Feeding our World – a film festival with a difference

30 March 2017

Following the glitz and glamour of the recent Oscars ceremony, IBERS PhD student Flavia Occhibove has organised her own film festival with the emphasis on the environmental issues facing our world today.  

The first of four events was in early March at the Festival delle Terre Film Festival: Feeding our World with attendees having the opportunity to watch insightful documentaries, and debate with a panel of experts about subjects such as human rights, economic and environmental sustainability and land rights.

Flavia said "The festival has been possible thanks to a grant from the Graduate School and all the themes discussed are relevant to current research at Aberystwyth University.

The aim of the film festival is to gather people from different backgrounds together, raise awareness, consider new initiatives, and boost cooperation between researchers in different disciplines to approach the themes from different perspectives."

Flavia originally graduated in Pisa, did her Masters in Edinburgh and is now studying for her PhD with IBERS at Aberystwyth on the relationship between biodiversity and disease transmission in Welsh woodland wild rodent communities.

"I love the range of projects and freedom of research at IBERS which are multidisciplinary and fascinating. The University has constantly encouraged and supported my colleagues and myself to develop our ideas through creative outlets such as this film festival and I hope it will offer people a new perspective and many talking points."

The event will open on Friday 3rd of March at 6.30pm with a film entitled Land for our Food by Julio Molina with further events to be held over the coming months.

The screenings will be held in Llandinam Building B22, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth University.

Refreshments will be provided by the organisation "Aber Food Surplus", which collects surplus food to reduce food waste, and the AU Organic Food Coop Society with guests being invited to 'bring your own mug' to reduce usage of disposable cups.

Dates of all film festival events:

  • 03/03/2017 - Land for our food by J. Molina (Italy-United Kingdom-France-Romania-Spain, 2015, 35')
  • 30/03/2017 - Terra Nera by D. Licciardello and S. Ciani (USA-Canada-Africa, 2012, 65')
  • 27/04/2017 - Timbaktu by R. Thomas (India, 2012, 30'), The Voice of the Land by G. Del Signore and C. Bolzoni (Romania, 2016, 29')
  • 26/05/2017 – UK premiere from Festival delle Terre 2016

The Festival has been organised thank to the Postgraduate Competition Grant, in collaboration with the "Festival delle Terre", AU Sustainability Society, AU Organic Food Coop Society and Aber Food Surplus.

"Festival delle Terre – International Audio-visual Award of Biodiversity" http://www.festivaldelleterre.it/en