How can we shift a society’s values and vision after a banking collapse while simultaneously advocating a global green economy? Join us for the first London screening of Henry Bateson’s beautiful new ‘Iceland’ film and post-film discussion with author and Green Party candidate Dr.Shahrar Ali and Rajesh Makwana, Director of Share the World’s Resources, an advocacy NGO with UN consultative status.

‘…the general consensus among those interviewed is that it (the financial crash) presents an opportunity to transform an entire society. The philosophy of sustainable living has to underpin everything we do, economics included.’ Cristina Galvin, Irish Times

The Film

Henry Bateman’s film takes us from the origins of the Icelandic financial crash, through to the present day, exploring the consequences and the solutions.  His engaging cast of characters explain the levels of indebtedness  upon which the Icelandic economy grew to depend;  the impact on the entire population when the bubble burst; and the urgent need for new thinking if they – and by extension, us -  are to create a more equitable, sustainable economy for all.

Watch the trailer

Cinematically stunning, the film captures the breathtakingly beautiful landscapes of  Iceland - from the midnight sun to dark winters lit only by the snow, from geysers to volcanoes, and it features a specially commissioned soundtrack comprising brand new compositions  from artists such as Damien Rice. Future of Hope is journey of struggle, determination and most importantly, as the title says, hope as it clearly explains the country’s past, explores its present, and predicts a progressive future for a new and sustainable Iceland

Post Film Discussion

Joining us to explore the various themes in the film, not least how to turn the financial crisis into an opportunity and how to extend equitable solutions on a global scale will be:

Dr Shahrar Ali - officer of London Green Party and their former Policy Coordinator 2004-09.  His PhD in Philosophy from UCL  looked at lying and deception, with specific reference to public life. He entered Green politics after working as a researcher in the European Parliament on the risks of GM food. He has lived in Brent for ten years, has campaigned for sustainable solutions, such as transition towns; is the author of the bestseller Why Vote Green; and is a candidate in the 2012 London Assembly election.

And

Rajesh Makwana, director of Share The World’s Resources (STWR), a London-based organisation campaigning for international economic sharing – a more equitable distribution of financial and natural resources within and between nations. He has written articles on key development issues such as poverty, inequality and climate change, and previously worked in the private sector before formally establishing STWR as an advocacy organisation with consultative status at the United Nations.

Booking

Lexi Cinema. Tickets £5  . Book here.

Or call the box office 0871 704 2069 (£1 Booking Fee).

Tickets are free to TPFF regular givers and annual donors of £60 or more.

Email info@tippingpointfilmfund.com

Getting There

The Lexi Cinema is located at 194 Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise, NW10 3JU. It is around 7 minutes walk from Kensal Rise over-ground station and a good bus service runs from central London. The 52 (from Victoria) and the 6 (from Oxford Circus) stop directly outside the cinema. To map your route by public transport click here, and for a streetmap click here.

TPFF Festive Greetings!

So, another year is about to come to an end – does anyone out there have a trick to share about how we can slow down time? It passes way too fast!!

It’s been a year of unbelievable upheaval and turmoil, but one of people protest too. We here are optimistic that the so-called 99% will see a more just set of solutions come out of the chaos we have witnessed this past year because there are so many fantastic networks and organisations out there who are taking the ‘1%‘ on. And support for them will grow next year, for sure!

On that note, we continue to be amazed at the Just Do It team – the film is now truly on its international journey. If you have any doubt about the power of protest and non-violent direct action, this film will put it to bed! TPFF remains a very proud supporter of Emily and her team.

We Are Many

And to continue the ‘protest’ theme, there’s been great news on Amir Amirani’s film, ‘We Are Many’. Our recent Kickstarter online funding campaign raised $92k –significantly exceeding our target of $70k! This means the film can begin production in early 2012. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO DONATED – a special thanks to project partner War on Want for their help with the campaign.

TPFF is supporting the film with funding, fundraising and campaign development. Tim Robbins, Jemima Khan, Mark Rylance and Terry Jones are a few of the latest individuals to come on board; Oliver Stone has given his endorsement and no less than Stephen Fry has tweeted the film!

And were you one of the millions who marched on February 15th, 2003, to stop the Iraq Invasion? If so, tell us your story here.

The Road to Bethlehem

Leila took time out this year due to illness, but we are delighted she is back on form and picking up her work on the film again. ‘The Road to Bethlehem’ will be ready for a UK/Ireland release, along with campaign outreach, in mid-2012 and a USA/Canada release Christmas 2012. This comes as we see Palestine move for recognition at the UN, so we expect the timing of the film and its campaign to resonate across the USA as well as UK/Europe. We recently received a $15,000 private donation for the film to go towards this next stage and are in the process of seeking partners for the release of the film in the UK. If you would like to know how to support the film email info@tippingpointfilmfund.com.

If you live in the Richmond, Surrey area join us for an evening hosted by the Palestine Solidarity Committee. Leila will show excerpts from the film, share what it meant to document five momentous years in the life of Bethlehem and explain why she believes that Bethlehem has a crucial role to play in bringing about change in the Middle East.

Sunday 8th January 2012 at 8pm (Admission free, doors open at 7.30pm)

St Mary Magdalene, Church Walk off Paradise Road, Richmond TW9 1SN

Hosted by St Mary Magdalene & Richmond & Kingston PSC www.richkingpsc.org.uk

Prohibition: A Modern Addiction

TPFF is working with Australian director Shane Ward to help progress the development of his film ‘Prohibition: A Modern Addiction’ addressing the failure of the global war on drugs – a war that has cost hundreds of billions of dollars; that is abjectly failing those poorer nations affected by drugs; criminalising generation after generation of poor, often black, young people; while at the same time enriching cartels, the US private prison system and many others along the way.

Yet there is a growing recognition of the reality which is – this ‘war’ is making matters worse, not better. So what are the ways forward? What does the evidence tell us and do we have the courage to rethink the approach, the discourse, on prohibition?

Shane has spent two years researching the issue and has the support of many of the world’s leading drug policy experts – from policy and campaign groups to law-makers and enforcers. We are now at the stage of raising funds to move to the next stage of development and pulling together the all-essential fundraising trailer. If you would like to know more about the film’s campaign partners please find out more at:

Transform

Release

If you would like to help us raise funds for the film, please email info@tippingpointfilmfund.com for more information.

TPFF Film Club

Thanks to all our Film Club supporters for another great year of film screenings and a very big thanks to ALL our great panellists and directors who always make our Q&A’s so good! Highlights were Inside Job, The End of Poverty?, The Take, Just Do It, Iraq: War Love God Madness; When China Met Africa and An African Election.
As ever, thanks to the Bernie Grant Arts Centre and the lovely Lexi Cinema team for being such great partners! Thanks to Dogwoof for being our festival partners; and a special shout out to the team at Humanfilm – Mohammed, Isabelle, Danny and Kathryn – keep up the amazing work and we urge everyone to check out Humanfilm – their films and campaigns. Thanks for Greenbelt 2011!

And a Big Thank You to…

And finally, we end this year as last year, with a BIG THANK YOU to The Co-operative, without whom there would be no TPFF and to our donors, one off and regular givers, whose support to the Fund we hugely appreciate.

We send you all our best wishes for the festive season and wish you a peaceful New Year.

Deb, Kev, Fran, Jen and all at TPFF

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We’re delighted to be showing Jarreth Merz’s new film ‘An African Election’, as part of its UK DOGWOOF release in November. “A suspenseful, well-edited documentary by Swiss film-maker Jarreth Merz filled with big personalities, colourful speech-making and high-stakes intrigue” - Screen Daily

In 2008, while the world turned its gaze to the first presidential race in the United States in which an African American was running for president, the African nation of Ghana was also making history. ‘An African Election’ takes an in-depth look at the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana, West Africa.

Watch the trailer

The 2008 presidential elections in Ghana, West Africa, serve as a backdrop for this feature documentary that looks behind-the-scenes at the complex, political machinery of a developing world democracy struggling to legitimize itself to its first world contemporaries. At stake in this race are the fates of two political parties that will do almost anything to win.

Director Jarreth Merz follows the key players for almost three months to provide an unprecedented insider’s view of the political, economic and social forces at work in Ghana. He builds suspense by taking the viewer down the back roads of the nation to capture each unexpected twist and turn in a contest that is always exciting and never predictable. Throughout the film, Merz depicts the pride and humanity of the larger-than-life politicians, party operatives and citizens who battle for the soul of their country.

Swiss born, Jarreth Merz grew up in Ghana. This film sees him return after a 28-year absence.

Post Film Discussion

Join us for a post-film discussion about the film and the many issues it raises such as how to hold governments to election promises; the legacy of Nkrumah post independence; and the close ties that connect Ghana’s political life and the British Ghanaian diaspora. We will be joined by a number of speakers, including Adjoa Andoh, actor, campaigner and TPFF board member. Bristol born, Adjoa is dual heritage British Ghanaian. Her theatre career includes lead roles in the West End as well as the National Theatre; she starred in Clint Eastwood’s ‘Invictus’; her TV roles included Casualty; and her campaigning commitments have included Fair Trade and the Trade Justice Movement.

Booking Information

Bernie Grant Arts Centre, 7.30pm, £6/£4 . Book here.

Getting There

http://www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk/p295.html

Underground

Seven Sisters (Victoria Line) – take Tottenham High Road exit, five mins walk from the station. Exit from exit 1, Tesco should be on your right hand side. Walk straight up the road and past CONEL, which will be on the left, and turn left. Bernie Grant Arts Centre is just past the town hall and before the leisure centre and Marcus Garvey Library.

Buses

149, 259, 243, 476, 230, 123, 41, 341

Trains

Seven Sisters, Tottenham Hale.

While the marches didn’t stop the invasion, they did trigger something unexpected. As the Feb 15th global movement (USA, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Asia) co-ordinated itself, it was giving birth to a whole new global online activist movement – one that created networks and global co-ordinated actions we now take for granted. This legacy reaches as far into the present-day such as the Arab Spring, where stories of activists in Cairo, on seeing the London 2003 Hyde Park marchers, said ‘one day we will have our own Hyde Park’. In 2011, they did.

See trailer here:

Do visit the film’s page on Kickstarter where you can donate online – help us reach the $70k target so that production can begin!

If you need more information about the project, please email info@tippingpointfilmfund.com.

If you donate to the Kickstarter campaign, thank you – and drop us a note so we can keep you up to date on the project.

TPFF FILM CLUB –‘WHEN CHINA MET AFRICA’ by Marc and Nick Francis

To mark Black History Month we are hosting three October screenings of the latest film from Marc and Nick Francis (Black Gold). ‘When China Met Africa’, is currently on a limited theatrical release.

All screenings have post film discussions with the directors.

• Monday 17th October Lexi Cinema, 8.15pm, £5, Book here
• Tuesday 18th October, Greenwich Picturehouse, 8.30pm, £8.50, Book here
• Thursday 27th October, Bernie Grant Arts Centre, 7.30pm, £6/£4. Book here

Tickets are free to TPFF regular givers and annual donors of £60 or more. Email info@tippingpointfilmfund.com

Trailer:

Film:

An extraordinary moment in time is captured in this enlightening new film, which follows three characters working on the frontline of China’s foray into Africa. ‘When China Met Africa’ takes us to the grass-roots of globalisation to reveal the expanding footprint of a rising global power. This captivating portrait from award-winning filmmakers Marc Francis and Nick Francis (Black Gold), points to a radically different future, not just for Africa, but also for the world.

‘A rare grass roots view into one of the most important economic challenges of our age’ – The Times

FILM PROJECT NEWS

We Are Many

Amir Amirani’s trailer will be screened in Trafalgar Square as part of the mass rally on Saturday 8th October to mark ‘Afghanistan 10 Years On. For more Information: http://stopwar.org.uk/

The film has also just secured a production grant from the Clark family through Soul Rebel Films, based in London. The Clark family have longstanding peace movement links and we are delighted to have support from them. This comes as we embark on a public funding appeal, mid October – watch this space…

Recent interviews secured for the film include Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte and Ricken Patel of Avaaz. If you would like to know how to support the film, please email info@tippingpointfilmfund.com

MORE ONES TO WATCH

Just Do It

TPFF has been proud to have supported Just Do It, Emily James’s truly inspiring film film about environmental activists . It’s received great reviews and has had a successful UK-wide cinema release…and the DVD is released on October 17th – buy it!

Blood in the Mobile – Frank Paulsen

We love our cell phones and the selection between different models has never been bigger. But the production of phones has a dark, bloody side as the main part of minerals used to produce cell phones are coming from the mines in conflict-ridden Eastern DR Congo. UK wide screenings.

CAMPAIGN NEWS AND EVENTS

October 8th – Stop the War Coalition rally, Trafalgar Square. Afghanistan 10 years on. Join John Pilger, Jemima Khan, Lowkey, Tony Benn, Billy Bragg and many others.More information: http://stopwar.org.uk/

October 18th – Food Sovereignty Day. The global food system is in crisis and War on Want and others are building the movement to reclaim our food system. Learn more and find out how you can get more involved at this all-day event at the Houses of Parliament - http://www.waronwant.org/news/events/events/upcoming-events/17340-food-sovereignty-day

October 31st 2011 sees the launch of the UN’s International Year of Co-operatives. 800 million around the world are involved with the co-operative movement.

“Cooperatives are a reminder to the international community that it is possible to pursue both economic viability and social responsibility.” – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Check out http://social.un.org/coopsyear/

Truth is stranger than fiction, as seen in this personal journey into war-torn Iraq. Exiled Iraqi director Mohamed Al-Daradji returned to Baghdad in 2004 with the idea of shooting a feature film (Ahlaam) in the midst of war and violence.

The horrific toll on cast and crew during the making of Iraqi feature “Ahlaam” is told by its helmer, Mohamed Al-Daradji, in “War, Love, God & Madness. ”More than merely a companion piece to the 2005 drama, (the) docu provides a disturbing look at the situation in occupied Baghdad, when safety was illusory and kidnapping and torture became not merely a hypothetical fear but a reality.” Jay Weissberg,Variety

Clip

The Film

Undeterred by the volatile situation and very real dangers, Mohamed visits his Baghdad home that he fled years previously. He realises the Iraq of his memories is long gone as he witnesses the effects of 35 years of dictatorship, 3 wars and the toll of occupation.  Finding the once-vibrant streets filled with unemployment, poverty and madness, he strives to make his film as planned. He is challenged by unimaginable risk and reverses as his camera reveals, instead, a world unravelling around him. As Mohamed rediscovers his homeland we see through his eyes the real Iraqi people and their spirit to survive.

The powerful title refers to the fact that, in Arabic, there is only one letter’s difference among the words war, love, god and madness.

“An amazing and uplifting documentary, which shows precisely how dangerous shooting in Iraq can be.” – Mark Kermode, BBC

The film has screened at many festivals amongst which it was voted one of the top 10 Best Films at the Tribeca International Film Festival (2008);  won the Grand Jury Prize at the Ismailia International Film Festival (Egypt);  Jury Special Mention at the Moqavemat International Film Festival (Iran) 2010.

Post-film discussion and Q&A with Danny Evans

Danny Evans, a core member of the Humanfilm team, has in-depth knowledge of Iraq and the Middle East. He went to Iraq at the start of filming for their latest award winning film SON OF BABYLON and has spoken at many events including a panel with Michael Moore on the situation in Iraq. Humanfilm is currently leading Iraq’s Missing Campaign – an effort to bring attention and funding to the campaign to help families find and identify their missing relatives.

Tickets

Tickets cost £5 and can be purchased through The Lexi Cinema website or by calling the box office on 0871 704 2069  (£1 Booking Fee). Tickets are free to TPFF regular givers and annual donors of more than £60.

Getting there

The Lexi Cinema is located at 194 Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise, NW10 3JU. It is around 7 minutes walk from Kensal Rise over-ground station and a good bus service runs from central London. The 52 (from Victoria) and the 6 (from Oxford Circus) stop directly outside the cinema. To map your route by public transport click here, and for a streetmap click here.

Once more, Tipping Point Film Fund is looking forward to hosting a documentary film strand as part of Greenbelt’s film programme this year.  The films reflect the theme for this year’s festival – ‘Dreams of Home’ – and will screen at the same time, 2.30pm, over the three days.  Each in their own way, tell stories of struggle and hope in the face of extreme adversity.

Budrus and Son of Babylon are screened in association with Dogwoof – our partner for these events.

All films are screened at the FILM venue.

TPFF’S GREENBELT DOCUMENTARY FILM PROGRAMME

Saturday 27th August   2.30-5pm. Iraq: War Love God & Madness – by Mohamed Al Daradji

Truth is stranger than fiction as we are led on a personal journey into Iraq, by director Mohamed Al-Daradji and his crew as, in 2004,  they attempt to shoot a feature film encircled by war and senseless violence. Undaunted by the volatile dangers this is an extraordinary feature documentary.

We are delighted to have producer Isabelle Stead join us for the post film discussion/Q&A.

More info and clip here: http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/festival/contributors/84660

Sunday 28th August 2.30-5pm. Budrus -  by Julia Bacha

A multi-award winning, action-packed documentary about a Palestinian community organizer, Ayed Morrar, who unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save his village of Budrus from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier.

We are delighted to have Linda Ramsden, the UK Director of ICAHD UK, join us for the post film discussion. She has recently visited Budrus and will share her recent experiences with us in light of the film, as well as explain more about her extraordinary work with  ICAHD UK (Israeli Committee against house demolitions).

More info and clip here: http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/festival/contributors/84659

With special thanks to Dogwoof for their support of this event

Monday 29th August 2.30pm. Our Generation – by Sinem Saban and Damien Curtis.

Our Generation is a rollercoaster journey into the heart of  the struggle between Australia’s Indigenous peoples and the Austrialian government – a story most certainly not just about the past, but the present-day. A hidden shame that is pushing the world’s oldest living culture to the edge, reveals the shocking policies being pursued by the Australian government to remove them from their homelands.

More info and clip here: http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/festival/contributors/84661

Saturday 27th August 5pm  – Son of Bablyon

We are also screening Son of Babylon by Mohamed Al Daradji, which is the latest, highly acclaimed fiction film by this prolific director, also produced by Isabelle Stead.

The film will be followed by Q&A with Isabelle Stead, who will also tell us  more about the campaign that the film has created: Iraq’s Missing - http://www.iraqsmissing.org/

More info and clip here: http://sonofbabylon.co.uk/

With thanks to Dogwoof for their support of this event

According to the Guardian, it’s a “smart, funny, adrenalised portrait of 21st-century activism” which “bristles with energy.”

With unprecedented access, Just Do It will take you on an astonishing journey behind the scenes of a community of people who refuse to sit back and allow the destruction of their world.  Torpedoing the tired cliches of the environmental movement, Just Do It introduces you to a powerful cast of mischievous and inspiring characters who put their bodies in the way; they super-glue themselves to bank trading floors, blockade factories and attack coal power stations en-masse, despite the very real threat of arrest. Their adventures will entertain, illuminate and inspire.

Check out screening dates here – as well as how to get the film to your nearest city/town …

http://justdoitfilm.com/all-screenings

The inside story of some of the UK’s biggest troublemakers, Just Do It is a feature documentary about environmental direct action. Crowd funded and released this summer, Just Do It follows some fantastically inspiring women and men who most definitely got off their derrieres and did something – and made a difference. What more can you ask for?!

‘Seriously topical but never so serious that it gets caught up in polemic, it’s a terrific story packed with characters and told with passion’. David Hughes, Empire Magazine

The Film:

The world of direct action has remained a secretive one, until now. With unprecedented access, Just Do It takes you on an astonishing journey behind the scenes of a community of people who refuse to sit back and allow the destruction of their world. Torpedoing the tired clichés of the environmental movement, Just Do It introduces you to a powerful cast of mischievous and inspiring characters who put their bodies in the way; they super-glue themselves to bank trading floors, blockade factories and attack coal power stations en-masse, despite the very real threat of arrest. Their adventures will entertain, illuminate and inform.

Read Empire’s 4* review in full here: http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=137258

See a clip here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2011/jun/08/sheffield-doc-fest-emily-james

Trailer

Post-film discussion and Q&A with director, Emily James

Emily James is an award winning documentary director and producer of one-off films and series, which has included trade justice campaign film The Luckiest Nut; Don’t Worry, a four part series for C4 which the Observer described as “A brilliant satire of the trend towards consumer affairs as entertainment”; Dallas Campbell’s Guide to the Impossible, for Discovery US and was an executive producer on Age of Stupid.

TPFF is proud to have supported Just Do It.

Tickets:

Tickets cost £5 and can be purchased through The Lexi Cinema website or by calling the box office on 0871 704 2069 (£1 Booking Fee).

Tickets are free to TPFF regular givers and annual donors of more than £60.

Getting there:

The Lexi Cinema is located at 194 Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise, NW10 3JU. It is around 7 minutes walk from Kensal Rise over-ground station and a good bus service runs from central London. The 52 (from Victoria) and the 6 (from Oxford Circus) stop directly outside the cinema. To map your route by public transport click here, and for a streetmap click here.

It is 2005 and Latin America’s most prosperous middle class finds itself facing ghost towns with abandoned factories and mass unemployment. Klein follows one story – thirty unemployed car workers in Buenos Aires who occupy their idle factory and refuse to leave. All they want is to restart the machines… the result is a real-life political thriller that pits ordinary workers against the local ruling elite – factory owners, politicians and judges.

This film coincides with the start of the UK’s groundbreaking Co-operatives Fortnight – June 25th to July 9th – promoting the work and value of co-operation in the UK and abroad.

‘Fierce and Inspiring’ – Washington Post

… ‘A suspenseful, cautionary tale universal in its implications’ – LA Times

… ‘A cross between Michael Moore and Ken Loach’…. – International Herald Tribune

The Take (87 mins), the winner of several festival prizes, is directed by journalist Avi Lewis, written by Naomi Klein (No Logo) and is 87 mins duration.

Admission

This will be a FREE event! 7.30pm on Wednesday 22nd June.

Come and join us for a pre-mid summers day drink/screening/social gathering

No RSVPS – max 80 capacity, so come on time if you want a seat!

Getting there

Venue: The Chapel Bar, Islington (29a Penton Street, N1 9PX – nearest tube is Angel)

Map: http://www.thechapelbar.co.uk/contact.html

Directions: 5 mins walk from Angel Tube. Cross to White Lion Street, walk to the top where it meets Penton Street, Chapel Bar is on the opposite corner.