At Planet in Focus, we believe that film is a powerful catalyst for raising awareness about the state of our planet and its inhabitants.
We saw this idea in motion at our 2015 festival. After the Last River, a documentary by Director Vicki Lean about some of the issues facing Attawapiskat First Nation, won Best Canadian Feature and sparked conversations about the urgent situation in the north. Attawapiskat band member Rosie Koostachin attended the screening and brought with her letters from the community. Their messages made it clear that the youth of Attawapiskat needed a platform to share their voices. The Planet in Focus audience was moved, and we were inspired to keep the dialogue going.