The International Vegan Film Festival Goes Virtual

Source IVFF

Ottawa, Canada — The International Vegan Film Festival will be doing something entirely new for its third annual event. It’s going virtual.

The 2020 Festival will take place online with digital screenings, panels, filmmaker Q&As and more from October 10th – 17th. The event will take place on the Eventive platform with the full schedule of event and ticket information being released in mid-September on the Festival website.

Founded in 2018, The International Vegan Film Festival is the world’s premier vegan film festival, dedicated to celebrating the vegan ideal: a healthier, compassionate, environmentally-friendly lifestyle that can be achieved through the consumption of plants and animal-free alternatives.

“Like many other live events around the world, we’ve had to adapt to prioritize the safety, comfort and well-being of our community,” said Festival Executive Director, Shawn Stratton.

The full list of films playing in the festival will be available in late September. Below are a few of the films that will be included:  

Regan Russell – A Short Documentary

On the morning of June 19, 2020, Regan Russell was outside Fearmans slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ontario for a special vigil to give water to thirsty, dehydrated pigs when a pig transport truck drove right into her and dragged her body for more than 15 meters. This documentary showcases Regan’s young life, her involvement in animal rights, her last day of activism, and the aftermath of her death.

Butenland

The story of a former dairy farmer, an animal rights activist and the first cow retirement home.

A farm that has become a farm for life – the former dairy farmer Jan Gerdes and the animal welfare activist Karin Mück have created a place with their project Hof Butenland where there are no more livestock: a peaceful coexistence that seems almost utopian.

INVISIBLE

INVISIBLE is a short film exploring a dangerous and secret world that has never before been documented. Following undercover investigators ‘Sarah’ and ‘Emily’ (their names have been changed to protect their identities) on an investigation at a pig farm in Europe, INVISIBLE grants the viewer unprecedented access to a world that is deliberately and painstakingly covert.

Stratton said that “this year has given us an opportunity to think creatively about how we can make the festival more accessible and innovative than ever before, and we are excited to deliver a memorable experience that honors all the reasons we’ve become known as the premier event for vegan-themed content creators and film enthusiasts.”

This year’s fest still promises to highlight more short and feature-length films than ever. The full program and lineup will be released next month. It’s also planning “virtual social opportunities” to facilitate discussions between filmmakers and audience members.

“One of the reasons I started the International Vegan Film Festival was to help people discover outstanding vegan-themed films they have not heard of before or may never had an opportunity to see. I also wanted to give vegan themed filmmakers another platform to highlight their work to more audiences. You can discover and re-discover the enormous positive impact becoming vegan can have on health, farmed animals, and the environment through the film festival. With the festival now going online, we are making it even easier for people to discover these outstanding films.”

Judges

The Festival judging panel includes a who’s-who of the vegan world, including Miyoko Schinner, the founder of Miyoko’s Creamery, Dale Vince, CEO of Ecotricity—the UK’s first and largest green energy provider—and owner of the all-vegan Forest Green Rovers football club, as well as David Flynn, one of the twin brothers behind Irelands vegan ‘foodie empire’ Happy Pear.

As well, Seth Tibbott, the founder and Chairman of The Tofurky Company and author of In Search of the Wild Tofurky, has recently agreed to join this year’s IVFFF Photo Essay Contest judging panel.

Vegan Photo Essay Contest – submissions close Aug 31, 2020

Aside from the film festival, they also put on other initiatives such as a virtual screening in partnership with We Animals, and a Photo Essay to showcase creativity amongst professional and amateur photographers. Until August 31, 2020, applicants can submit a series of 3-5 images depicting vegan lifestyle, health and nutrition, animal welfare, or environmental protection. Winners will be announced during the festival in October and will also receive a $250 CAD cash prize.The jury is seeking a sequence of images that conveys a compelling story or message – with each image strong enough to stand on its own while conveying a greater narrative when viewed in the photographer’s desired sequence.

Stratton says, “The Vegan Photo Essay Contest is a great way for anyone with a camera and a story, not just professionals, to be involved in the festival.” The contest even has a Youth category to encourage young people to become more involved in sharing vegan themed stories. 

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