirt with the idea of civil disobedience an accessible tool to infect and inform others.

Let us help you find your inner outlaw.

Vincent Who? – In 1982, at the height of anti-Japanese sentiments, Vincent Chin was murdered in Detroit by two white autoworkers who said, “it’s because of you mother** that we’re out of work.” When the judged fined the killers a mere $3,000 and three years probation, Asian Americans around the country galvanized for the first time to form a real community and movement. This documentary features interviews with the key players at the time, as well as a whole new generation of activists. “Vincent Who?” asks how far Asian Americans have come since then and how far we have yet to go.

Undivided – The film UNDIVIDED presents a fresh perspective on the issue of immigration. The 30 minute documentary invites viewers into three very different communities located in Tucson, Arizona; Washington D.C.; and Oakland, California. Following the personal narratives of three youth, the film exposes how immigration policies are transforming our communities and how youth are paving the way for an era of creative resistance.

Panelists