KENSINGTON & HELLO COOL WORLD - STRATEGIC PARTNERS IN HYBRID DISTRIBUTION
I recently had the privilege of meeting with the talented folks over at Kensington Communications that created RAW OPIUM: PAIN PLEASURE PROFITS, one of the documentary projects Hello Cool World has been involved with over the past year.
I was eager to sit down with producer Robert Lang and Kensington’s social media lead Amanda Connon-Unda to get a full update.
Kensington first approached Hello Cool World (HCW) last fall looking for strategy advice on self-distributing their film. In May, we worked with Kensington to host the world premiere of RAW OPIUM at DOXA and to strategize grassroots outreach across North America.
Colette joined Hello Cool World team back in 2003 and was a key organizer for The Corporation and The Take's grassroots outreach efforts across North America.
After being inspired by the organizing and awareness building potential of the internet and social issue films, she returned to school to study Communications and sharpen her skills.
Once graduating, Colette returned to Hello Cool World once again as a grassroots campaign consultant. She is now the Director of Distribution for Hello Cool World's new fair trade distribution arm.
EMPOWERING YOUTH TO PROMOTE PEACE IS WHAT PEACE IT TOGETHER IS ALL ABOUT.
Youth from Palestine and Israel join Vancouver youth and an international group of faclitators and film mentors to work together to make films. WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING OF YOUTH FILMS- AUGUST 2 - VOGUE THEATRE VANCOUVER. Doors at 6pm, show at 7pm.
The project is about dialogue, filmmaking and multimedia and the public is invited to support the project and view this year's crop of fllms. On Tuesday, August 2nd come and watch the short films these youth have co-created about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Join us for this World Premiere at 7:00pm at the Vogue Theatre, 918 Granville Street.
Hello Cool World joined the program on the first day of fllming, which happened this year on campus at the University of British Columbia. We also did interviews with founder and exec director Reena Lazar and others including our own HCW cohort, Atef Abdelkefi, who has been volunteering for Peace it Together for many years. Pictured above, Atef is showing the group of youth the filming equipment on day 1 of the filmmaking part of the project. We will be at the premiere and doing a few follow up interviews, then watch for our own mini-doc 'Vlog" (Video blog!) Check out the other community support the project is also getting, I saw this mural on Water Street at Ishara while wandering around on the weekend!
Orgasm Inc. is a fine and funny film about a subject that in 2011 shouldn't be shocking, but that still is. The shock factor, for me, was not in any explicit sex scenes, but in the revelation that after Kinsey and decades of feminism, not to mention South Park, too many women and men still have no idea how to find the clitoris! What should be shocking, but is intead business as usual, is how big pharma preys upon our desire for desire in order to pitch us more pills. Orgasm Inc. is playing in several cities this June - including Vancouver's Cinemateque. For details on upcoming screenings click here.
I went to to the film with friend and research associate Cindy Masaro when it was part of SFU's conference "The Medicalization of Sex". Then I caught up with director Liz Canner to do an interrview with her. We'll be posting clips of the interview as part of our Hello Cool World Vlog series. We'll also be talking to Cindy about her research and thoughts on the film. For more about the film, links to the trailer etc. read on...
DOXA is presented by the Documentary Media Society, a Vancouver based non-profit, charitable society devoted to presenting independent and innovative documentaries to Vancouver audiences. The society exists to educate the public about documentary film as an art form through DOXA Documentary Film Festival, a curated and juried festival comprised of public screenings, panel discussions, public forums and educational programs. The 2011 DOXA Documentary Film Festival runs from May 6 to May 15, so consider DOXA for your next film. Might I suggest Raw Opium?
If human rights, drug policy, harm reduction, and the war on drugs are topics that interest you, don't miss out on the world premiere of Raw Opium. The screening takes place this Saturday May 7, 12:00pm at Pacific Cinematheque (1131 Howe St) followed by a post-screening discussion with Rebecca Ambrose, owner of the Vancouver Seed Bank; Dr. Ronald Joe, Medical Manager for Inner City Addiction with Vancouver Coastal Health; and Peter Findlay, filmmaker.
Please show your support for this film and tell us you'll be attending on Facebook.
Bella is the newest addition to Hello Cool World, enlisting for the cause at the end of 2010. A graduate of BCIT's Broadcast Communications for TV program, she's worked in all aspects of production and has a knack for new media & technology.
Director, Peter Findlay will be in attendance, and following the screening a discussion will take place with Rebecca Ambrose, the owner of a medicinal cannabis seed store, and Dr. Ronald Joe, the Medical Manager for Inner City Addiction, Vancouver Coastal Health, which is administering InSite (the safe injection site, featured in Raw Opium) and other facilities.
Sign up for E-News on drug policy, the war on drugs, harm reduction, decriminalization & the war in Afghanistan by clicking here.
