Over the past six months, CSI Annex has been home to a film series on topics of social justice and social innovation. The events provided the community to learn not only from the films themselves, but also from each other during the post-screening conversations.
They films+dates were as follows:
- November: Heiress of the Wind
- December: The World in Ten Blocks
- February: My Neuroplastic Adventure
- March: A Silent Transformation
- April: Birth of a Family
- May: We Are All Legal – 4 Shorts On Migration and Conflict
Now that the series is over, we checked in with Colin Scheyen, the organizer and curator of the series, to ask what his thoughts were on how the series had gone, and what is coming up next.
1. How many films in total where screened during the series?
In total we hosted 6 screening events and showcased 10 films and 1 interactive documentary.
2. How did you choose the films?
We did an open call through the CSI networks and the DOC Institute networks. In total, approximately 30 films were submitted and I selected 10 films that met our “IDEA” criteria. IDEA stands for themes of exclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
3. Were there any surprise crowd favourites?
Every film we screened received a positive response from the audience. After viewing the films, people engaged in lively conversations with the filmmakers and non-profit organizations who are dealing with the issues that the films discuss.
4. What films did you each find most informative?
Each film was informative in its own way. I enjoyed every one of them. However, I really felt that the audience did most of it learning through the discussions that took place afterwards. It really solidified the idea to me that films don’t change the world; people change the world. Films and art are there to spark conversations and it is through those conversations that we change the world.
5. Any plans to do another series?
This season has come to a close. We will review over the summer and then decide how best to continue this series.
