ADDICTED TO PLASTIC encompasses three years of filming in 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates.
From styrofoam cups to artificial organs, plastics are perhaps the most ubiquitous and versatile material ever invented. No invention in the past 100 years has had more influence and presence than synthetics. But such progress has had a cost.
For better and for worse, no ecosystem or segment of human activity has escaped the shrink-wrapped grasp of plastic. Addicted To Plastic is a global journey to investigate what we really know about the material of a thousand uses and why there's so darn much of it. On the way we discover a toxic legacy, and the men and women dedicated to cleaning it up.
The film provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. These solutions - which include plastic made from plants - will provide viewers with a new perspective about our future with plastic.
Director - Ian Connacher
AWARDS
Vancouver International Film Festival
- Runner-Up - Audience Award for Most Popular Documentary Film
- Runner-Up - NFB Most Popular Canadian Documentary Award
- Runner-Up - VIFF Environmental Film Audience Award
Amazonas Film Festival, Brazil
- Winner – Audience Favourite for International Documentary
- Winner – Jury Award for International Documentary
Festival International du Film d'Environnement, Paris
- Winner - Coup de Coeur du Personnel de la Région Île de France
FILM FESTIVALS
Vancouver International Film Festival – September 25 – October 10, 2008 (www.viff.org)
Planet In Focus, Toronto – October 22-26, 2008 (www.planetinfocus.org)
Amazonas Film Festival, Brazil – November 7-13, 2008 (www.amazonasfilmfestival.com.br)
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam – November 20-30, 2008 (www.idfa.nl)
Princeton Environmental Film Festival, New Jersey – January 2-9, 2009 (http://www.princeton.lib.nj.us/peff/)
Palm Springs International Film Festival USA Jan 6-19 2009
Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival Nevada City California USA Jan 9-11 2009
Powell River Film Festival BC Canada Feb19-22 2009
Environmental Film Festival in the Nations Capital, Washington, DC - March 11-22, 2009 (www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org)
Yale Environmental Film Festival USA April 16-19 2009
GDANSK DOC FILM FESTIVAL Poland April 22- 25 2009
Documenta Madrid International Documentary Film Festival of Madrid May 01-10 2009
International Documentary Film Festival DOCVILLE in Leuven, Belgium May 2-9 2009
FICMA 2009 International Environmental Film Festival Barcelona Spain May 29- June 07 2009
Tri Continental Film Festival Cape Town SA Sept 2009
EBS Doc fest Korea 2009 September 22-28 2009
TV BROADCAST DATES
Airs Monday January 5, 2009 at 10 P.M. on CBC Newsworld – The Passionate Eye.
VRT Belgium – aired July 21st, 2008 (www.vrt.be)
YES/DBS Israel – No air date assigned yet (http://www.yes.co.il/)
Planete Cable France - October 15th, prime time 8:45 pm (www.planete.tm.fr)
Swedish Educational Broadcasting (UR) - 18th of October (www.ur.se)
Channel EBS, Korea – No air date assigned yet (www.ebs.co.kr)
Planete Poland – No air date assigned yet (www.planete.pl)
(For venue information and directions, see the local page.)