Press

The directors of the Peace On Earth Film Festival and the board of its non-profit, Transcendence Global Media, NFP, are pleased to announce that we have retained Maggie O’Keefe to support our efforts in providing you and the 2017 POEFF with the best in Social Media Coverage.

The directors of the Peace On Earth Film Festival and the board of its non-profit, Transcendence Global Media, NFP, are pleased to announce that we have retained Garnier Public Relations to support our efforts in providing you and the 2017 POEFF with the best in press relations.

Peace On Earth  Film Festival is pleased to announce partnership with O+: Chicago Festival, (July 8, 9 and 10, 2016) in the presentation of three POEFF Archival films:

A New Color: The Art of Being Edythe Boone*
(USA, Short Documentary – 56 min)
Directed & Produced by Maureen “Mo” Morris,

Winner 2016 POEFF Best Short Documentary

Long before Black Lives Matter became a rallying cry, Edythe Boone embodied that truth as an artist, educator, and great-grandmother. When a deeply personal tragedy ignites a national outcry, everything that Edy has worked for comes into question. A New Color illuminates the social issues of our time and how the work of one woman reverberates throughout a community.

Sketch*
(USA, Short Narrative – 21 min)
Directed by Stephen Barton

Winner 2016 POEFF Student Voices for Peace, Most Inspiring Story

Michael is a 12 year old boy with autism. Because of ASD he endures ridicule and rejection from kids in school and his impoverished community. But he puts his curse to work and creates beautiful art with intricate sketches of scenes he sees in his violent world, and the lives of people he doesn’t even know change in profound and significant ways.  

UNAFRAID: Voices From the Crime Victims Treatment Center*
(USA, Short Documentary – 44 min)
Directed by Karin Venegas

Selection 2015 POEFF

Set at St. Luke’s Hospital’s pioneering Crime Victims Treatment Center in New York City, this film tells the real stories of four rape survivors and their struggles and ultimate triumphs on the road to healing. Theirs is a story of courage, resilience, and activism.

* with permission of filmmakers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Danielle Garnier
publicity@peaceonearthfilmfestival.org

THE 8^TH ANNUAL PEACE ON EARTH FILM FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES WINNERS

(CHICAGO, March 9, 2016)- The Peace on Earth Film Festival (POEFF) announces the winners of this years film awards. Every film that played at the 8^th Festival (March 3-6^th) is eligible to win an award. The festival directors and review committee select entries into the festival and the award winners.

POEFF celebrates and supports independent filmmakers and their work from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance. POEFF aims to contribute to a culture of peace through international cinema, dialogue and programming highlighting individuals on the vanguard of peace activism and social change.

EXPOSE AWARDS:
A special category that the festival directors created 5 years ago to recognize short and feature documentaries that expose a subject that has received little or no media or public attention, but that shares a potent message, and a clear demonstration that change is needed and is possible.
 
Expose Award for Short Documentary:
HOLODOMOR: VOICES OF SURVIVORS (UKRAINIAN FAMINE / GENOCIDE)
Country: Ukraine, Canada
Director: Ariadna Ochrymovych
Synopsis: “Holodomor: Voices of Survivors” tells the story of a genocide engineered by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in 1932-1933 to suppress Ukrainian nationhood. By confiscating all livestock, grain and basic foodstuffs, Stalin ensured the starvation of the countryside. The world turned a blind eye as Soviet authorities exported Ukraine’s wheat to the West while millions perished.

The Expose Award for Feature Documentary:
SINCE: THE BOMBING OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103
Country: UK
Director: Phil Furey
Synopsis: Terrorism is one of biggest problems facing humanity today, but the families of the 270 victims of Pan Am Flight 103 have lived with it for decades. From the early days when an unprepared U.S. government left the relatives to fend for themselves; however, these first victims of terrorism proved that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary feats.

BEST OF THE FEST AWARDS:
 
Student Film:
DAILY BREAD
Country: USA
Director: Betsy Tsai
Synopsis: In the middle of night, Omer and Yoni, two Israeli Jewish brothers, encounter Khalid, a Palestinian boy from the West Bank. A fight ensues, resulting in a broken leg. The boys are uncertain what to do. The varied histories, sentiments, divisions, and desperation of both families surface through the boys’ memories, and ultimately in their discordant approaches to the situation at hand.

 
 
Short Documentary:
A NEW COLOR: THE ART OF BEING EDYTHE BOONE
Country: USA
Director: Marlene “Mo” Morris
Synopsis: Long before “black lives matter” became a rallying cry, Edythe Boone embodied that truth as an artist, an educator, and a great-grandmother. When a deeply personal tragedy ignites a national outcry, everything that Edy has worked for comes into question. “A New Color” illuminates the social issues of our time and shows how the work of one woman reverberates throughout a community to inspire a powerful chorus

Best Animation
OUR GIRL
Country: UK
Director: Ruth Beni
Synopsis: “Our Girl” is aimed at young women who are in danger of being forced to marry someone against their will.

Best Feature Narrative
HAPPY THOSE WHO CRY
Country: Paraguay
Director: Marcello Torcida
Synopsis: Juan is a boy from a wealthy family who doesn’t seem to find his path in life. Juan’s rebellion does not fare well. A group of local kids find an injured Juan; and a series of confrontation evolve, bringing together Father Mario, a corrupt police force and hardened drug dealers. Through it all “Happy Those Who Cry” is a story full of hope and redemption.

Best Short Narrative:
AULLIDO (HOWL)
Country: Guatemala
Director: M.D. Neely
Synopsis: A violent secret in Guatemala City is affecting families in every social class and neighborhood. Everyone knows yet are silent. However, Vicente decided to speak up, and his true story in a landmark legal case reveals what happens when a child is bold in the face of injustice and how those in power stood on his behalf.

Feature Documentary:
INDIA’S DAUGHTER
Country: India
Director: Leslee Udwin
Synopsis: The remarkable and inspiring short life of Jyoti Singh, “India’s Daughter” is a study into the mindset of the men who committed her gang-rape and murder in Delhi in December 2012 and the patriarchal society and culture which foment such actions. The film is optimistic, however, as the case has become a catalyst for change. Hindi with subtitles.

STUDENT VOICES FOR PEACE AWARDS:
Student Voices for Peace Showcases are held on Thursday (middle school) and Friday (high school) mornings of the festival. The students screen Official Selections that the POEFF Teacher Advisory Panel has recommended to the festival directors for students in 7th – 12th grades. The students share dialogue on each film then cast their votes for the Student Choice Award for Most Inspiring Story.
 
 

Student Voices for Peace Showcase, Student Choice Award for Most Inspiring Story selected by the 7th & 8th Graders:
Sketch
Country: USA
Director: Stephen T. Barton
Synopsis: Michael is a 12-year-old boy with autism. Because of ASD he endures ridicule and rejection from kids in school and his impoverished community. But he puts his curse to work and creates beautiful art with intricate sketches of scenes he sees in his violent world, and the lives of people he doesn’t even know change in profound and significant ways.

Student Voices for Peace Showcase, Student Choice Award for Most Inspiring Story selected by the 9th – 12th graders:
THE LIVES WE STAND FOR
Country: USA
Director: Scott Brown and co-directors Morgan Jackson and Zahra Haider
Synopsis: As national outcry in America grows around police brutality and the murder of innocents, 25-year-old Chicago revolutionary, David “Iggyflow” Rucker, takes a stand against a corrupt justice system.

About the Peace on Earth Film Festival
Now in its eighth year, Peace On Earth Film Festival (POEFF), the primary project of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, is a not-for-profit festival established to celebrate and encourage the work of independent filmmakers from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance. POEFF endeavors to enlighten and empower individuals, families, and communities to step out of the ignorance of conflict, violence and divisiveness, into the light of communication, consideration, tolerance and understanding. For more information and complete schedule, visit www.peaceonearthfilmfestival.org

Download Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CPS STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN PEACE STUDIES WHILE ATTENDING
THE PEACE ON EARTH FILM FESTIVAL’S

STUDENT VOICES FOR PEACE SHOWCASE

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY MARCH 3^RD AND 4^TH

(CHICAGO, February 29, 2016) – 230 Middle School and 170 High School CPS students will attend a special presentation by The 8^th Annual Peace on Earth Film Festival on March 3^rd and 4^th to learn alternative ways of thinking and behaving when faced with prejudice, bullying and tolerance. The Showcase is designed to watch films and engage in interpersonal dialogue that can awaken changes within themselves and changes they see for their community.

Running during the March 3-6, 2016 Festival, the Student Voices for Peace Showcase provides short narratives and documentaries to students at middle school on Thursday, March 3rd, and high school, Friday, March 4^th. Both programs are from 9:00am-12:00pm and located at the Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater, 78 E. Washington.

This years presentation to both groups of students include: a short narrative about looking out for and speaking out against sexual predators; and a documentary about six young Chicagoans from neighborhoods affected by violence who traveled to Nicaragua and studied how people and communities recovered from violence and uphold peace.

An extra film will be offered for the middle school: a short film about an autistic boy with a gift he uses to help others; and for high school, a Northwestern University student film documenting 25 year old, David ‘Iggyflow’ Rucker, who took a stand against Chicago’s corrupt justice system. Both David and the student directors of the film will be at the high school screening answering questions.

The Peace on Earth Film Festival’s Executive Director Nick Angotti, acted in Hollywood for 25 years and guest starred in over 50 television shows and appeared in numerous feature films and television commercials. He worked with notable actors such as: Hank Azaria, James Earl Jones, Walter Matthau, Joan Rivers, William Shatner, and Bruce Willis, Martin Sheen and Annie Potts. He most enjoyed acting as a role model for young people during CBS’ After School Specials in Los Angeles. His acting taught personal and social responsibility; and what is wrong with racism, nuclear energy and being lazy.

After moving back to Chicago, he created and produced three Chicago Public Access television shows: a nine episode mini-series, “Season of Nonviolence: Chicago Youth”, “Say Yes To Life” and, as a member of the City-Wide Restorative Justice Committee, an 11 series’ to amplify the work of RJ Practitioners in Chicago. Each of the three shows he produced encouraged Chicago’s inner city youth to make a positive difference in their own lives and neighborhoods. He established Transcendence Global Media to present the Peace on Earth Film Festival and other media ventures to plant seeds toward building a culture of peace and nonviolence for all humanity.

“I discovered at an early age the power of film to influence ones behavior and culture. This is the reason for the festival,” states Angotti. “Students discover things about themselves and each other, deepen their understanding of human potential, learn how to think differently about their communities, and how to take positive action and create a better society.”

The following films have been reviewed and rated by the POEFF Directors and a Teacher Advisory Panel as appropriate for grades 7 through 12.

STUDENT VOICES FOR PEACE FILMS

“Aullido” (Howl) https://peaceonearthfilmfestival.org/film/aullido-howl/ (Guatemala, short narrative – 23 min) Dir. M.D. Neely

A violent secret in Guatemala City is affecting families in every social class and neighborhood. Everyone knows yet are silent. However, Vicente decided to speak up, and his true story in a landmark legal case reveals what happens when a child is bold in the face of injustice and how those in power stood on his behalf. Spanish w/subtitles

“HACIA ADELANTE” (Moving Forward) https://peaceonearthfilmfestival.org/film/hacia-adeline/ (Chicago: Free Spirit Media — US/Nicaragua, short documentary – 15 min)

Dir. Chad Rispalje and J’mme Love

The Peace Exchange focuses on young Chicago leaders–Peace Builders–committed to peace and nonviolence, and their two-week trip to Nicaragua in a cross-cultural exchange with community organizers, students leaders, and peace activists, all designed to build relationships that enable them to lead, educate, mentor, and nurture peace in their communities. in-part: Spanish w/subtitles

THURSDAY: MIDDLE SCHOOL

“Sketch” https://peaceonearthfilmfestival.org/film/sketch/ (US, short narrative – 21 min)

Dir. Stephen T. Barton

Michael is a 12-year-old boy with autism. Because of ASD he endures ridicule and rejection from kids in school and his impoverished community. But he puts his curse to work and creates beautiful art with intricate sketches of scenes he sees in his violent world and the lives of people he doesn’t even know change in profound and significant ways.

FRIDAY: HIGH SCHOOL

The Lives We Stand For https://peaceonearthfilmfestival.org/film/the-lives-we-stand-for/ (USA, short documentary – 13 min)

Directed by Northwestern University student Scott Brown. As national outcry in America grows around police brutality and the murder of innocents, 25-year-old Chicago black revolutionary David ‘Iggyflow’ Rucker takes a stand against a corrupt justice system.

The Peace on Earth Film Festival (POEFF), the primary project of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, is a not-for-profit festival established to celebrate and encourage the work of independent filmmakers from around the globe on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and an eco-balanced world. POEFF invites filmmakers’ challenging perspectives on issues such as human rights, neighborhood violence, food deserts, domestic violence, bullying, war, world politics, environment, economics and more, while presenting alternatives of peace from all cultural perspectives. Through the power of motion pictures, POEFF endeavors to enlighten and empower individuals, families and communities to step out of the ignorance of conflict, violence and divisiveness into the light of communication, compassion and understanding. www.peaceonearthfilmfestival.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE PEACE ON EARTH FILM FESTIVAL TO HONOR
KARTEMQUIN FILMS’ GORDON QUINN

A Tribute to 50 years of Kartemquin

(CHICAGO, February 24, 2016) – The 8^th Annual Peace on Earth Film Festival, which presents the city with new international films that contribute to a culture of nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance, will honor Gordon Quinn and Kartemquin Films for their 50 years of making films about people whose lives are most directly affected by social and political change.

The film festival directors, Nick Angotti, Clayton Monical and Milissa Pacelli, will present Gordon Quinn with an award on Friday, March 4^th at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater (78 E. Washington, Chicago) after the 7:45pm screening of one of his first films, What The Fuck Are These Red Squares? (1970) Social activist and cinematographer, Peter Kuttner, who first worked with Gordon Quinn on HUM 255 (1969), will introduce and chat with Quinn of his early career.

In What The Fuck Are These Red Squares?, documents striking students who meet at a “Revolutionary Seminar” at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1970 in response to the invasion of Cambodia and the killing of protesting students at Kent and Jackson State Universities.

Refugees, Terrorism, Conflict and Resolution is the topic of Friday night’s films. Featured panelists, societal leaders, peace activists and the filmmakers from the festival will be in attendance March 3^rd-6^th.

The mission of both the Peace on Earth Film Festival and Kartemquin Films are for opening up a dialogue, both in communities, between the general public and with policymakers.

Festival Executive Director, Nick Angotti states, “This is an opportunity for us to celebrate both Kartemquin and co-founder Gordon Quinn, for a dedicated 50 years of crafting the kind of films that embody the Peace On Earth Film Festival.”

Gordon Quinn is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Kartemquin Films. Since his first film Home for Life in 1966, Gordon has been a mentor and inspiration to hundreds of filmmakers and associates who have passed through Kartemquin’s studio in Chicago. He has produced, directed and/or been cinematographer on over 55 documentaries across five decades, and given valuable editorial, ethical, fair use and production advice on countless more.

About Nick Angotti

A veteran SAG/AFTRA actor of 25 years and Executive Director of the POEFF, Nick Angotti established Transcendence Global Media to present the Peace on Earth Film Festival and other media ventures to plant seeds toward building a culture of peace and nonviolence for all humanity.

The Peace on Earth Film Festival (POEFF), the primary project of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, is a not-for-profit festival established to celebrate and encourage the work of independent filmmakers from around the globe on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and an eco-balanced world. POEFF invites filmmakers’ challenging perspectives on issues such as human rights, neighborhood violence, food deserts, domestic violence, bullying, war, world politics, environment, economics and more, while presenting alternatives of peace from all cultural perspectives. Through the power of motion pictures, POEFF endeavors to enlighten and empower individuals, families and communities to step out of the ignorance of conflict, violence and divisiveness into the light of communication, compassion and understanding. www.peaceonearthfilmfestival.org

About Kartemquin Films
Kartemquin is a collaborative center for documentary media makers who seek to foster a more engaged and empowered society. In 2016 Kartemquin will celebrate 50 years of sparking democracy through documentary.

A revered resource within the film community on issues of fair use, ethics, story and civic discourse, Kartemquin is internationally recognized for crafting quality documentaries backed by audience and community engagement strategies, and for its innovative media arts community programs. The organization has won every major critical and journalistic prize, including multiple Emmy, Peabody, duPont-Columbia and Robert F. Kennedy journalism awards, Independent Spirit, IDA, PGA and DGA awards, and an Oscar nomination. www.kartemquin.com

# # #

 
For information on Peace on Earth Film Festival, contact: Danielle Garnier,
Garnier Public Relations danielle@garnierpr.com

 
For information on Kartemquin Films, contact: Tim Horsburgh,
Kartemquim Films tim@kartemquim.com

 
Download Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PEACE ON EARTH FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 
OFFICIAL 2016 FESTIVAL FILM SELECTIONS

Open and free to the public, the festival showcases movies that tell real-life stories of
terrorism, injustice and triumph that occur close to home and abroad

CHICAGO – January 25, 2016 – The Peace on Earth Film Festival, presented by Transcendence Global Media, announces its official film selection. The films will be shown during the 8th Annual Peace on Earth Film Festival (POEFF) at the historic Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater Thurs., March 3, through Sun., March 6, 2016.

POEFF celebrates and supports independent filmmakers and their work from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance. The festival, which is free and open to the public, gives attendees the unique opportunity to see 26 films from 11 different countries that often are unavailable to see anywhere else. The movies showcased in the festival tell real-life stories and events that happened or are currently occurring locally as well as globally. During the festival, attendees also have the opportunity to interact with the filmmakers and to discuss ideas, actions and solutions that can advance peace.

Jerome McDonnell, WBEZ radio’s Worldview reporter, will be the master of ceremony opening night. The festival also features filmmaker and peacemaker panel discussions, Q&As with attending filmmakers, student films showcased, and a closing night awards ceremony where exhibiting filmmakers are honored.

“Many of the films in this year’s festival run parallel to what is currently happening here in Chicago as well as around the world, including concerns for housing in separate quarters for Syrian refugees and preserving the dignity of women and children who often are considered substandard citizens and abused in certain areas of the world,” said Nick Angotti, Director, Peace on Earth Festival. “One of the purposes of this festival is to bring to light films that are often challenged to find exhibition and to contribute to a culture of peace through international cinema, dialogue and programming highlighting individuals on the vanguard of peace activism and social change.”

Film List

Our Girl
Country: UK (Animation, 3 min)
Director: Ruth Beni
Synopsis: “Our Girl” is aimed at young women who are in danger of being forced to marry someone against their will.

Freedom Stories
Country: Australia (Feature Doc, 99 min)
Director: Steve Thomas
Synopsis: “Freedom Stories” is about the lives and achievements of former “boat people” who have spent the last decade making Australia their home. Thrust into a hysterical political climate, they languished in mandatory detention only to then be granted temporary protection visas. Yet with astonishing resilience they have succeeded in building new lives in their new country.

The Same Heart
Country: USA (Feature Doc, 67 min)
Director: Leonard Morris
Synopsis: The beauty of the world in its children’s faces belies the injustice of their chances in our current global landscape. With vivid and often beautiful footage of hard places to grow up in, shot in eleven countries, “The Same Heart” documents the stark effects of inequality on the world’s children.

Since: The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
Country: UK (Feature Doc, 85 min)
Director: Phil Furey
Synopsis: Terrorism is one of biggest problems facing humanity today, but the families of the 270 victims of Pan Am Flight 103 have lived with it for decades. From the early days when an unprepared U.S. government left the relatives to fend for themselves; however, these first victims of terrorism proved that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary feats.

HOPE FOR ALL – Food matters. You matter
Country: Austria (Feature Doc, 101 min)
Director: Nina Messinger
Synopsis: Half of the population in Western society suffers from being overweight. Cardio-vascular disease and cancer are epidemic. Our meat consumption has quintupled over the past 50 years. At the same time globally 1.8 billion people are suffering from starvation. Is it possible that there is a simple solution for all of these problems? Austrian with subtitles in/part.

In Our Sons Name
Country: USA (Feature Doc, 66 min)
Director: Gayla Jamison
Synopsis: Phyllis and Orlando Rodríguez’s lives shatter when their son dies with thousands of others in the World Trade Center. Instead of seeking revenge, the grieving couple begins a journey of reconciliation. With subtlety, humor, and disarming candor, “In Our Son’s Name” is an intimate portrait of a response to violence that challenges conventional concepts.

India’s Daughter
Country: India (Feature Doc, 62 min)
Director: Leslee Udwin
Synopsis: The remarkable and inspiring short life of Jyoti Singh, “India’s Daughter” is a study into the mindset of the men who committed her gang-rape and murder in Delhi in December 2012 and the patriarchal society and culture which foment such actions. The film is optimistic, however, as the case has become a catalyst for change. Hindi with subtitles.

I Am a Ukrainian: personal stories of a revolution
Country: USA (Feature doc, 90 min)
Director: Ben Moses
Synopsis: When an idealistic grad student and a charismatic TV journalist-cum-politician become activists in Ukraine’s 2014 revolution, they change even more than the country. Ukrainian with subtitles/in-part.

At The End of The Line
Country: USA (Short Doc, 5 min)
Director: Robert Kerr
Synopsis: In 1939, in Nazi Germany, an amazing thing happened: Jewish parents, sensing their lives were in danger, placed their children aboard trains to be raised by foster families across free Europe. They did this knowing they would probably never see their children again.

Forgotten
Country: Canada (Short Doc, 42 min)
Director: Eleanor McGrath
Synopsis: What began with a fire at 295 George Street in Toronto becomes the catalyst to share the story of over 100,000 children who came to Canada as indentured farm labor and domestics. This is the forgotten history of many Canadians, both of the children themselves and their descendants.

Kanthari: Change From Within
Country: Germany (Short Doc, 52 min)
Director: Marijn Poels
Synopsis: The film follows blind Nobel Peace Prize nominee Sabriye Tenberken and Paul Kronenberg, as they travel across East Africa to reconnect with graduates of “kanthari,” an institute which they founded that trains activists from the margins of society who use new approaches to solve social problems.

Holodomor: Voices of Survivors
Country: Ukraine and Canada (Short Doc, 30 min)
Director: Ariadna Ochrymovych
Synopsis: “Holodomor: Voices of Survivors” tells the story of a genocide engineered by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in 1932-1933 to suppress Ukrainian nationhood. By confiscating all livestock, grain and basic foodstuffs, Stalin ensured the starvation of the countryside. The world turned a blind eye as Soviet authorities exported Ukraine’s wheat to the West while millions perished.

Good Business
Country: South Africa (Short Doc, 25 min)
Director: Rob Schermbrucker
Synopsis: What role can business play in transforming a society? By exploring the story of Raymond Ackerman (founder of a South African retail giant Pick n Pay), we encounter the power that love, forgiveness and compassion can have in overcoming the injustice, prejudice and hatred of the apartheid era in South Africa.

A New Color: The Art of Being Edythe Boone
Country: USA (Short Doc, 66 min)
Director: Marlene “Mo” Morris
Synopsis: Long before “black lives matter” became a rallying cry, Edythe Boone embodied that truth as an artist, an educator, and a great-grandmother. When a deeply personal tragedy ignites a national outcry, everything that Edy has worked for comes into question. “A New Color” illuminates the social issues of our time and shows how the work of one woman reverberates throughout a community to inspire a powerful chorus

The Peace Exchange / “HACIA ADELINE”
Country: USA (Short Doc, 17 min)
Director: Chad Rispalje
Synopsis: “The Peace Exchange” focuses on young Chicago leaders, called Peace Builders, committed to peace and nonviolence, and their two-week trip to Nicaragua in a cross-cultural exchange with community organizers, students leaders, and peace activists, all designed to build relationships that enable them to lead, educate, mentor, and nurture peace in their communities.

Nagasaki: Why Was The Second Bomb Dropped?
Country: Germany (Short Doc, 44 min)
Director: Klaus Scherer
Synopsis: It took two atomic bombs to end World War II on the Pacific theater. That’s what a U.S. newsreel told the public. Truth, myth, or mere propaganda? More than 100,000 struck dead in the blink of an eye. Where a ruthless enemy, innocent passersby’s or guinea pigs of the most lethal technology ever invented?

Kawergosk: Home Made of Cloth
Country: USA (Short Doc, 31 min)
Director: Saddam Al-Zubaidi & Elizabeth Wuerffel
Synopsis: After fleeing war in Syria and crossing the border into Kurdistan Region, Iraq, Syrian Kurds attempt to build a life in Kawergosk Refugee Camp. Music, food, and education provide families some comfort and meaning while they struggle with camp conditions and the persistence of waiting.

When The Heron Flies
Country: France (Short Narrative, 18 min)
Director: Lionel Laget
Synopsis: In the demilitarized zone (DMZ), a young North Korean soldier and a South Korean ornithologist young woman are lost in admiration of a of pair herons.

Sketch
Country: USA (Short Narrative, 21 min)
Director: Stephen T. Barton
Synopsis: Michael is a 12 year old boy with autism. Because of ASD he endures ridicule and rejection from kids in school and his impoverished community. But he puts his curse to work and creates beautiful art with intricate sketches of scenes he sees in his violent world, and the lives of people he doesn’t even know change in profound and significant ways.

Happy Those That Cry
Country: Paraguay  (Feature Narrative/92 min)
Director/Producer: Marcello Torcida
Synopsis: Juan is a boy from a wealthy family who doesn’t seem to find his path in life. Juan’s rebellion does not fare well. A group of local kids find an injured Juan; and a series of confrontation evolve, bringing together Father Mario, a corrupt police force and hardened drug dealers. Through it all “Happy Those Who Cry” is a story full of hope and redemption.

Howl
Country: Guatemala (Short Narrative, 23 min)
Director: M.D. Neely
Synopsis: A violent secret in Guatemala City is affecting families in every social class and neighborhood. Everyone knows yet are silent. However, Vicente decided to speak up, and his true story in a landmark legal case reveals what happens when a child is bold in the face of injustice and how those in power stood on his behalf.

Films by Student Filmmakers

INSIDE OUTSIDE (will be screened with regular programming)
Country: Israel (Short Narrative, 10 min)
Director: Shira Meishar
Producers: The Ma’aleh School of Television & Film
Synopsis: A young woman stops at a public facility late at night to do a pregnancy test. To her dismay she discovers she is pregnant. But due to unexpected events that occur the same evening, she finds herself able to share her fears with an unlikely companion. Hebrew with subtitles.

The Lives We Stand For
Country: USA (Short Doc, 13 min)
Director: Scott Brown
Synopsis: As national outcry in America grows around police brutality and the murder of innocents, 25-year-old Chicago revolutionary, David “Iggyflow” Rucker, takes a stand against a corrupt justice system.

Daily Bread
Country: USA (Short Narrative, 9 min)
Director: Betsy Tsai
Synopsis: In the middle of night, Omer and Yoni, two Israeli Jewish brothers, encounter Khalid, a Palestinian boy from the West Bank. A fight ensues, resulting in a broken leg. The boys are uncertain what to do. The varied histories, sentiments, divisions, and desperation of both families surface through the boys’ memories, and ultimately in their discordant approaches to the situation at hand.

11 Minutes
Country: Israel (Short Narrative, 20 min)
Director: Hagai Adorian
Producers: The Ma’aleh School of Television & Film
Synopsis: A military ambulance is called to evacuate a seriously wounded young soldier. Aboard are its staff of three young soldiers, one of whom is a young female paramedic on her first tour of duty. Faced with life and death decisions, she will either succeed or fail and be responsible for the life or death of a fellow soldier. Hebrew with subtitles.

The Negative Effects of Female Genital Mutilation
Country: USA (Short Doc, 7 min)
Director: Arnelle Johnson
Producers: Free Spirit Media
Synopsis: Worldwide, 30 million girls and women in 29 known countries in the Middle East and Africa are at risk of female genital mutilation. The film’s message is to help people understand why this happens and how they can take a stand and change this practice. Youth produced with Free Spirit Media.

About the Peace on Earth Film Festival
Now in its eighth year, Peace On Earth Film Festival (POEFF), the primary project of Transcendence Global Media, NFP, is a not-for-profit festival established to celebrate and encourage the work of independent filmmakers from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance. POEFF endeavors to enlighten and empower individuals, families, and communities to step out of the ignorance of conflict, violence and divisiveness, into the light of communication, consideration, tolerance and understanding. For more information and complete schedule, visit www.peaceonearthfilmfestival.org

Download Press Release

(February 18, 2015) – The 2015 Peace on Earth Film Festival (POEFF), presented by Transcendence Global Media, NFP, in partnership with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special events, will showcase a captivating exploration of film in the areas of nonviolence, tolerance and social justice – with corresponding panels and filmmaker Q&As – at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater, 78 East Washington, Thursday, March 19 through Sunday, March 22. All screenings are free and open to the public. No reservations necessary. Individual screening dates and times below.

Last year audiences of all backgrounds and ages converged at the POEFF to watch dozens of World/US and Midwest/Chicago Premieres including 2015 POEFF award winner for Best Short Narrative, dress, directed by Lost’s Henry Ian Cusick. Additional filmmakers on hand to receive their awards include John Marks, whose Under The Same Sun won Best Feature Narrative, and Illinois resident Edgar Barens, who won Best Documentary Short at the 2014 Peace On Earth Film Festival for Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall before it went on to win the Oscar the following month.

The 2015 features promise to be equally compelling. They include the Chicago premiere of J Street:The Art of the Possible, an urgent political story told with the intimacy of cinema vérité that takes viewers to high-level strategy meetings and long nights on the road in a captivating glimpse at the role of lobbyists in the American political process. And the powerful documentary Beyond the Divide follows a Vietnam Veteran and a peace advocate in Missoula, Montana as they mend the decades of animosity left behind by the Vietnam War.

Notable international entries include Memories on Stone, winner of Best Film at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, a tragicomic view on filmmaking in a war-affected country. From The Netherlands, Joan’s Boys follows a warmhearted social worker’s efforts to save out-of-control minority adolescents, and Egyptian student short MOOD follows the filmmaker’s depressed pianist father. A complete list of 2015 films is below.

Begun in 2008, POEFF is an annual event shining a light on filmmakers’ challenging perspectives regarding issues such as human rights, neighborhood violence, domestic violence, bullying, war, world politics, environment, economics and more. The festival strives to put Chicago at the forefront of international efforts for peace and environmental recoveries, while bringing together filmmakers, academics and social activists in discussion panels and educational components.

Learn more at: www.peaceonearthfilmfestival.org/

This year’s selections include:

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

Beyond the Divide (Jan Selby, USA, 88 min). Set in the mountainous beauty of Missoula, Montana, Beyond the Divide is a feature-length documentary film about war, peace and the courage to find common ground. Fifty years have passed since the beginning of the Vietnam War. The politics and casualties are history, yet deep scars remain between those who served and those who fought a different war at home. In Missoula, Montana, a mysterious graffiti peace symbol inflamed the enduring animosity, dividing a community for decades. Through the courageous acts of Vietnam veteran Dan Gallagher and peace advocate Betsy Mulligan-Dague, Beyond the Divide illuminates a path to healing old wounds while reimagining peace. Their story inspires audiences to focus on what unites us instead of what divides us. Shows Saturday, March 21, 7:14 p.m. Director Jan Selby and cast members will be in attendance for a post-show Q&A.

Flames of Bodhichitta (Lhak Sam, USA, 75 min). Between 2009 and the end of March 2014, 133 Tibetans self-immolated. Many in this world don’t understand why. The Chinese Communist Party taught the Tibetan people there can only be one sun in the sky at the same time. And the Tibetans who self-immolated agree, and that is His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the values and culture he embodies. Showing Saturday, March 21, 1:14 p.m. Filmmaker Lhak Sam will be in attendance for a post-show Q&A.

Groundswell Rising (Matt & Renard Cohen, USA, 70 min). Groundswell Rising documents the opposition from both sides of the political spectrum to the ubiquitous practice of fracking for natural gas, and the health and environmental reasons behind it. Parents, scientists, doctors, farmers and individuals across the political spectrum decry the energy extraction process known as fracking that puts profits over people; and tracks a grassroots movement exposing dangers to clean air, water and civil rights. Shows Thursday, March 19, 7:06 p.m. Filmmakers Renard Cohen and Matt Cohen will be in attendance for a post-show Q&A facilitated by Jerome McDonnell

Inside Peace (Cynthia Fitzpatrick, USA, 77 min). Criminal offenders, plagued by a lifetime of violence, addiction and bad choices, find their way to the Peace Class in a Texas prison where they discover their humanity and struggle to change. Inside Peace follows Trinidad, David and Jake for four years from their time in prison to their return to the outside world. They begin to drop their tough façades and transform the way they interact with people and their surroundings, as they put their lives back together from the inside out. Shows Sunday, March 22, 3:45 p.m. Cast members will be in attendance for a post-show Q&A.

J Street: The Art of the Possible (Ken Winikur and Ben Avishai, USA, 71 min). This gripping political documentary takes viewers inside the world of lobbying as it tracks a young, progressive pro-Israel advocacy group, challenging the establishment and pushing the Obama administration to take a more active role in negotiating a two-state solution. Formed around progressive Jewish groups, but seeking to organize all concerned Americans, J Street offers a bold vision for Middle East peace and US regional policy by asserting that a two-state solution is Israel’s only hope for a viable future. Shows Friday, March 20, 6:57 p.m. Filmmaker Ken Winiker will be in attendance for a post-show Q&A.

Joan’s Boys (Catherine van Campen, Netherlands, 60 min). Joan Sträter offers psychotherapy to out-of-control teenagers, predominantly of ethnic minorities. Mostly boys. They have all had encounters with the police, for reasons varying from robberies to abuse, skipping class or shoplifting. This hour-long documentary shows Joan counseling Alaa and Adil, 14-year old twins of Moroccan origin. Joan’s Boys is about the interaction between Joan and “her boys” and how their often completely separate worlds can connect. More than a double portrait of client and counselor, it is also about “looking” and “being looked at” and how we so easily judge worlds foreign to us. Shows Sunday, March 22, 6:42 p.m.

FEATURE NARRATIVE

Memories on Stone (Bîranînên lí der kevírî) (Shawkat Amin Korki, Kurdistan Regional Government Iraq/Germany, 97 min). After Saddam’s collapse in Iraq, childhood friends Hussein and Alan decide to produce a film about the Al Anfal Kurdish genocide. But making a film in post-war Kurdistan isn’t easy, especially finding a lead actress. Enter Sinor, young, beautiful and passionate about the project, since her own childhood is deeply affected by the Al Anfal campaign. But her cousin and uncle control her fate. Something compels Sinor to star in the film, even as it becomes clear that the only way to achieve this is by a marriage deal with her cousin, whom she doesn’t love. A tragicomic view on filmmaking in a war-affected country. Shows Saturday, March 21, 9:11 p.m.

SHORT DOCUMENTARY

African Grandmothers Tribunal: Seeking justice at the Frontlines of the AIDS Crisis (Neal Hicks, Canada, 44 min). Grandmothers are the primary caregivers for a large portion of children left orphaned and vulnerable by HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. But their ability to care for these children, and for themselves, is greatly compromised by the effects of gender- and age-based discrimination. This film chronicles the journey of three African grandmothers from their homes in Uganda and Swaziland to Canada to testify in a People’s Tribunal held in the fall of 2013, sending the very timely message that a rights-based response to the HIV and AIDS crisis is necessary to build a sustainable future for sub-Saharan Africa. Shows Saturday, March 21, 4:11 p.m. followed by an extended Q&A in GAR Ballroom with Alexis Macdonald of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

The Chikukwa Project (Gillian Leahy, Australia, 52 min). This feel-good story out of Africa is an amazing tale of African villagers who turned their lives around. For the last 20 years an incredible permaculture project has been growing in Zimbabwe, the largest such project in the world. Where the people of the Chikukwa villages once suffered hunger, malnutrition and high rates of disease, this community has turned around its fortunes using permaculture farming techniques. Shows Thursday, March 19, 9:42 p.m.

Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story (Robert H Gardner, USA, 60 min). Throughout the 1930’s, an unimaginable evil tore through Europe as Hitler’s Third Reich terrorized its way to domination. During these tumultuous times, a young Muslim woman living in Paris found her calling. Noor Inayat Khan (played here by Grace Srinivasan in this reenacted documentary) grew up in a home that fostered faith and hope. Leading with her heart, she overcame her quiet nature and joined Winston Churchill’s covert operation to give the allies a new chance at victory. This is her story, narrated by Helen Mirren. Shows Saturday, March 21, 6:11 p.m.

The Fading Valley (HaEmek HaNe’elam) (Irit Gal, Israel, 56 min). Without water there is no life – and agriculture is disappearing in the fertile Jordan Valley where a group of Palestinian farmers is hidden from the eye. Their pastures have been declared military areas, their water wells have been closed up and the water has been diverted to the Jewish residents of the valley, the beautiful valley which is the lowest on earth. Shows Friday, March 20, 8:34 p.m. In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles.

The Game Changer (Indrani Kopal, USA, 17 min). Rehabilitation through arts. Every Sunday afternoon for the last seven years, 68-year-old dance trainer Susan Slotnick has driven an hour up the mountains to the Woodbourne Correctional Facility, a medium security prison for men, to teach modern dance. The lives of men whom she touched have never been the same since. This is her story… Shows Sunday, March 22, 12:37 p.m. Filmmaker Indrani Kopal will be in attendance for a post-show Q&A.

HEAL! Veterans Speak About PTSD (Vicki Topaz, USA, 5 min). Among service members who suffer psychological trauma from active duty, combat, multiple tours, military sexual trauma, or survivor guilt, all are contributing to the alarming rate of veteran suicides (currently 22 each day). As stories and imagery from HEAL! circulate, veterans in need can learn about how the human-canine bond is a path for hope and healing, and see that there is no shame in asking for help. Shows Saturday, March 21, 5:50 p.m. followed by Q&A with filmmaker Vicki Topaz.

The Light at Walden (Pablo Frasconi, USA, 38 min).  A visual poem shot at Walden Pond, Massachusetts, interweaves pieces of Thoreau’s texts and a war resister’s personal journey on a wilderness island in Canada. The filmmaker, as a young man during the US/Vietnam War, attempts to follow Thoreau’s principles: building a cabin and living sustainably in the woods, “to front only the essential facts of life.” This is one story among the 125,000 conscientious objectors in Canada. Shows Thursday, March 19, 8:42 p.m. Filmmaker Pablo Frasconi will be in attendance for a post-show Q&A.

Madame Parliamentarian (Rouane Itani, Lebanon/USA, 15 min). Although Lebanon is considered the most progressive nation in the Arab world, only four of the 128 Lebanese parliament members are women. Lebanese-American filmmaker Rouane Itani depicts women’s active participation in Lebanon’s political life, explores the reasons behind this situation and examines solutions adopted by other countries to increase the number of women in political leadership. Shows Friday, March 20, 6:03 p.m.

The Road to Little Rock (Art Phillips, USA 30 min). The story of one judge and nine teenagers who demonstrated enduring positive human qualities of courage, honor, determination and responsibility. In 1957, nine African-American teenagers sought enrollment at an all-white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. This untold story features never-before-seen interviews with three members of the Little Rock Nine and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. It blends current interviews with archival footage to tell the story of the integration of Central High School. Federal Judge Ronald Davies, from Fargo, North Dakota, followed the law, ignored political pressure and required the school district in Little Rock to integrate. His ruling provided great urgency for the desegregation of public schools and the course of the Civil Rights movement in America. Shows Sunday, March 22, 12:06 p.m.

The Sacred Place Where Life Begins – Gwich’in Women Speak (Miho Aida, USA, 20 min). The Gwich’in people, native to northern Alaska and Canada, call the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.” This area is the birthing and nursing ground for the Porcupine Caribou Herd, on which the Gwich’in people have depended for millennia. Since 1988, the Gwich’in nation has been gathering every two years to discuss the threat of oil and gas development on this sacred land. This film shares the voices of Gwich’in women at the 2010 gathering, who speak for their sacred land, the caribou and their way of life. These women inspire audiences around the country to join their effort to protect their sacred land. Shows Friday, March 20, 9:30 p.m. Director Miho Aida will be in attendance for a post-show Q&A.

The Table of Alliance (La Tavola Dell’alleanza) (Francesco Miccichè, Italy, 33 min). The titular table of alliance is a banquet held around a table covered by a tablecloth embroidered with a map of the human genome. This documentary narrates the creation and the realization of artist Daniela Papadia’s art project, an embroidered tablecloth created in an Italian women’s correctional center, bringing peace to the participants, in a combination of art, science, multiculturalism and spirituality. Shows Saturday March 21, 5:00 p.m.

SHORT NARRATIVE

Home Delivery (Tom Brandau, USA, 15 min). Home Delivery is a story of two 13-year-old-newspaper delivery boys in adjacent Baltimore neighborhoods in 1974; the white boy delivers the Baltimore News American and the Black paperboy delivers the Baltimore Afro-American. When the Black paperboy is chased down by a group of white teenagers for taking a shortcut through their neighborhood in order to deliver his papers, the white paperboy comes to his aid. Shows Sunday, March 22, 11:50 a.m.

Silent Tears (Mouna Vizhiththuligal) (Ilango Ramanathan, Sri Lanka, 13 min). An innocent father and his blind daughter with a doll spend their days within the walls of a bunker during the final stages of civil war in Sri Lanka. A surprising third character connects the father, daughter and the doll in this award-winning short and festival favorite. The blood tears they shed during the darkest hours are unheard by many. The characters represent the current stages of the tamils in Sri Lanka. The ones who died, disappeared and the living dead. Shows Friday, March 20, 6:19 p.m. In Tamil with English subtitles.

STUDENT FILMMAKERS

Abdulai (Aidan Avery and Lane Brown, USA, 14 min). Through the eyes of a village patriarch, this poetic and observational portrait piece sets out to reveal the basis of joy and sense of community in Ekumfi-Atakwa, Ghana. While exploring both the strength and resilience found in this remote African village, the film shines light on the source of happiness from a new perspective. Shows Saturday, March 21, 10:10 a.m.

City of the Damned (Nate Skeen, USA, 15 min). City of the Damned focuses on LGBT rights in the face of the brutal anti-homosexuality bill before the Ugandan Parliament. Although the death penalty has been withdrawn from the bill due heavily to international pressure, punishments are harsh and public opinion remains the biggest threat to the Ugandan LGBT community. The daring non-governmental organization Youth on Rock Foundation is fighting against this stigma by promoting economic empowerment among its members. Najib, YRF’s treasurer, sells clothes in Uganda’s largest market. He wants to prove that his sexuality does not define him; it’s his respect for life, his determination for equality and his aspirations to become a lawyer and self-respecting Ugandan citizen. Shows Saturday, March 21, 10:57 a.m.

Daughters of Emmonak (Samantha Andre, USA, 17 min). A documentary film about a Yup’ik Eskimo woman, Lenora “Lynn” Hootch, working to bring an end to domestic abuse in her rural village of Emmonak, Alaska. In 1982, Lynn opened the Emmonak Women’s Shelter to provide a safe place for women and children from surrounding villages. Lynn has dedicated her life to reclaiming her people’s culture and traditional values as alcohol, drugs and violence have torn through her community. Daughters of Emmonak brings these powerful stories to the fore, highlighting Lynn’s dream of a future where her grandchildren will walk the streets without fear. Shows Saturday, March 21, 10:26 a.m.

The Peace Exchange (Free Spirit Media, USA, 16 min). Calling themselves “Peace Builders,” five young Chicagoans traveled to Thailand and Burma in the winter of 2013-14. Hosted by local community and peace leaders, they continue their studies on how culture, spiritual and social factors contribute to either peace or violence. Shows Thursday, March 19, 6:27 p.m. Cast and filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-show Q&A facilitated by Jerome McDonnell.

You are Special (Sherryn Sim, USA, 4 min). This lovely four-minute film about bullying is a result of a program called Young Writers, started by Zita Lefebvre at Cartoon Network of Burbank. Cartoon Network and the Burbank Unified School District partnered to send animators into the school to talk with kids and encourage them to write a story. The teachers and principal judged the stories, and sixth grader Sherryn Sim won with You Are Special. Sherryn then worked with artists to design characters and create a storyboard for her film. Shows Saturday, March 21, 10:48 a.m.

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

“Peace of Mind…Peaceful Earth” with emcee Jerome McDonnell, host of WBEZ’sWorldview

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

“Politics and War”

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

STUDENT FILMMAKERS SHOWCASE

“A World Seeking Justice”

“Honoring Veterans – Seeking Common Ground”

SUNDAY, MARCH 22

“Restoring Justice”

EVENING PROGRAM

POEFF’s mission is … raising awareness of peace, nonviolence, social justice and an eco-balanced world.

Download Press Release

Contact: Rob. Walton / Beth Silverman
The Silverman Group
312-932-9950
rob@silvermangroupchicago.com

For Immediate Release

2014 PEACE ON EARTH FILM FESTIVAL EXPLORES THEMES OF PEACE AND NONVIOLENCE IN A COLLECTION OF SHORT AND FEATURE FILMS

Free festival aims to be catalyst for change, at the Chicago Cultural Center, March 6 – 9

(February 5, 2014) – The 2014 Peace on Earth Film Festival (POEFF), presented by Transcendence Global Media, NFP, in partnership with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, announces an array of inspiring, touching, infuriating and illuminating films in the areas of nonviolence, tolerance, social justice and environmental recoveries. The sixth annual festival takes place at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater, 78 East Washington, Thursday, March 6 through Sunday, March 9. All screenings are free and open to the public.

Thursday’s Opening Night programming, emceed by WBEZ “Worldview” host Jerome McDonnell, focuses on Peace in the Middle East, with two feature films making their Midwest premieres. Palestinian-Israeli feature narrative Under the Same Sun tells the story of two businessmen — one Palestinian and one Israeli — who struggle to set up a solar energy company. Executive producer John Marks will conduct a post-show Q&A.  The documentary Partners for Peace follows a delegation of American and Canadian women on a journey to Israel and Palestine. Director Ed Kucerak and three delegates will be in attendance.

This year’s lineup includes World Premieres of feature documentaries The Ghosts of Jeju and From Spokane With Love, the U.S. Premiere of Britain’s A Step Too Far? the Chicago Premiere of GMO OMG, and a Special Screening of the locally produced narrative feature The Other One, all with the filmmakers in attendance. Notable pieces include two enlightening Fukushima pieces (food feature Tokyo’s Belly and spiritual short Reactor) and 2014 Oscar nominee (and, perhaps, winner) Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall by local filmmaker Edgar Barens, also in attendance.

A Student Filmmaker Showcase kicks off the day on Saturday morning.  A Filmmakers Panel Discussion, moderated by Oscar-nominated filmmaker John D. Hancock (Bang the Drum Slowly, Sticky My Fingers… Fleet My Feet) takes place Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday afternoon, festival director Nick Angotti moderates the annual Peacemakers Panel. Panelists will amplify the thematic content of the 2014 Peace On Earth Film Festival film lineup by offering their expertise and focus. They include Karyn Calabrese, founder of Karyn’s Raw, on GMOs and the food we consume; Arnold Stieber, president of Chicago Veterans for Peace, on militarization of CPS; Dave Kraft, director of Nuclear Energy Information Service, on nuclear energy, the Fukushima meltdown and Illinois; and Tribal Leader Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq,featured in BridgeWalker, on indigenous community and traditions. Others will be announced as they are added.

Started in 2008, POEFF has been an annual event shining a light on filmmakers’ challenging perspectives regarding issues such as human rights, neighborhood violence, food deserts, domestic violence, bullying, war, world politics, environment, economics and more. The festival strives to put Chicago at the forefront of international efforts for peace and environmental recoveries, while bringing together filmmakers, academics and social activists in discussion panels and educational components.

Learn more at: www.peaceonearthfilmfestival.org/

This year’s selections include:

 FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

BridgeWalkers (Kara Rhodes, Jim Whitney, Suzan Pelfrey, USA, 74 min.)

As our relationship to Earth travels down a dangerous path, it has become clear that we cannot sustain the stress of our modern ways. On a quest to restore balance, Tribal Leaders from around the world gather in Greenland to witness the coming of a 20,000-year-old prophecy. Director, Kara Rhodes and Tribal Leader Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq will be in attendance. Shows Sunday, March 9, 11 a.m.

Der Bauch von Tokyo (Tokyo’s Belly) (Reinhild Dettmer-Finke, Germany, 70 min.) *Midwest Premiere

Tokyo is a city of superlatives. This film is of how it is supplied, at the same time delivering insight into the disaster of Fukushima and its aftermath. This film is about the loss of trust in the technical and political elite and the ‘anger in the belly’ of many Japanese. Shows Sunday, March 9, 2:55 p.m.

The Ghosts of Jeju (Regis Tremblay, USA, 80 min.) *World Premiere

Using previously secret and classified photos, film and documents, this is the first English-language documentary about the struggle of the brave people of Gangjeong Village of Jeju Island, South Korea who are opposing the military advance of the United States, just as their parents and relatives did in 1947. As then, they are being arrested, jailed, fined and hospitalized for resisting the construction of a massive naval base that will accommodate America’s “pivot to Asia” and destroy their 400-year-old village and their UNESCO-protected environment. And yet, the indomitable spirit of the villagers and their supporters, who have not lost hope in spite of overwhelming odds, will inspire and motivate everyone who believes there is a better way to live together on this planet.  Director Regis Tremblay will be in attendance. Shows Saturday, March 8, noon.

GMO OMG (Jeremy Seifert, USA, 90 min.) *Chicago Premiere

GMO OMG director and concerned father Jeremy Seifert is in search of answers. How do Genetically Modified Organisms affect our children, the health of our planet and our freedom of choice? And perhaps the ultimate question: is it even possible to reject the food system currently in place, or have we lost something we can’t gain back? These and other questions take Seifert on a journey from his family’s table to Haiti, Paris, Norway and the lobby of agra-giant Monsanto, from which he is unceremoniously ejected. Along the way we gain insight into a question that is of growing concern to citizens the world over: what’s on your plate? Congressman Dennis Kucinich stars. Shows Saturday, March 8, 8:20 p.m.

Man Up and Go (Randy Bacon, USA, 92 min.)

Roger, adoptive father of an Ethiopian orphan, inspires men to be better husbands and fathers, with his launch of the Man Up movement. With 28 other men, Roger traveled to the depths of Africa to love big on orphans and the least of these. In the end, the men discover their lives were impacted the most. Shows Sunday, March 9, 4:15 p.m.

Partners for Peace (Ed Kucerak, Canada, 101 min.) *Midwest Premiere

Partners for Peace follows a delegation of American and Canadian women on a journey to Israel and Palestine. Their quest is to learn about the decades-long conflict and to reach out in solidarity to women activists striving amidst the turmoil. Confronted by the complex and brutal depth of the conflict, they are inspired by the commitment and sacrifices of the women they meet, and challenged to ask difficult questions of themselves – and of us all. Narrated by Marisa Tomei. Director Ed Kucerak and delegates Jaclyn Friedman, Lauren Embrey and Janaan Hashim will be in attendance.Shows Thursday, March 6, 8:45 p.m.

A Step Too Far? A Contemplation On Forgiveness (Paul Moorehead, UK, 72min.) *U.S. Premiere

Most of us at some time in our lives feel that we have been wronged by others in some way. It may be as a result of malicious gossip or maybe a violent act or even worse. Are we eaten up with the desire for revenge?  A Step Too Far? investigates an alternative to revenge; the idea of forgiveness. From Northern Ireland to the Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, ordinary people share their real life stories and how they have come to view forgiveness. Filmmaker Paul Moorehead will be in attendance. Shows Sunday, March 9, 6 p.m.

FEATURE NARRATIVE

The Other One (Josef Steiff, USA, 98 min.) *Special Screening

This drama with supernatural influences follows a young woman who has returned to her childhood home to care for her mother now in the throes of dementia and haunted by the death of her young son who drowned mysteriously 30 years prior. Filmed in: Galena and Chicago, Illinois. The directors of the Peace On Earth Film Festival are delighted to present A Special Screening of The Other One. The Other One is not an Official Selection of the 2014 POEFF. Q&A with The Other One director Josef Steiff, producer Elizabeth Theiss and executive producer/actress Grace McPhillips Shows Friday, March 7, 7pm.

Under the Same Sun (Sameh Zoabi, Palestine Territories/Israel/USA, 75 min.) *Midwest Premiere

Set in the near future, Under the Same Sun looks back on how peace was made in 2013 between Israel and Palestine. It is the story of two businessmen — Shaul, an Israeli, and Nizar, a Palestinian —who struggle to set up a solar energy company. Both come from societies where there is strong opposition to cooperating with the other, and they must overcome hostility from within their own families and from the people around them. Support is beyond difficult until they take their story to the Internet and inspire others. Executive producer John Marks will be in attendance. Shows Thursday, March 6, 6:55 p.m.

SHORT DOCUMENTARY

After the Tsunami (Larry Foley, USA, 30 min.) *Midwest Premiere

After the 2004 catastrophic Indonesian tsunami, Former Presidents Bush and Clinton created a scholarship program for survivors of that disaster. Students were sent to Texas A&M and the University of Arkansas to study. This film recounts the horror these students survived and how, through their education in the United States, they’re working to rebuild the human capital in their home villages and cities. Shows Saturday, March 8, 4:50 p.m.

All Of Us Home (Julia Lull, USA, 27 min.)

Student Run Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia (SREHUP), created and run by students of Villanova University,  is a unique shelter because it only caters to its residents during the winter months and it holds 30 men. This short film – written, directed and produced by a social justice documentary class in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University – shines a light on an injustice in our society and will cause people to act so that all of us are home. Shows Sunday, March 9, 12:05 p.m.

The Children Next Door (Doug Block, USA, 37 min.)

The Children Next Door recounts the fear and pain of domestic violence through the eyes of children. This multiple award winner takes us on a family’s journey to discover the truth that lies beneath a reoccurring cycle of violence and the solution to end it. Raised in Tennessee households fraught with domestic violence, Penny and Brad Waldroup vowed when they fell in love to end the cycle. A ten-year marriage plagued by waves of mounting violence, all in front of their four young children, culminated one horrific night. The film opens five and a half years later as the family that shaped their lives. Within three short months, we witness an astonishing turn of events. Shows Saturday, March 8, 6:20 p.m.

From Spokane With Love (Joseph Comine, USA, 45 min.) *World Premiere

A group of Americans is inspired to take a trip to Iran as a way to bridge the gap of misinformation and stereotypes created by the media. This labor of love documents the trip and also challenges the audience to reflect upon its own misconceptions. Filmmaker Joseph Comine will be in attendance. Shows Saturday, March 8, 3:10 p.m.

Hear Our Voices: Transforming the Children’s Mental Health System (David and Patricia Earnhardt, USA, 59 min.) *Chicago Premiere

Inspiring stories of nine children and young adults who are fighting to overcome their mental health issues. Their stories are framed by some of the nation’s top mental healthcare experts, who contend that children’s mental health issues are real and treatable, occurring with much greater frequency than most people imagine. Shows Saturday, March 9, 7:00 p.m.

Life Changing Moments (Sherry Thomas, Uganda/USA, 18 min.)

Director and surgeon Dr. Sherry Thomas travels to Africa to provide free surgery and medical care to dozens of impoverished African women suffering with fistula. This inspiring documentary contrasts the experience of providing health care in Africa with her medical practice in the USA.  Shows Sunday, March 9, 12:35 p.m.

On The Spot (Eszter Cseke and Andras S. Takacs / Hungary, 27 min.) *Midwest Premiere

A Qassam-fighter is collecting the remaining parts of Ahmed Jabari’s body from his wreck after an Israeli airstrike that killed the head of al-Qassam Brigade. A Palestinian journalist who doesn’t believe in violence, is getting a phone call, his 8-year-old daughter was hit. A shiver cut three of her fingers off. Parallel stories of the Qassam-fighter whose dream is to blow himself up to take revenge and the journalist who is willing to do anything to get the daughter into an Israeli hospital — the only place where she can be saved. The birth of hatred and hope —  the chronicles of the latest conflict in Gaza. Shows Thursday, March 6, 6 p.m.

Passive House Revolution (Faith Morgan and Eugene “Pat” Murphy, USA, 31 min.)

A rapidly growing movement in Europe and the US aims toward drastically reducing building energy consumption. This film tells the story of America’s super-insulated house movement of the 1970s, which led to the German Passivhaus. This movement demonstrates that it is possible to reduce the primary energy used in buildings by an extraordinary amount, 80-90%, as compared to the 20-40% goal currently set by Energy Star, LEED and the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). Today there are more than 20,000 such buildings in Europe. Shows Saturday, March 9, 3:57 p.m.

Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall (Edgar Barens, USA, 40 min.)

Nominated for best short documentary at the 2014 Academy Awards, this moving cinéma vérité breaks through the walls of one of America’s oldest maximum security prison. Shot over a six-month period, the film takes us behind the walls of the Iowa State Penitentiary and enters the personal lives of the prisoners as they build a prison-based, prisoner-staffed hospice program from the ground up. We focus on a terminally ill prisoner, Jack Hall, and the hospice volunteers, they themselves prisoners, who care for him. Shows Friday, March 7, 9:10 p.m.

Reactor (Ian MacKenzie, Canada, 34 min.)

Yogi, Buddhist teacher and activist Michael Stone arrives on a pilgrimage to Japan, in the wake of the tsunami and Fukushima meltdown. Reactor aims to uncover how and why we can let go of our old stories, and move toward personal and social awakening. Shows Saturday, March 8, 5:20 p.m.

SHORT NARRATIVE

dress (Henry Ian Cusick, USA, 20 min.) *Midwest Premiere

Shot against the stunning backdrop of Hawaii, dress is a poetic and emotional tale of British expat Ben (Scandal and Lost star Henry Ian Cusick) and his two children as they struggle to cope with the death of his Hawaiian wife. Ben finds comfort in wearing her signature red dress, causing conflict and confusion among his family and friends. This genuine and thoughtful story explores how this family deals with their loss. Shows Friday, March 7, 10:20 p.m.

Glance (Chris Rule and Ben White, UK, 3 min.)

Have you ever caught a stranger’s eye and wondered… What if? Shows Friday, March 7, 7 p.m.

The Painter (Kevin Cooper, USA, 14 min.)

Amid wailing sirens and a squawking police scanner, he sits uncomfortably…cleaning a paintbrush. An interviewer’s voice, unsure of what he is witnessing, asks the boy to explain his existence…his art. Though the police instruct the boy to ‘return to work’, the interviewer holds them off until finally the boy agrees to show us his art. Step inside the line…his art – a world at war. Are you ready? Chicago based.  Shows Friday, March 7, 6:00 p.m.

Ravi & Jane (Stuart O’Rourke, Australia, 14 min.) *Chicago Premiere

A shy 10 year old, Ravi, just moved to Australia from his native land of Sri Lanka. On his first day in a new school, he is befriended by Jane. While their lives are worlds apart, the two are inseparable until circumstances beyond their control divide them. Shows Saturday, March 8, 5:55 p.m.

A Spring Has Passed By (Eva Daoud, Bahrain, 7 min.)

The winds of change have passed by and were called the Arab Spring. A husband and father no more; his family was swept away by the blowing winds of violence taking all that was dear and leaving him with invisible remnants imprinted deep into his soul. Shows Thursday, March 6, 6:45 p.m.

STUDENT FILMS

Eternal (Arman Uplekar, USA, 7 min.) *World Premiere

On the Sunday morning of August 5, 2012, a white supremacist entered the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin and began a shooting spree. Six Sikh-Americans were murdered, with the gunman taking his own life. In the aftermath of the tragedy, family members of the victims work to cope with the tragedy. Pardeep Kaleka, son of murdered temple president Satwant Singh Kaleka, connects with a former Neo Nazi by the name of Arno Michaelis in an attempt to make sense of the violence that claimed his father’s life. Subject Arno Michaelis will be in attendance. Shows Friday, March 7, 6 p.m.

The High Five Apprentice (Tom Kanter, USA, 8 min.) *Midwest Premiere

This animation introduces Ray, a well-meaning but wimpy man who loses his job and his girlfriend, then encounters Blotto, a cat and self-proclaimed Cat-God of High Fives. Blotto whisks Ray off to the High Five Realm, where he teaches him the joys of high fiving, and reveals to Ray the true meaning of paying it forward. Director Tom Kanter will be in attendance. Shows Saturday, March 8, 8:10 p.m.

Justice (Ashley Pegg, 13 min.) *U.S. Premiere

An act of outrageous violence compels the accused to face his victim with their respective families present to resolve and restore the peace. The film documents Restorative Justice practices used to resolve conflict between high school students. Shows Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m.

A Quest For Peace: Nonviolence Among Religions (Matthew Evans, USA, 10 min.)

Young filmmaker Matthew J. Evans takes a look at one of the most pressing issues in our modern society: violence among religions. Through discussions with Arun Gandhi, grandson of M.K. Gandhi, and local religious leaders from the Central Coast of California, Matthew learns powerful lessons about nonviolence, acceptance and cultural understanding. Shows Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m.

Stepping Toward the Lion: Finding My Story (John Lyden, USA, 14 min.) *World Premiere

This is a journey of a young African-American Muslim as he ventures through an interfaith storytelling group and gains a new perspective on life after dealing with years of prejudice and bullying. Storytelling enables Alaudeen to better understand and overcome the one major obstacle that stands between him and his future: his fear.  Filmmaker John Lyden will be in attendance. Shows Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m.

The Vigil (Christopher Hillen, USA, 16 min.) *Midwest premiere

Since October 7, 2001, the first day of the war in Afghanistan, peace activists in Corvallis, Oregon, have quietly continued the nation’s longest-running daily protest. These astonishingly dedicated men and women stand outside the local courthouse from 5 to 6 p.m., waving banners and flashing peace signs at passing cars, braving extreme weather, counter-protests and threats of violence. But as the war enters its twelfth year, three vigil members are losing hope that they will live to see peace, and must decide how long this peace vigil can, and should, continue. Shows in the Student Filmmakers Showcase Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m.

SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 6

6:00pm                 Opening Night emceed by Jerome McDonnell, Host of WBEZ, Worldview

6:20pm                 On The Spot (short documentary)

6:45pm                 A Spring Has Passed By (short narrative)

6:55pm                 Under the Same Sun (feature narrative) + Q&A with executive producer John Marks, founder and president of Search for Common Ground

8:45pm                 Partners for Peace (feature documentary) + Q&A with director Ed Kucerak and delegates Jaclyn Friedman, Lauren Embrey and Janaan Hashim

Friday, March 7

6:00pm                 Festival Opening + Eternal (student short), The Painter (short narrative) and Q&As with Eternal subject Arno Michaelis & The Painter director, Kevin Cooper

7:00pm                 Glance (short narrative) followed by A Special Screening of feature narrative The Other One followed by a Q&A with The Other One director Josef Steiff, producer Elizabeth Theiss and executive producer/actress Grace McPhillips

9:10pm                 Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall (feature documentary) followed by a Q&A with director Edgar Barens

10:20pm               dress (short narrative)

Saturday, March 8

10:00am               Student Filmmaker Showcase: The Vigil, Stepping Toward the Lion: Finding My Story, A Quest For Peace: Nonviolence Among Religions and Justice, followed by a Q&A with student filmmakers

12:00pm               The Ghosts of Jeju (feature documentary) Filmmaker Regis Tremblay in attendance

1:40pm                 Filmmakers Panel moderated by Oscar-nominated filmmaker John D. Hancock with 2014 POEFF attending filmmakers including (to date) Regis Tremblay (The Ghosts of Jeju), Paul Moorehead (A Step Too Far?), Joseph Comine (From Spokane With Love), John Marks (Under the Same Sun) and Ed Kucerak (Partners for Peace). Kara Rhodes (BridgeWalkers)

3:10pm                 From Spokane with Love (short documentary)

3:55pm                 Passive House Revolution (short documentary

4:50pm                 After the Tsunami (short documentary)

5:20pm                 Reactor (short documentary)

5:55pm                 Ravi & Jane (short narrative)

6:20pm                 The Children Next Door (short documentary)

7:00pm                 Hear Our Voices: Transforming the Children’s Mental Health System (short documentary)

8:10pm                 The High Five Apprentice (animated short)

8:20pm                 A Special Screening of Jeremy Seifert’s GMO OMG + Q&A with TBD

Sunday, March 9

11:00am               BridgeWalkers (feature documentary) Tribal Leader Dave Courchene will be in attendance.

12:05pm               All Of Us Home (short documentary)

12:35pm               Life Changing Moments(short documentary)

1:15pm                 Peacemakers Panel with Karyn Calabrese (Karyn’s Raw), Arnold Stieber (Chicago Veterans for Peace), Dave Kraft (Nuclear Energy Information Service) and Tribal Leader Dave Courchene

2:55pm                 Der Bauch von Tokyo (Tokyo’s Belly) (feature documentary)

4:15pm                 Man Up and Go (feature documentary)

6:00pm                 A Step Too Far? A Contemplation On Forgiveness (feature documentary) filmmaker Paul Moorehead will be in attendance

7:10pm                 Awards Ceremony + Festival Closing Remarks

POEFF’s mission is … raising awareness of peace, nonviolence, social justice and an eco-balanced world.

Download Press Release

The Peace on Earth Film Festival (the “Festival”) is a not-for-profit film festival established to celebrate and encourage the work of independent filmmakers on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance. In its fifth year, this extraordinary event, presented in partnership with the City of Chicago – Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, will be held from Thursday, March 6 through Sunday, March 9, 2014 at the Chicago Cultural Center’s prestigious Claudia Cassidy Theater (78 E. Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602) and is free to the public. Films exhibited are documentary and narrative, short and long, and animation. The event features panel discussions with attending filmmakers and activists in the various modalities of peace, as well as Q & A sessions with filmmakers themselves.