Gandhi Alliance for Peace and the Utah Film Center present the Gandhi Film Festival (SLC: Sept 23 - 25)

Gandhi Alliance for Peace and the Utah Film Center present the Gandhi Film Festival Festival Features 8 Films Inspired by Gandhi's Vision of Nonviolent Activism Salt Lake City - The first-ever Gandhi Film Festival runs September 23-25 at the Salt Lake City Main Library at 210 East 400 South. All screenings are free and open to the public. The festival is a joint program of the Gandhi Alliance for Peace and the Utah Film Center. Dedicated to curating films that embody the life and spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, the festival seeks to advance the understanding, appreciation, and practice of nonviolent protest and activism. The selected films depict powerful examples from history and contemporary life that teach us how to lead and nation-build with peaceful, creative collaborations. The festival features eight films from five countries that aspire for a more just and nonviolent world, and illuminate inspiring examples of leadership and co-existence. More information about the film festival, including a complete list of films and information about visiting guests, is available online at www.UtahFilmCenter.org. The Gandhi Film Festival line-up to date is: OPENING NIGHT — FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 THE FRONTIER GANDHI: BADASH KHAN, A TORCH FOR PEACE - 7:00 PM Directed by T.C McLuhan (USA 2008, 88 min.) Twenty-one years in the making, The Frontier Gandhi: Badshah Khan, A Torch for Peace is the epic story of a remarkable Muslim peacemaker born into the Pashtun warrior society of the strategic northwest frontier province of the Indian subcontinent (now known as Pakistan's frontier region of Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa). Khan, in partnership with Mahatma Gandhi, raised a 100,000 strong nonviolent and multi-ethnic army of men, women and young people to resist British colonial rule in the first half of the 20th century. Director T.C. McLuhan will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A session. An Opening Night reception will follow the screening. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL - 11:00 AM Directed by Virginia Reticker (USA 2008, 72 min.) Pray The Devil Back To Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end their country's bloody civil war and brought peace to their shattered country. Winner, Best Documentary Feature: 2008 Tribeca Film Festival; Winner, Witness Award: 2008 Silverdocs Film Festival; Winner of 17 other film festival awards. PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL is presented in partnership with KUER. ONE MAN, ONE COW, ONE PLANET - 1:00 PM Directed by Thomas Burstyn (New Zealand 2007, 56 min.) What does an environmentally friendly biodynamic food system capable of feeding everyone actually look like? One Man, One Cow, One Planet is a blueprint for a post-industrial future that takes you into the heart of the world's most important renaissance. The film explores how famers across India are reviving bio-dynamics, considered an arcane form of agriculture as a solution to modern farming methods and their environmental impact. Official Selection at more than 12 international film festivals. THE GREEN WAVE - 3:00 PM Directed by Ali Samedi Ahadi (Germany 2010, 80 min.) The Green Wave is a touching documentary-collage by Ali Samadi Ahadi that illustrates the dramatic events of Iran's 2010 Green Revolution, describes the feelings of the people behind it, and memorializes those who believed in freedom and lost their lives for it. Official Selection: 2011 Sundance Film Festival, 2011 San Francisco Film Festival, 2011 Human Rights Watch Film Festival, 2010 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. BRINGING DOWN A DICTATOR - 5:00 PM Directed by Steve York (USA 2002, 56 min.) The award-winning Bringing Down A Dictator documents the spectacular defeat of the Yugoslavian dictator Slobodan Milosevic in October, 2000, not by force of arms, as many had predicted, but by an ingenious nonviolent strategy of honest elections and massive civil disobedience. Narrated by Martin Sheen. A Q&A session with director Steve York will follow the screening. Official selection at more than 10 international film festivals. ISLAND PRESIDENT – 7:00 PM Directed by Jon Shenk (USA 2011, 101 min.) The Island President follows the globetrotting journey of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world, who, after bringing democracy to his country, takes up the fight to keep it from disappearing under the sea. The film captures the beauty of the Maldives, and Nasheed’s charm and charisma, and then follows him as he navigates back-room diplomatic battles, trying to forge international consensus on lowering carbon emissions. Official Selection: 2011 Telluride Film Festival, Official Selection: 2011 Toronto International Film Festival A Q+A session will follow the screening. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 BUDRUS - 1:00 PM Directed by Julia Bacha (Israel 2009, 70 min.) Budrus is an award-winning feature documentary film about Ayed Morrar, a Palestinian community organizer who unites local Fatah and Hamas members, along with Israeli supporters, in an unarmed, nonviolent movement to save his village of Budrus from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier. A Q&A session over Skype will follow the screening. Official selection at more than 40 film festivals, including the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival, 2010 Hot Docs Film Festival, and 2010 Silverdocs Film Festival. Winner of 18 awards. GANDHI - 3:00 PM Directed by Richard Attenborough (United Kingdom 1982, 191 min.) This awe-inspiring biopic brilliantly underscores the difference one person can make. Epic and unforgettable, the film dominated the 1983 Oscars, winning eight awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Kingsley), Best Screenplay, and Best Director. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 GANDHI BIRTHDAY CELBRATION – 4:00 pm Jordan Park – 1060 South, 900 West, Salt Lake City Join the Gandhi Alliance for Peace for their annual Gandhi Birthday Celebration with musical entertainment, a tree-planting ceremony, words of inspiration and presentation of the Gandhi Peace Award. The Utah Film Center The Utah Film Center brings the world of film to local audiences through free community screenings and discussions, outreach programs, visiting artists and industry professionals. Emphasizing social content and artistic excellence, we present the best documentary, independent and dramatic cinema year-round. We collaborate with various organizations to promote a diversity of ideas, to provide forums for underrepresented groups, and to develop new audiences for film. The Utah Film Center programs are generously supported by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Rio Tinto, Sorenson Legacy Foundation, Zions Bank and Salt Lake County’s Zoo, Arts & Parks Program. The Gandhi Alliance for Peace The Gandhi Alliance for Peace endeavors to increase public awareness and understanding of Mahatma Gandhi, his unique role in world history and his commitment to truth, nonviolence, service and justice; and to encourage nonviolent resolutions of conflict among individuals, communities and nations. ###