| Kia Ora Welcome to this, the place we call home; Palmerston North. That city at the heart of New Zealand’s green center of excellence, Manawatu, from where it is with an absolutely huge sense of pride and achievement, our privilege to bring to you this our sixth season of an absolutely remarkable celebration of nature, film and the environment.
Reel Earth is the environmental film festival with huge heart. Warm. Beating. Bringing news, viewpoints and stories that will challenge, inspire and uplift in a way few other events can, because here we are growing something that is far bigger than mere cinema.
Our festival grew out of the conviction that the planet needs all the attention we can give it.
If we are to progress towards a more sustainable, more equitable environment; one capable of giving our children and their successors in turn a future full of hope, we need to make changes in the way we conduct ourselves, live our lives and work with our world.
Reel Earth’s strap-line “where the Earth gets seen, gets heard, gets attention” recognises and reflects the power every one of us has to make a difference for our planet; to make tomorrow’s world that better place to be.
Last year we placed our winner’s laurel on Justin Maine of Albany, New York for his and colleagues Leanne Robinson Maine and Guy Noors’ thoroughly inspirational film “So Right - So Smart”. Their story demonstrates the potential of genuinely sustainable business practices to impact on the bottom line and the environment, positively and with great effect.
We also commenced on an amazing journey as Reel Earth’s growing network of friends and colleagues enabled us to realise one of our founding visions; to empower filmmaking in giving a young New Zealand filmmaker the chance to intern with a leading San Francisco video production and film distribution company, The Video Project and Specialty Video.
This year we nurture that opportunity. Last month we welcomed inaugural intern Joshua Hardgrave home to our festival, and later at this year's celebrations, his sponsor Steve Michelson, returning as a member of the contingent of filmmakers who look to Reel Earth festival season as one of the world’s most friendly, enjoyable and rewarding of its kind.
They will find, as will you also, a remarkable feast of activities over our opening weekend, with our ‘Off Broadway’ Expo Programme running in the Civic Square, exhibitions and presentations in the City Library and Square Edge Creative Arts Centre all adding vibrancy and flavour as they backdrop our Gala Awards night in the magnificent Regent Theatre on Broadway.
Convergence of the fabulous Robyn Malcolm again gracing our iconic green carpet as host, platinum-selling band The Black Seeds, creates a most entertaining and memorable Opening Night at the Regent. Adding a great roll-out of our coveted Reel Earth 2010 Awards and a Street Party to follow makes our opening evening on 22 May surely the very best of green days and nights to experience in Palmy!
On behalf of our esteemed panels of film selectors and jurors and teams of dedicated volunteers and supporters I wish each and every one of you a great and memorable time with us. I encourage you to explore this year’s stunning line-up of films we will be screening at Downtown Cinemas here in Palmerston North over the following fortnight from 23 May to 5 June and take time to engage with them and see for yourself just how high their makers are pushing the bar. In short – Reel Earth 2010 is the best single collection of nature and environmental film to ever grace the big screen in Australasia.
Finally, to each and every one of our sponsors who made possible our transition to a fully-fledged film festival event at the level of national and international note it has attained, I personally extend my most humble expression of gratitude. Your engagement with our vision can only help our planet through our filmmaker’s messages, stories that will be seen, will be heard, and will get attention.
And, I do trust, endure also.
Now, as has been said before, ‘do enjoy our show’. 
Warren Jones
Director
Reel Earth Effective 13 May 2010. Brent Barrett, a founding member of the Reel Earth team, has taken up the role of Director for the remainder of our 2010 Festival Season. Warren Jones has been unable to continue in the role for reasons of ill health. |
