Festival-goers have the opportunity to see films and meet filmmakers on Wednesday, February 20 and Thursday, February 21 at Powell River Film Festival. Each film represents the power of people to make a big difference, be it at the local river or pond, or the globe as a whole that supports all. They show how inspired action can be a matter of survival, benefitting the entire community.
The “Wet and Wild” program from 12:15 to 1:45 pm on Wednesday features three short BC films, with filmmakers from two of the films in attendance. Nettie Wild, an award-winning veteran filmmaker, joins the audience from Vancouver to present her artistic short film Uninterrupted. It lets us experience, from under and over the water, the importance of healthy river flows to BC salmon. Powell River’s own dynamic wet duo, Terry Brown and Jude Abrams, helped Wild take the plunge into underwater filmmaking.
Brown and Abrams will present People LOVE Turtles, a fun and educational piece on what simple things people can do to ensure the survival of the local turtle population.
Rounding out the program is Cameron Dennison’s Reflections: Art for an Oil-Free Coast, following BC artists up the West Coast. The artists capture the fragile beauty of a region under threat from oil tanker traffic and potential spills—art as activism. Students and teachers will be joining this screening, which is the only film occurring at the Evergreen Theatre, Powell River Recreation Complex, during this year’s festival.
From 10:30 am to noon on Thursday morning, audience members will be transported to the interior of BC, exploring the rich culture of the St’at’imc (Lillooet) people and their spiritual relationship with their land. The pride they take as guardians of the land is palpable in St’at’imckalh: Spirit of the People, and the cinematography of the arid region is superb. Local filmmaker Jeremy Williams will be on hand for questions. It’s presented with a second showing of Wild’s Uninterrupted at the Patricia Theatre.
Between afternoon and evening films, people are invited to enjoy the festival reception at Dwight Hall. There will be many delights for the eyes, ears and palate and, on Thursday, a book sale too. Hard copies of the art book Canada’s Raincoast at Risk: Art for an Oil-Free Coast will be available, with proceeds to Powell River’s Friends of Film Society and the Raincoast Conservation Foundation’s campaign to protect the coast. The book highlights the artwork of 50 incredible Canadian artists (including Powell River’s April White and Megan Dulcie Dill) and writings from esteemed Canadian scientists like David Suzuki and Wade Davis. Dulcie Dill will be displaying artwork inspired by her time in the Great Bear Rain Forest.
Wrapping up the films on Thursday is a repeat screening of Reflections: Art for an Oil Free Coast, with Dulcie Dill conducting the question and answer session, followed by the stunning feature documentary Chasing Ice at 7 pm. Imagine travelling great distances, over extreme terrain, with a full complement of high definition filmmaking equipment, repeatedly, in order to document the impact of global warming on the icescapes of the world. The footage is sure to strike audiences in a way that abstract statistics cannot, and the air will be buzzing with conversation as festival-goers exit the Patricia asking, “How can we be working for change?”
Tickets for all festival films are available online, at Armitage Mens Wear, Breakwater Books and Coffee and the Patricia Theatre.
