Art Threat, one of my favorite Canadia culture blogs is giving away a copy of the FIlmmaker-in-Residence DVD Box Set. For your chance to win, leave a comment at Art Threat with your ideas on how digital storytelling can play a role in social change. They’ll pick a winner on Friday.

Our Filmmaker-in-Residence team has new digs: HIGHRISE. We are proud to announce our new project, a global collaborative documentary, based on the philosophy and approach of Filmmaker-in-Residence.

Check out our “pre-site” where you can see our trailer, our prologue (a longer presentation made of text and photos with the plan, research and concept), and keep up with all our news.

We’ve made it to the Huffington Post’s TOP TEN RADICAL GIFTS! We’re listed under “compassion.”

HuffPO columnist Julia Moulden says that our FIR DVD BOX SET “…is the new media equivalent of a book you just can’t put down…Get one for your kid’s school, for your local hospital, your boss, yourself…”

Other gifts list under wisdom, light, kindness, love etc…

Huffington Post, apparently, is the most linked-to blog on the internet.

November is turning out to be our favourite month this year. Tons of unusual of sun - and lots of great events.

We are launching the DVD Box Set Thursday Nov 19th with a reception and short screening. So if you are in Toronto, come join us at 6:30 pm to Innis Hall, 2 Sussex (St. George subway).

And on Friday, FIR is off to Amsterdam for the world’s largest documentary festival IDFA. We’ll be presenting FIR and the new project (cough cough - more soon here about it) to 150 participants of the IDFAcademy. We’ll also be making appearances at a Doc Lab presentation with an awesome new tech company and at an IDFATalks event about people vs. power.

Nice write up in Real Screen today, leading up to our launch/screening next week in Toronto on Nov 19 (see events/news page).

For those of you in Toronto this week, come join us at the NFB’s amazing Mediatheque for two FIR events. Friday November 6. An afternoon workshop with Kat and Heather, and an evening screening of the 7 Interventions of Filmmaker-in-Residence, followed by a Q+A with Heather Frise, co-director and editor of the film.

A nice shout out in today’s Torontoist about our presentation at Creative Places and Spaces conference yesterday. Also this mention in Now Magazine, this notice in blogTO and this synopsis at Spacing. Another great blog post about FIR at the conference, here.

And just-in a week later, Kwende Kefentse (of the Creative Class blog) ranks us “best collaboration” of the conference here.

Other presenters include Sir Ken Robinson, Richard Florida and Spencer Tunick (the photographer who collaborates with masses of nude subjects==>

Well, that’s a divergent set of views and perspectives.

Check out the keynote speaker clips reel:

We may even take the opportunity to make a *special announcement* (cough cough) while we have the mike. So stay tuned…

Event happens in Toronto, On Oct 28-30, FIR presents on day 1 along with our dear friend Dr. Katherine Rouleau. More here.

We are honoured and proud to announce that our film Drawing From Life has won the Media Award from the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. The film is about a 20-week group therapy program for people who have attempted suicide more than once.

This is what they said: “Your film is an outstanding example of an effective education tool that respectfully tells the stories of individuals who have struggled with re-current suicidal behavior. The film was created with dignity, compassion, integrity and sensitivity. The stories of those who have struggle with suicidal behavior have rarely been told so in many ways your work gives voice to these stories.The film challenges stereotypes and illustrates how a group intervention can assist in healing and recovery.”

Thanks to Jaime, David, Elizabeth, Wendy, Lois, Belinda, Bria, Jill, Glen, Jordan, Mario and Jay and most of all Yvonne Bergmans for creating Drawing from Life with us.

The awards ceremony will take place in Brandon Manitoba, on Oct. 21st/