line up of the festival

Programme 2015

This year's festival will run from 16 - 21 February 2015 in various venue's accross St Andrews.

Monday 16th  /  Oceans

7.30PM  |  Revolution  |  Film Premiere

dir: Rob Stewart  (2014)  |  85mins  |  The Byre Theatre  |

(Q&A with film director Rob Stewart afterwards)
Revolution is a feature documentary about opening your eyes, changing the world and fighting for something. A true life adventure following director Rob Stewart in the follow up to his smash hit Sharkwater, Revolution is an epic adventure into the evolution of life on earth and the revolution to save us.

Discovering that there’s more in jeopardy than sharks, Stewart uncovers a grave secret threatening our own survival as a species, and embarks on a life-threatening adventure through 4 years and 15 countries into the greatest battle ever waged.

Bringing you some of the most incredible wildlife spectacles ever recorded, audiences are brought face to face with sharks and cuddly lemurs, into the microscopic world of the pygmy seahorse, and on the hunt with the deadly flamboyant cuttlefish. From the coral reefs in Papua New Guinea to the rainforests in Madagascar, Stewart reveals that all of our actions are interconnected.

Tuesday 17th  /  Stories from around the World

7.30PM  |  Thule Tuvalu  |  Film Premiere

dir: Matthias Von Gunten (2014) |  96mins  |  Theatre- Medical School Building  | 

An elegantly conceived cautionary tale of climate change and how two communities at opposite ends of the Earth share a common—and chilling—bond. The inhabitants of Thule, which lies in the extreme north of Greenland, spend most of the year in temperatures up to 40°F below zero, hunting on dog-drawn sleds as they have for generations. On the narrow coral-reef islands of the small Pacific Ocean state of Tuvalu, fisherman live off the bounty of the sea and the coconuts and vegetables they have cultivated for centuries. In spite of this huge geographical and cultural distance, the two places are intimately connected by a stroke of fate: the ice in Thule retreats ever farther each year, feeding Tuvalu’s perpetually rising sea level. 

Wednesday 18th / Youth & Film-making

1.30-4PM  |  Short Films, Music & Art

The Barron Theare |
 

An afternoon of music, art and short films. At this event, all entries for our Leafies short compeition will be screened alongside other inspiring short-films regarding environmental issues. Music & entertainment will be provided by local music groups. More details to follow.

5.15PM  |  Maiden Trip  |  Film

dir: Jillian Schlesinger  2013  |  82mins  |  Theatre- Medical School Building  |

14-year-old Laura Dekker sets out—camera in hand—on a two-year voyage in pursuit of her dream to be the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone. In the wake of a year-long battle with Dutch authorities that sparked a global storm of media scrutiny, Laura now finds herself far from land, family and unwanted attention, exploring the world in search of freedom, adventure, and distant dreams of her early youth at sea. Jillian Schlesinger's debut feature amplifies Laura's brave, defiant voice through a mix of Laura's own video and voice recordings at sea and intimate vérité footage from locations including the Galapagos Islands, French Polynesia, Australia, and South Africa.

7.30PM  |  The "Leafies" Short Film Competition Award Ceremony

Theatre- Medical School Building  | 

The Leafies short film competition celebrates the best of local film making talent. The top 3 entries from each category will be screened alongside feedback from our judging panel. Following the screening the awards for best film will be presented, with a top prize of £100. For more info, see our dedidated page to the Leafies.

Thursday 19th  /  Food

5.30PM  |  Brooklyn Farmer  |  Film followed by Discussion

dir: Michael Tyburski (2013)  |  26mins  |  Theatre- Medical School Building |

“Brooklyn Farmer” explores the unique challenges facing Brooklyn Grange, a group of urban farmers who endeavor to run a commercially viable farm within the landscape of New York City. As their growing operation expands to a second roof, the team confronts the realities inherent in operating the world’s largest rooftop farm in one of the world’s biggest cities.

Q&A on Community Gardening in St Andrews

Following the screening of Brooklyn Farmer, Charlotte Davis, student & permaculturist will talk of her experiences building and growing the University Community Garden and how important local "grow-your-own" sites play for our communities..

7.30PM  |  Cowspiracy  |  Film Premiere  

dir: Kip Andersen & Keegan Kuhn (2014)  |  91mins  |  Theatre- Medical School Building  |

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it.

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption, species extinction and habitat loss, and is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry. Yet it goes on, almost entirely unchallenged.

As Andersen approaches leaders in the environmental movement, he increasingly uncovers what appears to be an intentional refusal to discuss the issue, while industry whistleblowers and watchdogs warn him of the risks to his freedom and even his life if he dares to persist.

Friday 20th  /  Energy

5.15PM  |  The Future of Sustainable Energy  |   Panel Discussion   

Parliament Hall  |

Our guest Panel will discuss the merits of renewable energy technologies moving forward into the 21st century and will answer the tough question on whether we can really transition to a society which doesnt rely on fossil fuels for it's primary energy source. More details to follow.

8PM  |  DamNation  |  Film Premiere

dir: Ben Knight (2014)  |  87mins  |  The Byre Theatre  | 

The powerful film odyssey "DamNation" shows how far things have moved, from the assumption 50 years ago that dams were always a power for good, to the first successful attempt to remove a marginal dam 20 years ago on the Kennebec River, Maine, USA. The film highlights other dam removal stories, and shows where obsolete dams do come down, rivers bound back to life, giving salmon and other wild fish the right of return to primeval spawning grounds, after decades without access.

Saturday 21st  /  Reel Change

2PM  |  Bag It  |  Film

dir: Suzanne Beraza (2010)  |  74mins  |  Parliament Hall  | 

Try going a day without plastic. Plastic is everywhere and infiltrates our lives in unimaginable and frightening ways. In this touching and often flat-out-funny film, we follow "everyman" Jeb Berrier, who is admittedly not a tree hugger, as he embarks on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world. What starts as a film about plastic bags evolves into a wholesale investigation into plastic and its affect on our waterways, oceans, and even our own bodies. We see how our crazy-for-plastic world has finally caught up to us and what we can do about it. Today. Right now.

4PM  |  Round table: Carbon Conversations  |  Workshop

Parliament Hall  | 

More details to follow

7.30PM  |  Project Wild Thing  |  Film 

dir: David Bond (2013)  |  83mins  |  The Byre Theatre  |  

David Bond is a filmmaker and a father. Things have really changed since he was a kid. His children are hooked on screens and don't want to go outdoors. They want iPads, TV and plastic toys. The marketing departments of Apple, Disney and Mattel control his children better than he can. Determined to get them up and out, David appoints himself as the Marketing Director for Nature. With the help of branding and outdoor experts, he develops and launches a nationwide marketing campaign to get British children outside.