Global Peace Film Festival Entertaining Entries

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Sunday, 01 May 2011 05:00

Written by Laura Blum

As the Global Peace Film Festival starts prepping its ninth run, September 20 to 25, 2011, in Orlando, Florida, filmmakers seeking to cool planetary passions have till May 6 to submit their creations. (May 20 is the late deadline, and June 3, the final web one.) Considering the year's "Days of Rage" alone, this forum dedicated to stories of peacemaking and environmental sustainability has its work cut out for it.

While the Middle East may be especially hot this year, GPFF prides itself on showcasing films from all six continents, as it has since its inception. Mexico, Finland, Tanzania, Peru, Israel and Palestine are but a half dozen of the 45 national backdrops featured on the last Festival slate.

Extinguishing human strife may sound like a tall order for a cinema forum, and it´s not hard to imagine the peace, love and granola jabs non-idealists have slung GPFF´s way in its near decade of existence. But according to Executive Director Nina Streich, the urge to poke fun at the Festival has markedly diminished since its early days.

One reason is that the programming exceeds what might pop to mind from the ambitious title. "As local people have learned about the Festival, they're understanding that there's more to it than war and peace," she said. "Not only do featured themes range from the environment to family reconciliation, but comedy, science fiction and other non-traditional ways of exploring issues of peace" enliven the storytelling palette and keep knees from jerking.

Another reason? As Streich noted, the world has changed. "The perception of peace is less tied to the Iraq War than it was at GPFF´s founding," she said.

But one constant that soldiers on is the Festival aim of rallying audiences to take action, whether "over an issue that they've seen in a film or something personal that they can incorporate in their own lives," per Streich.

For the civically minded, this might mean "writing to their elected officials or going on a demonstration or getting involved in a campaign or movement." Less adventurous sorts might stay with composting or recycling, and this too manifests the Festival credo.

Submissions can be posted at Withoutabox.com and peacefilmfest.org.

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