I am really excited to announce a partnership with this years Vancouver Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF). On February 15th I have been given the opportunity to help create a new night for the festival called "THE CHANGE I WANT TO SEE".
The Vancouver Mountain Film Festival has always been a highlight for me each year. I love watching and hearing inspiring stories from passionate people in the outdoor world who are pushing the boundaries of what we believe to be possible. You can't help but leave the place inspired to push your own boundaries.
This evening will take a slightly different angle to the usual VIMFF shows. The night will showcase inspiring people in the outdoor community who are creating positive change with their actions. There will still be plenty of adventure on show but the message and action that the films and talks will inspire will be a little different. We are hoping that this program might just be the encouragement you need to take action in your own way.
We have some inspiring speakers and films lined up for the evening too including one North American and one World Premiere! It doesn't get much more showbiz than that!
February 15th 2016 @ 7:30pm (doors at 7:00pm)
The Cinematheque Theatre, Vancouver
Speakers
Challenge is relative, but the benefits of exploring your limits in nature are undeniable. Rapids or calm waters, mountain ascents or a flat wooded hike, the adventures to be found in nature should be open to everyone and making that possible has defined Tim Cormode’s life.
A social entrepreneur, he is the founder of Power To Be, a non-profit dedicated to facilitating outdoor adventures for youth and families living with physical, mental and social support needs. He will share stories of how the organization came to be, the inspiring difference it is making and the journey that lies ahead for greater social change.
Lessons in philanthropy, opportunities for growth through accessible nature-based adventures and the value of community combine to tell a powerful story of change.
Farhan is a filmmaker with a background in neurobiology, renewable energy and as a multi-instrumentalist music producer with over 17 years of experience in digital audio and video production. Farhan started VoVo Productions in 2009, with the original premise of producing videos and digital media to help explain complex subjects through turnkey video productions using his diverse background. Behind VoVo Productions’ work is Farhan’s vision to help create positive change in the world.
Films
One man's quest to protect an island he loves leads him to ponder great questions: Is there an opposite to development? An antonym to subdivision?
This film is a brief study of an island set on the majestic Lake Superior, and the artists who gather there for inspiration.
Produced & Directed by Farhan Umedaly (VoVo Productions) & Tamo Campos (Beyond Boarding)
A great injustice is being done on Lelu Island near Prince Rupert, B.C., the sacred and traditional territory of the Lax Kw'alaams people for over 10,000 years. The B.C. provincial government is trying to green light the construction of a massive LNG terminal on the island – Pacific Northwest LNG, backed by Malaysian energy giant Petronas, without consent.
The Lax Kw'alaams are the keepers of Lelu Island and its connected Flora Bank, a massive sand bar that is part of the Skeena River estuary and known by fisheries biologists as some of the most important salmon habitat in Canada. The project would devastate the Skeena River, the natural wildlife and countless communities in the path of the LNG pipeline that will feed the terminal with fracked gas from Northeastern B.C.
The Lax Kw'alaams have voted unanimously against the project and became legendary when they rejected a $1.15 billion dollar deal from Petronas in an attempt by the company to gain consent.
Ignoring the voice of the Lax Kw’alaams, Petronas, with full backing of the Provincial Government have illegally begun drilling into Flora Bank where they now face off against warriors of the Lax Kw'alaams who have occupied the island since August 2015.
Join the resistance of the Lax Kw’alaams on both land and sea in ‘A Last Stand for Lelu’.
Gold of Bengal 52 mins - North American Premiere
In Bangladesh, a young engineer called Corentin de Chatel decides to be the first to test the sailing boat that he’s created – with help from his team ‘Gold of Bengal’ – made from jute fibre and resin. He has one ambition: to become self sufficient at sea. He sets off on his journey with two egg-laying hens, a small greenhouse to grow potatoes, and various other handmade contraptions for 6 months’ sailing around the deserted islands of the Gulf of Bengal.
This astonishing seafaring adventure is also a perfect opportunity to reflect, both alone and as a team, on the potential of so-called ‘low technologies’, simple tools, built with whatever materials are available, that help people to meet their basic needs in difficult circumstances.
February 15th 2016 @ 7:30pm (doors at 7:00pm)
The Cinematheque Theatre, Vancouver
