Did you know that one of the world’s largest environmental film festivals takes place annually in Toronto? Since 1999, the Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival has been bringing some of the best environmentally conscious films from around the world to the city.
Featuring nearly 100 films (mostly documentary), the 2011 edition of Planet in Focus kicks off tomorrow, October 12th, and runs until Sunday, October 16th. Below is a short list of the films that we think are worth watching, but for more of the films playing at the festival be sure to check out the full Planet in Focus 2011 schedule here.
Revenge of the Electric Car, dir. Chris Paine
It’s not often that a documentary warrants a sequel, but if there were ever a subject matter worth revisiting it would be the storied tale of the electric car. Revenge of the Electric Car is director Chris Paine’s follow-up...
Featuring nearly 100 films (mostly documentary), the 2011 edition of Planet in Focus kicks off tomorrow, October 12th, and runs until Sunday, October 16th. Below is a short list of the films that we think are worth watching, but for more of the films playing at the festival be sure to check out the full Planet in Focus 2011 schedule here.
Revenge of the Electric Car, dir. Chris Paine
It’s not often that a documentary warrants a sequel, but if there were ever a subject matter worth revisiting it would be the storied tale of the electric car. Revenge of the Electric Car is director Chris Paine’s follow-up...
- 10/12/2011
- by Will Perkins
- DorkShelf.com
Ryan Reynolds talks about his roles as executive producer and narrator on the new film The Whale in an exclusive interview with The Humane Society.
“The Whale” is the true and poignant story of Luna, a young orca separated from his pod, who turned up alone in a narrow stretch of sea off the coast of British Columbia in 2001 and refused to leave. The film invites us to reexamine our preconceived ideas about these amazing marine mammals and consider the many complex effects of our interaction with wildlife.
Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, and executive produced by Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson, “The Whale” is co-directed by Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm.
Read more...
“The Whale” is the true and poignant story of Luna, a young orca separated from his pod, who turned up alone in a narrow stretch of sea off the coast of British Columbia in 2001 and refused to leave. The film invites us to reexamine our preconceived ideas about these amazing marine mammals and consider the many complex effects of our interaction with wildlife.
Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, and executive produced by Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson, “The Whale” is co-directed by Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm.
Read more...
- 9/28/2011
- Look to the Stars
"For a decade starting in the late 60s, the Kashmere Stage Band — a funk-infused outfit rooted in a poor, predominantly black neighborhood in northeast Houston — built a reputation as the most formidable high school band in the country." Scott Tobias for NPR: "Under the leadership of Conrad O Johnson Sr, a prodigious musician in his own right (he once played with Count Basie), the band zigged where others zagged, embracing the sounds (and moves) of James Brown and Otis Redding while its peers were mimicking the ossified standards of 40s big bands. In competition — and on recordings — the contrast was clear: The Kashmere Stage Band was lively, exuberant, spontaneous and contemporary, and the also-rans were square nostalgists."
"Three decades after graduation, members reunite to honor their beloved 93-year-old bandleader, teacher and role model," writes Eric Hynes in Time Out New York. "Amid its celebrations of black power, ambitious Afros and fly female trombonists,...
"Three decades after graduation, members reunite to honor their beloved 93-year-old bandleader, teacher and role model," writes Eric Hynes in Time Out New York. "Amid its celebrations of black power, ambitious Afros and fly female trombonists,...
- 9/25/2011
- MUBI
Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm, experts in the whale community and the filmmakers behind the upcoming documentary “The Whale” have issued a statement in regards to the Osha trial this week in Orlando. The trial concerns the death of a SeaWorld trainer last year, and Chisholm and Parfit believe that captive orcas will eventually show atypical behavior to that of non-captive orcas. Here’s the statement: “The Osha hearings on trainer safety at SeaWorld have sparked a discussion about the effects of captivity on orcas and the dangers they pose to humans in those situations. Our film, The Whale, shows the gentleness and apparent friendliness of a wild orca toward humans....
- 9/22/2011
- by monique
- ShockYa
The Whale Review
Sometimes friendship comes from the most unexpected places. The new documentary The Whale, which was helmed by husband and wife National Geographic contributors Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm, proves just that, as it chronicles the life of an extraordinary orca named Luna. While orcas are highly social and dependent on their families, Luna proves that his wild species can peacefully co-exist with, and depend on, humans for emotional support.
Thanks for reading We Got This Covered...
Sometimes friendship comes from the most unexpected places. The new documentary The Whale, which was helmed by husband and wife National Geographic contributors Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm, proves just that, as it chronicles the life of an extraordinary orca named Luna. While orcas are highly social and dependent on their families, Luna proves that his wild species can peacefully co-exist with, and depend on, humans for emotional support.
Thanks for reading We Got This Covered...
- 9/11/2011
- by Karen Benardello
- We Got This Covered
Interview With Michael Parfit And Suzanne Chisholm On The Whale
Filmmakers Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm are gearing up to release The Whale, their second documentary chronicling the life of killer orca Luna. The Whale is set to be released at the Siff Cinema in Seattle on September 9, with additional cities to follow. As the movie sheds light on Luna's moving story, the filmmakers remind people that unless wild animals specifically need humans' help to survive, whales like Luna need space to travel and hunt for food.
Thanks for reading We Got This Covered...
Filmmakers Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm are gearing up to release The Whale, their second documentary chronicling the life of killer orca Luna. The Whale is set to be released at the Siff Cinema in Seattle on September 9, with additional cities to follow. As the movie sheds light on Luna's moving story, the filmmakers remind people that unless wild animals specifically need humans' help to survive, whales like Luna need space to travel and hunt for food.
Thanks for reading We Got This Covered...
- 9/5/2011
- by Karen Benardello
- We Got This Covered
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? Imaginary Forces Trailer Getting sent an unsolicited trailer is tricky. Sure, every week I ask for them (send them directly to Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com...
- 8/13/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
Check out the new trailer and poster for Paladin’s The Whale, a new documentary out September 16th, directed by Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm, narrated by Ryan Reynolds (The Change-up), and executive produced by Reynolds and Scarlet Johansson.
Synopsis:
Set on the rugged western coast of Vancouver Island and narrated by Ryan Reynolds, The Whale describes what happens when Luna, a baby orca, gets separated from his family and unexpectedly starts making contact with people along a scenic fjord called Nootka Sound. Because orcas are highly social creatures who spend their lives traveling with their pods, Luna attempts to find a surrogate family among the area residents, much to their delight. But as word spreads about Luna, people become torn between their love for the lonely young whale and fears that human contact might harm him.
Luna.s saga is seen through the eyes of the colorful characters who...
Synopsis:
Set on the rugged western coast of Vancouver Island and narrated by Ryan Reynolds, The Whale describes what happens when Luna, a baby orca, gets separated from his family and unexpectedly starts making contact with people along a scenic fjord called Nootka Sound. Because orcas are highly social creatures who spend their lives traveling with their pods, Luna attempts to find a surrogate family among the area residents, much to their delight. But as word spreads about Luna, people become torn between their love for the lonely young whale and fears that human contact might harm him.
Luna.s saga is seen through the eyes of the colorful characters who...
- 8/5/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Paladin has obtained the theatrical distribution rights for the upcoming documentary ‘The Whale,’ which follows a killer orca who tries to become friends with humans, the company’s president, Mark Urman, has confirmed. The movie, which was co-directed by journalist Michael Parfit and producer-cinematographer Suzanne Chisholm, chronicles several years in the life of the whale, nicknamed Luna. The orca becomes separated from his family, and unexpectedly begins making contact with people. Ryan Reynolds, a native of Vancouver, Canada, where ‘The Whale’ takes place, will narrate Luca’s story. The actor will also serve as an executive producer. ‘The Whale,’ which will begin a limited engagement in late summer 2011 and expand in...
- 6/29/2011
- by karen
- ShockYa
Paladin Has ‘Whale’ Of A Time
in documentary about friendly orca
New York, June 28, 2011 . The Whale, a new documentary about a lonely young killer whale who causes upheaval in a small town and amazement around the world when he tries to make friends with humans, will be released theatrically by Paladin, it was announced by company president, Mark Urman.
The Whale (http://www.thewhalemovie.com/) was directed by noted journalist Michael Parfit and veteran producer-cinematographer Suzanne Chisholm, who encountered the young orca whale, nicknamed Luna, at the height of his celebrity and spent several years chronicling his adventures both in print and on film.
Ryan Reynolds, who hails from the very region in Western Canada where the story unfolds, narrates the film and served as executive producer, along with Scarlett Johansson and Eric Desatnik. The Whale will play its first commercial engagements in late summer and expand in the fall.
in documentary about friendly orca
New York, June 28, 2011 . The Whale, a new documentary about a lonely young killer whale who causes upheaval in a small town and amazement around the world when he tries to make friends with humans, will be released theatrically by Paladin, it was announced by company president, Mark Urman.
The Whale (http://www.thewhalemovie.com/) was directed by noted journalist Michael Parfit and veteran producer-cinematographer Suzanne Chisholm, who encountered the young orca whale, nicknamed Luna, at the height of his celebrity and spent several years chronicling his adventures both in print and on film.
Ryan Reynolds, who hails from the very region in Western Canada where the story unfolds, narrates the film and served as executive producer, along with Scarlett Johansson and Eric Desatnik. The Whale will play its first commercial engagements in late summer and expand in the fall.
- 6/29/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Paladin will release "The Whale," a documentary narrated by Ryan Reynolds about a young and lonely killer whale who makes waves when he tries to befriend humans in a small town. Journalist Michael Parfit directs with producer-cinematographer Suzanne Chisholm. They spent several years chronicling the whale, "Luna," and her adventures. Reynolds is from the same region of Western Canada where the film takes place. Reynolds also served as executive producer ...
- 6/28/2011
- Indiewire
Married couple Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson are set to work together on an upcoming documentary about killer whales. The blonde beauty is a co-executive producer of the film project, and her actor husband has signed up to narrate.
"The Whale" tells the true story of a baby killer whale which gets separated from its family and makes friends with humans. Reynolds is said to have been keen to take part because the production is set near his hometown of Vancouver, Canada, according to Variety.com.
"Ryan and Scarlett are both amazing in the range of their abilities," filmmaker Michael Parfit said. "It's not as if they're strictly pop culture people. They had so much respect for our vision. It's been another of those creative joys."
The filmmakers are hoping for U.S. theatrical release this fall or next spring, with PBS International handlng foreign sales.
"The Whale" tells the true story of a baby killer whale which gets separated from its family and makes friends with humans. Reynolds is said to have been keen to take part because the production is set near his hometown of Vancouver, Canada, according to Variety.com.
"Ryan and Scarlett are both amazing in the range of their abilities," filmmaker Michael Parfit said. "It's not as if they're strictly pop culture people. They had so much respect for our vision. It's been another of those creative joys."
The filmmakers are hoping for U.S. theatrical release this fall or next spring, with PBS International handlng foreign sales.
- 8/5/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
All we can say is thank goodness Morgan Freeman isn’t narrating The Whale, the story of Luna, the playful, inquisitive young orca who got separated from his pod and made friends with the humans in Vancouver’s Nootka Sound, or we’d need an entire box of tissues instead of just one. Ryan Reynolds, a Vancouver native, has that honor. The film is a retooled version of Saving Luna, the documentary that won the audience choice award at the 2008 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Eric Desatnik, founder of the Environmental Film Festival, discovered the movie (co-directed by Michael Parfit...
- 8/4/2010
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW.com - PopWatch
Suzanne Chisolm and Michael Parfit's documentary Saving Luna, which recounts efforts to save a lone baby killer whale, was voted the audience choice for best feature at the 23rd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which concluded Sunday.
The fest winners were announced at the Closing Night ceremonies, which also included the U.S. premiere of Giuseppe Tornatore's The Unknown Woman.
Richie Mehta's Amal was awarded the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, recognizing an indie feature made outside mainstream Hollywood.
The Heineken Red Star Award, set aside for "the most progressive and gifted independent film director," went to Tao Ruspoli for his Fix, starring Shawn Andrews and Olivia Wilde, which offers up a one day-odyssey through the Los Angeles as two documentary filmmakers try to get a young man from jail to rehab.
The German feature Beautiful Bitch, directed by Martin Theo Krieger, was named best foreign film.
The Nueva Vision Award for the best Spanish-language film went to La edad de la peseta (The Silly Age), directed by Pavel Giroud.
The fest winners were announced at the Closing Night ceremonies, which also included the U.S. premiere of Giuseppe Tornatore's The Unknown Woman.
Richie Mehta's Amal was awarded the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, recognizing an indie feature made outside mainstream Hollywood.
The Heineken Red Star Award, set aside for "the most progressive and gifted independent film director," went to Tao Ruspoli for his Fix, starring Shawn Andrews and Olivia Wilde, which offers up a one day-odyssey through the Los Angeles as two documentary filmmakers try to get a young man from jail to rehab.
The German feature Beautiful Bitch, directed by Martin Theo Krieger, was named best foreign film.
The Nueva Vision Award for the best Spanish-language film went to La edad de la peseta (The Silly Age), directed by Pavel Giroud.
Boasting some truly breathtaking marine photography, "Ocean Oasis", set against the richly varied backdrop of Baja California and the Sea of Cortes, is large-format filmmaking at its awe-inspiring best.
While it may not have the crowd-drawing cachet of an "Everest" or "Michael Jordan -- To the Max", the 39-minute film, which premiered in September at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, takes the viewer on a fascinating, up-close-and-personal trek that glides effortlessly from the bottom of the ocean floor up to the tips of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra San Pedro Martir mountains.
Along with the obligatory visits with whales, sharks and dolphins, there are many more less familiar sights, including a virtual sea of noisy, mating elephant seals; a hummingbird captured at 1,200 frames per second; and, most notably, the remarkable manta ray, silently navigating its lush undersea terrain like a stealth bomber, accompanied by a group of angelfish on hand to discourage any lowlife looking for a free ride.
Director Soames Summerhays, a veteran of several Imax productions, including "The Great Barrier Reef" and "Darwin on the Galapagos", is an expert in capturing nature at its most natural, and it's no small feat conditioning his intriguing subjects to be seemingly oblivious to those imposing Imax cameras.
Although there are times when Michael Parfit's scripted narration gets a little clunky, especially when delivered by the film's resident on-screen naturalists for whom English is a second language (a Spanish-language version has also been produced), it's the amazingly intimate, poetic visuals that speak volumes here, thanks to the work of director of photography James Neihouse and, particularly, director of underwater photography Bob Cranston.
You'd swear you were wearing a snorkel.
OCEAN OASIS
Summerhays Films
Director-producer: Soames Summerhays
Screenwriter: Michael Parfit
Executive producer: Michael W. Hager
Director of photography: James Neihouse
Director of underwater photography: Bob Cranston
Editor: Mark Fletcher
Music: Alan Reeves
Color/stereo
On-screen naturalists: Iliana Ortega Bacmeister, Eugenia Guerrero-Ruiz, Exequiel Ezcurra
Running time -- 39 minutes
No MPAA rating...
While it may not have the crowd-drawing cachet of an "Everest" or "Michael Jordan -- To the Max", the 39-minute film, which premiered in September at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, takes the viewer on a fascinating, up-close-and-personal trek that glides effortlessly from the bottom of the ocean floor up to the tips of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra San Pedro Martir mountains.
Along with the obligatory visits with whales, sharks and dolphins, there are many more less familiar sights, including a virtual sea of noisy, mating elephant seals; a hummingbird captured at 1,200 frames per second; and, most notably, the remarkable manta ray, silently navigating its lush undersea terrain like a stealth bomber, accompanied by a group of angelfish on hand to discourage any lowlife looking for a free ride.
Director Soames Summerhays, a veteran of several Imax productions, including "The Great Barrier Reef" and "Darwin on the Galapagos", is an expert in capturing nature at its most natural, and it's no small feat conditioning his intriguing subjects to be seemingly oblivious to those imposing Imax cameras.
Although there are times when Michael Parfit's scripted narration gets a little clunky, especially when delivered by the film's resident on-screen naturalists for whom English is a second language (a Spanish-language version has also been produced), it's the amazingly intimate, poetic visuals that speak volumes here, thanks to the work of director of photography James Neihouse and, particularly, director of underwater photography Bob Cranston.
You'd swear you were wearing a snorkel.
OCEAN OASIS
Summerhays Films
Director-producer: Soames Summerhays
Screenwriter: Michael Parfit
Executive producer: Michael W. Hager
Director of photography: James Neihouse
Director of underwater photography: Bob Cranston
Editor: Mark Fletcher
Music: Alan Reeves
Color/stereo
On-screen naturalists: Iliana Ortega Bacmeister, Eugenia Guerrero-Ruiz, Exequiel Ezcurra
Running time -- 39 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Boasting some truly breathtaking marine photography, "Ocean Oasis", set against the richly varied backdrop of Baja California and the Sea of Cortes, is large-format filmmaking at its awe-inspiring best.
While it may not have the crowd-drawing cachet of an "Everest" or "Michael Jordan -- To the Max", the 39-minute film, which premiered in September at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, takes the viewer on a fascinating, up-close-and-personal trek that glides effortlessly from the bottom of the ocean floor up to the tips of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra San Pedro Martir mountains.
Along with the obligatory visits with whales, sharks and dolphins, there are many more less familiar sights, including a virtual sea of noisy, mating elephant seals; a hummingbird captured at 1,200 frames per second; and, most notably, the remarkable manta ray, silently navigating its lush undersea terrain like a stealth bomber, accompanied by a group of angelfish on hand to discourage any lowlife looking for a free ride.
Director Soames Summerhays, a veteran of several Imax productions, including "The Great Barrier Reef" and "Darwin on the Galapagos", is an expert in capturing nature at its most natural, and it's no small feat conditioning his intriguing subjects to be seemingly oblivious to those imposing Imax cameras.
Although there are times when Michael Parfit's scripted narration gets a little clunky, especially when delivered by the film's resident on-screen naturalists for whom English is a second language (a Spanish-language version has also been produced), it's the amazingly intimate, poetic visuals that speak volumes here, thanks to the work of director of photography James Neihouse and, particularly, director of underwater photography Bob Cranston.
You'd swear you were wearing a snorkel.
OCEAN OASIS
Summerhays Films
Director-producer: Soames Summerhays
Screenwriter: Michael Parfit
Executive producer: Michael W. Hager
Director of photography: James Neihouse
Director of underwater photography: Bob Cranston
Editor: Mark Fletcher
Music: Alan Reeves
Color/stereo
On-screen naturalists: Iliana Ortega Bacmeister, Eugenia Guerrero-Ruiz, Exequiel Ezcurra
Running time -- 39 minutes
No MPAA rating...
While it may not have the crowd-drawing cachet of an "Everest" or "Michael Jordan -- To the Max", the 39-minute film, which premiered in September at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, takes the viewer on a fascinating, up-close-and-personal trek that glides effortlessly from the bottom of the ocean floor up to the tips of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra San Pedro Martir mountains.
Along with the obligatory visits with whales, sharks and dolphins, there are many more less familiar sights, including a virtual sea of noisy, mating elephant seals; a hummingbird captured at 1,200 frames per second; and, most notably, the remarkable manta ray, silently navigating its lush undersea terrain like a stealth bomber, accompanied by a group of angelfish on hand to discourage any lowlife looking for a free ride.
Director Soames Summerhays, a veteran of several Imax productions, including "The Great Barrier Reef" and "Darwin on the Galapagos", is an expert in capturing nature at its most natural, and it's no small feat conditioning his intriguing subjects to be seemingly oblivious to those imposing Imax cameras.
Although there are times when Michael Parfit's scripted narration gets a little clunky, especially when delivered by the film's resident on-screen naturalists for whom English is a second language (a Spanish-language version has also been produced), it's the amazingly intimate, poetic visuals that speak volumes here, thanks to the work of director of photography James Neihouse and, particularly, director of underwater photography Bob Cranston.
You'd swear you were wearing a snorkel.
OCEAN OASIS
Summerhays Films
Director-producer: Soames Summerhays
Screenwriter: Michael Parfit
Executive producer: Michael W. Hager
Director of photography: James Neihouse
Director of underwater photography: Bob Cranston
Editor: Mark Fletcher
Music: Alan Reeves
Color/stereo
On-screen naturalists: Iliana Ortega Bacmeister, Eugenia Guerrero-Ruiz, Exequiel Ezcurra
Running time -- 39 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 6/25/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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