LUNA is the story of Julia Butterfly's first 2 months
of living in a giant
ancient redwood tree to protect it from being cut down
by Pacific Lumber
Company, owned by Maxxam Corp. of Texas. James
Ficklin's other documentary
Fire in the Eyes was also featured in the festival, and
though it did not
recieve an award, it was the subject of lively discussions
as itshocked
viewers from around the world with it's images of police
brutality on
non-violent Earth First! activists in Humboldt County.
The Okomedia (or Ecomedia) Festival brings together films
and film-makers
from around the world to take part in screenings, discussion
panels and an
awards competition. The Okomedia Institute
also provides the oppurtunity
for filmmakers, TV producers, distributors, journalists
and educators, to
network, socialize and engage in lively debate.
Each film was followed by
a question & answer period between the filmmakers
and the audience.
"I was honored to have both films included in the festival,
and thrilled to
recieve the award. Audiences were amazed to hear
that Julia Butterfly has
remained in the tree for nearly two years without coming
down. They were
equally amazed that our police can get away with such
brutal behavior with
impunity." Said James Ficklin, Director.
LUNA - The Stafford Giant Tree-Sit may now have
a chance to be seen on
National Television in China, a Chinese representative
took home a video
copy. The videos will also travel back to India
for entry into 2 film
festivals, including the Bombay Film Festival,
one of the largest in Asia.
James Ficklin was interviewed by an East German TV program
and an
Environmental TV show from Latvia. Clips from the
two videos will be shown
on those TV shows as well. The film has been entered
into the prestigious
Sundance festival in Park City, Utah and a German
distribution company may
include LUNA in their catalog,. Everyone was interested
in the upcoming
follow up feature film, called Tree-Sit: The Art of Resistance
due to be
finished by years end.
"Environmental issues are global in their implications,
and I think LUNA
was popular because it shows that one person can make
a difference, that
even though the environmental situation is dismal, resistance
is still
meaningful, and that direct action and civil disobedience
can be
respectable and legitimate." said James Ficklin,
Director.
HEADWATERS ACTION VIDEO COLLECTIVE (HAVC)
P.O BOX 2198 Redway CA. 95560
phone707-925-0012 E-mail: havc@havc.org
www.havc.org
Contact: James Ficklin or Penelope Andrews
http://www.kmud.org/video/index.html