Susan McDaniel Havre Daily News smcdaniel@havredailynews.com
Yellow Bus Creations of Havre, in conjunction with the Hill County Community Endowment, will present the first annual Hi- Line Documentary Film Festival in February. This is the introductory year for this festival and the focus of the films will be issues of regional social concerns, including, but not limited to racism, drug abuse, poverty, domestic violence, economic issues, hate crimes and civil rights. The festival is scheduled for Feb. 17 and 18 at the Montana State University-Northern/MAT Theatre. Among the major documentary films scheduled to be shown is “Scared Sacred.” In a world teetering on the edge of self-destruction, award-winning filmmaker Velcrow Ripper sets out on a unique pilgrimage. Visiting the “ground zeroes” of the planet, he asks if it’s possible to find hope in the darkest moments of human history. Ripper travels to the minefields of Cambodia; war-torn Afghanistan; the toxic wasteland of Bhopal; post-9/11 New York; Bosnia; Hiroshima; Israel and Palestine. This powerful documentary captures his five-year odyssey to discover if humanity can transform the “scared” into the “sacred.” “Nobelity” is a film by Turk Pipkin. A stunning look at the world’s most pressing problems through the eyes of nine Nobel Laureates, the film is Pipkin’s personal journey to find enlightening answers about the kind of world our children and grandchildren will know. Filmed across the U.S., and in France, England, India and Africa, “Nobelity” combines the insights of nine distinguished Nobelists with a first-person view of world problems and the children who are most challenged by them. Among the Montana-made films offered at the festival is “Emma” by Valerie N. Krex. “Emma” is the coming of age portrait that follows Emma Carney through her turbulent first year of high school in Missoula. Largely shot in the first person, Emma begins to document her experiences following her release from an adolescent mental health unit. Struggling to stay afloat in the public school system, Emma candidly details the obstacles surrounding her adolescence as well as her methods of escape. With original music by Morning Spy, Emma allows for a real-life glimpse into girlhood, womanhood and the places in between. The festival is also offering a short film competition that is open to all area junior high through college age students. These films should explore regional issues, personal or social concerns such as drug use or bullying and must be submitted by Feb. 10. The films will be screened by a panel for entry into the competition, prizes will be awarded, and the winning films will be shown to the public during the festival. Yellow Bus Creations is a group of local citizens who consider themselves a peace group, promoting communication and understanding within our community in hopes of creating peace within our world. The yellow bus refers to a converted school bus, owned by group members David and Kris Shaw, that is used for camping trips and other group outings. One evening while celebrating David Shaw’s birthday, the group entered a karaoke contest and when they asked for a name the group used The Big Yellow Bus. Yellow Bus Creations began when this small group of musician/artist friends entered the Global Art Project for Peace and the name came to represent the new projects that the friends have become involved with. Sponsors of the Hi-Line Documentary Film Festival will receive advertising space in the film festival’s program. For further information about the film festival, visit the Yellow Bus Creations Web site at www.yellowbuscreations.org or call Rita Campbell at 265-5301 or Kris Shaw at 265-3125.
