Thanks to the generosity of several organizations, this year we have four amazing movies to view: Dreamland, Future of Hope, H2Oil, and HipHop Rev.

Dreamland (2009, 90 min), an award-winning documentary, is directed by Þorfinnur Guðnason and Andri Snær Magnason. It is produced by Ground Control Productions along with Zik Zak Filmworks and TC Films. It was generously made available to us by Icelandic Film Centre.

How much unspoiled nature should we preserve and what do we sacrifice for clean, renewable energy? Dreamland gradually turns into a disturbing picture of corporate power taking over small communities. Dreamland is a film about a nation standing at cross-roads. Leading up to the country's greatest economic crisis, the government started the largest mega project in the history of Iceland, to build the biggest dam in Europe to provide Alcoa cheap electricity for an aluminum smelter in the rugged east fjords of Iceland. Today Iceland is left holding a huge dept and an uncertain future.

Future of Hope (2010, 75 min), another award winner, was directed by Henry Bateman and produced by Heather Millard. It was generously made available to us by Icelandic Film Centre.

Over the past 20 years we have seen a growing realization that the current model for society and culture is unsustainable. We have been living beyond our means... Future of Hope is a documentary film following individuals that strive to change the world of consumerism, a system of credit and debt that the Icelandic economy was built upon for the past 10 years or more. Focusing on sustainable developments in organic farming, business, innovation, renewable energy and the environment - filled with positivity and emotion as we are taken on a story of struggle, determination and most importantly... hope.

H2Oil (2009, 72 min), written and directed by Shannon Walsh and produced by Sergeo Kirby and Sarah Spring. It was generously made available to us by the Quebec Delegation of Boston.

Ever wonder where America gets most of its oil? If you thought it was Saudi Arabia or Iraq you are wrong. America's biggest oil supplier has become Canada's oil sands. Located under Alberta's pristine boreal forests, the process of oil sands extraction uses up to 4 barrels of fresh water to produce only one barrel of crude oil. It goes without saying that water has become the most important issue to face humanity in this century. At the same time, the war for oil is well underway across the globe. As the province of Alberta rushes towards a large-scale extraction, the social, ecological and human impacts are hitting a crisis point. In only a few short years the continent will be a crisscross of pipelines, reaching from the arctic all the way to the southern US, leaving toxic water basins the size of Lake Ontario, and surface-mines as large as Florida. Ultimately we ask what is more important, oil or water?

Hip Hop Rev (2011, 60 min) was produced and directed by Jon-Barrie Waddell for a documentary on Discovery Network's Planet Green channel. It was generously made available to us by the Hip Hop Caucus Education Fund.

In Hip Hop Rev we are shown the background of Rev Yearwood, a devoted people's preacher. We learn about his motivations for choosing to work in the streets rather than the steeple. Rev Yearwood is the Founder and CEO of the young and growing "Hip Hop Caucus." This caucus is a 21st century human rights organization begun in hurricane-hit Louisiana and now has nearly 700,000 supporters across the USA. The film moves from the Rev's roots in Louisiana to his community organizing in South East Washington, DC. The Rev joins the national Clean Energy Bus Tour with former Vice President Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection and visits nine cities across America in seven days. Musician Wyclef Jean and activist Van Jones are featured.

Green FilmFest Schedule
There will be a 20 minute discussion following each film