There are so many areas of struggle, inequality and injustice but there is also a growing global community that is standing up to power. Be inspired by Sampat Pal Devin from "Pink Saris" who stands up for herself and others in India, or learn from Harry Belafonte how to never give up hope for a more just world. Travel inside a Vermont prison and learn how incarceration effects our families and communities, or go deep into the jungle of the Congo to find out where the metals for your electronics come from. Fight with the protesters in Iran or live through the story of a Miral, a Palestinian woman who grows up in a country torn apart by conflict.
The MountainTop Film Festival is proud to present you these films but ultimately it is YOU who takes their message forward. Discuss with your fellow viewers, take action where you can and help us reach out to others.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., the 9th annual MountainTop Film Festival will once again offer a diverse program of documentary and dramatic films, addressing social and environmental issues from around the world. Opening Night will feature a Vermont film -Little House in The Big House- about incarcerated women and the house they built in prison. Also highlighting the opening night are films about the civil rights struggle Black Power Mixtape and the acclaimed biography of singer/activist Harry Belafonte, Sing Your Song.
From 6-8pm there will be an opening reception with live music by Damian Paone & Friends. Besides the screenings of films from all over the world, the festival is known to provide a forum for discussion, direct action and an opportunity to meet filmmakers, authors, pundits and activists. This year's guests will include Filmmakers Kim Brittenham (Little House in the Big House), Sam Cullman (If A Tree Falls), Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight, Reagan, Move your Money, and presenting a new work in progress) and a very special Q&A via Skype with Harry Belafonte. Also present at the festival will be Tracy Tresher and Larry Bissonette - two men with autism who traveled the world with their film Wretches & Jabberers.
The festival program is comprised of 13 films from Denmark, Germany, Sweden, India, UK, Iran and the US. The MountainTop Film Festival strives to use film to tell human stories that have the power to move and educate. MountainTop offers an educational outreach program to area high schools and makes free daytime screenings available for interested school groups. Students with valid ID get to attend all films at the festival for free. This year the festival is proud to host 8 students from Burlington College who will immerse themselves in the festival for four days to see films, speak with audiences and filmmakers as well as contribute short films and slideshows for an 'Occupy Cinema' action during which they will project their material onto public buildings around the Mad River Valley.
Date: 1/13/2012
Location: Big Picture Theater, Waitsfield
Admission: $8.00 Adults, $6.00 Students/Seniors
Website: http://www.mountaintopfilmfestival.com
For More Information: For full schedule of screenings please visit the website. Call 802-496-8994