Education Denmark Project #47348

Short films for environmental justice: WhyPlastic?

by The Why Foundation

Project Report | May 25, 2021
Short films submissions from all over the world!

By Alberica Rindi | Outreach Coordinator

Dear friends,

Once again, thank you very much for your support.
Raising discussions about plastic is more important now than ever!

The increasing production and disposal of plastic is affecting our health and our habitat.
Every step in the life cycle of plastic contributes to climate change: from extraction, refinement, manufacturing and transportation to disposal. Virgin plastic is way cheaper than recycled plastics, or any other alternative, upholding an economic barrier for a shift away from this material.

We have to keep fighting to bring higher awareness about the problem and change the status quo!

Help us set Plastic Pollution on the Global Agenda!

We hope you will want to keep supporting the WHY PLASTIC? campaign and thereby bringing plastic on the global agenda! You can do this here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/whyplastic/

You can also opt to give a small recurring donation and thereby ensure a long term contribution to the project!

46 short films submitted at OFF21 - Why Plastic? call

Together with Odense International Film Festival (OFF) we have invited people from all over the world to give their take and perspective on the issue of plastic in the form of short films that can be submitted as part of a special competition in this year’s OFF edition.

We have received 46 submissions from 22 countries in 5 continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America. Filmmakers from all over the world have submitted their short films on plastic, telling important stories of how plastic is affecting them, their communities and their environment.
The deadline is June 1st, after which a jury formed by THE WHY and OFF will select the best 10 films that will become part of the Why Plastic? Campaign and be shown around the world.

Why Plastic? Nordic Youth Network

In the past months, we have mobilised youth-led environmental organisations and environmental activists to create a “Nordic Youth Network”.

The aim of the network is to join forces across borders to bring plastic pollution into the public debate through film screenings, discussions, workshops, creative actions and events.
The WHY PLASTIC? short films will be an essential part of these events.
The individuals and organisations that have joined so far are based in Denmark, Greenland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland. Through a round of meetings we share experiences, insights and brainstorm actions and activities. The next meeting is set for June 2nd, at 3 pm to 5 pm CET.

Anyone who wants to join the campaign is welcome to email us at whyplastic@thewhy.dk to know more and get access to the next meeting.

Sign up for the WHY PLASTIC? Newsletter

In order to keep all the people involved with WHY PLASTIC? updated, we have a semestral newsletter. Sign up here http://eepurl.com/g9ofxX

Thank you for your support in making this happen.

Warm regards and stay safe,

THE WHY’s team

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Feb 2, 2021
Call for Short Films at OFF21

By Alberica Rindi | Outreach Coordinator

Dear friends and supporters,

Happy New Year!
2020 saw a rise in the demand and consumption of single use plastic, due to the outbreak of COVID-19. New laws and reforms aimed at stopping the production and use of single use plastics have been postponed or reversed.

Therefore, this year we have to keep fighting to bring higher awareness about the disastrous consequences of plastic, increasing transparency and accountability. In this way, we can move towards sustainable alternatives and justice for all living beings affected by plastic pollution.

Help us set Plastic Pollution on the Global Agenda!
With your help we have been able to raise parts of the funds and start the project.
We hope you will want to continue supporting the WHY PLASTIC? campaign and thereby bringing plastic on the global agenda! You do this here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/whyplastic/

Why Plastic? Short film call at OFF21 - Odense International Film Festival

THE WHY has successfully partnered with Odense International Film Festival (OFF) - the short film festival that is qualifying for the Oscars. Filmmakers from all over the world are invited to compete in the challenge: create short films on plastic, specifically focusing on the following themes:

Plastic Solutions

Plastic in Numbers

Plastic is Everywhere

The History of Plastic

The Size of Plastic

People and Plastic

The 10 best short films will be selected by OFF and THE WHY and will premiere at the festival, where they will win various prizes. The funds raised by GG, will be used to pay the prizes and thereby covering the cost of production for the filmmakers and let the films become part of the WHY PLASTIC? Campaign.

If we are able to raise further funds, we will dub the films to many languages such as Arabic, Swahili, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, Farsi, French and activate millions of people around the world in discussing the status quo and choosing alternative solutions.

Sign up for the WHY PLASTIC? newsletter.

In order to keep all the people involved with WHY PLASTIC? updated, we have also started an exclusive bimestral newsletter. Sign up here: http://eepurl.com/g9ofxX

Thank you for your support in making this happen.

Warm regards and stay safe,

THE WHY’s team

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Oct 7, 2020
New screening partners around the world and first campaign event!

By Cecilia Tumler | Communications Coordinator

Volunteers helped collecting trash in Copenhagen.

Dear friends and supporters,

With your help, we have now been able to raise €4,559 out of the €34,957 that we aim at. We couldn’t be more grateful for this support, that has now enabled us to move forward on the production and donation of the ten WHY PLASTIC? short films.

Remember that you can always donate again through our project page, and help ensure that all the 10 films are out, informing the world about environmental justice matters involving plastic.

Scroll down and read about our latest updates:

WHY PLASTIC? campaign event

A refrigerator, a car window, and plenty of plastic bags, cups, cans, and trays. All these items were part of the 120 kg trash pile collected from the canals in Copenhagen this Sunday, the 16th of August, during the 2020 Ren Havn (from the Danish, “clean harbour”). The event was the first occasion in which we presented to the public the documentaries of our newest campaign, WHY PLASTIC?. Read more on our website.

Screening partners

We have now confirmed 7 new partners that are going to organise screenings of the WHY PLASTIC? films around the world. The partners are mostly non-profit and advocacy organisations that work with schools, universities, and youth activists. They will have a fundamental role in contextualising the plastic issues in their local communities. Egypt, Cameroon, Italy, Brazil, Sweden, Finland, and Greenland are the countries where the organisations are based and where the screenings will happen.

Partnering with Odense International Film Festival

For five of the films, we are working to establish a partnership with Odense International Film Festival (OFF) - the oldest film festival of Denmark, specialized in short films format. Through the festival, we will have an open call in which filmmakers can submit their short films for WHY PLASTIC?.

With the money raised so far, we have been able to write preliminary scripts to the five films that will be on the open call. They are themed as follows:

Plastic Solutions
Plastic in Numbers
Plastic is Everywhere
The History of Plastic
The Size of Plastic

In-house production

For the other five films, we plan an in-house production. We have several different formats in mind, such as collaborating with local filmmakers in places experiencing particularly severe plastic pollution issues or working purely graphically together with animators (to be determined).

Sign up for the WHY PLASTIC? newsletter.

In order to keep all the people involved with WHY PLASTIC? updated, we have also started an exclusive bimestrial newsletter. Sign up here.

Thank you for your support in making this happen.

Warm regards and stay safe,

THE WHY’s team

WHY PLASTIC? campaign was presented in August.

Links:

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