(Galiano Island, BC): A small, maverick film school in the woods has
made a move to provide its guerrilla filmmaking skills to the growing
number of activist videomakers. Two new one-week courses at the Gulf
Islands Film and Television School (GIFTS) on Galiano Island, BC, are
dedicated to the needs of activists seeking to put their cameras to use
for their cause.

August 2, 2001
For Immediate Release

(Galiano Island, BC): A small, maverick film school in the woods has
made a move to provide its guerrilla filmmaking skills to the growing
number of activist videomakers. Two new one-week courses at the Gulf
Islands Film and Television School (GIFTS) on Galiano Island, BC, are
dedicated to the needs of activists seeking to put their cameras to use
for their cause.

The video camera has become a staple of activist public actions, for
providing news and documentary footage, campaign promotions, and even
legal witness. Whether it's in the woods or the throngs at international
summits, cameras are pointed everywhere. GIFTS is trying to make sure
that people can get excellent footage, and then use it wisely.

The first session is a video documentary week for mature community
activists seeking the basic skills needed to become a small-budget
documentary maker. The usual challenging "make a movie in six days"
format has been extended by one day to provide extra time for discussion
of the issues, extra editing time, and a full night's sleep. This
session will run from September 2 to 9, 2001.

The second session is the UpFront Guerrilla Video Camp, October 28 to
November 3, 2001, and will provide intensive media production skills for
those working in conflict zones like protests, blockades, and direct
action demonstrations. Students in this course will learn both
documentary storytelling skills and real-world techniques for safety,
rapid editing and distribution, camera operation under stress,
legalities, and other journalistic skills tailored for the
non-professional.

GIFTS is one of Canada's most award-winning film schools and promotes
media democracy by encouraging independent production through week-long
and month-long intensives. They offer socially progressive special
programming in addition to regular courses for youth and adults. These
new courses will help counter the power of corporate and globalization
spin-doctors.

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The Gulf Islands Film and Television School
S43 C12, Galiano Island, BC V0N 1P0
ph 250.539.5729 fax 250.539.3290
gif...@gulfislands.com
http://www.youthfilms.com