First Friday Films

There Once was an Island tomorrow!

2012-02-02T12:21:00.000+10:00

Its the first week of February, which means its time for another First Friday Film event! Tomorrow (Friday 2/3), we will be screening the award-winning film There Once Was an Island: Te Henua e Nnoho, by New Zealand director Briar March. Showtime will be 6:30pm at the American Memorial Parks Visitors Center.
This very moving feature documentary is not to be missed. The film follows three people from Takuu atoll in the Solomon Islands as their community experiences the devastating effects of climate change firsthand. Will they decide to stay with their damaged and sinking island home or move to a new and unfamiliar land, leaving their culture and language behind forever? You can see the trailer for the film here: http://www.thereoncewasanisland.com/

Additionally, we will have Noah Idechong, Speaker of the House of Delegates of Palau and founding member of the Palau Conservation Society, giving a very special video presentation about the effects of climate change on Micronesia and how Palau and other Micronesian nations are looking to combat it through political means.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 80 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. A special thanks goes to the NMI Council for Humanities, who sponsored this film.

See you tomorrow!

Talakhaya film to be show on channel 2 tonight!

2012-01-25T14:29:00.000+10:00

A new documentary on Rota’s Talakhaya Revegetation Project will be featured tonight, Jan. 25, on Channel 2 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The Talakhaya Revegetation Project was implemented in 2006, where community planting efforts were greatly increased to reduce impacts of decades of deforestation by illegal burning.

The 14 minute, locally shot and produced documentary highlights the challenges they face with burning and soil erosion, the revegetation efforts of the community, and the project's successes over the last 5 years to reduce sediment from running off of the land and polluting adjacent coral reef ecosystems. The short film will air immediately following Channel 2’s evening news programs.

Funding for the film and the Rota DLNR headed revegetation program has come from the U.S. Coral Reef Initiative.

Don't Miss it!

There Once was an Island for February

2012-01-24T14:55:00.005+10:00

First Friday Films will be featuring a powerful new film for the month of February, There Once Was an Island: Te Henua e Nnoho by New Zealand director, Briar March. Showtime will be on February 3, 2012, 6:30pm at the American Memorial Parks Visitors Center.

This award winning, feature documentary is not to be missed. The film follows three people from Takuu atoll in the Solomon Islands as their community experiences the devastating effects of climate change firsthand. Will they decide to stay with their damaged and sinking island home or move to a new and unfamiliar land, leaving their culture and language behind forever?

First Friday Films is a monthly film series brought to you through a partnership with the National Park Service and the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), with generous support from community groups and organizations such as the NMI Council For Hummanities which is sponsoring this film.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 80 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public.

"Economics of Happiness" tomorrow!

2012-01-05T09:31:00.005+10:00

We have a great film tomorrow (Friday) at American Memorial Park at 6:30pm. We will be screening The Economics of Happiness, a film that looks into how globalization is affecting our communities and their well being (a full description of the film can be found in our previous post here).

We are incredibly excited to have Anthony Pellegrino speaking before the film and answering audience questions about localizing our economy here in the CNMI.

This event is the beginning of several sponsored by the CNMI Council for Humanities, and we can not thank them enough for their support of this project.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 65 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public.

See you tomorrow!

"Economics of Happiness" for January

2011-12-29T15:52:00.000+10:00

First Friday Films will be featuring its first film of the year and you don’t want to miss it. The Economics of Happiness, a film by Helena Norberg-Hodge, Steven Gorelick, & John Page, will be showing on January 6, 2012, 6:30pm at the American Memorial Parks Visitors Center.

Economic globalization has led to a massive expansion in the scale and power of business and banking. The Economics of Happiness describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On one hand, the alliance between governments and big business continues to promote globalization and consolidation of corporate power. And on the other, people all over the world are resisting those policies. Communities are coming together to re-build more human-scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – the economics of localization. More information about the film can be found here.

Anthony Pellegrino, owner of Saipan Aquaculture Co. Inc. and Cargo Air Bridge, will be on hand to discuss his vision for a sustainable local economy in the NMI as well as to share how he believes the community can participate in building it. Additionally, he will be answering audience questions following the film.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 65 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public.

"Ocean of Islands" to be shown prior to this Friday's film

2011-12-01T16:20:00.001+10:00

Tomorrow (Friday 12/2) we will be showing a second episode of the BBC South Pacific series entitled Fragile Paradise. The film will start promptly at 6:30pm at the American Memorial Park visitor's center. See the post below for more details.

Additionally, at 5:15pm we will be re-showing the episode from this series we screened last month, Ocean of Islands. So if you missed this one, or would just like to see it again, come early tomorrow.

As with last month, we will be showing both of these beautiful films in Blu-Ray, which looks great up on the big screen.

For planning purposes, each episode will run 50min in length. Seating is limited, so please arrive early to ensure admittance.

See you tomorrow!

Fragile Pacific for Dec 2nd

2011-11-23T14:45:00.001+10:00

First Friday Films will be featuring another episode of BBC’s South Pacific, titled Fragile Paradise on December 2, 2011, 6:30pm at American Memorial Park Visitors Center.

The South Pacific is still relatively healthy and teeming with fish, but it is a fragile paradise. International fishing fleets are taking a serious toll on the sharks, albatross and tuna, and there are other insidious threats to these bountiful seas. Worst of all are ecological threats, notably global warming, which causes rising sea levels as well as climatic changes including storms and floods. This episode looks at the conservational measures, such as reserves and replanting coral reefs and what is being done to preserve the ocean and its wildlife.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 50 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public.

"Ocean of Islands" Friday

2011-11-02T14:34:00.001+10:00

First Friday Films will be featuring BBC’s Wild Pacific: Ocean of Islands this Friday, November 4^th, 2011, 6:30pm at American Memorial Park Visitors Center.

BBC’s Wild Pacific: Ocean of Islands presents an overview of the natural history of the region. This landmark series explores the sheer scale and majesty of the largest ocean on Earth. The film will also detail the methods of formation of its islands, the diverse ecosystems, the extraordinary journeys wildlife and humans have gone through to reach these specks of land, and how both have adapted to life here.

First Friday Films is a monthly film series brought to you through a partnership with the National Park Service and the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), with generous support from community groups such as the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance (MINA).

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 80 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, please arrive early to ensure admittance.

"Navigators" for October

2011-09-15T15:22:00.001+10:00

First Friday Films Celebrates National Arts and Humanities Month in October featuring The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific playing at 6:30 p.m. on October 7, 2011 at American Memorial Park.

Over 1,000 years ago, the islands of Polynesia were explored and settled by navigators who used only the waves, the stars, and the flights of birds for guidance. In hand-built, double-hulled canoes sixty feet long, the ancestors of today's Polynesians sailed across a vast ocean area, larger than Europe and North America combined.

To explore this ancient navigational heritage, anthropologist/filmmaker Sanford Low visited the tiny coral atoll of Satawal in Micronesia's remote Caroline Islands. The Navigators reveals the subtleties of this sea science, transmitted in part through a ceremony known as "unfolding the mat," in which 32 lumps of coral are arranged in a circle to represent the points of the "star compass." To master the lore of navigation was to attain great status in traditional Micronesian society.

This special event is brought to you by the NMI Council for the Humanities, the Tan Siu Lin Foundation, the Division of Environmental Quality and the National Park Service.

As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. For planning purposes, the film runs 59 minutes.

"Recyclergy" to be shown tomorrow

2011-09-01T14:36:00.001+10:00

Due to some unforeseen difficulties, we will be unable to show the film "All Jacked Up". However, we do a have a great film to show, "Recyclergy", which looks at the fading subculture of recyclers in the San Francisco area. This film won the community vote for Environmental Awareness Month this past May, and we though we would give everyone a second chance to see this entertaining film.

After the first Earth Day celebration in 1970, community, non-profit recycling centers began to pop up in schools, garages, and neighborhood centers all sharing the goal of bringing recycling to their cities. Now only two non-profit recycling organizations remain in San Francisco. Despite the lack of surviving community recycling centers, the Bay Area is still home to a unique community of recyclers who push the envelope of possibilities. Featuring interviews with recycling pioneers and music by Rube Waddell, "The Recyclergy" is an entertaining examination of a fading subculture.

As always, the film is free and open to the public. The film will start at 6:30pm, tomorrow September 2nd. Please come early to ensure admittance, as seating is limited.

See you tomorrow!

Home Tomorrow!

2011-08-04T08:08:00.002+10:00

We will be showing the film "Home" tomorrow, Friday 8/5, at the American Memorial Park Visitor's Center at 6:30pm.

With stunning shots from over fifty countries, Home presents what Time magazine hails as “an intoxicating perspective on our world” showcasing the majestic beauty of the planet as well as the undeniable tragedy that we have caused it, focusing specifically on global climate change.

Steve Mckagan from the NOAA field office here on Saipan will be on hand to talk about what we are doing locally to prepare for climate change and how the local community can get involved with some of those programs.

As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public.

See you tomorrow!

Come "Home" Next Friday

2011-07-29T14:54:00.005+10:00

It is time for us to save our planet from ourselves. On August 5, First Friday Films offers Home, a film that exposes the impacts of mankind’s actions on our planet Earth. With breathtaking visuals taken from an aerial perspective, we can take a look down on what has become of Earth and what we can do to save it from the threats of global warming. The journey starts at 6:30 PM at the American Memorial Park Visitors Center.

There is no place like home—and that is especially true when “home” refers to our planet. With stunning shots from over fifty countries, Home presents what Time magazine hails as “an intoxicating perspective on our world” showcasing the majestic beauty of the planet as well as the undeniable tragedy that we have caused it. Director Yann Arthus-Bertrand hopes that with this stark presentation of Earth, the film will resonate in all of us and convince us to save our home.

As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public.

A Sea Change Tomorrow!

2011-06-30T09:09:00.000+10:00

Join us tomorrow night at the American Memorial Park visitors center at 6:30 for our presentation of the film " A Sea Change", which follows one man's journey to discovery the less talked about side of climate change: ocean acidification.

Members of the CNMI Marine Monitoring Team will be on hand to discuss how you can help protect our corals from the expected effects of global climate change.

The Pacific Historic Parks (formerly the Arizona Memorial Museum Association) Bookstore, located inside the visitor’s center, will be open until 8:30 PM. All proceeds go to community education programs.

As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. For planning purposes, the movie runs 1 hour and 23 minutes long.

See you tomorrow!

Sea Change for July

2011-06-10T15:51:00.003+10:00

If you think global warming is tough, you don’t know the half of it. Come to the next First Friday Films on July 1 and uncover the rest of the story. We will be presenting A Sea Change, a film that tackles the twin of global warming, ocean acidification, and its effects to our ocean, our corals and our marine animals. The event will start at 6:30 PM at the American Memorial Park Visitors Center.

If you live in an island, like ours, that heavily depends on coral reefs for tourism and sea creatures for sustenance, wouldn’t you want to know what is happening to them now and what might happen to them in the future? Sven Huseby, an ordinary grandfather, wants to know. Recipient of the 2010 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Environmental Hero Award, A Sea Change follows the journey of Sven as he travels from Alaska to Norway to uncover that the global ocean is slowly becoming too acidic for the creatures that live in it.

First Friday Films is a monthly environmental film series organized by the National Park Service and the Division of Environmental Quality.

The Pacific Historic Parks (formerly the Arizona Memorial Museum Association) Bookstore, located inside the visitor’s center, will be open until 8:30 PM. All proceeds go to community education programs.

As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. For planning purposes, the movie runs 1 hour and 23 minutes long.

Nourish Yourself Tomorrow!

2011-06-02T09:09:00.001+10:00

We have a great film event tomorrow night (June 3rd) at American Memorial Park. Starting at 6:30pm at the visitor's center we will be screening Nourish, Food + Community, a film celebrating fresh and wholesome food that’s both good for you and the community. It delves into how the choices we make affect our sustainable food supply.

Also joining us, will be members of the Sabalu Farmers Market Association, including Asap Ogumoro who will be discussing where our food in Saipan comes from and how you can make food choices that benefit your community, health, and environment.

NMC CREES will have a selection of tasty dishes made from locally grown produce for all to try as well as their recipes for you to use at home.

The Pacific Historic Parks (formerly the Arizona Memorial Museum Association) Bookstore, located inside the visitor’s center, will be open until 8:30pm. All proceeds go to community education programs.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 30 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. Please arrive early to ensure admittance, as seating is limited.

We home to see you tomorrow!

Meet the Local Farmers behind YOUR food at the next First Friday Films!

2011-05-26T14:46:00.000+10:00

SAIPAN – Discover the story behind your local produce at the next First Friday Films. Come see Nourish, Food + Community 6:30 p.m. at American Memorial Park.

Meet some local farmers and hear from the Saipan Sabalu Farmers Market Association, including member and farmer Asap Ogumoro. Following the movie, enjoy a tasty food demonstration using local produce from NMC CREES.

Have you ever wondered where your food came from? Was it produced locally or hundreds of miles away and shipped to your hometown? Nourish is a film celebrating fresh and wholesome food that’s both good for you and the community.

With interviews from Best-selling author Michael Pollan, Sustainable Food Advocate Anna Lappe, Chef and author Bryan Terry, and Dr. Nadine Burke, the film delves into how the choices we make affect our sustainable food supply. From the seed to your table, see how food connects every individual on earth.

First Friday Films is a monthly film series brought to you through a partnership with the National Park Service, Division of Environmental Quality, with generous support from community groups such as the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance.

The Pacific Historic Parks (formerly the Arizona Memorial Museum Association) Bookstore, located inside the visitor’s center, will be open until 8:30pm. All proceeds go to community education programs.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 30 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. Find more information about the film at www.firstfridayfilmssaipan.blogspot.com. Subscribe to the blog for regular updates on upcoming events.

Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home

2011-04-28T07:43:00.002+10:00

Several of us have already screened this movie and its definitely worth watching. A funny and educational look at the waste we create. Hope to see you there!

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How much trash can one family generate and where does that garbage go? Come to the next First Friday Films on May 6 to find out. Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home follows the revealing journey of one family after it decides to keep every scrap of garbage for three months.

Sponsored by the Tan Siu Lin Foundation, Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home will be screened 6:30 p.m. at American Memorial Park Visitors Center.

Writer and director Andrew Nisker takes an average urban family, the McDonalds, and asks them to keep every scrap of garbage that they create for three months. He then takes them on a journey to find out where it all goes and what it's doing to the world.

From organic waste to the stuff they flush down the potty, the plastic bags they use to the water they drink out of bottles, the air pollution they create when transporting the kids around, to using lights at Christmas, the McDonalds discover that for every action there is a reaction that affects them and the entire planet.

First Friday Films is a monthly environmental film series organized by the National Park Service and the Division of Environmental Quality.

The Pacific Historic Parks (formerly the Arizona Memorial Museum Association) Bookstore, located inside the visitor’s center, will be open until 8:30 p.m. All proceeds go to community education programs.

As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. For planning purposes, the movie runs 1 hour and 17 minutes long; find more information about the film at www.firstfridayfilmssaipan.blogspot.com. Subscribe to the blog for regular updates on upcoming events.

Check our our new environmental film winners!

2011-04-19T09:15:00.004+10:00

Starting tomorrow (Wednesday) come check out the winners from our First Friday Films contest in celerbation of Environmental Awareness Month and CNMI Earth Day!

All of the following movies play at American Memorial Park Visitors Center

April 20^th

1:00pm: The Mighty River

4:00pm: Recyclergy

6:00pm: The Mighty River

April 21^st

1:00pm: Recyclergy

4:00pm: The Mighty River

6:00pm: Recyclergy

EAM films starting tomorrow

2011-04-11T10:30:00.001+10:00

Our free films events for Environmental Awareness Month (EAM) start tomorrow. Come out and help spread the word!

April 12^th

1:00pm: Disneynature’s Oceans

4:00pm: Sharkwater

6:00pm: Disneynature’s Oceans

April 13^th

1:00pm: Sharkwater

4:00pm: Disneynature’s Oceans

6:00pm: Sharkwater

Films for EAM

2011-04-06T08:42:00.001+10:00

Thanks to everyone that voted throughout March for the films we will be showing during Environmental Awareness Month. The results are now in! Help us spread the word about our events this April. All the films will be shown at the American Memorial Park Visitors center.

The schedule for this month will be:

April 12^th

1:00pm: Disneynature’s Oceans

4:00pm: Sharkwater

6:00pm: Disneynature’s Oceans

April 13^th

1:00pm: Sharkwater

4:00pm: Disneynature’s Oceans

6:00pm: Sharkwater

April 20^th

1:00pm: The Mighty River

4:00pm: Recyclergy

6:00pm: The Mighty River

April 21^st

1:00pm: Recyclergy

4:00pm: The Mighty River

6:00pm: Recyclergy

Short descriptions of the films can be found by clicking the "read more" link below:

Ocean's
This Disneynature fil is an unprecedented look at the lives of elusive deepwater creatures through their own eyes. Incredible state-of-the-art-underwater filmmaking will take your breath away as you migrate with whales, swim alongside a great white shark and race with dolphins at play. Filled with adventure, comedy and drama, OCEANS is a fascinating and thought-provoking experience you'll never forget.

The Mighty River
This Academy Award nominee film tells the story of the St. Lawrence River. 'Magtogoek,' as it is called by the Mi'kmaq people. Its waters, which once teemed with animal and plant life, today bear witness to decades of over-exploitation and industrial pollution. (Animated)

Sharkwater

The winner of 31 international awards (details here), the film documentis the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations and the effect we are having on our ocean ecosystems by removing these top-level predators. Director Rob Stewart seeks to debunk wide-spread stereotypes and media depictions of sharks and to detail their roles as pillars in the evolution of the seas and corner stones to their continued health. The film addresses how "these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how despite surviving the earth's history of mass extinctions, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed." (cited from Stewart here).

Recyclergy
After the first Earth Day celebration in 1970, community, non-profit recycling centers began to pop up in schools, garages, and neighborhood centers all sharing the goal of bringing recycling to their cities. Now only two non-profit recycling organizations remain in San Francisco. Despite the lack of surviving community recycling centers, the Bay Area is still home to a unique community of recyclers who push the envelope of possibilities. Featuring interviews with recycling pioneers and music by Rube Waddell, "The Recyclergy" is an entertaining examination of a fading subculture.

The Man Who Planted Trees Tomorrow!

2011-03-31T10:24:00.001+10:00

Just a quick reminder that we will be showing "The Man Who Planted Trees" tomorrow night (April 1st) at 6:30pm in the American Memorial Park Visitors Center.

The Academy Award winning animated film tells the story of one man's long and successful single-handed effort to re-forest a desolate valley. The touching family film is a tribute to how much good one person can accomplish in a lifetime. There will be some great displays in the lobby and prizes for some of the children in the audience following the film. Additionally, Dr. Dilip Nandwani from NMC CREES will be at the film to speak about their revegetation and planting projects.

The Pacific Historic Parks (formerly the Arizona Memorial Museum Association) Bookstore, located inside the visitor’s center, will be open until 8:30 p.m. All proceeds go to community education programs.

For planning purposes, the program will run about 60 minutes. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public.

We hope to see you tomorrow night!

Vote for EAM Films!

2011-03-04T11:52:00.004+10:00

For the annual Environmental Awareness Month (EAM) put on by the Division of Environmental Quality, First Friday Films will be screening a number of movies throughout April, and we want your help to decide which ones will be shown!

Voting can be done on our First Friday Film home page (http://firstfridayfilmssaipan.blogspot.com/) throughout the month of March.

We will have 4 categories that fans can vote in:

Previously Shown Family Films

New Family Films

Previously Shown Environmental Films

New Environmental Films

The winning film from each category will be shown a couple times in April (the schedule will be posted on April 1st).

Descriptions of the films in each category can be found by following the jump link below.

Previously Shown Family Films:

The Lorax
Based on the Dr. Seuss book by the same name; a young boy goes to meet a ruined industrialist in a treeless wasteland and hear his tale of what happened to him. His tragic story is about how he began a thriving business with a useless fashion product derived from the trees of a forest. As his business booms, the forest and its inhabitants suffer as he wantonly clearcuts without regard to the warnings of a wise old creature called the Lorax about the dire consequences of his greed.

Ocean's
This Disneynature fil is an unprecedented look at the lives of elusive deepwater creatures through their own eyes. Incredible state-of-the-art-underwater filmmaking will take your breath away as you migrate with whales, swim alongside a great white shark and race with dolphins at play. Filled with adventure, comedy and drama, OCEANS is a fascinating and thought-provoking experience you'll never forget.

Earth
An epic story of adventure, starring some of the most magnificent and courageous creatures alive, awaits you in earth. Disneynature brings you a remarkable story of three animal families on a journey across our planet -- polar bears, elephants and humpback whales.

New Family Films:

Crac!
This Academy Award winning, animated film traces the rapid transformation of Quebec society through the story of a rocking chair. In this charming tale tinged with nostalgia, Frédéric Back takes us back to rich traditions swept aside by the relentless forces of progress and urbanization.

The Mighty River
This Academy Award nominee film tells the story of the St. Lawrence River. 'Magtogoek,' as it is called by the Mi'kmaq people. Its waters, which once teemed with animal and plant life, today bear witness to decades of over-exploitation and industrial pollution. (Animated)

Inon on the Conquest of Fire
Frédéric Back's second animated film takes up a universal theme: the quest for fire. In this film inspired by an Algonquin legend, fire is kept from humankind by Inon, the God of Thunder. The animals set off to capture the god's fire and bring it back to their human counterparts. The story is set at a time when humans and animals understood each other and lived in harmony with nature.

Abracadabra
Abracadabra is the story of four children from different continents who team up to find and rescue the sun from the clutches of an evil sorcerer. The film is an allegorical tale cautioning against the dangers of exhausting an indispensable natural resource, here represented by the sun.

Previously Shown Environmental Films:
(click on the title of the film to get it's description)

Addicted to Plastic
Blue Gold
Home for Hawksbill &Fanihi: a cultural digest
Trashed
Dirt!
Sharkwater
Black Wave

New Environmental Films:

Home
A documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, the film is almost entirely composed of beautiful and rare aerial shots of various places around Earth, taken in over 50 countries in the process. It shows the diversity of life on Earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet with a specific focus on Climate Change.

Sea Change
It’s a frightening premise, and it’s happening right now. A Sea Change follows the journey of retired history teacher Sven Huseby on his quest to discover what is happening to the world’s oceans. Sven discovers that global warming is only half the story of the environmental catastrophe that awaits us. Excess carbon dioxide is dissolving in our oceans, changing sea water chemistry. The more acidic water makes it difficult for tiny creatures at the bottom of the food web to form their shells. The effects could work their way up to the fish 1 billion people depend upon for their source of protein.

Recyclergy
After the first Earth Day celebration in 1970, community, non-profit recycling centers began to pop up in schools, garages, and neighborhood centers all sharing the goal of bringing recycling to their cities. Now only two non-profit recycling organizations remain in San Francisco. Despite the lack of surviving community recycling centers, the Bay Area is still home to a unique community of recyclers who push the envelope of possibilities. Featuring interviews with recycling pioneers and music by Rube Waddell, "The Recyclergy" is an entertaining examination of a fading subculture.

Disney Nature's Earth Tomorrow

2011-03-03T11:45:00.000+10:00

Join First Friday Films tomorrow for a journey around the planet from the perspective of nature’s most mysterious and elusive animals. Disneynature’s Earth will be screened Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the American Memorial Park Visitor’s Center as part of this monthly event.

The animated feature “The Man Who Planted Trees,” which was scheduled to play this month will be rescheduled to the April 1^st event due to some logistical delays.

Audiences tomorrow will not be disappointed, however, by Disneynature’s “Earth”, which takes the viewer into the personal family lives of three of the world’s most carismatic and elusive animals; the Polar bear, Elephant, and Humpback whale. Filled with adventure and suspense, the film ventures into the realm of these wild animals and the spectacular world in which they exist. Created with rare footage and remarkable scenes, it is an inspiring film for all ages.

The Pacific Historic Parks (formerly the Arizona Memorial Museum Association) Bookstore, located inside the visitor’s center, will be open until 8:30 p.m. All proceeds go to community education programs.

As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. For planning purposes, the movie runs about 90 minutes long.

How One Person Can Change the World

2011-02-16T13:15:00.007+10:00

The Man Who Planted Trees – a story of one person’s sacrifice to benefit future generations and the environment – will be featured at the next First Friday Films at American Memorial Park on March 4^th at 6:30 p.m.

The animated movie brings to life the classic story of an old man who collects acorns and other seedlings and revives a once deserted and barren wasteland and creates a beautiful environment for building homes and raising families. Guest speakers will highlight the importance of trees and how they breathe life into the world. Don’t miss out on this wonderful and educational event!

The Man Who Planted Trees is made possible by generous support from the Tan Sui Lin Foundation and the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance (MINA). First Friday Films is a monthly environmental film series from the National Park Service and the Division of Environmental Quality.

The Pacific Historic Parks (formerly the Arizona Memorial Museum Association) Bookstore, located inside the visitor’s center, will be open until 8:30 p.m. All proceeds go to community education programs.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 85 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. Find more information about the film at www.firstfridayfilmssaipan.blogspot.com. Subscribe to the blog for regular updates on upcoming events.

For more information on the upcoming event feel free to contact Aric Bickel or Lisa Eller, Division of Environmental Quality 664-8510 or Nancy Kelchner, National Park Service, American Memorial Park, 483-7253.

Addicted to Plastic at the next First Fridays!

2011-01-26T13:09:00.005+10:00

Our next First Friday Film - Addicted to Plastic - reveals the history and worldwide scope of plastics pollution, investigates its toxicity and explores solutions. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 4 at American Memorial Park. Come early to check out our informative lobby displays.

From styrofoam cups to artificial organs, plastics are perhaps the most ubiquitous and versatile material ever invented. No invention in the past 100 years has had more influence and presence than synthetics. But such progress has had a cost.

Addicted to Plastic shows the cycle of many different types of plastics we use everyday, the many threats they pose to our oceans and health, and the challenges with recycling plastic. It is “a wake up-call…a sort of eco-horror movie!” said Dr. M. Cervino of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. It also presents unique and bizarre solutions to reducing, reusing, and recycling this useful yet toxic material.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 85 minutes long. As always, First Friday Films is free and open to the public. Limited seating is available; please arrive early to ensure entry.

Rob Stewart to Speak Monday!

2011-01-20T11:37:00.002+10:00

Rob Stewart, director of the film Sharkwater (previously shown by First Friday films in August) will be speaking at the American Memorial Park Visitor's Center this coming monday (Jan. 24th), at 6:30pm. As part of the event he will be showing shark footage he has taken in his travels around the world and talking about the making of Sharkwater and how the CNMI community can get more involved in shark conservation.

Stewart's presentation is part of his brief visit to the islands to follow the progress of a shark fin bill awaiting the Governor's signature and to film footage of sharks for his next film.

The event is free and open to the public; seating is limited, so please come early to ensure admittance. For planning purposes, the event is expected to last between 60 and 90 minutes.

Please come out and join us for this exciting event and help us spread the word!

Second Screening of Oceans this Friday!

2011-01-11T14:08:00.001+10:00

Thanks for everyone who was able to make it out to our screening of Disneynature's "Oceans" last Friday night.

We apologize to those that were turned away due to our reaching of maximum capacity; unfortunately the American Memorial Park venue we use can only seat so many, and the movie ended up being so popular that we could not legally allow anyone else in the theater.

However, due to its popularity, we will be doing a second screening of the film this Friday night at 6:00pm at the American Memorial Park visitors center. So, if you missed it the first time around or would like to share it with us again, please come out!

For your planning purposes, the film is 80minutes long and will start promptly at 6:00pm.

Sharkwater on KSPN Thursday!

2011-01-04T15:13:00.001+10:00

In anticipation of the legislature's vote on a shark-fining ban in the CNMI (details here), KSPN will be screening the film Sharkwater at 6:30pm this Thursday (Jan. 6th). Regular attendees of the First Friday Film program will remember that we screened this film in August of last year to an over-capacity crowd at AMP.

Last night, KSPN ran a piece as part of their evening news about the shark bill, that featured an interview with the director of the film, Rob Stewart (the entire program can be viewed here). During the interview, Stewart reaffirmed his intentions to visit the CNMI later this month in response to efforts of Kathy Pagapular and her San Vicente 3rd grade class, who wrote to Stewart about their dedication to shark conservation following the viewing of his film (more details here).

Please help us in spreading the word about this television event. You can view the trailer for the film by clicking on the banner below, and you can read our press release on the film here.

KSPN will be running stories on the evening news related to the screening of the film and progress of the fining bill all week, so stay tuned!

MMRN Members to Speak After Disney’s 'Oceans'

2011-01-03T16:15:00.000+10:00

To kick off 2011, First Friday Films will be screening the Disneynature film “Oceans” at 6:30pm on January 7^th at the American Memorial Park visitor’s center.

At the event, members of the Marine Mammal Response Network (MMRN) will speak about the whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals that are found in CNMI waters and how our community can contribute to our knowledge of and support the conservation of these animals.

Come out early to visit our lobby exhibits and to visit the Pacific Historic Park bookstore (proceeds from which support the park's community programs)

OCEANS to play first Friday in January

2010-12-15T15:03:00.003+10:00

Disney’s OCEANS will be featured at the next First Friday Films event – the first film for 2011. Bring the whole family to enjoy this beautifully shot movie on Friday, Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at American Memorial Park.

Nearly three-quarters of the Earth’s surface is covered by water and OCEANS boldly chronicles the mysteries that lie beneath. Directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud dive deep into the very waters that sustain all of mankind—exploring the harsh reality and the amazing creatures that live within. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan and featuring spectacular never—before—seen imagery captured by the latest underwater technologies, OCEANS offers an unprecedented look beneath the sea in a powerful motion picture.

First Friday Films is a monthly film series brought to you through a partnership with the National Park Service and the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), with generous support from community groups such as the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance (MINA).

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 80 minutes long. As always, “First Friday Films” is free and open to the public. Subscribe to this blog for regular updates on upcoming events.

Conservationists to speak about the CNMI's sea turtle and Fanihi populations

2010-11-26T11:37:00.007+10:00

Two of the CNMI’s endangered species, the Hawksbill sea turtle and the Marianas fruit bat (Fanihi), will be featured at the next “First Friday Films” at American Memorial Park.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3 with the film Home for Hawksbill followed by our second screening: Fanihi: A Cultural Digest. Joining us to shed more light on the conservation efforts underway to protect these species will be Tammy Summers, Julia Boland and Joe Ruak from the Department of Land and Natural Resources – Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Before each film, they will talk briefly about conservation and protection of the sea turtle and Fanihi populations in the CNMI. There will be a question and answer session after both films. Viewers are encouraged to come early to enjoy displays in American Memorial Park’s Visitors Center lobby as well as stay after the film to have their questions answered by our presenters.

Two Films for December

2010-11-16T16:41:00.001+10:00

Coming up on Friday December 3rd at 6:30pm, First Friday Films will be screening two short films that highlight two threatened and endangered species here in the CNMI; the Fanihi (Marianas flying fox) and the Hawksbill seaturtle.

Fanihi: A Cultural Digest, a short film shot in the CNMI by Jonathan Fowler, discusses the complex issue that is the conservation of this import animal. The film examines the ecological role the Fanihi plays on our islands as well as the cultural importance it has with the chamorro people.

Home for Hawksbill, a short film by Jordan Plotsky, tells the inspiring story of how three distinctly different cultural groups in the Solomon Islands came together to help protect this endangered species. The film details how these communities went from hunting the turtle to localized extinction to providing a safe haven for the animal that mutually benefits all the groups involved. You can visit the movies website here.

For planning purposes, the two films combined have an approximate run time of about 50 minutes.

We hope to see you in December!

Blue Gold This Friday!

2010-11-01T14:40:00.001+10:00

Just a reminder that we will be showing Blue Gold: World Water Wars this Friday at 6:30pm at the American memorial Park Visitors center.

For more information on the film see post below.

After the film, Derek Chambers, from the Division of Environmental Quality's Safe Drinking Water branch, will discuss where our tap and drinking water come from on Saipan and highlight ways we can become better stewards of this precious resource. The Visitor’s Center lobby will also feature an exhibit about the declining supply of global freshwater and ways we can help conserve it.

We hope to see you Friday!

Blue Gold for November

2010-10-29T08:52:00.001+10:00

On Friday November 5th, First Friday Films will be screening the film Blue Gold: World Water Wars at 6:30pm at the American Memorial Park Visitors Center.

Four-time "Best Documentary" award winner, Blue Gold sheds light on the waste and overuse of one of our most precious resources: fresh water. The film discusses the practices that have lead to the dwindling supply of this limited resource and follows various examples from around the globe of people struggling to maintain their access and rights to water.

"differs from many others of the same vein in offering opinions and ideas from a varied number of professionals and experts that could lead to tangible solutions."
- HESO Magazine

“A must see film for every person on the planet.”
- Greenmuse.com

Please join us for this wonderful film. For planning purposes, the film is 90min long. You can see the trailor below or learn more about the film by visiting their website here .

Trashed Wrap Up

2010-10-05T16:04:00.002+10:00

Thanks to everyone that made it out for Trashed last Friday!

The movie was great, the exhibits put together by MINA, the National Park Service, and CRM were fantastic, and Steve Hiney from public works gave an excellent presentation on their programs. So, a big thanks to all those folks as well.

As promised, below are a couple links to good how-to home compost sites:

http://www.thegardenofoz.org/composting101.asp

http://eartheasy.com/grow_compost.html

Both of these will give you all the information you need to start home composting. I sent out some other resources on composting and recycling that we have here at DEQ and CRM to everyone on the email list. If you are not on the list and would like to be, or would like these resources, contact me at aricbickel@deq.gov.mp and I can make that happen.

We hope to see everyone out next month!

TRASHED to be shown on October 1st

2010-09-21T20:56:00.005+10:00

The end of September brings us the 25th annual International Coastal Cleanup, where thousands of volunteers take to coastal areas around the world be pick up garbage. To coincide with this event, the First Friday Films series will feature TRASHED - the story of garbage...American style.

Official selection of the Newport Beach Film Festival, TRASHED takes us headfirst into the world of garbage. The documentary aims to show the world just what happens to solid waste after it leaves our hands and homes. With staggering facts such as 370 million tons of trash land-filled annually, or 1.37 billion cubic kilometers of ocean full of plastic, TRASHED encourages viewers to rethink the way that we consume products, reconsider the amount of waste we produce, and refocus on the pervasive environmental issue of over-consumption.

Please join us for this eye-opening look at the effects that our throw-away culture is having on the environment. The film will be shown at the American Memorial Park Visitor's center at 6:30pm on October 1st. As always, it's FREE!

You can see the trailer and find more information about the film here.

"Pulitzer price winning author Russell Baker once said "The American dream is to turn goods into trash as fast as possible." Nowhere is this better illustrated than in Bill Kirkos' film Trashed. This film is a must see."

-Professor Raymond Benton, Loyola University

Dirt! this Friday, NRCS to speak, plants to take

2010-08-30T14:18:00.001+10:00

It's that time again! This Friday we will be screen Dirt! The Movie (see previous post for description). The film will begin at 6:30 (note our new time!) at the American Memorial Park Visitor's center.

Members of our local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will speak after the film on soil in the CNMI and what resource managers are doing to conserve this extremely valuable resource (as well as answer audience questions).

For your planning purposes, the movie runs about one hour and 20 minutes. Come early at 6 p.m. to visit our engaging soil displays on composting, tree plantings and environmentally friendly farming practices (and to make sure you get a seat...).

While supplies last, each family will have the opportunity to take home one native plant after the film courtesy of the CNMI Department of Agriculture, Forestry Division.

We hope to see you there!

Dirt! to be shown in September

2010-08-23T13:34:00.001+10:00

Coming up in September we have a great documentary, Dirt! the movie, that discusses our reliance on the Earth's soil and the damage we have wrought on it. The film will be shown at the American Memorial Park Visitor's center at 6:30pm on September 3rd (previous viewers note the new time!).

Official selection to the 2009 Sundance film festival, and winner of several awards (including Best Documentary at the Maui and "Visions/Voices" film festivals), Dirt! tells the story of Earth's most valuable and under appreciated resource, from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation. The movie seeks to revolutionize the way we see dirt and raise awareness to the plight of one of our most important resources. Rather than simply bemoan the situation, Dirt! offers a myriad of actions that we can take as communities to promote the rebuilding of soil and the sustainable use of it, reminding us that "What we have destroyed, we can heal".

"An invogorating look at an invaluable substance we take for granted."
- LA Times

"...an uplifting story about people from all walks of life who are striving to renew our relationship with the ground beneath our feet"
- The Hollywood Reporter

You can see the trailer and find more information about the film here.

Please join us for this wonderful film on September 3rd. As always it's Free!

Wahington Post article

2010-08-11T16:24:00.001+10:00

Coincidentally enough, our SharkWater screening event happened to coincide with Discovery channel's "Shark Week".

In relation to this, the Washington Post held public discussion with biologist Andy Dehart that may interest some of you folks. The link to the discussion can be found here: http://live.washingtonpost.com/shark-week-with-andy-dehart-08-04-10.html

This link was passed on by one of the attendee of last friday's event (thanks to her..), if anyone comes across anything interesting that we can put up here, please email those over. Thanks!

Shark Protection update

2010-08-10T16:14:00.001+10:00

Two updates to the information we posted earlier this week:

1) There is a pre-existing facebook page dedicated to getting people together to support making the CNMI a shark fin free zone. You can join the group through this link: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1715392496#!/group.php?gid=138532896160975

The group's focus right now is supporting efforts by members of the CNMI House to introduce a bill banning shark fining in the CNMI. Updates on the bills status and how you can get involved will be posted on this group page, so check it out if you're interested.

2) There is a WestPAC sponsored CNMI Bottomfish Scoping Meeting tomorrow night (Wens August 11th) at NMC from 6-9pm (flyer posted after jump link). At this meeting they will be discussing (amoung other things) potential policy changes in relation to bottom fish. Sharks happen to be among the largest bycatch species of this fishery (I am told anecdotely the largest), and it is likely that policy shifts in relation to the bycatch of sharks will be discussed. The meeting will be an opportunity to hear and comment on potential management options. So, particularly for you fisherman folks, it may be worth attending.

Attention Fisherman and other Stakeholders:

You are invited to attend the

CNMI Bottomfish Scoping Meeting

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, the policy-making agency for fisheries management in federal waters (3-200 miles offshore) of the

Pacific Islands, will convene public scoping meetings on the management of the bottomfish fishery resources that occur around CNMI. The public meetings are an opportunity for you to comment on bottomfish fishery issues and potential management options, in addition to other fisheries related issues. Your views are being solicited on exiting federal management regime for bottomfish species, current performance of the fishery and the need for potential regulatory changes. The meetings will be held using video conferencing at the following locations:

Saipan: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 6:00pm to 9:00pm

NMC Classroom D-l

Tinian: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 6:00pm to 9:00pm

NMC Enhancement Room

Rota: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 6:00pm to 9:00pm

NMC Enhancement Room

For more information, call Jack Ogumoro, the Council’s On-Site Coordinator in CNMI at 287-9482 or 322-9830, or log on to the Council’s website at www.wpcouncil.org.

Information from SharkWater screening

2010-08-09T14:56:00.000+10:00

Thanks to everyone who made it out to the movie on Friday night! We had almost 150 people in attendance; it was great to see so many interested in protecting our shark populations.

Attached below (after the jump link) are the results of the restaurant/business survey we did to see who is serving shark fin soup or other shark derived products.

Also included are links to outreach materials that can be used to ask these businesses to stop serving these products and why they should; one of them is even translated into Chinese.

CNMI Businesses Serving Shark Products:

*note: During this brief survey of Chinese restaurants in the Garapan and Beach road area, 17 businesses were visited (15 restaurants and two stores that sell herbal supplements). Of the 15 restaurants, 11 of them were found to list shark fin soup on their menu; both of stores that sell herbal supplements were found to carry products derived from sharks. This survey was not intended to be comprehensive, and most likely infers that there are other restaurants besides the ones listed here that serve shark fin soup or other shark related products. If you are aware of other places that do serve these products, please contact us so that we can update our list.

Restaurants found to serve shark fin soup or other dish containing shark fin:

1) Double Restaurant, Garapan

Located behind DFS.

2) Ming Palace, Garapan

Located on a side street just south of the Paseo.

3) Asahi Chinese Restaurant, Garapan

Located across from Fiesta Resort.

4) Canton Restaurant, Garapan

Located across next to Sun Leader on Beach road just south of Bank of Guam.

5) Saipan Seaside Restaurant, Beach Road

South of Naked Fish.

6) China House Restaurant

Located near National Office Supply.

7) Dakeyi Canton Kitchen, Garapan

Located near Johnny’s Bar on Beach Rd.

8) Guang Zhou Restaurant, Garapan

Located on side street across from Fiesta Resort.

9) Happiness Restaurant, Garapan

Located around the corner from Wintchells

facing Fiesta drainage.

10) Kazan Tei Chinese Restaurant, Garapan

Located across from Fiesta Resort.

11) Ocean Palace Sharks Fin Seafood Restaurant, Susupe

Located across from World Resort.

Supplement Stores that carry shark derived products:

1) A One Natural Health Products, Garapan

Located across from the Hyatt Resort

2) Nic Health, Garapan

Located in Joeten Plaza

Links to outreach materials that ask businesses to stop serving shark fin soup:

A double sided card produced by the Humane Society in both English and Chinese:

http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/hsi/web_consumercard_en_zhs_2pages.pdf

A one sided English only card produced by WildAID:

http://shark.wildaidchina.org/en/what-you-can-do/restaurant-campaign.html

SharkWater Tomorrow!!

2010-08-05T13:49:00.000+10:00

We will be showing SharkWater tomorrow at American Memorial Park's Visitors Center at 7:00pm. As always, the film is free and open to the public.

Following the film, representatives from the Division of Fish and Wildlife will be on hand to discuss CNMI Shark populations and answer audience questions.

For more information on the film see below or visit the official movie website here

We hope to see you out tomorrow!

DFW to speak after Sharkwater

2010-07-22T14:58:00.000+10:00

We're gearing up for our August event, which will feature the film Sharkwater. The film will be free and open to the public and will begin at 7:00pm on Friday August 6th at the American Memorial Park Visitor's Center.

Following the movie, representatives from the Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) will be on hand to talk about shark populations in the Marianas and threats to them as well as answer audience questions.

For more information on the film visit: http://www.sharkwater.com/ , or watch the trailer of the film in our previous post below. If you're interested in helping us spread the word about First Friday Films contact Aric Bickel at aricbickel@deq.gov.mp .

We're really excited about this award winning film and hope to see you out on August 6th!

Gulf Disaster information links

2010-07-06T15:52:00.000+10:00

Thanks to everyone who made it out to the screening of Black Wave last Friday! For those looking for more information regarding the Gulf oil spill as well as other ways you can get involved in making sure a disaster like this never happens again, please check out the following links:

The Center for Biological Diversity's Gulf Disaster page

NOAA fisheries service oil spill website

BP's spill response page

Google Earth layers concerning the spill disaster and response

Geoplatform's gulf response application

NY Times coverage of the oil spill

Sharkwater to be screened in August

2010-07-06T15:48:00.004+10:00

For our August First Friday Film we will be screening Sharkwater. As always the film will be free and open to the public, and will be shown at the American Memorial Park visitors center at 7:00pm on Friday August 6th.

Sharkwater, the winner of 31 international awards (details here), is a film documenting the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations and the effect we are having on our ocean ecosystems by removing these top-level predators. Through this documentary, director Rob Stewart seeks to debunk wide-spread stereotypes and media depictions of sharks and to detail their roles as pillars in the evolution of the seas and corner stones to their continued health. The film addresses how "these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how despite surviving the earth's history of mass extinctions, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed." (cited from Stewart here).

Following the film, local experts will be on hand to discuss the status of our regional shark populations and steps we can take to protect them.

“Compelling…part gorgeous, ethereal swim with the sharks…part message movie about the slaughter of the innocents.”
Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun

"Sharkwater will change the way people view sharks and the ocean. It will open their eyes... and, hopefully, their hearts."
Cristopher Chin, Deeper Blue (see full review here)

Please join us for this event August 6th, at 7:00pm. Find the trailer and links to the movie's website below:

BP spill cam and spill tracker

2010-07-02T13:43:00.000+10:00

In light of our inaugural movie for First Friday Films, Black Wave, we have added the spill cam below along with a counter keeping track of how many gallons of oil have leaked into the Gulf (with a sliding scale allowing you to change the amount based on different estimates).

"Black Wave" to kick off First Friday Films

2010-07-01T12:40:00.000+10:00

First Friday Films will kick off tomorrow with a free screening of Black Wave, a film on the lingering impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Black Wave will be shown at the American Memorial Park Visitor’s Center on July 2^nd, at 7:00 PM.

Sponsored by the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance (MINA), Black Wave is a documentary about the 20-year legacy of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In the early hours of March 24th 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil supertanker ran aground in Alaska and discharged millions of gallons of crude oil into sensitive Arctic waters. The incident became the biggest environmental catastrophe in North American history. The official Black Wave trailer can be viewed here: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/bw.html

Black Wave kicks off “First Friday Films” – a free monthly environmental film program aimed at inspiring the community to become actively involved and make environmentally friendly choices. Following the film, local oil spill responders will discuss the Gulf of Mexico spill and the response plans in place for the CNMI.

“First Friday Films” is a free and monthly event set to repeat every first Friday of the month. It is coordinated through a partnership between the Division of Environmental Quality and American Memorial Park, with the help of organizations such as MINA.