Wednesday, October 7, 2009
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Page 11
Activist films address global issues
Humanities Lecture Hall to host environmental film festival
By Josh Robinson
Staff Writer
JRROBINS@UNCA.EDU
Environmental activism comes to UNC
Asheville Oct. 23 with a series of short
films from around the world promoting
awareness and sustainability.
“The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is
the largest environmental film festival in
the nation,” said Jamie Ervin, campus and
community outreach coordinator for UN-
CA’s Student Environmental Center.
The festival includes a series of short en
vironmental films from around the world.
The films address global environmental
justice, the impact of energy production,
inspiring youth activists and the struggle to
keep water affordable in the United States.
“They used to have it at the Asheville
Pizza and Brewery, but they sold it out
every year and so they wanted a bigger
venue,” Ervin said.
Clean Water for North Carolina and the
UNCA Student Environmental Center will
host the festival in the Humanities Lecture
Hall.
“Asheville Pizza is great because it’s
like you’re sitting on couches, but they can
only fit about 150 people in there, and the
Humanities Lecture Hall seats about 300,
so we’re hoping to sell it out,” Ervin said.
Sponsors of the film festival include
WNCW 88.7 FM, Luella’s BBQ, West End
Bakery and Diamond Brand Outdoors.
Ervin said Clean Water for North Caro
lina worked really hard to get the word out,
collaborate with local business and get the
community involved in the film festival.
“We’re planning on it being around two
hours with topics ranging from the clean
ing of the Pigeon River to climate change,
so the topics are really just all over the
place,” Ervin said.
These are films from all over the world
that challenge the environmental move
ment, but also highlight the successes so
people know there are solutions to these
problems, he said.
“The film festival has never been pro
moted this widely before, but obviously
there’s a lot of support for it because it’s
selling out every time,” Ervin said.
Senior psychology student Ed Hender
son had not heard about the festival but
said he might have an interest in going.
“People should do their part if they’re
motivated, but there is really not too much
of a point because I think we’re too far
gone,” Henderson said.
However, Ervin said he feels people
shouldn’t give up hope.
Photo Illustration by Susan Israel and Jesse Michel
Wild & Scenic Film Festival takes place at UNCA's Humanities Lecture Hall
on Oct. 23. The festival features short films about environmental issues.
“The point of the film festival is that
people recognize the problems at hand, but
they also can learn that there are solutions
and we’re not doomed as a people,” Ervin
said.
Henderson said trying to clean up the en
vironment won’t help if prevention plans
aren’t put into place.
“I think climate change is obviously the
biggest issue, but more than cleaning up,
I think we should focus more on down
sizing manufacturing,” Henderson said.
“Manufacturing is what is really killing
our planet.”
Matt Killough, sophomore and busi
ness student, said keeping the environment
clean is a big deal to him, but he isn’t ob
sessed with it.
“I like recycling more because of its
economical implication. Buying a hybrid
isn’t green and responsible in my opinion,”
Killough said. “I like and respect the envi
ronment and I’ll plant a tree here and there,
but I don’t feel like I need to watch a bunch
of movies.”
Wild & Scenic extends its invitation to
anyone in the community, not just students,
according to Ervin.
“Environmental work really just tran
scends all of us, so anyone from Western
North Carolina is welcome to come,” Ervin
said.
Tickets are available at businesses and
locations all over Asheville.
“We’re trying to get a lot of UNCA stu
dents to come out since it’s on the campus.
It’s a really good opportunity for them, es
pecially freshmen, because a lot of the time
they’re not particularly aware of environ
mental issues. That’s stuff that you learn
about in college more and more,” Ervin
said.
Wild & Scenic features a selection of
films from the largest environmental film
festival in the U.S., held in Nevada City,
Calif.
“We’ve got about 10 films that we plan
to show and they go anywhere from two
minutes long to half an hour,” Ervin said.
The price of admission is $10 or $5 with
a student ID. Tickets are on sale now at the
Student Environmental Center in High-
smith Union. All proceeds go to Clean
Water for North Carolina. Starting time is
Oct. 23, 7 p.m. Doors are at 6:30 p.m.
STUDENT
MODELS
NEEDED:
A Fletcher manufacturer of Tote
Bags and Accessories sold in col
lege bookstores is looking for UNCA
student models (male and female) for
an on-site photo shoot in mid-October
for their 2010 product catalog. E-mail
full-length, M body, and headshot to
cfraley @carolinase wnproducts .com
(professional photos not required). Pay
starts at $ 15/hour.
■ BOX OffICE ★ WEDNESDAY - SATUBOAY 12pin-B:30pm j
j 101 BIIIMORE AVE * ASHEVILLE. NC * 828.226.5851 j