Press Release
For immediate release: 30th March 2009
Brent Friends of the Earth ‘Not Stupid’ Film Screening Events Success at the Tricycle
A week-long series of high-profile screening events organised by Brent Friends of the Earth (FoE) attracted over one thousand three hundred people to watch the climate change film “The Age of Stupid” at The Tricycle cinema in Kilburn last week. Highlights of the 16 events included Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband in conversation with the film’s Director Franny Armstrong; a packed Youth screening with Harry Potter actor Jason Isaacs; Ken Livingstone, and local MP Sarah Teather attending question and answer sessions with the audience.
‘The Age Of Stupid’ stars Pete Postlethwaite as a man living in the devastated world of 2055, watching "archive" footage from 2008 and asking: why didn't we stop climate change while we had the chance? It paints a stark vision of a devastated future where climate change has wreaked havoc. Pete Postlethwaite’s scenes were filmed in a disused warehouse in Willesden, Brent.
The film hits cinemas in the run up to a crucial United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009. Friends of the Earth is calling for a strong and just international agreement which includes steep cuts in emissions to prevent dangerous global temperature rises.
Ken Livingstone, who spoke at a screening on 23rd March says, “Every single person should be forcibly made to watch this film. We all need to cut our emissions by at least 80% by 2050. If billions of us all make small changes and if we get it right our children and our grandchildren will have a decent quality of life and there will be no problem reaching these reductions.”
Viv Stein, Spokesperson for Brent FoE says, “We are delighted to have had the opportunity to show this film to so many people and to have welcomed so many eminent speakers to Kilburn. Brent Friends of the Earth are now planning to show this film to Brent Council and in schools and community groups across the borough. It will open everyone’s eyes to the urgency of tackling climate change while we still can.”
The film was shown at the Tricycle Cinema in Kilburn from 20th to 26th March, accompanied by a week-long series of themed ‘Not Stupid’ events organised by Brent FoE in association with Spanner films.
Ends.
For further information see:
1. Attached photos from event and film.
2. Schedule of Events
Friday 20th- Ideas into Action
2.30- Youth Screening with Jason Isaacs and Mayor of Brent Cllr Ralph Fox
6.30- Q&A with director Franny Armstrong and comedian Jeremy Hardy
8.55- Introduced by Franny Armstrong
Saturday 21st- Not Stupid Energy
6.30- Post screening discussion with Andrew Simms, Policy Director of New Economics Foundation
8.55- Introduced by Andrew Simms
Sunday 22nd
5.30- Post screening discussion with director Franny Armstrong and Environment Secretary Ed Miliband
8.15- Introduced by Franny Armstrong and Ed Miliband
Monday 23rd- Brent Not Stupid
6.00- Q&A with Ken Livingstone and Assembly Member Nicky Gavron
8.55- Introduced by Ken Livingstone
Tuesday 24th- Global Not Stupid
6.30- Q&A with Ashok Sinha, Stop Climate Chaos and Shahrar Ali, Brent Green party
8.55- Introduced by Ashok Sinha
Wednesday 25th- Rights and Justice
6.30- Q&A with Maria Adebowale, Capacity Global
8.55- Introduced by Maria Adebowale
Thursday 26th
2.30- Older Age screening and Q&A with MP Sarah Teather and Cllr Anthony Dunn
Not Stupid Food 6.30- Q&A with Kath Dalmeny, Sustain and Jenny Jones, Green Party AM
8.55- Introduced by Kath Dalmeny
3. www.brentfoe.com
4.http://www.ageofstupid.net/ and http://www.ageofstupid.net/news/tricycle_showdown_miliband_vs_armstrong_round_two
5. http://www.tricycle.co.uk/
6. From 7th to 18th December 2009, the 15th UN climate conference will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark. Governments from around the world will meet to discuss efforts to tackle global warming. Friends of the Earth is calling for a strong and just agreement which includes rich countries taking the lead and making a commitment to cut their emissions by 40% by 2020, with no offsetting; and to invest new money in developing countries to help them adapt to the effects of global warming happening right now, including floods, storms and droughts, and also to help them develop in a clean way.
Contact: Viv Stein, Press Officer, Brent Friends of the Earth/
‘Not Stupid’ Co-ordinator for Tricycle screenings