Windrider Colorado Springs 2008

Building on the success of the past two years, the 3rd Windrider Forum @ Colorado Springs was held in July at Colorado College. 

We presented four award-winning feature length documentaries with the theme of  ”Filmmaking for Social Change.”  We also screened some award winning shorts in our increasingly popular short program.

There is a rich tradition in our country of movements for social change.  However, in our media saturated culture, many people have become cynical with the current discussion of these topics and skeptical about the agenda driven spin we hear from leaders in various segments of society.  

Many filmmakers have become the prophetic voices in our culture, creating films that do more than simply entertain us.  They help us to see our world with a different set of eyes, and inspire us to find ways to make a difference.

The Films

American Teen

took home the Best Directing Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.  The film is an entertaining and probing look at adolescent culture through the lives of five Indiana teens during their senior year in high school.  The screening was followed by a lively discussion that included a panel of five local teens who just completed their senior year in high school.

They Killed Sister Dorothy

selected as the Best Documentary at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival, is a provocative look at the life of a Catholic nun from Dayton, Ohio, Dorothy Stang, who is killed under suspicious circumstances in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Our Q&A session following the film included the films Director, Daniel Junge, a Colorado College grad, and David Stang, Dorothy’s brother who lives in Palmer Lake.

The Big Question

A remarkable film that explores prominent tragedies (the shooting in the Amish schoolhouse, the assassination of MLK, Apartheid in South Africa) as well as personal stories of profound loss and asks the haunting question ~ Could you forgive? Should you forgive? Featuring Archibishop Desmond Tutu, Civil Rights Leader Rev. Joseph Lowery, Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D., Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, Sister Helen Prejean, His Holiness Sri Sri Shankar, Rabbi Elliot Dorff, and Hopi Elders, the filmmakers explore The Big Questionthrough astonishing acts of forgiveness, courage and will.

Winner: Best Documentary, 2008 Breckenridge Film Festival Official Selection: 2008 Sedona International Film Festival, 2008 Washington DC Independent Film Festival, 2008 Atlanta Film Festival, 2008 Mendicino Film Festival, 2008 Newport International Film Festival, and many others.

THIRD WAVE

On our final evening we screened The Third Wave, which was selected for a Special Presidential Jury Screening at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.  The film follows the journey of four unlikely individuals who collaborate together on the volunteer relief efforts for a small town in Sri Lanka following the devastation of the 2004 Tsunami. The Director, Producer and Editor of the film joined us afterwards for an inspiring Q&A. 

On Saturday afternoon of the Forum we screened four short films from promising young filmmakers and the winning documentary from the 2008 Breckenridge Film Festival, The Big Question. The common theme running through these films remind us that social change happens at the most basic level in families and our interpersonal relationships.  We were graced to have all of the filmmakers for these films present to discuss their work.

To learn more about Windrider Forum @ Colorado Springs visit us here.