Every year, the Sustainable Production Forum (SPF) unites sustainability experts with key players from the audiovisual and entertainment industries! The shared goal? To open meaningful dialogue and help find impactful solutions that will lead the industry towards sustainable filmmaking practices. This year, the SPF was a virtual event, with four panels taking place online (October 15, 22, 25, and 28, 2020) and a special virtual screening of Damon Gameau’s climate change documentary; 2040.
Going green
Learn more about implementing sustainable practices on an indie production in the Going Green for Indie Filmmakers panel (supported by Telefilm Canada). Effective change can happen at any budget level; creative thinking from the panelists will give you insights into how small efforts can lead to measurable change.
Moderated by Vancouver filmmaker Alyssa Kostello, six panelists took part in the discussion:
- Meesh Neal, Toronto filmmaker
- Siobhan Cooney, Alberta filmmaker
- Ingo Lou, Vancouver filmmaker (Crazy8s Film Society)
- Kent Donguines, Vancouver filmmaker (Crazy8s Film Society)
- Nathanael Vass, Vancouver filmmaker (Crazy8s Film Society);
- and Caroline Voyer, Director Women’s Environmental Network Quebec.
Topics ranged from personal experiences in trying to fight climate change to meaningful exchanges on responsibility and accountability.
Some highlights of the Going Green for Indie Filmmakers included the following moments:
Be the change you want to see in this world and stop denying the fact that you are a contributor to this problem. Acknowledge it and challenge yourself and ask yourself what am I doing to avoid this problem or to fix this problem,’’ said Kent Donguines.
When we actually do get through to the higher-ups, the people in the studios and the corporations who can do a top-down implementation of green practices, let’s keep our community genuine and hold them accountable for actually maintaining green practices and not faking their way through it for the sake of looks,’’ said Nathanael Vass.
Go ahead and be that weirdo that brings their own Tupperware to catering,” suggested Meesh Neal.
