Fall 2017
September – Before the Flood: Toronto Climate Film Festival Year 2 starts off with a screening of Before the Flood featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. The film is an engaging and comprehensive look at the current climate challenge. After the screening there will be a short info session on how you can take action right here in Toronto on this important issue. Watch Trailer – Visit Film Website
September 17, 2017 – Downtown – 6:30pm to 9:30pm – Friends House, 60 Lowther, Toronto – Get Tickets
September 19, 2017 – North York – 6:30pm to 9:30pm – North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge St, Toronto – Get Tickets
September 21, 2017 -Etobicoke – 6:30pm to 9:30pm – Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall, Toronto – Get Tickets
September 27, 2017 – Scarborough – 6:30pm to 8:45pm -Scarborough Village Recreation Centre, 3600 Kingston Rd, Toronto – Get Tickets
October – Beyond Crisis: ‘Beyond Crisis’ is a new film by Toronto filmmaker Kai Reimer-Watts, and these four screenings are Toronto premiere events. The film is a story of hope in a rapidly changing world affected by climate change. The film is an inspiring call to action as told by over 50 unique voices across Canada and the world.
The Director will attend for the q and a and we will also have a short presentation on how to support TransformTO, the City’s climate action plan, through advocating for full funding in the City’s 2018 budget.
All screenings are free, however donations will be invited in support of the film’s rollout and educational activities to engage more people in climate activism. – Watch Trailer – Visit Film Website
October 14, 2017 -Etobicoke – 2pm to 4:30pm – Lush Manufacturing Ltd, 70 The East Mall, Toronto – Get Tickets
October 25, 2017 – Scarborough – 6:30pm to 9:00pm -Scarborough Village Recreation Centre, 3600 Kingston Rd, Toronto – Get Tickets
October 28, 2017 – North York – 2pm to 4:30pm – Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford Drive, Toronto – Get Tickets
October 29, 2017 – Downtown – 6:30pm to 9:00pm – Friends House, 60 Lowther, Toronto – Get Tickets
November – Sea of Life: Toronto Climate Film Festival presents the award-winning documentary Sea of Life.
Inspired by Rob Stewart’s Revolution, young filmmaker Julia Barnes embarks on an epic journey around the world to save the ecosystems we depend on for survival, as we come closer to causing a mass extinction in the oceans.
Sea of Life leads audiences through the stunning world of coral reefs into the heart of the environmental movement, meeting passionate scientists, activists and explorers who reveal an enormous opportunity to rise up and become the heroes the world needs.
The filmmaker will be present for a Q & A after the film.
For more information: www.seaoflifemovie.com – Watch Trailer – Visit Film Website
November 13, 2017 – Downtown – 6:30pm to 9:00pm – Friends House, 60 Lowther, Toronto – Get Tickets
November 16, 2017 -Etobicoke – 6:30pm to 9:00pm – Humber College Lakeshore Campus, 19 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive, Toronto – Get Tickets
November 22, 2017 – Scarborough – 6:30pm to 9:00pm -Scarborough Village Recreation Centre, 3600 Kingston Rd, Toronto – Get Tickets
November 30, 2017 – North York – 6:30pm to 9:00pm – Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford Drive, Toronto – Get Tickets
Fall 2016
All Films are at 60 Lowther Ave., map, with doors opening at 6:30 and screenings starting at 7pm.
All screenings are free or PWYC and aim to be fully accessible. Everyone is welcome!
September 25, 2016: The Climate Challenge: A Call to Action
October 2, 2016: Pipelines and Indigenous Climate Activism
October 16, 2016: Feeding The Planet: World’s First Rooftop Farm
October 30, 2016: Tales From the Climate Crypt – What Does the Future Hold?
November 13, 2016: A Climate for Peace?
November 27, 2016: Fuelling Our Future: Is Renewable Doable?
December 11, 2016: A Safe Climate Future: What is our Carbon Budget?
September 25, 2016: The Climate Challenge: A Call to Action
Kicking off the Festival are three films that help set the context for the climate challenge and are aimed at moving the climate debate forward:
Bill Nye, the Science Guy: Climate Change – why should we care?
Ice Melt, Sea Water Rise and Superstorms – Dr. James Hansen, Director of the Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions program of The Earth Institute at Columbia University explores the consequences of continued greenhouse gas emissions.
Restoration — Produced by Green World rising, Restoration focuses on “how nature can protect the Earth from the harmful effects of climate change and how industrial design and science researchers can learn valuable lessons from natural systems.”
Discussion Focus: TransformTO initiative (the City’s Climate Action Plan) with speaker Mark Bekkering, Manager of Research & Policy, Toronto Environment & Energy Division.
October 2, 2016: Pipelines and Indigenous Climate Activism
To commemorate the International Day of Non-Violence, observed by Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, the Festival will feature:
Pipelines, Power and Democracy — A 2015 documentary from the National Film Board (NFB). Director Olivier D. Asselin documents the growth of an anti-pipeline movement in Quebec which has reawakened a sense of collective purpose and solidarity to incite change. (French with english subtitles)
Speaker: Myeengun Henry, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation (Band Councillor)
Discussion Focus: The Chippewas of the Thames First Nation’s Supreme Court battle over the Line 9 pipeline against Enbridge Inc., the National Energy Board and the Attorney General of Canada.
Oct 16, 2016: Feeding the Planet: World’s First Rooftop Farm
On World Food Day – a day focused on increasing awareness of world hunger and poverty and to inspire solutions for world change – the Festival will feature innovative and ingenious approaches that are helping to secure our food supply against the challenges faced as a result of climate change, including:
How a Rooftop Farm Feeds a City — The film explores innovative and ingenious approaches that are helping to secure our food supply against the challenges faced as a result of climate change. On of the innovators is Mohamed Hage, an agriculture and technology enthusiast and founder of Lufa Farms, who shares his story on how and why he created the first commercial rooftop greenhouse in the world.
Speaker: Debbie Field, Executive Director of FoodShare
Discussion Focus: How do we improve access to affordable and healthy food from field to table? And what are local groups doing to help us reach that vision?
Oct 30, 2016: Tales from the Climate Crypt – What Does the Future Hold?
It’s a Hallowe’en horror show! We take a look at films that are nothing short of scary and invite attendees to win prizes for the best climate villain costume, climate hero costume, or endangered species costume. The roster of films includes:
The Last Hours of Humanity: Warming the World to Extinction – Thom Hartmann explores the perils of climate change and the solutions to avert climate disaster.
Carbon – Another important film from Green World Rising, Carbon focuses on the impact of the fossil fuel industry with the aim of generating momentum for the global reduction of carbon emissions.
Wake Up, Freak Out and Get a Grip – An animated film by Leo Murray, Wake Up is about the feedback loops that will likely to lead to catastrophic climate change.
Discussion Focus: How can we take meaningful action locally to avert climate collapse? Upon completion of the viewing and discussion, attendees are invited to stay for a Hallowe’en bash where guest judges will award prizes to the best costumes. We will close with a positive future vision.
November 13, 2016: A Climate of Peace?
Increasingly, climate change is being recognized as the biggest threat to our collective security. In a time when military budgets vastly outpace government spending on environmental initiatives, we take a look at key films focused on the interconnectedness of our climate and the goal of peace and stability.
Speaker: Emily Gilbert Associate Professor, Canadian Studies Program and Graduate Program in Geography
Discussion Focus: What is our obligation to our fellow global citizens who are on the frontline of the climate change impacts?
November 27, 2016: Fueling Our Future: Is Renewable Doable?
Can we meet our energy needs with renewables? Is a healthy world possible? We take a look at the considerable strides being made in Europe as they take strong action to transition to renewable energy and consider possible paths forward for an energy revolution.
Speaker: Jose Etcheverry, York University. Jose is an Environmental Studies professor who is co-chair of the Sustainable Energy Initiative. He is working with Oxford County on its 100% renewable energy plan, and is involved in renewable energy projects in Africa and Chile. Solar Share’s Jonathan Silver on solar initiatives in Ontario, and Nancy Palardy from the office of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario.
Films: Germany and Denmark’s plan for clean energy, and Canada’s Clean Energy Revolution
Discussion Focus: Is renewable doable in Canada? What needs to be done to achieve that vision?
December 11, 2016: A Safe Climate Future: What Is the World’s Carbon Budget?
An objective of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change is to limit temperature rises to 1.5°C above the pre-industrial global average. We need to stop burning of coal before 2030, and decarbonize our transport systems by 2050 in order to achieve this goal. But is 1.5°C even possible? And what will it take for us to get there?
Film: Delivering on 2 Degrees – Professor Kevin Anderson, Deputy Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, talks about the Paris Agreement and what is needed to limit global warming at 2°C.
Speaker: Patricia Warwick, Climate Action Now, on Canada’s carbon budget and how we are doing in doing our part in staying under a 2 degree C. rise in temperature.
Speaker: UNHCR For over 65 years the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been protecting the rights and well-being of refugees all over the world. The majority of the 59.5 million people of concern to the UNHCR are now situated in “climate change hotspots” and the IPCC has observed that climate change will, in combination with other factors, drive more displacement in the future.
Discussion Focus: How is Canada doing in meeting its carbon budget targets? What action do we need to take to ensure we meet our obligations? What can we do to help prevent and respond to climate displacement?