Film industry looks at how to be greener

Following the worldwide storm created by Franny Armstrong’s environmental campaigning film Age Of Stupid, documentary filmmakers and policy-makers at this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest will debate what impact the upcoming Copenhagen Climate Summit in December will have on the industry.

A session entitled ‘How Will The Copenhagen Climate Summit Impact The Documentary Film Sector?’ will look at the twin impacts of the UN climate change negotiations on documentary filmmaking itself and the industry’s efforts to reduce its own energy use and carbon emissions.

In another session, Armstrong will present a masterclass on the making of Age Of Stupid, which was made and released despite no broadcast commission and no pre-sale.

Following its success last year, Doc/Fest will be repeating its 'Green' strand, this year. Environmental films being showcased this year include Nick Broomfield’s A Time Comes – The Story Of The Kingsnorth Six, the story of the Greenpeace activists who scaled the chimney of Kingsnorth power station to protest Government plans for new coal plants; Earth Days, Robert Stone’s documentary tracing the seeds of America’s modern environmental movement; and The Blood Of Rose, an investigation into the life of filmmaker and conservationalist, Joan Root, who took it upon herself to protect the ecology of Kenya’s Lake Naivasha and paid for her passion with her life.

Commenting on the line-up, film programmer Hussain Currimbhoy said: “This year's green strand is stronger than ever. Highlighting the most poignant environmental issues from all over the globe, this selection of films will make audiences feel differently about the world they live in and offer a reason, and sometimes a solution, to change things for the better.”

Sheffield Doc/Fest, now in its 16th year, is the UK’s premier event for international documentary professionals. It will be held from November 4 to 8.