Part coming-of-age tale, part cops-and-robbers thriller, the film asks hard questions about environmentalism, activism, and the way we define terrorism.  Katherine Monk, Vancouver Sun film critic had this to say about the film: “A truly fascinating documentary that unravels the complex morality of taking on a cause, this movie is the perfect starting point for what we can only hope is a continuing discussion of how to care for the planet.”

The film debuted at Sundance in 2011, and won a Documentary Editing Award.  It is now nominated for Best Documentary at the 2012 Academy Awards coming up on Sunday, February 26. Join us in April at Projecting Change 2012 and click here to learn more about the film.

In particular, this year’s festival showcased three films that our panel of organizers felt had a significant impact on our audiences. As tradition calls for, we award three major awards at the end of each year’s festival, and this year’s candidates did not disappoint.

Home-grown The Clean Bin Project, a feature film about an everyday couple and their journey to answer the question “is it possible to live completely waste free?” picked up this year’s Best Canadian Documentary Award: “The film depicts a year’s journey as partners Jen and Grant go head-to-head in a competition to see who can swear off consumerism and produce the least landfill garbage in an entire year. This film presents the serious topic of waste reduction with optimism, humour, and inspiration for individual action.”

The award for Best Documentary went to Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson. This film was a crowd pleaser, igniting a sold-out house. It tells the story of a man on a mission to save the planet and its oceans: “The film follows “professional radical ecologist” Paul Watson as he repeatedly flouts the law so that he may apprehend what he sees as the more serious law-breakers: the illegal poachers of the world.”

The Projecting Change Award goes to the film that we feel truly encompasses the philosophy behind our festival. Director Susan Edwards’ Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000 was this year’s award recipient: “The film details the parallel journey of two characters: one, a young woman discouraged at her future as a suburban housewife, the other, a river – once beautiful and teeming with wildlife – now a hopeless, toxic sludge pit. The basis of this documentary lies in the fact that acclaimed environmental pioneer Stoddart took on and singlehandedly accomplished a huge goal – cleaning up the Nasua River.”

To spice up this year’s festival we ran a contest through social media where we asked our friends and followers to submit a 60 second video documenting how they project change in their everyday lives. We received some inspiring entries – everything from locals creating international movements to one little boy who projects change through being a positive and loving human being in his daily life. The winner of our contest, who also received a $1000 cash prize and the premiere of their video at our closing gala film screening, was the brilliant and hilarious Fair Trade Gangsta Rap video created by the SFU chapter of Fair Trade Vancouver.

Congratulations to the minds behind all of these amazing films! To our audience, we hope you enjoyed each and every one, and if you haven’t gotten the chance to check them out, we highly encourage you to do so. Each film we handpicked for this year’s festival is a beacon for change and hope, and we hope it will inspire a passion within you to fulfill your own goals of projecting change in this world.

– Marisa Woodham (@MarisaWoodham)

We’re kicking off the video interviews with a few words from Projecting Change Film Festival co-founder Lindsay Nahmiache (passion project junkie and social change enthusiast). Find out more about the history of Projecting Change as well as innovations for the future….

Our goal is to share innovative ideas and stories from around Vancouver to recognize all the small and big ways Vancouverites are working together to create change. For all the details on when and where we are filming checkout our facebook page

Do you have an innovative idea that needs sharing with Vancouver and the world? Film it in 60 seconds or less and tell us how you are projecting change! Share it on our facebook wall to have the chance to win $1000 cash and free tickets to the festival.

-Rebecca

PS – don’t forget to check us out on twitter for updates @PCFFVancouver