On October 13 at 2:00 pm, Andrew Nisker (Garbage! the Revolution Starts at Home and Chemerical) hosts an historic summit that brings together environmental filmmakers and corporations committed to sustainability practices.  The aim of the 90-minute Eco-Corporate Roundtable is to open an alternate distribution channel where corporations license eco films to show their customers and/or employees, perhaps pre-license films in development or production.

Loblaw, ING Direct, Tim Hortons and Wasteco will present their sustainability plans at the Roundtable while filmmakers informally discuss their eco films.  Co-presented by DOC, The Roundtable takes place in room 318 of the Jewish Community Centre at 750 Spadina Avenue (at Bloor Street).  Admission is $15 or by Festival or Industry Pass.  $10 for DOC members.

PIF spoke to Andrew about this unique Roundtable:

1) The idea for this session came from you.  Can you explain?

After deciding to self-distribute, I started to explore alternative ways to reach audiences.  There was an article in Wired magazine about activist Adam Werbach, who left the helm of the Sierra Club to become the first head of Walmart’s sustainability team.  Adam was obviously upset that a few of his peers couldn’t understand how he could justify working for Walmart.  He simply replied, “I can influence much a broader base of customers and employees working with Walmart then without them.”  Adam’s story inspired me to look beyond tradition ways to distribute films, so I could also influence a much larger audience then traditional documentaries do.

2) What has been the relationship between your films and corporations?

My films have been used by corporations like Tim Hortons, ING, Walmart and McDonalds to help inspire employees to think more sustainably.  Thanks to champions in those companies, my films have found alternative audiences that would not have discovered my work otherwise. I look at my relationships as alternative avenues of distribution much like a traditional producer would toward a network or government funding agency as a source for revenue.  It has been a win/win situation for both parties. My films find audiences and incite change and corporations in turn have employees that are inspired to become better stewards of the environment through their decisions not only at home but at work.

3) What is this “alternative distribution channel” that this roundtable is encouraging?

This discussion will encourage both filmmakers and corporations to find a new way to distribute films that will ultimately increase awareness and hopefully drive social ROI (return-on-investment).  Like no other time in history, the internet now allows us to share our stories and connect them with communities that in past would almost be impossible to reach without massive investment in resources and man power. How can we seize this unprecedented opportunity and make it economically viable for both filmmakers and corporations to team up, reach those audiences and incite real social change?

Find the answers at the ECO-CORPORATE ROUNDTABLE on Thursday, October 13, 2:00-3:30 pm @ room 318, Miles Nadel Jewish Community Centre.  Tickets

Tags: Andrew Nisker, DOC, Eco-Corporate Roundtable Chemerical, enviromental filmmaking, film distribution, Garbage! the Revolution Starts at Home, Industry Series, ING Direct, Loblaw, Planet In Focus, sustainable practices, Tim Hortons, Wasteco