As we reach that time when folks list their top ten films of the year, I'm eager to tell you something about a wonderful thing my friend Gareth Higgins is doing - it's a film festival-peacemaking-all singing, all dancing-extravaganza next May, and I think it's going to be amazing. Here's Gareth to tell you about it:
Part of the growing global movement for nonviolent transformation, Movies and Meaning is a long weekend away in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, featuring films, workshops, very special guests, dancing, magic and YOU.
From May 28th-31st, 2015, we’ll gather in Albuquerque, NM, building a temporary community dedicated to experiencing how the ideas and images we project can make everything better or worse, for ourselves, our communities, and the planet. We’ll watch some of the most transcendent films ever made - old and new - on a magnificent silver screen with fantastic sound. Films will be curated by Gareth Higgins, founding director of the Wild Goose Festival; most of the films will be surprises until we screen them, but we can tell you that the restored version of 2001: A Space Odyssey will be screened in all its glory, as well as a special preview of an unreleased film.
We’ll participate in conversations at the intersection of contemplation and activism with the internationally renowned spiritual teacher Richard Rohr. We’ll explore how cinema can help increase or reduce real-world violence, take a field trip in the wonderful New Mexican landscape, honor local and indigenous traditions, and, because it’s not your typical film festival, every night we will DANCE. Our aim is nothing less than transcending the myth of redemptive violence. So we’ll create a dream space of new friends, extraordinary food, and the joy of story and light combining to create something we haven’t known before.
Want to be part of creating something amazing with this inaugural experience of bringing together lovers of cinema, life, and the pursuit of a better world? Then we want you to join us."
Tickets for the four day event are $299, BUT the first ten are available for only $99, and after they sell out, until December 24th they are discounted to $149. More information and tickets available at www.moviesandmeaning.com.
Gareth again: "If you love cinema, life, and want to be part of a transformative community at the intersection of art and peace, we think this festival might just be your new home."