Bag It kicks off Plastic Bag Challenge on August 1st, 6:30pm

First Friday Films is partnering with the Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance (MINA) to show the film Bag It on Friday, August 1^st at 6:30pm at American Memorial Park, kicking off MINA’s Plastic Bag Challenge.  

The movie Bag It asks “Is your life too plastic?” It follows the life of an average man when he decides to make a resolution to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store. Little does he know, this simple descision will change his life completely. Realizing that over-consumption of plastic has started to catch up with us, he looks at what we can do to fix it.

Before the film, Becky Furey from MINA will talk about the Plastic Bag Challenge  -- an outreach campaign that aims to reduce the use of plastic bags through the promotion of more sustainable options, such as reusable shopping bags and boxes. Across the United States and the Pacific, many places are starting to phase out plastic bags in favor of alternatives, and MINA is leading that charge for the CNMI. The Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance is an environmental conservation non-profit organization that works to sustain the natural environment and ensure the island way of life.

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 MINA. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run approximately 90 minutes. 

FFF moved to July 11th -- Blue Planet: Coral Seas

First Friday Films will be showing the Coral Seas episode of the BBC’s The Blue Planet series for free at American Memorial Park on Friday, July 11^th at 6:30pm. This is one week later than the normal First Friday Films schedule due to conflict with the 4^th of July holiday.

Amazingly beautiful and complex, coral reefs develop from humble beginnings. Tiny coral larvae float through the seas and settle, growing into intricate and fragile coral reefs inch-by-inch over hundreds of years. As the community flourishes, animals develop relationships with one another and such a place can feature a huge variety of ocean life.

The Blue Planet is a British nature documentary series created and produced by the BBC. It is one of the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world’s oceans. Dozens of videographers worked for years on The Blue Planet series and the Coral Seas episode displays fantastic footage of what is happening on reefs just those surrounding the CNMI.

Before the film, Greg Moretti of the Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance will speak about his underwater photography experiences on Saipan’s reefs. Community members can also learn about the upcoming coral spawning event around Saipan that will be happening near the new moon in July.

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. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run approximately 60 minutes. 

Local short films shown FRIDAY, June 6th!

To celebrate World Ocean’s Day on June 6^th, First Friday Films is inviting the public to view three local short films that explore the CNMI’s environment and natural resources at American Memorial Park on Friday, June 6^th at 6:30pm.

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

Finally, we will view 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.

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. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run approximately 90 minutes.

"Shark on the Ledge" this Friday, 6:30pm

Film fans! Please join us this Friday, May 2nd at 6:30pm at American Memorial Park for the Marianas debut of Shark on the Ledge. This film was made possible by the Micronesian Shark Foundation and is being brought to Saipan by FFF supporters.

Palau was the first nation in the world to grant full protection status to shark populations with the signing of a landmark agreement signed by President Johnson Toribiong in 2009. On direct request by the President, the Micronesian Shark Foundation was granted full access to conduct research to analyze the effect of human influence on shark populations in Palau.

Shark on the Ledge documents the two week voyage of four scientists who tried to deploy satellite tags on sharks in Helen’s Reef, a sandy atoll rising only a few feet above sea level in the southernmost isolated corner of Palau. Their experience in the believed-pristine waters of Helen’s Reef was shocking in comparison with the heavily trafficked and populated areas of Koror where they visited next. The film displays the devastating destruction of illegal fishing and long-lining as well as the need to protect broad-scale marine biodiversity, starting with sharks as apex predators.

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 film is sponsored by the Micronesian Shark Foundation and was made possible by donations from the Bohemian Foundation. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run approximately 90 minutes.

To kick off Environmental Awareness Month: a free film about fishing on April 4th

First Friday Films presents the new film “Drawing the Line” on Friday, April 4^th at 6:30pm at American Memorial Park discussing a different perspective on who is affected by marine protected areas: the fishermen. 

Drawing the Line is a revealing tale about Australia’s oceans and the men and women who depend upon them for their livelihood. Australia is currently in the process of implementing the world’s largest marine reserves network. Although marine protected areas are often thought of as popular solution to marine conservation, this story illustrates the plight of the people who make their living off of the areas that the Australian government is trying to close off in the name of conservation.  

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 film is sponsored by Marianas Conservation. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run about 75 minutes.

The topic of this month’s film will be complimented by another new film to be shown on May 2^nd – “Shark on the Ledge” about shark fishing in Palau.

For more information about First Friday Films, email fffsaipan@gmail.com.

What is fair trade and why does it matter?

First Friday Films presents the new film “Buyer Be Fair” on Friday, March 7^th at 6:30pm at American Memorial Park about what labels on the products we buy and sell mean and how we can use them to change the world.

“Buyer Be Fair: The Promise of Product Certification” takes viewer to Mexico, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, the USA and Canada to explore how conscious consumers and businesses can use the market to promote social justice and environmental sustainability through product labeling, with a focus on Fair Trade coffee and Forest Stewardship Council certified wood. This film is an inspirational and balanced insight into why product certifications exist and why we should pay attention to them.

Before the film, Mr. Perry Inos Jr., Director of the CNMI Small Business Development Center within the CNMI Department of Commerce will speak about his experiences with product certifications, his work promoting business development in the CNMI, and some of the ways that product certification exist on our own island. Mr. Inos is a certified Business Advisor, Business Trainer, International Export Advisor, America’s SBDC Certified Counselor as well as a business owner.

                                                        

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 film is sponsored by the Division of Environmental Quality. As always, our film events are free and open to the public. This event will run about 75 minutes.

TAPPED to be shown on Friday, Feb 7th

First Friday Films presents the new film “Tapped” on Friday, February 7^th at 6:30pm at American Memorial Park about bottled water, why we love it and why we shouldn’t love it.

The film asks, “Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce?” The documentary is a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of the bottled water industry -- an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water. “Tapped” is a portrait of the lives affected by the bottled water industry, from the plastic production to the ocean in which so many of these bottles end up.

Before the film, Mr. Jose M. Kaipat from the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality’s Safe Drinking Water Branch will give a brief presentation about drinking water and bottle usage on Saipan. Mr. Kaipat has been at DEQ for 18 years in various capacities and can speak first-hand about the regulations and concerns about drinking water sources in the CNMI. As the chief coordinator of BECQ’s Monthly Clean-up Brigade, Kaipat also knows the damaging environmental impacts of our beverage containers after the drinks are consumed.

                                                        

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 film is sponsored by the Division of Environmental Quality. As always, our film events are free and open to the 

public. This event will run about 75 minutes.

For more information about First Friday Films, email fffsaipan@gmail.com.