The Chris Awards - The Columbus Film and Video Festival

8:00 pm ** Best of the Festival Winner **

War Hospital
90 mn, Damien Lewis, David Christensen

Shot in cinema verite, War Hospital intensely immerses the viewer in the sights and sounds of the world's largest field hospital. Over the past eighteen years the International Committee of the Red Cross has cared for victims of the civil war in Sudan - the longest-running conflict in Africa - near the Sudanese border in Likichoggio, northern Kenya. The ICRC allowed filmmakers David Christensen and Damien Lewis unprecedented access to the surgical hospital and local medical staff as they go about their duties, caring for wounded Sudanese soldiers and women and children, all casualties of the civil war. With no narrator and minimal explanation, War Hospital simply and powerfully captures the joy and sadness of life and death. From the beginning glimpses of rebel fighters singing patriotic songs to the final, sombre graveyard scene, the documentary subtly brings home the horrors of war. Warning: This film contains graphic medical images

If you work full time, you should not be poor, but more than 30 million Americans - one in four workers - are stuck in low wage jobs that do not provide the basics for a decent life. WAGING A LIVING chronicles the battle of four low-wage workers to lift their families out of poverty. Shot over a three-year period in the northeast and California, this observational documentary captures the dreams, frustrations, and accomplishments of a diverse group of workers who struggle to live from paycheck to paycheck. By presenting an unvarnished look at the barriers that these workers must overcome to escape poverty, WAGING A LIVING offers a sobering view of the elusive American Dream.

Saturday, November 12, 2005
Saturday Morning Cartoons From Around The World
For children of all ages

The Magic Lion
6 mn 51 sec, Charles Githinji, Kenya
National Film Board of Canada

Through My Thick Glasses
12 mn 31 sec, Pjotr Sapegin, Norway,
National Film Board of Canada

Remote Paradise
6 mn 54 sec, Frederick Trembay, Canada
National Film Board of Canada

John and Michael
10 mn 28 sec, directed by Shira Avni, Israel
National Film Board of Canada

How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon
7 mn, 38 sec, Jane Yolen, Mark Teague, USA, France
Weston Woods

Ellington Was Not A Street
!5 mn 52 sec, Ntozake Shange, Kadir Nelson, USA
Weston Woods

End of Suburbia
78 mn, directed by Gregory Greene, produced by Barry Silverthorn

Since World War II North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years, so too has the suburban way of life become embedded in the American consciousness. Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream. But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary. The consequences of inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous. What does Oil Peak mean for North America? As energy prices skyrocket in the coming years, how will the populations of suburbia react to the collapse of their dream? Are today's suburbs destined to become the slums of tomorrow? And what can be done NOW, individually and collectively, to avoid The End of Suburbia ?

Director Gregoery Greene and Producer Barry Silverthorn and his Smart Car will be at the screening.

9:00 pm - midnight
Awards Ceremony and Party!
Music by the Scott Hansan Trio
Sponsored by Stella Artios, Admission $15

Narrated by WWF and feature film star The Rock, Polynesian Power chronicles the ascent of Polynesians in American Football and the cultural grounding that defines these journeys. Profiling two celebrated Samoan athletes who starred at the University of Hawaii, Pisa Tinoisamoa and Isaac Sopoaga, Polynesian Power explores the pressures and difficulties of embarking upon an NFL (National Football League) career.

This film follows the Columbus Quest as the team captured the American Basketball League's title in 1997 and 1998 and was leading the field when the pioneering women's professional league unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy in 1998. What emerges is a saga of dreams and disappointments, not just in terms of professional sports, but also in terms of the unique challenges facing female athletes struggling to excel.

Sunday November 13
6:00 PM
Free Satellite Screening at Stonewall Columbus: Stonewall Columbus
1160 North High Street

Modern Love is a hip, fun and soulful documentary series which portrays emerging trends in modern relationships, through the eyes of the brave couples who live them. The series takes viewers inside the homes and marriages of remarkable women and men who are redefining marriage in the 21st century. As trailblazers they may be considered daring or bold, but in 50 years their perspectives on relationships may be the new standard.

This film tells story of the Baader-Meinhof Gang and their desperate attempt to create an international Marxist revolution. German journalist Ulrike Meinhof joined with former juvenile delinquent Andreas Baader in launching the most terrifying era in German postwar history.

"A touching narrative on the nature of faith. Powerful and shocking."
— NEW YORK TIMES

BONHOEFFER is a 90-minute documentary film that tells the dramatic story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the young German theologian who offered one of the first clear voices of resistance to Adolf Hitler. Bonhoeffer openly challenged his church to stand with the Jews in their time of need, and eventually joined his family in the plots to kill Hitler.