The screening will be accompanied by a panel
discussion and will be held at
Main Hall Auditorium
Kent State University Stark Campus
6000 Frank Ave. NW
N. Canton, OH 44720
330-244-3398

The Farmington Hills Rotary Club hosts an impressive lunch series. For more details visit their site.
http://www.clubrunner.ca/Cprg/Home/Speakers.asp?cid=1402

Screening will take place at the Downtown Arts Centre, 28 Rebecca St. Hamilton, tel: 905.522.2005. Screenings begin at 7pm and admission is $5. The event is organized by The Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teacher's Local and the Hamilton and District Labour Council.

The Student group LEAF ( Lycoming Environmental Awareness foundation-- http://www.lycoming.edu/orgs/leaf/ ) and the Clean Water Institute-- ( www.lycoming.edu/biologydept/cwi ) will be hosting a screening of "The Water Front" film.
We will post details about location and time in the near future!.

Harriett Saperstein brings hands on experience to "Metropolitan Conflict," a graduate class which is part of the "Master of Community Development" program at the University of Detroit Mercy - School of Architecture. Saperstein led the Highland Park organization that brought 300 million dollars in economic development to the city after Chrysler left and is a vital presence in the city.

Associate Producer for "The Water Front" and urban planner, Curtis Smith, spoke to the graduate class after the screening. Present in the audience was a former city clerk from Ecorse - the first female and the first Black American elected to this office. She writes, "I was awed and inspired by the Highland Park" documentation and your words of wisdom. Stay encouraged doing your work helping people.. It is people like you who inspire me and others-- that our struggle while in school is not in vain." Thank you Harriett and Curtis for making this happen!

What an amazing event! Although we put a lot of time into press and contacting people, I never expected so many people to attend!

The event drew people from across generations— and our dialogue after the film reflected that diversity. During the film there were audible comments and gasps—when we see the exorbitant price of the water bills, and again when we learn the salaries of the so-called experts. People were visibly engaged throughout the film.

After the screening, we held a panel discussion between the audience at large and four esteemed professors from local colleges. The panelists took questions from the audience and tried to answer them as best they could; often the questions led us into talking about local water issues. For example, the source of water in Yellow Springs came up, as did the general level of pollutants in tap water. We touched on “take back the tap” campaigns (including the one in Dayton), and explored the reasons why the water bills in the film were so high. People were really interested in conservation and in trying to prevent any further privatization of water. Some discussion around the idea of water privatization in India arose, as three of our panelists had direct experiences in India.

Overall, it was a fascinating evening! We began the night with a great film and followed that by about 45 minutes of discussion about local, regional, national, and international water issues. People stayed around after the session broke to talk with the panelists and to thank the event organizers for showing the film. Interest in water pollution, privatization, and equity clearly exists—as does interest in environmental justice. I think this event was a tremendous success! Thanks to Food and Water Watch for helping us make this possible!
(Blog written by organizer c o l e t t e p a l a m a r - http://urbanbabybonnets.etsy.com)

The movie Water Front was shown at the Great Lakes Environmental Film Festival. This movie is a example of how taking for granted the value of water can lead to serious social problems. People who dream up ways to make a profit withholding a life sustaining resource like water exists in this world. Access to affordable and plentiful water is a basic right that every person should expect to find in the USA. Guarding against the loss of this basic right is every citizens responsibility. People who viewed this movie found it to be a real story that exposed the fragile side of human life. A moving story and a reminder that we all deserve something as basic as water. (blog sent by Festival Director, Ziggy Kozici.

For a complete program - http://www.gleff.org/program.htm

Loyola University packed in a full house of activists, experts, and students wanting to make connections regarding oil, water, and community action. Professor and Policy expert Sabina L. Shaikh moderated the event and began by discussing the differences between oil and water, noting that there is no substitute for water. Fernando Coronil then discussed the history of oil exploitation in Venezuela emphasizing the need to connect not only oil and water, but social movements in the U.S., Venezuela, and internationally. Maureen Taylor and Marian Kramer discussed organizing strategies and drove the message home that we must find solutions that benefit the many over the individual. Liz Miller showed the 7-minute clip of the film and discussed how films can contribute to grass roots advocacy campaigns. A huge thanks to Dimitra Tasiouras for bringing us together for what is one of a "conversation series" on sharing resources - to see the rest of the line up visit:

http://www.prairie.org/programs/all-consuming-conversations-oil-and-wate...
Yours, Mine, Ours, or Theirs? Accessing and Controlling Oil and Water:

Date: Tuesday January 27, 2009
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm
Venue: Loyola University Kasbeer Hall, 25 E. Pearson St., 15th Floor
Co-Sponsors – Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago, Loyola University Museum of Art

Are oil and water resources to be stewarded and shared, or commodities to be bought and sold? Does any person or country or community own oil and water resources? How do the concepts of ownership and stewardship impact inequality in access to oil and water? What questions are raised by the privatization of resources? In Yours, Mine, Ours, or Theirs?, we’ll explore ownership and stewardship of oil and water globally and locally through the story of Venezuela’s oil industry and through the documentary The Water Front, which examines water privatization as experienced by the African-American community of Highland Park, Michigan.

Presenters:
· Elizabeth Miller – Director, The Water Front
· Marian Kramer, National Co-Chair, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization
· Maureen D. Taylor, State Chair , Michigan Welfare Rights Organization
· Fernando Coronil, Ph.D – Presidential Professor, Department of Anthropology, City University of New York
· Sabina L. Shaikh, Ph.D - Lecturer, Public Policy and Program on Global Environment, University of Chicago Senior Research Economist, RCF Economic Consulting (moderator)

"The Water Front" was screened on Sunday Dec. 7th, along with "Chinatown" and then followed by guest speaker Carl Ganter, to raise awareness of the city's first water festival.

Casey Lynn McKeel, writes about the event:

Traverse City closed out 2008 by hosting its first Water Festival December 12th, 13th, and 14th. Though the first in Traverse City, it was the fourth in a growing series taking place throughout the Great Lakes state. Put on by Earthwork Music and its collaborators, the Water Festival is a celebration of water and the life it sustains; it works to raise awareness and inspire action on local and global water issues through education, activism, art and entertainment.

A benefit movie-night was held the weekend before, to help raise awareness and interest as well as gather funds to help pay for the event. The movie "The Water Front" was shown and followed by a talk from nationally-renown water expert, Carl Ganter. The event was very successful in getting people inspired and excited for the upcoming festival. Those who attended helped work on the festival. The TC Water Festival was cosponsored by Earthwork Music, SEEDS and Higher Grounds Trading Company, and was organized by a team of dedicated volunteers ranging from all ages. Below is the link to the coverage we had on the benefit:

http://www.record-eagle.com/herald/traversecitytransfer_story_344190714....

Festival director Susan Woods hosts a lovely reception following the screening and Curt Smith hosts a Q & A after the screening.
http://www.elff.com/