9th Annual No Boundaries Film Festival enlightens, entertains and educates
By Laurie Grant
After attending a Traveling World Community Film Festival at the College of the Okanagan, John Westaway , Larry Hudema and the late David Borchett decided to bring the festival to Grand Forks and No Boundaries Film Club was born in 2006.
“The first year was a great success,” remembers Hudema. While numbers are not exact, there has been enough participation to fund the annual event ever since.
“After we pay for the movie rental, and use of the school, we spend any leftover money to buy some copies for the Grand Forks Library,” he said. Bookmarks were available with a list of 33 DVD titles already in the library.
Seventeen documentary films were chosen by the executive this year, with input from the membership. “It’s a process of elimination,” shared Hudema, noting that thought goes into time of day, content (mood) and length of movie to create the 3-day schedule. “We have some dedicated attendees. Sarah and Steve Bradburn come up from the US every year for the festival.”
“It offers food for thought for the rest of the year,” said Sarah.
“I start thinking about next year the very next day,” said Steve. Gloria Bandle and Lew Carswell thought the movies brought details into focus for things they had only heard about. “Seeing the film makes it more powerful,” Hudema agreed.
According to their website, “The World Community Film Festival is British Columbia’s largest, longest running international social issues film festival. The World Community Development Education Society, Courtenay, BC, has been holding the festival in the Comox Valley since 1990. In recent years they have introduced the Traveling World Film Festival to share the films with other communities in B.C. and across Canada.”
“We have a very generous community,” noted Hudema. The annual event is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Boundary Peace Initiative who provided homemade borscht, baked goods, fruit and beverages.
“The lunch is very popular, they were set up for 50 and had to add another table,” recalled Hudema. “People can get together and talk about the movies and just visit. This is the only time I see some people I know.”
Organizer, Laura Savinkoff, thanked the audience from her wheelchair – she had been injured from a fall on the ice — and reminded everyone to do their part, no matter how small, to make a difference in the world.
“The films are getting more sophisticated,” noted Hudema. A few audience members agreed that this year’s films had a little more positive tone compared to other years.
“In the past there have been some parts so graphic that I had to come and sit in the lobby,” remembers Bradburn. “Over the years they have been great, inspirational, ones that stick in your memory and give you food for thought and ideas for things you may already be doing but could do better.”
This year’s films started with “Seeds of Freedom,” which talked about the history of traditional farming to how farming has changed today to include genetically-modified seed. One of Saturday’s films was “The Light Bulb Conspiracy,” which discussed how the life of products has deliberately been shortened to keep consumers shopping. The film festival concluded on Sunday with “Al Helm: MLK in Palestine,” which showed artists coming together around the world despite culture clashes and politics.
