Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival: October 12-16, 2011

Toronto – The 12th Annual Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival, Canada’s largest and longest running environmental film festival, kicks off with a big start and finish with this year’s Opening and Closing Night Galas: Revenge of the Electric Car, narrated by Tim Robbins, and The Whale, narrated by Ryan Reynolds.

Planet in Focus runs from October 12–16, 2011, across Toronto, and features five days of galas, film screenings, workshops and more!

In 2006, thousands of new electric cars were purposely destroyed by the same car companies that built them. Today, less than five years later, the electric car is back… with a vengeance. In Revenge of the Electric Car, director Chris Paine (Who Killed the Electric Car?) gets extraordinary access behind the closed doors of Nissan, GM, and the Silicon Valley start-up Tesla Motors to chronicle the story of the global resurgence of electric cars.

The Whale, produced by Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johannson and narrated by Ryan Reynolds, tells the true story of Luna, a baby orca who gets separated from his family and starts to make friends with humans on the rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island. The film is directed by Suzanne Chisholm and David Parfit.

This year, Planet in Focus will shine a spotlight on the theme of landscapes, looking at contemporary film- and video-makers who are challenging and redefining our changing perceptions of landscape. “We are excited to be presenting a diversity of films that examine how human-made and natural landscapes shape our identity and future,” says Kathleen Mullen, Director of Programming.

Last year’s Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival enjoyed record attendance, as audiences turned out in force to attend films and special events. Rounding out an exciting line-up of public screenings, the festival will once again focus on the film and television industry, expanding to include two days of panels, workshops and pitch sessions devoted to film production, distribution and funding.

Related articles

• Revenge of the electric car (guardian.co.uk)
• There are Now One Billion Cars Stuck in Traffic Around the World (treehugger.com)
• A Car for the 21st Century: Rebirth of the Electric Car (businessinsider.com)
• New Documentary Shines Light On Electric Car Industry (blogs.forbes.com)
• Is electric car era finally dawning in U.S.? (cbsnews.com)