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Monday, September 19, 2011

Salt Lake City’s first-ever Gandhi Film Festival @ Gandhi Alliance for Peace and Utah Film Center (Sept 23 - 25)


Salt Lake City’s first-ever Gandhi Film Festival is presented by the Gandhi Alliance for Peace in partnership with Utah Film Center. The film festival is dedicated to curating films that embody the life and spirit of Mahatma Gandhi; and seeks to advance the understanding, appreciation and practice of nonviolence protest and activism by demonstrating through film, those examples in history and contemporary life, who teach us how to lead and nation build with peaceful, creative, collaborations.

The film festival features 8 films from 5 countries that aspire for a more just and nonviolent world and illuminate inspiring examples of leadership and co-existence.

The Gandhi Film Festival runs September 23-25 at the City Library 210 E. 400 S. All screenings are free and open to the public. 
*Want to be involved? Volunteer opportunities and schedule available by clicking on this link. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArVrwpLlx2pkdE5OSHdjOEV0R1U1cUZ2SjlNWUdmekE&hl=en_US
If you would like a printed version of the program to distribute to your colleagues and friends please contact Mariah Mellus at mmellus@utahfilmcenter.org 

Opening Night - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

7:00 PM
THE FRONTIER GANDHI: Badshah Khan, A Torch for Peace
Director: T.C. McLuhan
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Runtime: 92 min

Twenty-one years in the making, this tells the epic story of Badshah Khan, a remarkable Muslim peacemaker born into Pashtun warrior society.  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 Teri McLuhan will be in attendance for a post-screening q+a.

Opening Night reception to follow the screening.


SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

11:00 AM
PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL
Director: Virginia Reticker
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Runtime: 72 min

Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring 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

Q+A via Skype to follow screening.

PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL is presented in partnership with KUED. 

1:00 PM
ONE MAN, ONE COW, ONE PLANET
Director: Thomas Burstyn
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2007
Runtime: 56 min

This film tells the story of how farmers across India are reviving bio-dynamics, considered an arcane form of agriculture, as a solution to modern farming methods and their environmental impact. The movement is being led by an elderly New Zealander that many are calling the new Gandhi.

Official selection at over 12 international film festivals.

3:00 PM
THE GREEN WAVE
Director: Ali Samedi Ahadi
Country: Germany
Year: 2010
Runtime: 80 min

THE GREEN WAVE is a touching documentary-collage illustrating the dramatic events and telling about the feelings of the people behind Iran’s 2010 Green Revolution.

Official Selection: 2011 Sundance Film Festival, 2011 San Francisco Film Festival, 2011 Human Rights Watch Film Festival, 2010 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam


5:00 PM
BRINGING DOWN A DICTATOR
Director: Steve York
Country: USA
Year: 2002
Runtime: 56 min

This award-winning film documents the spectacular defeat of 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, this film has screened at numerous film festivals around the world. Q+ A with director Steve York to follow screening.

Official selection at over 10 international film festivals.


7:00 PM
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

1:00 PM
BUDRUS
Director: Julia Bacha
Country: Israel
Year: 2009
Runtime: 70 min

An award-winning feature documentary film about a Palestinian community organizer, Ayed Morrar, who unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save his village of Budrus from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier. Skype Q+A to follow screening.

Official selection at over 40 film festivals, including 2010 Berlin International Film Festival; 2010 Hot Docs Film Festival; and 2010 Silverdocs Film Festival. Winner of 18 awards.

3:00 PM
GANDHI
Director: Richard Attenborough
Country: United Kingdom
Year: 1982
Runtime: 191 min

This awe-inspiring biopic about Mahatma Gandhi brilliantly underscores the difference one person can make. Epic and unforgettable, the film swept the 1983 Oscars, winning eight awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Director.

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