Canadian premiere of ¡Las Sandinistas! and the One World Film Festival.

Canadian premiere of ¡Las Sandinistas! Ottawa September 12

Special advance screening for the 29^th One World Film Festival, Ottawa September 20-22

My current major film-related volunteer role is as the president of Ottawa-based One World Arts which annually put on the One World Film Festival of which I am the lead programmer and coordinator.

This year’s festival, the 29^th (more information and highlights below), begins with a special September 12 advance screening of an outstanding documentary feature ¡Las Sandinistas!, the world premiere of which I attended at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas in March.

I wrote this about it in an April Screenings & Meanings column:

Human rights struggles were at the core of several films.  Receiving a special jury mention was ¡Las Sandinistas! (https://www.lassandinistas.com/) directed by Jenny Murray whom I interviewed about the amazing Nicaraguan women who were combatants on the frontlines of the Sandinista revolution of the 1970s but whose contributions have been suppressed in the official historical record. These women were part of a profound transformation breaking gender as well as class barriers, fighting a “revolution inside the revolution." Their crucial role in those years was subsequently marginalized by an all-male political leadership.  Women’s rights have suffered “total regression” as the regime has taken a reactionary turn. But these women fighters refuse to be silenced.  As one says: “We have to make the revolution all over again.” And as Ms. Murray told me, this is an important story to tell when women’s voices are being raised in resistance in many places seeking justice and equality.

29^th One World Film Festival September 20-22

One World Arts announces an exciting program of acclaimed films and talks for the 29^th edition of the One World Film Festival: http://oneworldfilmfestival.ca/. Since 1989 this unique festival has been bringing thought-provoking documentaries and discussions of critical issues to audiences in the national capital region. The main festival runs from Thursday September 20 through Saturday evening September 22 at Arts Court theatre, 2 Daly Ave.

Prominent themes include: Women’s Voices for Justice, Our Neighborhoods, Art for Life!, Women on the Frontlines.  The Thursday September 20 opening night film Naila and the Uprising https://www.justvision.org/nailaandtheuprising, presented in partnership with the Nobel Women’s Initiative, will feature a conversation with Suhad Babaa, executive producer and executive director of Just Vision, Washington D.C.  Friday September 21 will present the international coproduction Not In My Neighborhood https://www.facebook.com/NIMNTheFilm/  https://vimeo.com/237044326 attended by award-winning South African filmmaker Kurt Orderson. As battle lines are drawn in the trauma of forced removals in housing around the world, Orderson explores community resistance movements. Following the film join him in a stimulating discussion with local housing support groups, fighting for the dispossessed. Saturday September 22 highlights include the world premiere of  Blue Roses by local filmmakers Ed Kucerak and Danielle Rolfe on community involvement in end of life care for the most vulnerable.  This will be followed by three outstanding features: I Am Rohingya https://www.iamrohingyafilm.com/, Women of the Venezuelan Chaos https://www.femmesduchaosvenezuelien.com/, and Time for Ilhan https://www.timeforilhanfilm.com/.

An advance special screening will be the Canadian premiere of the award-winning ¡Las Sandinistas! (https://www.lassandinistas.com/) at the ByTowne Cinema, 325 Rideau St. Wednesday September 12, 6:50 p.m. The film recalls the inspiring leadership of the women on the frontlines of Nicaragua’s Sandinista revolution and their courageous ongoing struggles to bring about true equality and justice. A special post-festival screening of Anote’s Ark (http://www.anotesark.com/) will be held Thursday September 27, 6:45 pm at the Mayfair Theatre, 1074 Bank St., followed by a panel discussion on urgent climate-change issues.  This event is in partnership with the Group of 78 Annual Policy Conference Meeting the Climate Challenge, September 28-29 (https://group78.org/). 

In all 10 feature films and 15 short films will be presented. For schedules, film synposes, information on passes and tickets see the festival program, online at: http://oneworldfilmfestival.ca/.