Screenings

Happy International Women’s Day and
Women’s History Month!

View The Thinking Garden freely 
at this link. Password: Garden


Recent festivals

*Salt Spring Film Festival, 1-3 March, 2019
*Globale Berlin, 27-28 October 2018
*Globale Filmfestival Erfurt, 8-12 October 2018
*UN Women Film Festival, Amman, Jordan 14-18 March, 2018

Pioneering filmmaker Ghada Saba at Zaatari Refugee Camp
Zaatari UNHCR camp screening

*Jozi Film Festival (Johannesburg), Sept  2017 African festival premiere

Assistant Director Basani Ngobeni (right) with Damaris Tolo and Lisa Henry

All festivals:
*Salt Spring Film Festival, March 2019 *Pedagogical Section, Festival Alimenterre, Brussels, Belgium, June 2019
*Globale Berlin, Germany October, 2018 *Globale Filmfestival Erfurt, Germany October 2018
*UN Women Film Festival in Amman, Jordan March 2018  (in English and Arabic)
*Cinema Verde International Environmental Film Festival, Florida, Feb 2018
*Frankfurt, Globale Mittelhessen Festival
Jan. 2018 (in German)
*ReFrame Film Festival, Peterborough Jan. 2018 *Semi-finalist, Green Earth Film Festival, LA
*Paris International Lesbian and Feminist Film Festival, Nov. 2017 (in French)
*Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival KLEFF
Oct. 2017
*Toronto African Film and Music Festival
Nov. 2017
*Antigonish International Film Festival
Oct. 2017
*Jozi Film Festival, Johannesburg Sept. 2017
*Vancouver South African Film Festival
April 2017
*Vancouver International Women in Film
Mar. 2017 – Matrix Award winner

Other screenings (partial list):

Nov 2019 – Feb 2020:
*TV screenings on Cape Town TV, South Africa
and DSTV, Southern Africa
Jan 2020:
*UVic Humanities Literacy Week
Dec. 2019:
*Bishop’s University Global Awareness Week
Aug. 2019:
*Movie Mondays, Victoria
Feb. 2019:
*Black History Month, Victoria Public Library
September 2018:
*St. Paul’s University, Ottawa
March 2018:
*Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan 
*Azraq refugee camp, Jordan
*Acadia University, Wolfville NS
*Campbell River, BC

Feb. 2018:
*Cinecenta – Victoria
Oct. 2017:
*Sidney BC, Star Theatre, hosted by Victoria Grandmothers for Africa
July 2017:
*Kangaroo Valley, NSW, Australia
May 2017:
*Johannesburg May 25 @ University of Witwatersrand [Review] *N’wamitwa, South Africa  
*Vancouver, Welisa Gogos hosted a sold-out screening @ The Post, CBC Vancouver Building

Thank you to our community hosts and organizers! Please let us know if you’re hosting a screening and we’ll add you to our list.

Vancouver International Women in Film Festival Winner: Matrix Award

Vancouver South African Film Festival
Calgary Public Library screening

Thank you Nancy and Patrick

Powell River Full house at fundraiser for Sunshine Gogos (Stephen Lewis Fdn Grandmothers Campaign)

Thank you Sunshine Gogos

Salt Spring Island Full house at the lovely old Fritz Theatre

Thank you, SSI Grandmothers campaign and SSI Garden Club

Official launch – 1 March 2017 – Victoria
Overflow crowd at the Victoria launch

The March 1 Victoria launch of The Thinking Garden  was a fantastic success! We overflowed the auditorium with a very enthusiastic audience of 400, so we held a second free screening on March 15.

We’re thrilled and touched to see such interest in this South African farm on Southern Vancouver Island. Many thanks to all who came for your enthusiasm and generosity.

Thank you to the generous sponsors of our launch event on March 1: UVic Centre for Global Studies and the departments of History and Gender Studies. Thanks also for generous RA support from the Faculty of Humanities.  For other film donors and funders, see ‘The Film’ page.

*The Thinking Garden won a Matrix Award (‘outstanding achievement in a BC short film’) at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival, March 8 2017. *The film screened a second time at VIWIFF – at the closing night awards ceremony. *Official Selection, Toronto African Film and Music Festival, Aug 24-26, 2017 *Official Selection, Vancouver South African Film Festival, March 31-April 2, 2017 *We’ve applied to other film festivals – stay tuned

We hosted small advance screenings in Victoria, Toronto, Halifax, Prince George, Truro, Camrose … Stephen Lewis Foundation grandmothers’ groups continue to host fundraiser screenings for G2G activities

“Rich with song and thought. Weaving the story of the garden with the bigger picture … renders the triumph of the women all the more important.” Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved

“Magnificent and inspirational.” Julie Cruikshank, anthropologist

“We watched riveted … [It’s] inspiring and moving to feel the strength and wisdom of these determined women.” Margie Cogill, Victoria Grandmothers for Africa

“A revelation … I’ve definitely never seen a more effective and affecting film of this length.” Jason Colby

“Even in challenging circumstances, women can prove themselves to their community.” Dalal, Syrian former farmer at Zaatari UNHCR Camp, Jordan

“Heartwarming, thoughtful. A film not to miss.” Melodie Brandon

“The remarkable story of this community garden and the women who brought it to life will be an inspiration for countless others.” Nancy Turner

“This film captures something very special.” Christine St Peter

Informal reviews: ‘I feel reverence’ ‘Passionate’ ‘This is a film for Africa: governments need to see this film’ ‘Beautiful’ …


Further information:

Synopsis  |  Screenings  |  Christine Welsh: Director’s statement  |  Director, writer, producer bio’s

To purchase or rent the film:
Moving Images Distribution

Contact:
jopifarm@gmail.com or evibert@uvic.ca

This is a story about radical innovators.