Nina and Kelly--and the whole GPFF staff--always curate a wonderful collection of sensitive and provocative treatments of the human condition, imploring us all to work to improve it. Significantly, the go the extra mileS to engage the community at large in their annual enterprise by reaching out to local academic, professional, and other communities to share the message of peace and humanity. And they reach out to filmmakers to assure that they know their work is both welcome and worthwhile in a world where value is generally measured in sales and audience size. They are like few others in the film festival circuit. Their niche is critical to filmmakers who have a voice that is often otherwise unheard. Thank you!
I'm a director of documentary film and TV and I've been fortunate to have participated in many film festivals over the year. This festival ranks with the best of them in terms of filmmaker experience and audience impact. We were incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to bring our film to an entirely new community. The festival organizers were well organized and dedicated, and even in the aftermath of hurricane Irma they managed to put on a memorable and impactful festival event. I hope we can come back with another film in the near future!
This is the second time I have brought a documentary to the Global Peace Film Festival and this year was every bit as rewarding as the first time in 2012 with our film "Trial By Fire: Lives Re-Forged." I love the GPFF mission and their broad and inclusive interpretation of peace. We feel honored that our current documentary, "The Buddy System" got to be a part of the 2017 festival. The GPFF has cultivated true audience engagement within the community of Winter Park and beyond. They have also the added element of engaging the academic community at Rollins College makes this festival extra special. From Kelly's thoughtful and incisive comments about our film, to Nina organizing and personally greeting us at the high school where we spoke to young film students, to Josh always being tuned into where we were and where we needed to go, we felt taken care of every step of the way. In addition, the GPFF mission doesn't stop after the festival ends! Nina and Kelly have both offered to help us rally more support when we have an upcoming screening in New York and are always interested in advising us on greater community engagement. As a filmmaker, I also greatly appreciate receiving a funds to put towards our travel expenses. I know of very few festivals who do this. It is a deeply meaningful gesture and one that both honors us as artists and respects the work that we do. Kudos to the entire team!
I have been going to GPFF since the year it opened. It has been an exciting, enjoyable, educational experience. It is needed even more now as we must,absolutely must, gain insight into different cultures to promote understanding and global communication . I look forward to another GPFF to widen my horizons in the coming year. Linda
Fantastic project. Every year, the Festival exceeds itself in quality of entries and breadth of topics. Its well organized, on a very modest budget and with mostly volunteer staff. I have worked in the film industry as well as for a number of nonprofit organizations and Global Peace Film Festival stands out in both fields.
I have closely followed the Global Peace Film Festival since its inception in 2003. The Festival programs excellent films relevant to the social issues and forward looking solutions that mark our conflicted times. But of equal importance is the successful outreach and community engagement that has been a central focus of the Festival's staff and Executive Director. They have established a practice of working with national, Florida-wide and especially local Orlando organizations to both build audience for the Festival and support for the local organizations. From my perspective as a former program director at Free Speech TV and as Executive Director of Deep Dish TV, this festival has more measurable impact than many larger festivals.
The Global Peace Film Festival has partnered with the Peace and Justice Institute at Valencia College for the past 5 years. The Festival has brought wonderful and eye-opening films to our students and community. Nina Streich, the Executive Director, has an amazing ability to connect filmmakers with our audiences to bring us an even more in depth understanding of the film and the message. Orlando is fortunate to have such high class film festival that welcomes so many amazing filmmakers to our community and spreads the message of peace and justice through the arts.
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As an educator at Valencia College in Orlando, I was thrilled to learn about the Global Peace Film Festival and actively seek a partnership with this nonprofit. The Peace and Justice Initiative at the college aims to teach nonviolence and respect for all people through curricular and co-curricular means. The Peace Film Festival is the perfect venue for using film to teach Global perspectives on peace as it unfolds in so many walks of life. Over the past few years we have worked closely with the Director, Nina Striech to select films appropriate for our learning environment. Nina has proven herself a master at connecting us with the best films, film directors and producers to bring peace education to life. The suggestion earlier this year to bring "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" with the guest Agnes Umunnna from Liberia proved to be a powerful learning experience for our students, faculty and staff alike. I am grateful to have this platform for peace education in Central Florida. Nina's tireless efforts have affected many lives and Valencia College is an avid fan of the festival and its mission.
The Global Peace Film Festival is a top-notch organization that provides the community with a great public service--good films about social justice. I've been pleased to partner with Global Peace a number of times under the auspices of the LWV of Florida and Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence. I look forward to continuing to support Global Peace and the tremendous public service they provide to our communities!
Patti Brigham, Orlando
The GPFF is an invaluable tool for awareness and education on a great variety of social and environmental subjects.
I've attended the Global Peace Film Festival for the past four years. I enjoy films, but this is different...I get to watch films AND help make a difference in people lives. It's also, in turn, made an impact in my life as a result. The Festival made me more aware of what global peace is; ranging from finding ones inner peace to young children living with exposure to radiation in Japan. I invite friends to join me every year, hoping they're impacted in the same way as I and that they'll spread the information out to their networks. It’s also sparked an interest in my family getting move involved locally. The documentaries are insightful, impactful and make you want to get involved. It brings together a diverse group ranging from young to old in four days through various channels – art, film and discussion. It draws together local resources to assist those who wish to get involved and start right here in their own community; while also providing global resources. They also provide an online Festival of short films during the same timeframe for those who live outside of the region and cannot attend. I'm a fan and will continue to follow the Festival for years ahead.
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The Global Peace Film Festival is more than a film festival and more than covers the variety of topics that encompass "global peace." It's about finding ones inner peace to helping children in Japan who are severely ill due to the radiation from the power plant destroyed during the tsunami a few years ago. The Festival also provides opportunities - if one wishes - to get involved in an issue that impacts them from seeing a film. It also allows for talk-back sessions with the filmmakers, producers and subjects if they're attending the festival.
It also sends those involved with the films into the Central Florida community to speak with students and other community groups throughout the days of the Festival as outreach. These are people who otherwise wouldn't know or be able to attend the Festival.
So as you can see, it's more than a film festival. The Global Peace Film Festival is a way to watch films, become educated, take action and do something more whether it's in ones very own community or across the globe. It's one of the most impactful events that I've ever been a part of. I encourage others to do the same and see how you can make a difference.
The Global Peace Film Festival is without peer in using such a powerful medium to provide such an array of insights into such a broad range of topics at such a reasonable price. The GPFF isn't about entertainment. It's about information. It's about motivation to action. It's about making our world better, one community at a time. Every resident of Central Florida should mark the dates September 18-24, 2017, on their calendars right now. And visitors to the region should make sure their trip coincides with those dates so they too can experience the GPFF.
What a privilege it has been over the last decade or so to work with the great folks at the Global Peace Film Festival. The extraordinary selection of films, combined with the many opportunities for community interaction, and the inspiring direction of the organization in regard to its "don't just sit there" campaign all combine to help create a world-class film festival designed to engage people to help create a better community and world. It has been a privilege for our organization to partner throughout the years with GPFF.
GPFF impacts lives and hearts through the sharing of films and other visual art. Through a partnership, our organization watches as hearts ignite toward a global perspective. Individuals rise from the audience to become world-changers after viewing a moving documentary on an issue at large in the world. Poverty, Slavery, Gender equality and more are given an audience through this annual experience. GPFF changes lives and as a result, raises up warriors to end suffering globally. An amazing mission!
Global Peace Film Festival programs films on important topics that are hard to find anywhere else. It is a great opportunity to enjoy them together, talk about the topics, listen in on panels that make us think as well as feel. An informed public makes better local and world citizens. It's a gem and that's why I'm a part of it!
The Global Peace Film Festival has put on one of my favorite events in the greater Orlando area every year I have lived in the city! They consistently offer insights and views into some of the most compelling and complex issues of our times through the films shown at the festival. I was so impressed with GPFF's efforts that I joined their board of directors! The Global Peace Film Festival helps bring unique perspectives and stories to light in the name of creating a better world.
This was my first time attending The 2016 Global Peace Film Festival. The events of the festival totally exceeded my expectations. There were so many choices regarding films and forums with a wide range of interesting and enlightening topics and issues. I loved the Enzian Theatre & Cafe event where "Love is Strange" was shown. Most impressive was that the Executive Director, Nina Streich, was able to get John Lithgow to film a special message about the festival before the movie was shown. The Mad Cow Theatre featured a live one-man show, "Bearing Witness", by Tom Bird. I believe it was the first time the festival has offered a live play and it was powerful and impressive. I also loved the Orlando schools arts competition awards held at City Hall. The artwork from such young talent was outstanding. I highly recommend attending this festival for an enriching experience and I hope to return again next year.
I was invited to the Global Peace Film Festival with my film 'Under the Same Sun' (Ek Surya Ke Taley). It is a very important festival with beautiful and meaningful films that educate, captivate and inspire audiences to take action. The festival is very well organized and gives filmmakers an opportunity to meet like-minded artists who care about creating change in our world. Orlando is very fortuante that Nina and Kelly have dedicated so many hours to create a festival that is making difference in the lives of its citizens.
maria c 11/24/2012
Thanks so much Rachel!