Film festival plans 'up a notch'

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THINK HARDER: 'Line of Flight' and 'Climate Refugees' (scene pictured) are two films among the 200 international entries at this year's Reel Earth Film Festival.

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Who needs Hollywood when you've got Palmerston North?

Organisers of the Reel Earth Film Festival have unveiled plans for this year's environmentally-friendly film extravaganza – and they're promising an event to rival anything the United States has to offer.

From small beginnings as a one-day screening in The Globe Theatre six years ago, Palmerston North's own film festival has grown to be the biggest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

More than 200 film-makers from 35 countries have entered films in this year's event, with festival director Warren Jones expecting more before the opening gala on May 22.

And in the wake of last year's successful event, both the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce and the city council are now throwing their support behind the festival.

"Both scale and contribution have moved up a notch over last year – and might I humbly submit quite a sizeable notch," Mr Jones said.

Among the topical concerns raised in this year's films are worries about water cleanliness, waste and over-fishing. New Zealand films are also included in the line-up.

It can be tough for film-makers to get their message out, he said.

"Making films, dare I say it, is easy.

"To get them out to the audience is the hard part.

"We give the films a platform ... providing a place where film-makers can have another crack at finding both an audience, and distributing them."

Outrageous Fortune's Robyn Malcolm will MC the night, which features a guest performance by The Black Seeds.

New York Pulitzer prize-winning photographer Vincent Laforet will take workshops, while Colyton's Joshua Hardgrave will speak about working in US production studios Pixar and Skywalker animation.

Films will screen at Downtown cinemas until June 5. Editorial P9

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