Category: Our Projects

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NEW FILM: SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL – The Quest To Save The Valley Of The Moon

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL explores the challenges facing a small rural community waging a fierce battle against a massive luxury development threatening to engulf a wildlife sanctuary and a community’s way of life.

Set against the backdrop of California’s increasing wildfire risks, the documentary highlights the precarious balance between urban expansion and environmental preservation. As climate change intensifies fire seasons, this rural community finds itself not only fighting to protect its natural heritage but also grappling with the potential catastrophic consequences of introducing large-scale development into a fire-prone landscape. 

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL is featured on the front page of today’s Press Democrat! The story highlights the film’s recent travels across Europe, including its international premiere and nomination for Best Short Environmental Documentary in Lisbon and nomination for Best Short Documentary at the Septimius Awards in Amsterdam.

 “A visually stunning and emotionally resonant call to action… essential viewing.” https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/small-is-beautiful-film-carolyn-scott-sonoma-developmental-center/?artslide=0

We’re also thrilled to share that the final cut was shaped by Peabody and Emmy-winning editor Denny Thomas, whose powerful revision brings sharper focus to the hidden machinery behind the controversial SDC development—making the film more compelling than ever.

About the Filmmaker:
Carolyn M. Scott is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and recipient of the National Women’s History Project’s “Women Taking the Lead to Save the Planet” award. Her previous film TEXAS GOLD aired on Sundance Channel and PBS and screened at over 30 international festivals.
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Kauai’s Homelessness

This short film FINDING OHANA was produced by Reel Community Action. The film was shot at a homeless camp in Kapaa, Kauai.

Hawaii may be a dream destination for many non-Natives, but the homelessness crisis is a constant threat for Native Hawaiians. As the cost of living on the islands continues to rise, so does the population of those without housing. If we do not make genuine efforts to stop this crisis, Hawaiian culture may be lost forever. Hawaii is currently one of the states in the US with the highest rates of per capita homelessness, with 44.9 people without housing per 10,000 people. Unhoused Hawaiians face high rates of mental illness, addiction, and PTSD. Therefore, the life expectancy for an individual without housing in the state is 53 years, almost 30 years less than the general population. It is also crucial to note that homelessness disproportionately impacts Native Hawaiians who suffer from the housing crisis in much higher proportions than non-natives. With a constantly booming tourism industry on the Hawaiian islands, one may wonder what is causing the almost 15,000 people to be without housing. The fact that 60% of jobs on the islands pay less than $20 an hour, and 2⁄3 of jobs pay less than $15 an hour, which is why experts estimate that up to half of the Hawaiian citizens are just one to two paychecks away from homelessness.

Despite only accounting for 20% of the population, Native Hawaiians make up half of Hawaii’s homeless population, according to the 2020 Oahu Point-In-Time Count. Natives lost sovereignty over their own land in 1893 and are now facing their removal from the land through tourism and the increased cost of living. They are excluded from economic opportunities and are less able to support themselves and their family on their land. As a result, many Natives are leaving Hawaii. Their inability to sustain life on the islands is not just a threat to a few people’s livelihoods, but it is a threat to the entire culture. Hawaiian culture exists nowhere else; if we continue to allow the government to remove natives from their land, Hawaiian language, cuisine, and values will be forever lost. Adequate and affordable housing can not only save lives, but it can save entire cultures.


Written by: www.thehomemoreproject.org/blog/the-hawaiian-homelessness-crisis

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RoundUP Wine Campaign AD

RCA put together this entertaining AD campaign to bring attention to RoundUp/Glyphosate in California Wines.

Toxic pesticides like glyphosate and neonicotinoids are putting species like monarch butterflies and bees at risk of extinction – and without these critical pollinators, our food system is at risk.

How Does Glyphosate End up in Wine?
While glyphosate isn’t sprayed directly onto grapes in vineyards (it would kill the vines), it’s often used to spray the ground on either side of the grapevines.

Moms Across America reported: [3]
“This results in a 2-to 4- foot strip of Roundup sprayed the soil with grapevines in the middle. According to Dr. Don Huber at a talk given at the Acres USA farm conference in December of 2011, the vine stems are inevitably sprayed in this process and the

In California, a judge has ruled the cancer warning label on Roundup does not have to be labeled even though the state will still list the nasty herbicide as cancer causing. Monsanto has known there are serious health effects for decades and has fought to keep the public in the dark.

Wines Tested Contained Glyphosate
An anonymous supporter of advocacy group Moms Across America sent 10 wine samples to be tested for glyphosate. All of the samples tested positive for glyphosate — even organic wines, although their levels were significantly lower. [2]

The highest level detected was 18.74 parts per billion (ppb), which was found in a 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from a conventional vineyard. This was more than 28 times higher than the other samples tested.

The lowest level, 0.659 ppb, was found in a 2013 Syrah, which was produced by a biodynamic and organic vineyard.

Glyphosate Now the Most-Used Agricultural Chemical Ever
newsweek.com/glyphosate-now-most-used-agricultural-chemical-ever-422419

Animated by Jared Norman

Song by Davis Ian Nicholas McElwee

Creative Director Carolyn M. Scott

Produced by Reel Community Action

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RCA FILM: THIS CLASSROOM IS A FARM

Reel Community Action produced two short documentary films for Patchworks Farm.

Story: At the time of a global climate crisis, when the average person is wondering what the heck they can do – former educator Noel Schmidt is on a quest to turn Patchworks Farm (Santa Rosa, California) into ground zero for the post-carbon revolution. His idea? To have Patchworks be an outdoor learning laboratory and sustainability school where the criteria for graduating is saving the planet.

Director/Producer – Carolyn M. Scott
Director of Photography – Jay Masonek
Producer – Noel Schmidt
Producer/Writer – Kris Petterson
Writer – Terri Leker
Editor – Ron Lakis
Website for Patchworks created by Reel Community Action: http://patchworksfarm.yolasite.com

Short film:

THIS CLASSROOM IS A FARM from Carolyn M. Scott on Vimeo.

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2012-2013 THE IMAGINATION FILM FESTIVAL: A YOUTH LED COLLABORATIVE GREEN FILM FESTIVAL

The mission of the Imagination Film Festival (IFF) is to empower young leaders to create and organize green film events that inspire and mobilize their communities to action.

IFF recognizes the power of local community action, and gives young leaders the tools they need to connect to specific campaigns that address environmental issues. We offer critically acclaimed films to educate and engage audiences to take action. Youth leaders engage their audiences to move from passive citizens to active participants in local sustainability campaigns and programs, such as community gardening projects, restoration efforts, climate action campaigns and green energy cooperatives.

NEW MODEL CREATED BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN SAN FRANCISCO: Schuyler Schwartz (a passionate high school student in San Francisco, CA) spearheads the IFF program in her school. See June 2011 article about Schuyler’s work with IFF. http://www.bohemian.com/bohemian/06.08.11/greenzone-1123.html

Schuyler created her own unique model for screening IFF films by approaching the green club student heads of 3 other high schools. The four high schools worked together, along with IFF staff and volunteers to launch the Imagination Film Festival. University High School, Drew HS, International HS and Urban HS are working collaboratively to screen critically acclaimed documentaries.

GO TO OUR WEBSITE http://www.imaginefilmfest.com

Imagination Film Festival (IFF) is designed to inspire and engage people to participate in a great social movement – the movement to live more sustainably. We support youth leaders to present films with important, heartfelt themes to diversified audiences in communities throughout the nation. IFF’s intention is to encourage people of all ages to become involved in local campaigns and projects, to further awareness and understanding of critical issues and their impact, and to develop and apply the skills, knowledge and community resources needed to live more sustainably.

For this effort Natural Capitalism Solutions and Reel Community Action have teamed up to bring films about grassroots heroes to a wide audience, to help facilitate sustainability projects, green jobs and other programs nationwide. Our “Film Festival in a Box” format will enable us to deliver all of the materials and organizational information communities need to easily host a film festival – including a list of appropriate local partners, marketing materials, films, schedules, guest speakers and potential sponsors.

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Climate Protection Campaign’s Cool Schools

Reel Community Action and the Climate Protection Campaign’s Cool Schools produced a film with Santa Rosa High School students in October 2009. This short film is about spreading the rumor of 350! To view it, click here.

Director/Producer – Carolyn M. Scott
co-Director – Bruce Kunkel
Director of Photography – Jay Masonek
Editors – Kevin Beaty and Clay Atchison

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Film: ARUNDO NATION!

This is the story of two friends who hit upon a novel way to try to stop an herbicidal spraying campaign in their bucolic canyon: They found a green company to make the spraying’s target, an invasive cane species called Arundo donax, into a commercially viable crop. If they succeed, Monsanto, makers of the herbicide used in the campaign (Roundup®), might just back down. This alternately light-hearted and hard-hitting documentary captures real-life quest in an amusing tale that also lays bare the perils of pesticide use and corporate rule. Patty Pagaling, an Ojai valley resident finds out that Monsanto’s legendary glysophate (a derivative of RoundUp) is being sprayed in her pristine Matilija Canyon to kill the “devil weed” Arundo donax. Problem is glysophate is known to cause serious health problems including lymphatic cancer with impacts to wildlife and water systems.

Patty, who has a background in Native American culture and education decides to take on one of the largest chemical corporations in America. She forms a local group, Pesticide Free Ojai Valley and pretty soon they find themselves in broiled in a series of random “sprays” for apple & gypsy moths and other pests the county and state of California has deemed deleterious. Patty takes her case to the county supervisors but finds political ineptitude and indifference, with a long standing insidious relationship to the chemical giant. Deciding it’s better to fight fire with fire, Patty and her activist friends decide to harvest the Arundo reed and turn it into everything from perfume, bread to couture underwear. Going from her hippy digs to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills on a quest to find the best product ideas for Arundo, along the way her journey exposes Monsanto’s chemical treadmill and the revolving door between the chemical giant and the EPA, as well as the viability and beauty of Arundo and it’s incredible history as a cure all with multiple uses. The film uses humor, adventure and the personal courage of it’s activists to engage the audience.

PFOV Campaign Leader: Patricia Pagaling
Producer: Patricia Pagaling
Consulting Producer: Carolyn Scott

Status: In production summer 2009. We will be producing a promo to raise funding.

For a full treatment contact: Patricia Pagaling clairdeluna333@yahoo.com

Pesticide Free Ojai WEBSITE:  http://www.pesticidefreeojaivalley.org/
contact Patty Pagaling:  pesticidefreeojaivalley@gmail.com