More "Future Food" episodes this Friday

First Friday Films presents a new film from the Future Food series this Friday, May 1^st at 6:30pm at American Memorial Park. This episode is called “Fat or Skinny” and looks at the lives of people in India as they are faced with the choice between Western-style fast food and healthy indigenous food options.

Every day, as India awakes, 1.2 billion people need to be fed. By 2050 it could be 1.7 billion. Half a billion small scale farmers supply most of India's food. Traditionally, Indians have eaten the healthy cuisine of India's 29 states, but as people move to the cities there's a growing demand for fast processed food, the so-called 'junk food' accused of causing obesity and chronic health problems. Now India is a country on the edge of two possible futures: a future that's well fed and healthy; or a future with Western diets and Western obesity.

Before the film, Patricia Coleman, Nutrition and Health Program Leader from NMC-CREES will speak about her ongoing partnerships in the CNMI that are aiming to promote healthy food choices and healthy lifestyles within the community. Her work includes nutrition education, childhood overweight and obesity research, and studying the built and food environments in the CNMI and the region. NMC-CREES recently received the “Best Practice” in Health Award by the World Health Organization – Western Pacific Region.

First Friday Films is a partnership between American Memorial Park, the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality and the Humanities Council with support from other organizations and individuals. This particular film is sponsored by BECQ. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run approximately 60 minutes.

Local Short Film at Festival on Earth Day!

April 22^nd is Earth Day and the CNMI is using this entire month to pay tribute to “Our Natural Treasures”! The community is invited to a film festival of local short films celebrating the CNMI’s natural treasures on Wednesday, April 22^nd at American Memorial Park, starting at 6:30pm. Children are welcome and will love seeing new sites from their own islands!

Community members, families, tourists and locals alike will all enjoy these locally-made movies showing beautiful insight into Northern Mariana Islands and the Micronesian Region. 

First, engage with volunteers in Talakhaya: the Luta Livelihoods Project where local agencies and community members work together every year to prevent fires from destroying soils and vegetation and ultimately damaging our nearshore marine resources in Rota.

Next, we will continue to explore Rota to learn with Fanihi: A Cultural Digest to better understand the ever-changing interactions between people and the beloved fruit bat populations there. Then, watch Laolao Bay: from Ridge to Reef to learn about the ways that our land is connected to the oceans. Local researchers, managers and marine biologists explain the diversity of Laolao Bay’s heritage and natural rseouces in this film.

We will finish the evening with one final short film Micronesia’s Changing Climate about regional efforts to protect our environments. Environmental experts will be on hand to answer your questions about caring for our natural treasures!

This festival is being presented by First Friday Films, a partnership between American Memorial Park, the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality and the Humanities Council with support from other organizations and individuals. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run approximately 90 minutes, but the audience is welcome to come and go between films, which last 15-30 minutes each.