Errington filmmaker Richard Boyce’s latest work, Rainforest, the Limit of Splendour, has won yet another prestigious award, this time in Toronto.
Boyce attended the Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival last week and so was on hand to stand up and accept the Mark Haslam Award — the most prestigious award of five given out.
The Mark Haslam Award was established in honour of the founder of Planet in Focus and is given to any drama, documentary or experimental film at the festival that gives voice to individuals, communities, struggles or stories that are under-represented in the media and is made by a filmmaker who is a member of participant in that community. The work must demonstrate the power to inspire reflection and positive action towards the social and ecological health of the planet.
“It was a great honour because there were 10 films there as part of the festival,” Boyce said. “It was really inspiring to be in Toronto with so many people who wanted to demand change and to meet so many other filmmakers who had the same aspirations.”
Also inspiring, he said, was the turnout to the festival.
“To have a festival run for an entire week, with four theatres running the whole time and with sellout crowds in theatres that hold up to 500 people is inspiring,” he said.
Rainforest, which won the Best Mountain Culture Film award at this year’s Whistler Film Festival, has been accepted to run at the Paris Environmental Film Festival in mid-February.
“It’s probably the oldest festival of its kind in the world,” Boyce saidl. “This is its 30th year.”
Boyce noted the next local screening of Rainforest, the Limit of Splendour will be at the McMillan Arts Centre on Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
