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"To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something.
"If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future.
"The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."
Howard Zinn
"In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now."
Wangari Maathai
Our mandate is to gather Vancouver's diverse social justice community
to a festival that allows for reflection, provides a forum for discussion
and prompts participants to action. While the issues are often difficult,
we feel it is important to provide tools and ideas for solutions.
In this year's festival we provide opportunities for you
to be involved in:
Awareness – by learning more about the world
around us, we gain understanding of others' perspectives. We hope the
films you see will challenge you to explore new ideas and begin new conversations.
Analysis – the best way to process what we learn,
experience, or witness is to reflect, discuss, and explore further what
we have learned. We hope that the films you see at the festival will spark
dialogue.
Action and collaboration – Until we take action,
our opinions are not fully expressed. Visit the Social Justice Bazaar to
lern about volunteer, leadership, and positive action opportunities with
locally-based organisations.
CoDevelopment Canada is one of those local organizations; it has been
working for change in Latin America and Canada for over 20 years.
Click here to learn how to get involved with CoDev.
"To be truly radical is to make
hope possible rather than despair convincing".
Raymond Williams |
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NEWS ITEMS...
Burma VJ has earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature!
Sweet Crude director Sandy Cioffi will introduce her film at festival opening! We are delighted to have Sandy with us to intrduce her film and hold a Q&A session afterward on Friday night.
Hear Sandy's interview on the Vancouver Coop Radio program Redeye here.
Don't miss the BC premiere of Tapped, a hard-hitting film about the politics of bottle water. Made by the folks who brought you Who Killed the Electric Car, the not-to-be-missed documentary will be followed by a discussion about water issues in Canada. Saturday, 3pm in Theatre 5.
Music fans must-see: Telling Strings. This beautiful film tells the story of one family of Palestinian musicians and is followed by a panel discussion. Sunday, 3pm in Theatre 3.
Her Sight Is Worth It winners announced. Seva Canada has announced the winners of its national online video
contest, in which youth were challenged to create short videos of up to three minutes long to raise awareness of blindness among women and girls. Sunday, 12:15pm in Threatre 4.
Two Festival films make the Oscar shortlist!
Burma VJ and Garbage Dreams are both on the shortlist for the Academy Award in the Documentary Feature category. The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2 and we hope both of these fine films make the final five...
Check out our festival Facebook page! Find our page on Facebook here - spread the word and become a fan.
Buy your film fest tickets online!
Here's an easy way to take advantage of our advance ticket discount: click here to buy tickets online. They make an excellent holiday gift! Thanks go out to Cafe Etico for this handy service.
Langara Student Film Festival enters fourth year!
The World Community Film Festival is pleased to again host
the Langara Student Film Festival. Check out this year's great lineup.
The best way to get to Langara is on the Canada Line and the Number 49 bus stops right in front of the college - check Translink's Trip Planner for details. There are also lots of bike racks! If you have to bring a car, there is free parking on Saturday and Sunday, but pay parking on Friday night.
Don't Miss CoDev's Annual Fundraiser! CoDev’s
annual dinner - Saturday, June 12, 2010 at the Maritime Labour Centre - marks CoDev's 25th anniversary. This event regularly sells out and it's no wonder: a great meal and a chance to dance
it off to fabulous live Latin music!
You can see more fine docs at the Whiterock Social Justice Film Festival which runs March 12 and 13, 2010. Check their website for more information.
Contact:
Erin Mullan
Coordinator
Heather Shields
Media/Outreach Coordinator
World Community Film Festival
CoDevelopment Canada
604-708-1495
Fax: 604-708-1497
filmfest@codev.org
Carol Wood
Program Officer
CoDevelopment Canada
604-708-1495 ext 113
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"They fear us because we are not afraid" - slogan of the Honduran resistance movement
Throughout the world, communities are being pushed. Climate change is
forcing people to move and adapt; armed conflict is driving families off
their land; transnationals are pushing citizens to give up their resources.
Also throughout the world, communities are resisting. We at CoDevelopment
Canada have seen this strength in human rights training in Colombia, workers
education in Central America, and expressions of political freedom in
Honduras. CoDev's partners actively defend their rights and
communities.
This year's World Community Film Festival has stories of
resistance from around the world, where communities are standing up for
their rights. We hope their stories will inspire you to act in your
community for what you believe in. |
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