Press release from Heart of Gold International Film Festival
For the first time, Heart of Gold has a new ‘Green Screen’ element featuring Environmental shorts and run in conjunction with other two other international film festivals – CiinemAmbiente – Envirnomental Film Festival in Italy and Interfilm in Berlin.
CinemAmbiente has been presenting fine selections of environmental films in Italy since 1998 earning its status as the pioneer of green festivals. Interfilm Berlin has combined with them to curate this program and Heart of Gold has added an Australian component. The program combines inventive, funny, enchanting, but also confronting films that highlight the state of our planet and human behaviour towards it.
‘Green Screen’ films cover a range of environmental issues, exploring themes that look at the need to conserve resources and preserve the environment both in Australia and around the world.
“Think” [UK] is an amusing educational piece about thenecessity of plastic bags; ‘CarpaDiem’ [Italy] explores why is it sometimesimportant to turn your little brothers tap off and ‘A Mongolian Couch’ [Aust/Mongolia] is a unique story of energy and enterprise arising from a city of tower blocks and tents.
Of particular interest is a locally produced documentary ‘Saving Mary’. A story close to Gympie’s heart – the people of the Mary Valley, The Mary River and her natural wonders – is told in this ‘Green Screen’short film which has earned Director Marc Bright Most Inspirational Documentary Award and People's Choice Documentary Awardat Sunshine Coast University's Eco Flick Film Festival.
Festival Director Malcolm Blaylock says ‘Heart of Gold welcomes the opportunity to work in conjunction with two other important international film festivals to support initiatives which bring awareness of environmental issues’
The Green Screen program is one part of the diverse short film program for 2011 which kicks off in Gympie next Thurs 17th March.
Green Screen is a special screening on Friday 19th March at the Gympie Civic Centre.