Docs to open and close Planet in Focus Film Fest

August 24, 2011 by Barry Walsh

Two docs will serve as the opening and closing galas for the upcoming Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival in Toronto.

Revenge of the Electric Car, Chris Paine’s sequel to Who Killed the Electric Car?, opens the fest on October 12. The film, narrated by Tim Robbins, goes behind the scenes at auto manufacturers such as Nissan and GM as well as the Silicon Valley start-up Tesla Motors to examine the resurgence of interest in the electric car.

The Whale (pictured above), exec produced by Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johannson, is an updated version of Suzanne Chisholm and David Parfit’s Saving Luna, which, as previously reported, will feature a streamlined narrative, added footage and new sequences in addition to Reynolds’ narration.

The full line-up for the fest won’t be announced until September 22, but organizers also revealed that The Polar Explorer, the latest offering from Mark Terry, will also be screened. Terry will be recognized with the Humanitarian Award at this year’s Geminis.

The festival, now in its 12th year, features panels, workshops and pitch sessions including The Green Pitch, a funding program available to Canadian filmmakers, which offers them the chance to win CDN$5,000 in development funding and in-kind services.

For more information, visit the festival website.

Tags: David Parfit, Mark Terry, Planet In Focus Environmental Film Festival, Revenge of the Electric Car, Ryan Reynolds, Scarlett Johansson, Suzanne Chisholm, The Polar Explorer, The Whale, Tim Robbins

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