Water Awareness Film Festival

FILM FESTIVAL TO HIGHLIGHT WATER ISSUES

"It's All About Water -- Films and Conversation," a two-day film festival Friday and Saturday Feb. 10-11 at Albuquerque's South Broadway Cultural Center on 1025 Broadway Blvd. SE, will explore concerns about pollution of our waters and water sustainability, with a focus on the Southwest, New Mexico and Albuquerque. The festival will ask participants to consider, “Are we running dry? Why? What can and will we do about it?”

"The purpose of the festival is to spark action by showing films that document widely-held concerns about the future of water in the world, our state and our city, giving participants a chance to talk about concrete actions we can take to address those concerns," said festival organizer Susan Selbin.

In panel discussions following the film showings, local experts will discuss issues ranging from natural gas development and mineral rights to the infrastructure problems of area water systems, water rights, and the effects on acequias of development and growing cities' water needs. Films will address the hot topics of fracking and tar sands development. Audience members will be encouraged to ask questions.

Panelists will include city and state water program representatives, members of community organizations involved in water issues, environmentalists and activists. See the South Broadway Cultural Center website which will be updated as panelists are confirmed.

The scheduled films are:
"Natural Gas from Shales: Some Myths and Realities" Friday, 5:30 p.m.
"Split Estate" (mineral rights under private land; dangers of fracking) Friday, 6:10 p.m.
"Tipping Point" (Canadian tar sands devastation; cancer rates) Friday, 8:45 p.m.
"Liquid Assets" (municipal water systems) Saturday, 9:30 a.m.
"American Southwest: Are We Running Dry?" Saturday, 11:30 a.m.
"Water for the World Act of 2011" (access to safe drinking water) Saturday, 2:30p.m.
"Tapped" (bottled-water industry; privatization of water) Saturday, 2:40 p.m.
"FLOW" (int'l water issues and efforts to address problems) Saturday, 4:00 p.m.

Admission is free and light refreshments will be provided. Audience members are encouraged to bring a brown-bag lunch so they can participate in action groups during the mid-day break. Participants are also asked not to bring commercially-bottled water, but rather to bring water in a sustainable container.

Sponsors include the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, Amigos Bravos, the Sierra Club, and Food and Water Watch. For more details on the films, panelists and festival schedule, please go to South Broadway Cultural Center website

Contact: Susan Selbin at 505-242-6058, sselbin@hotmail.com