Films at TIFF tackle global warming.
Here’s a post from Vivien Leong, our new Executive Office Coordinator and film fanatic:
September can be the harbinger of beginnings and endings – good bye summer, hello school – but for many Torontonians this month is all about the Toronto International Film Festival or TIFF for short.
This year, the lineup includes two films that directly address our climate change mandate at Toronto Atmospheric Fund. Among the 300-plus films that will be showcased, there is Merchants of Doubt, from documentarian Robert Kenner, which explores the world of climate change skeptics – purported experts who make claims contrary to scientific consensus and cast public doubt on climate change. Kenner, who also directed the 2008 feature documentary Food, Inc., exposes high-profile skeptics, questioning their credentials and motivations. “I’m not a scientist, but I play one on TV,” says Marc Morano, a frequently cited pundit. The TIFF screening of Merchants of Doubt is a Canadian premiere.
Another film for concerned environmentalists is The Yes Men Are Revolting directed by Laura Nix and the infamous activist-prankster duo The Yes Men. The Yes Men, aka Mike Bonanno and Andy Bichlbaum (not their real names), are known for their outrageous stunts impersonating corporate executives and government officials. This latest film chronicles the activities in the last five years of Mike and Andy and their collaborators, showing the lengths they will go to raise awareness about climate change. The Yes Men will be in Toronto for the first weekend of the festival.
Merchants of Doubt public screening times:
Tuesday, September 9 at 9:15 pm (TIFF Bell Lightbox 2)
Wednesday, September 10 at 8:30 am (TIFF Bell Lightbox 3)
The Yes Men Are Revolting public screening times:
Friday, September 5 at 8:45 pm (Scotiabank 2)
Sunday, September 7 at 2:00 pm (Scotiabank 14)
Friday September 12 at 9:15 pm (Scotiabank 4)
Toronto International Film Festival runs September 4 to 14, 2014: http://tiff.net/festival
Climate-friendly tip: The fastest way to get from one screening venue to the next is by walking or cycling.