One World Film Festival Now On in Ottawa

As the Busan International Film Festival winds down in Korea, the One World Film Festival is beginning in Ottawa.

The 2011 One World Film Festival poster.

There are many film festivals held every year in Canada, some of which, like the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), are famous around the world.  But in addition to big festivals like the TIFF, many smaller film festivals are held as well.  The One World Film Festival, though not as famous as the TIFF, is just as interesting.

The One World Film Festival is an annual event, now in its 22nd edition, held in Canada's capital city.  It is organized by World Inter-Action Mondiale (WIAM), a mostly volunteer-run public education NGO.  The festival features documentary films about issues of importance to people from all over the world.  Films shown at the One World Film Festival generally touch upon three broad themes, namely human rights, social and economic justice / development, and environmental sustainability.  For additional information about the One World Film Festival, reviews published in French and in English on Radio-Canada International are quite insightful.

The world is a big place, and it is often difficult for people from one part of the world to understand what life is like for people living somewhere else.  The One World Film Festival makes this easier for the people of Ottawa.  In addition, the festival is a fun occasion for Ottawans to socialize and get to know each other as well.  Because of this, the One World Film Festival is an important community building event in Ottawa.