The idea that film could inspire people to save the environment is what prompted Brady Dahmer and Lindsay Nahmiache to host Vancouver's first environmental film festival called Projecting Change.

By Elena Yelizarov (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada)

May 14th 2008 

The idea that film could inspire people to save the environment is what prompted Brady Dahmer and Lindsay Nahmiache to host Vancouver's first environmental film festival called Projecting Change. Being long-time and passionate supporters of the environmental cause, they were looking for an opportunity to apply their knowledge of marketing and business towards bettering the world. This is how the idea for the Projecting Change Film Festival was born. The festival, featuring environmental films from all over the world, ran from May 8^th to 11^th, at the Ridge Theater in Vancouver, BC. Over the course of four days, the festival covered a variety themes; including agriculture, sustainable energy, green building methods and endangered species. 

Projecting Change Film Festival had a huge imapct on the city of Vancouver and it promises to be long lasting. Given the overwhelming support and enthusiasm film goers and the local media expressed for the festival, there is indication that it might become a regular feature of the Vancouver art scene. In fact, in an interview with A ‘n E Vibe, Brady Dahmer, the festival's organizer, mentioned that the festival might soon return, on a much bigger scale, if the city of Vancouver agrees to support it.

The festival caught eye of the Vancouver mayor, Sam Sullivan, because of the festival's unique focus not only on informing the public of the looming environmental disasters but also empowering them to take action on the local level. After each screening, guest speakers, informed the audience of the progress that has been made in addressing the issue covered in the featured film and offered a way to become part of the solution. For instance, after the screening of the movie Flow: For The Love Of Water, guest speaker, Ray Zahab, spoke of the initiatives that are underway to address the extreme water shortages in Africa. Ray Zahab's contribution to this movement included running across the Sahara Desert for 111 days, 12 to 14 hours every day, in order to raise awareness of the lack of clean, drinkable water. His selfless sacrifice of his time and energy has inspired many to take action, including a local group of businessmen. Part of the film's criticism was directed at the water bottling companies intent on monopolizing their hold on local water supplies, so a group of businessmen from the Lower Mainland organized a water company that enables people to purify almost any kind of water for human consumption. Using their convenient water filter bottles instead of drinking bottled water would allow people to break their dependence on water bottling companies that take advantage of poorer nations and fill landfills with toxic plastic.  

All audience members on the opening night of the festival were presented with free drinking bottles containing a water filter, to help them take a small step towards an environmentally friendly lifestyle. It is this final touch, according to the viewers, that helped bring the message of the movie home and that will most likely inspire further action. It is a sincere hope of the organizers, that this festival will act as a catalyst to changing our lives and ‘greening' the city, that has been long known as the birthplace of Greenpeace. For more details about the festival, please visit: www.projectingchange.ca