From countercorp-news at countercorp.org Fri May 1 15:06:21 2009 From: countercorp-news at countercorp.org (CounterCorp News and Events List) Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 12:06:21 -0700 Subject: [CounterCorp] Opening night film, and radio interview TODAY Message-ID: <3C76E78E-4A62-438E-80DB-9441582F2845@countercorp.org> Dear CounterCorp supporters, We're thrilled to be able to announce the first four films that will be screening at this year's 4th Annual Anti-Corporate Film Festival, which is coming up at the end of this month: May 28-30 at the Victoria Theater on 16th in San Francisco. We hope to be able announce a couple of high-profile films to round out the Festival program shortly. And Festival director John Wilner will be discussing these films at greater length in a radio interview this afternoon at 1:30pm Pacific time (see details below). OPENING NIGHT The Festival opens this year with the West Coast premiere of "Sweet Crude", a new documentary about Shell Oil's crimes and abuses in Nigeria's Niger River Delta. We showed a clip from the film, which was still in production at the time, at last year's CounterCorp Festival. This year we have the completed film, along with director Sandy Cioffi, who will be in attendance to speak about her experiences in making the film -- including being detained by the Nigerian military at the behest of Shell Oil -- and the issues her film raises. The opening screening of "Sweet Crude" coincides with a landmark trial against Shell and one of its executives that begins two days before the Festival. They are being sued for complicity in the torture and killing of peaceful Nigerian protesters more than 10 years ago. FESTIVAL PROGRAM In addition to "Sweet Crude", we'll also be screening a second oil- related film, which hits a little closer to home. "Black Wave" is a new documentary about the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and its long-term impact on the environment, human health, and economy in southern Alaska. On the 20th anniversary of the spill, "Black Wave" shows how -- despite Exxon's claims that it cleaned up Prince William Sound -- it is still easy to find oil residue there, residents and clean-up workers are suffering health effects, and the local economy has not recovered. While oil may be the world's most precious liquid commodity, the third film in this year's Festival examines the other one: water. "Blue Gold: World Water Wars" chronicles attempts by huge multinational corporations to gain control of humanity's dwindling supply of fresh water. The film looks at the role of corporations as the chief culprits in polluting water through negligent industrial practices, as well as their rapidly expanding efforts to take over public sources of water, in order to generate huge profits by monopolizing our most basic human need. The fourth film in the Festival program examines another nexus between human health and corporate power. "Killer at Large" examines the epidemic of obesity in the United States, and points the finger squarely at corporate control over our food supply and media. The film chronicles the shift to industrial agriculture dominated by a few large corporations, and how their advertising and marketing campaigns encourage Americans to over-consume a subsidized, corporate- driven diet of cheap, high-calorie, low-nutrition processed foods. COUNTERCORP ON THE RADIO You can hear more about these films, and this year's Anti-Corporate Film Festival, this afternoon by tuning into an interview with CounterCorp director John Wilner on KZYX-FM, Mendocino County Public Radio. John will be appearing on the "Corporations and Democracy" show from 1:30-2:00pm Pacific Time. Those of you outside the KZYX listening area can hear the program streamed live over the Internet at http://kzyx.mcn.org:8000/kzyxlive.m3u . So tune in if you can, or otherwise stay tuned for more announcements about this year's Festival, which is coming up up in a short four weeks. And if you can make a donation to help support CounterCorp, it will help us present even more and better movies this year and beyond. Thanks as always for your support -- we couldn't do any of this without you! CounterCorp: Putting An End to Business as Usual 4th Annual Anti-Corporate Film Festival, May 28-30 www.countercorp.org Get the latest CounterCorp event details on your computer/ iPod: webcal://icalx.com/public/CounterCorp/CounterCorp.ics Subscribe to CounterCorp's "Corporation Watch" e-mail list: For more information, visit http://www.corporationwatch.org Donate to CounterCorp by selecting us on the drop-down menu at https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=695 From countercorp-news at countercorp.org Tue May 19 17:42:58 2009 From: countercorp-news at countercorp.org (CounterCorp News and Events List) Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 14:42:58 -0700 Subject: [CounterCorp] NEXT WEEK! 2009 Anti-Corporate Film Festival runs May 28-30 Message-ID: <97BE879C-0FB9-4338-9612-97AC7E0801C4@countercorp.org> ANTI-CORPORATE FILM FEST OPENS WITH OIL, CLOSES WITH WATER Program also examines corporate influence on our diet, culture, and economic aid (San Francisco, May 19) -- The 4th Annual Anti-Corporate Film Festival opens on Thursday, May 28, at 7:00pm with the West Coast premiere of SWEET CRUDE (USA, 2009, 92 min), the first feature-length film about Big Oil's devastation of the environment and people of Nigeria's Niger River Delta region, and efforts -- some of them violent -- by local residents to have their grievances addressed. The screening coincides with the start of a landmark civil trial in a New York court for Shell Oil's role in the torture and killing of Nigerian protesters over than 10 years ago. Director Sandy Cioffi will speak after the film about her experiences making it (including being detained by Nigerian security forces for five days) and the current status of the conflict, and will be joined by Nigerian activist Joel Bisina. The oil theme continues at 9:15pm with the West Coast premiere of BLACK WAVE (Canada, 2008, 99 min), a chronicle of the 20-year legal battle -- the longest in U.S. history -- that toxicologist Riki Ott and the residents of Cordova, Alaska, have waged against the world's most powerful oil company, ExxonMobil, to win compensation for the worst industrial disaster in U.S. history: the Exxon Valdez spill. Director Robert Cornellier will be in attendance for a post-screening Q & A. Friday also includes an opening night reception at the San Francisco Media Archive (www.sfm.org) at 8:00pm. More details on the reception soon! The Festival continues on Friday at 7:00pm with the California premiere of KILLER AT LARGE (USA, 2008, 105 mins), which looks at the epidemic of obesity in the U.S., which could give this generation a shorter lifespan than their parents. The film traces a corporate- driven shift to industrial agriculture, and marketing campaigns that encourage Americans to over-consume cheap, high-calorie processed food. This year's centerpiece film at 9:15pm is the West Coast premiere of RIP: A REMIX MANIFESTO (USA, 2008, 86 min), which explores the idea of "intellectual property" in the Information Age, as digital technology changes the relationship between musicians and audiences. The film follows popular mash-up artist Girl Talk, who creates new music by chopping up and re-assembling other people's songs, and sounds an alarm about corporate control over our collective culture and right to creative expression. Closing night begins at 7:00pm with APOLOGY OF AN ECONOMIC HITMAN (Greece, 2008, 93 min), a film adaptation of John Perkins' controversial book, 'Confessions of an Economic Hitman', which seemed to confirm what critics of international "development" have long suspected: The U.S. uses economic aid to trap poor countries in permanent debt and advance corporate interests. Opening with Perkins' public apology for helping to overthrow the populist president of Ecuador, the film documents Washington's ongoing use of this strategy in Panama, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere -- including, most recently, Iraq. The Festival closes on Saturday, May 30, at 9:00pm with the Northern California premiere of BLUE GOLD: WORLD WATER WARS (USA, 2008, 94 min), a look at our dwindling supply of fresh water, and efforts by giant corporations to turn a basic human necessity into a private, for- profit commodity. As water becomes the new oil, competition for control over it is already leading to the first "water wars". Director Sam Bozzo will be in attendance for a post-screening Q & A. "Tipping Man 4", the 2009 Anti-Corporate Film Festival, runs May 28-30 at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street, in San Francisco's Mission District. For more information, including the complete Festival program and online tickets, visit www.countercorp.org. CounterCorp: Putting An End to Business as Usual Get the latest CounterCorp event details on your computer/ iPod: webcal://icalx.com/public/CounterCorp/CounterCorp.ics Subscribe to CounterCorp's "Corporation Watch" e-mail list: For more information, visit http://www.corporationwatch.org Donate to CounterCorp by selecting us on the drop-down menu at https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=695 From countercorp-news at countercorp.org Fri May 22 03:24:41 2009 From: countercorp-news at countercorp.org (CounterCorp News and Events List) Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 00:24:41 -0700 Subject: [CounterCorp] ONE WEEK! 2009 Anti-Corporate Film Festival: May 28-30 Message-ID: Dear CounterCorp supporters, In one week, we'll be welcoming many of you back to the Victoria Theatre on 16th Street for the opening night of the 4th Annual CounterCorp Anti-Corporate Film Festival. It's hard to believe that it's been four years -- and four Festivals -- already, but time sure flies when you're fighting corporate power. This year's CounterCorp Festival promises to be the most ambitious so far, for a number of reasons: 1) By moving from October to May, we substantially reduced the amount of time we had to organize the Festival and raise money for it. 2) We've arranged for the directors of three of our six films to come to San Francisco -- from Seattle, Los Angeles, and Montreal(!) -- for post-screening discussions about the issues raised in their films, and audience questions. 3) For the first time, we're having an opening night party, which is something we've wanted to do for a while now. It'll be held at the San Francisco Media Archive, which is located on 275 Capp Street (between 17th and 18th Streets), a short two-block walk from the theater. The Archive is a working film repository in a funky second-floor warehouse space, complete with a bar and screening area. Tickets (available through the CounterCorp website) are $10 and include local organic food prepared by sustainable farming and nutrition activist Ellen Roggeman, two drinks (wine and beer), and a short film program. 4) Perhaps most importantly, we have t-shirts. Yes, genuine first edition, collector-quality CounterCorp t-shirts that'll impress your friends and intimidate your enemies. These 100% organic cotton, non- sweatshop shirts are available in three sizes (S, M, L) but only one color so far -- black. The front features graphic design wizard John Musgrove's iconic "Tipping Man" logo, and the back includes our pithy slogan, "Putting an End to Business as Usual". To see the design and order a shirt of your very own, go to www.countercorp.org/countercorp-tshirts.htm. But wait, there's more: Your CounterCorp t-shirt will enable you to save money *and* civilization at the same time. If you wear your shirt to selected CounterCorp film screenings or other events, you'll get in at a discount -- or even free! These special offers will be announced on our website and this e-mail list prior to each event, so stay tuned ... Now, let's talk about what YOU can do for CounterCorp: Basically, help promote the Film Festival. We need everyone to send information about the Festival to your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and anyone else you can think of, and post it on your personal/work websites, blogs, event listings, e-mail lists, Facebook pages, etc. If you're willing to post flyers in the area around your home or work (e.g., in cafes, bookstores, record shops, bars, etc), please download the flyer from our website (www.countercorp.org/ 2009_Festival_flyer.pdf) or e-mail us at volunteers2009 at countercorp.org, and we'll make sure you get copies of the flyer to put up. And finally, please come to the Festival, buy a t-shirt, and/or make a donation to help support it. CounterCorp is an all-volunteer organization, and every contribution in any amount helps us to organize Festival. You can donate online by selecting CounterCorp on the drop-down menu at https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=695 . Thanks as always for supporting CounterCorp in whatever way you can -- we couldn't do any of this without you! See you at the Festival, John Wilner Director From countercorp-news at countercorp.org Wed May 27 20:40:42 2009 From: countercorp-news at countercorp.org (CounterCorp News and Events List) Date: Wed, 27 May 2009 17:40:42 -0700 Subject: [CounterCorp] TOMORROW! The 4th Annual Anti-Corporate Film Festival Message-ID: <5C544BF7-758A-476C-91F6-E815B34B1B19@countercorp.org> Dear CounterCorp supporters, It's almost here! One more day! We can actually feel the excitement! Tomorrow -- Thursday, May 28 -- marks the opening night of the 4th Annual Anti-Corporate Film Festival, leading off with the "bleeding edge" (literally) film SWEET CRUDE, about corporate-abetted repression, violence, and death (and local resistance to it) in the Niger River Delta region of Nigeria. The film will be followed by a Q&A with director Sandy Cioffi and a Nigerian activist who has just returned from the region, and then the first-ever CounterCorp Festival opening night party, at the San Francisco Media Archive at 275 Capp Street (between 17th and 18th Streets), a short two-block walk from the Victoria Theatre. While the party is getting under way, we'll screen the second film of opening night, BLACK WAVE, which examines the issue of fighting corporate power from an American perspective -- in this case, the residents of Cordova, Alaska, who are *still* battling for reparations and justice for their losses 20 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. After Thursday, the Festival rolls on with films on obesity,corporate control over culture, the use of foreign economic aid to promote corporate interests, before it closes on Saturday, May 30, at 9:00pm with a film about corporate efforts to gain control of -- and maximum profits from -- the most precious human resource (other than oxygen): water. The complete schedule -- including descriptions, trailers, and links to get advance tickets to all of the films and the opening night party -- is available on the CounterCorp website at www.countercorp.org. Check it out and come to the Festival! In the meantime, there are a couple of other things we think you should know about: 1) COUNTERCORP ON THE RADIO -- CounterCorp director John Wilner was interviewed on Pirate Cat Radio 87.9 FM in San Francisco on Memorial Day (Monday, May 25) from 11:00am - 12:00pm. A streaming podcast of the interview is available at . You can save the interview on your computer for later listening by right-clicking on the link above and choosing the option to download the linked file. (The file contains the entire 2-hour show, including an interview with Sandy Cioffi in the first hour; the CounterCorp interview starts roughly half way into the total running time.) 2) SAVE MONEY *AND* CIVILIZATION -- If you haven't bought one of our new CounterCorp t-shirts, you'll want to do so now: As we mentioned in our previous message, wearing your CounterCorp t-shirt to certain events will get you in at a discount, or even free. To help promote the new shirts, we're offering FREE admission to the film of your choice -- except the opening night film "Sweet Crude" at 7:00pm on Thursday -- when you wear your shirt. So buy a shirt for $20 and get a $10 movie for free! 3) OPENING NIGHT PARTY -- The menu's pretty much set for the opening night reception, and it's great; check it out: - Various flavored popcorns such as maple and fried sage - Paprika-rubbed potato wedges with a chive-clove sauce - Balls of brown rice stuffed with fennel-turnip puree - Ginger-roasted peaches, drizzled with lemon yogurt dip - Thyme focaccia with fava beans, kale, and strawberries There may be more/different foods and other surprises, so come down to the party and see -- and taste -- for yourself! And you don't have to come to the opening night film to attend the reception: We'd love to have you even if you're coming to the Festival another night, or the schedule doesn't fit your plans. A party's a party! 4) PROMOTION, PROMOTION, PROMOTION -- If you haven't already done so, please help us promote this year's Festival by sending information about the films and party to your friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, and anyone else you think would be interested in -- or needs to know more about -- the films and issues that they cover. Word of mouth -- otherwise known as "viral marketing" or "buzz" remains one of the most effective ways to get information out to people who need it. So be a virus-carrier for anti-corporate activism, and helps us spread the contagion to as many people as possible! (Think of it as the "corporate swine" flu ...) # # # Thanks as always for your support -- we couldn't do any of this without you! See you at the Festival, John Wilner Director CounterCorp: Putting An End to Business as Usual 4th Annual Anti-Corporate Film Festival, May 28-30 Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street, San Francisco www.countercorp.org Subscribe to CounterCorp's News and Events e-mail list at http://list.countercorp.org/mailman/listinfo/countercorp-news Get the latest CounterCorp event details on your computer/ iPod: webcal://icalx.com/public/CounterCorp/CounterCorp.ics Subscribe to CounterCorp's "Corporation Watch" e-mail list: For more information, visit http://www.corporationwatch.org Donate to CounterCorp by selecting us on the drop-down menu at https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=695