Planet in Focus 2012 – award winners

TORONTO, October 15, 2012 – The 13th edition of Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival wrapped up another hugely successful event and announced this year’s award winners on Sunday night. Award highlights include Best International Feature Film HEART OF SKY, HEART OF EARTH by Frauke Sandig and Eric Black, Best Canadian Feature Film OCCUPY LOVE by Velcrow Ripper, Best International Short Film HOT & BOTHERED by Giannina Lasalvia and Best Canadian Short Film THE PIPEDREAMS PROJECT by Faroe Des Roches and Ryan Vandecasteyen.

Planet in Focus also awarded the recipients of The Mark Haslam Award, The Green Pitch Award, The Green Screen Award and the previously announced Eco Heroes, Jennifer Baichwal and James Balog.

Best International Feature and Short Film
The winner of the Best International Feature Film went to HEART OF SKY, HEART OF EARTH (Germany, USA) by Frauke Sandig and Eric Black. The film follows six indigenous Maya in Mexico as they fight to resist the destruction of their culture and environment.

HOT & BOTHERED (UK) by Giannina Lasalvia won Best International Short Film. The film is about a ‘telly’ that sells the answer to a couples’ struggle with intimacy in the midst of an ongoing heat wave.

The jury consisted of filmmaker and programmer Juan Baquero; sustainable designer Atom Cianfarani; filmmaker and programmer Priya Rao.

Best Canadian Feature and Short Films
Velcrow Ripper’s OCCUPY LOVE was awarded Best Canadian Feature Film. The Canadian activist and documentary veteran set out to find love brewing amidst the protests taking place around the world.

Best Canadian Short Film was awarded to THE PIPEDREAMS PROJECT by Faroe Des Roches and Ryan Vandecasteyen. It follows the duo as they kayak along the coast of British Columbia to explore the difficulties local communities face opposing Enbridge Inc.’s oil pipeline.

Honourable mentions for Best Canadian Feature Film to Caroline Bâcle’s LOST RIVERS and Best Canadian Short Film to SPOKE by Lulu Wei.

The jury was comprised of environmental activist, filmmaker and author Emily Hunter; Aboriginal arts advocate and educator Kerry Potts; award-winning filmmaker Bay Weyman.

The Mark Haslam Award
Established in honour of the founder of Planet in Focus, this year’s award went to Richard Boyce’s RAINFOREST: THE LIMIT OF SPLENDOUR that juxtaposed the tree farms with the magnificent ancient rainforest on the Pacific Coast. The honourable mention went to JUST DO IT: A TALE OF MODERN DAY OUTLAWS by Emily James.

The Green Pitch Award
The Green Pitch Award winner is Amanda Strong’s HONEY FOR SALE, an innovative feature documentary that will offer a new perspective on the plight of bees. The prize is awarded annually for the best environment film in development and is valued at $10,000 through cash and services provided by CBC Nature of Things, PS Production Services, Fearless Films, Precision Transfer, Wallace Studios, Source Shop and Vistek. The 2010 Green Pitch Award winner, LOST RIVERS, was this year’s Opening Night film.

The Green Screen Award sponsored by Astral’s Harold Greenberg Fund
Presented to WAREHOUSE 13, the award grants $5,000 to a production that has reduced their environmental footprint. The runner-up award of $1,000 went to IN ORGANIC WE TRUST by Kiplin Pastor.

Planet in Focus took place at TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King Street West) from October 10 to October 14, 2012.

About Planet in Focus
Planet in Focus is Canada's leading not-for-profit environmental media arts organization, producing year-round programming across Canada and around the world and fostering a new generation of environmental filmmakers.