Fingerlakespermaculture mailing list

[Shira Golding <shiragolding AT gmail.com>]

"Empowered: Power from the People"

Homegrown Documentary Energizes Audiences to Go Renewable

ITHACA, NY - Tompkins County, NY is one of the cloudiest, least windy places in the country, and yet we are proving that we can meet our energy needs through totally renewable resources. From solar and wind to veggie oil and geothermal, "Empowered: Power from the People" tells the story of our community's role in the energy independence revolution. This feature-length documentary will have its festival premiere on April 1st at noon as part of FLEFF (Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival). 

The idea for this homegrown film came from Producer Suzanne McMannis, an off-grid farmer who has been fighting against natural gas drilling in Dryden. "I thought to myself, there are some great movies out there about the problem, but very few that offer real solutions," McMannis reflects. "If we're going to get off our addiction to fossil fuels, we need to show people how accessible and effective alternatives can be."

McMannis enlisted Director Shira Golding Evergreen, a local filmmaker who is very engaged around sustainability issues. "Making this film was a dream for me," Evergreen shares. "It was amazing getting the inside story behind countless local installations, to learn what people's challenges were, and to discover how much creativity and ingenuity we have in this community. And now I'm applying many of the lessons I learned to my own house."

"Empowered" features interviews with a diverse cross-section of Tompkins County, whimsical animations that help explain the renewable technologies, and an original musical score. While packed with practical information, the film is sprinkled with levity and philosophical moments as the interviewees consider questions of security, self-sufficiency and community resilience. As well as showcasing residences, the film shows municipal projects like the Town of Caroline's solar/geothermal office building and gives viewers inside access to local entrepreneurs including Ithaca Biodiesel, Black Oak Wind Farm, Weaver Wind, which is developing a new turbine, and Solar Systems Unlimited, which provides sound and food for events like the Earth Day Festival.

The filmmakers are committed to inspiring viewers to take concrete steps to change their energy habits. An outreach campaign is in full-swing featuring community and festival screenings, as well as events at high-schools and colleges where the filmmakers, innovators featured in the film, and local installers are on-hand to help people lower their consumption and make the transition to renewables.

After two very successful preview screenings in late 2011 at Cinemapolis with large turn-outs, the filmmakers have teamed up with the Finger Lakes Bioneers (a project of Sustainable Tompkins) to organize additional events around the region. The documentary was shown at Kendal at Ithaca (2/20) and SUNY Cortland (2/28), and screenings are slated in coming weeks at the Danby Town Hall (3/20), the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (4/1), Mann Library at Cornell (4/4) and as part of Rochester's "Localization" movie series (4/18) with more regional and national dates coming soon. See complete event details below. A DVD of the film with bonus material is available for sale at these events as well as on the film's website.

Learn more at: http://empoweredthemovie.com

For more information and high-res images contact:

Shira Evergreen

shira AT shirari.com

607-821-0654

UPCOMING SCREENING DETAILS

3/20/12, Danby, NY: Screening and Community Discussion


Tuesday, March 20th, 2012, 6:30pm


Danby Town Hall
, 1830 Danby Road, Danby, NY 14850


FREE

With Director Shira Evergreen

4/1/12, Ithaca, NY: Screening and Q&A at FLEFF (Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival)


Co-presented by Finger Lakes Bioneers


Sunday, April 1st, 2012, Noon


Cinemapolis, 120 E. Green Street, Ithaca, NY


FREE

With Director Shira Evergreen

4/4/12, Ithaca, NY: Screening and Discussion at Cornell University


Co-presented by Mann Library, Finger Lakes Bioneers, KyotoNOW!, Cornell Wind Power, and Engineers for a Sustainable World Cornell


Wednesday, April 4th, 2012, 5:30pm


Mann Library
, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY


FREE


With Cornell alums Director Shira Evergreen and Dominic Frongillo from the Town of Caroline (featured in the film)

4/18/12, Rochester, NY: Screening and Panel Discussion as part of LOCALIZATION,

a Winter Movie Series on Economy, Food and Energy


Co-presented by Finger Lakes Bioneers and Rochester’s Center of Sustainable Living


Wednesday, April 18th, 2012


Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY


FREE

With Producer Suzanne McMannis