Freethought Film Fest

Attendees of the Atheist Alliance International and Humanist Canada 2010 North American Convention will get an exclusive sneak preview of the International Freethought Film Festival.

The Freethought Film Festival Foundation (FFFF) partnered with Atheist Alliance International (AAI) and Humanist Canada (HC), and committed as a convention sponsor of the AAI-HC 2010 North American Convention. The non-profit, educational organization, whose mission is to “promote reason, critical thinking and freedom of inquiry through the medium of film”, will be presenting an exclusive sneak preview of the International Freethought Film Festival. The founder and director of the Freethought Film Festival Foundation, Andrea Steele, will give an introduction of the organization to convention attendees; followed by a screening of the film, “The Evangelist”. The independent feature film was submitted to the International Freethought Film Festival for consideration, and was an early selection of the judges.

“The Evangelist” is director Nate Chapman’s first feature film. He describes the film as follows: “At the heart of ‘The Evangelist’ is a yearning for more communication between the religious and liberal freethinkers. Neither taking sides or making value statements, the film pits the two groups together and illustrates the dangers of intolerance. Danny is a fixture of Provincetown, a very eccentric and countercultural community, while Gideon is a self-serious, fundamentalist. Gideon and Danny are both stubborn and resigned in their ways, acting on their own behalf rather than trying to understand each other.”

In addition to the sneak preview, FFFF will also be among the exhibitors at the AAI-HC 2010 North American Convention, which will take place in Montreal, QC Canada, from October 1st-3rd, 2010. The FFFF booth will be tended by Steele, and information about the International Freethought Film Festival will be available. Opening night of the International Freethought Film Festival is scheduled for Friday the 13th of May, 2011 in Tampa, Florida and will run through May 15th.

Steele states, “The International Freethought Film Festival is different from anything that has ever been done within the freethought movement. It’s an event with the potential of gaining interest from the general public, as well as those who are already aware of the freethought community. It’s a celebration of the artistic expression of freethought ideas, which tends to be forgotten, since the movement traditionally focuses on promoting science and literature. Art is a part of 'the good life’, and I hope that we can get the message across to convention attendees that freethought expression through the art of filmmaking is not limited to documentaries. It can be rich with symbolism that exercises the mind as much as a mathematical equation, and entertaining at the same time. ‘The Evangelist’ demonstrates this beautifully.”