The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF), founded in 2004 in Boulder, Colorado, USA, has developed a reputation as one of the most influential young film festivals in the U.S., with an extraordinary number of new-but-unknown feature films, documentaries and shorts that have gone on from early screenings at BIFF to significant box-office success and multiple Oscar nominations. BIFF has long dedicated a portion of each year’s film lineup to films that build a social consciousness.
As longtime supporters of the Boulder International Film Festival, we were compelled with the notion of film as a vehicle for introducing people to global social issues, and felt that, if we could harness the passion and spirit that arises from viewing a riveting film, we could drive folks toward action.
Thus, with a shared belief that film has the unique and creative ability to educate, integrate and involve the entire community to teach us about our world and the social issues that affect us, in 2010 Philanthropiece and BIFF, along with the Twisted Foundation, Mothers Acting Up, and Sandy Younghans, introduced Call 2 Action.
Call 2 Action is a program that offers concrete ways for filmgoers to translate the energy and passion that film evokes into action. Through a list of Steps for Action, post film discussions, and presentations of local organizations associated with a film’s topic, filmgoers are able to engage beyond the viewing of the film. Visiting filmmakers at BIFF discuss not only the art of filmmaking, but also the often explosive social and international issues their films present, and offer audiences a way to be simultaneously entertained, educated, and inspired into action. Local organizations whose work aligns with the theme of a Call 2 Action film provide the action steps and join the discussions as a platform to raise awareness of their work and engage an already interested group of people.
We are so excited to once again bring Call 2 Action to the 2013 Boulder International Film Festival with this year’s line up including amazing works such as La Source, The Last Ocean, and Digital Dharma. Come visit us our tent, located in front of the Lazy Dog on Pearl Street, and join us we harness the power of film to move us from concern to action!