A made-in-Powell River film was recently awarded bronze in the short-subjects documentary category at the 44th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.
Defining Diversity, Creating Community was one of more than 3,200 entries in the 2011 competition. WorldFest is described as “the only truly indie film festival in North America and one of the world’s oldest and largest film and video competitions.”
“I’m honoured and thrilled that the documentary received this award,” said Tony Papa, the film’s director. “We had a great crew and a lot of input from the community in making the film. It reflects on Powell River’s past, present, and possible future.”
“We wanted to have people tell their stories in their own words,” said producer Sara Blum. “We took more than 50 hours of footage to produce the 48-minute documentary.” The film was funded by the Province of British Columbia’s WelcomeBC program.
Blum, who is the coordinator for Powell River Diversity Initiative, the organization through which the funding was received, said that additional funding has been approved to undertake activities that will enhance the impact of the film. “We will be making a further announcement in the near future about this new funding,” she said. “We will be entering the film into more film festivals as well as arranging for showings both within Powell River and in other communities.”
Defining Diversity, Creating Community weaves the stories of some of the people who have settled in Powell River from every corner of the world seeking a better life. The subject matter reveals a rich and complex tapestry of cultures, experiences, beliefs and lifestyles. With a mix of honest and compelling interviews, archival imagery and scenes of the city’s natural and human landscapes, the film asks and answers questions about who Powell River’s residents are as a community and where they are heading.
At the core of the stories told is a reflection of how prejudice can be transformed into tolerance, then into acceptance and eventually into a full appreciation and celebration of difference. The concept of diversity is explored as the film chronicles both the positive and negative experiences of people as they have attempted to find their place in this continually transforming community.
For more information or to obtain a copy of the DVD, interested readers may contact Blum at 604.485.2675, [email protected], or visit the society’s website, www.prepsociety.org, for more information. The WorldFest website is www.worldfest.org.
