Consuming Kids throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children's advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. Consuming Kids pushes back against the wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about the ethics of children's marketing and its impact on the health and well-being of kids.

"Radical Jesters" profiles and interviews 11 hoaxers, culture jammers, performers, Situationists, and Interventionists who find entertaining ways to provoke thinking and discussion on a range of important cultural issues from the use of public space to feminism to advertising and celebrity. Improv Everywhere, Alan Abel, and Charlie Todd practice the fine art of the media hoax and the urban prank; the Guerrilla Girls and Dyke Action Machine use Graphic media to insinuate themselves into public space; re-appropriating media and reclaiming public space is central to the activities of the Surveillance Camera Players, the Institute for Infinitely Small Things, and the Billboard Liberation Front; "Culture jamming" founder Kalle Lasn of the anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters, who is on a mission to intervene in the media spectacle and work against our habits of blind consumerism, and an homage to Performance Art and Street Theater complete this highly entertaining introduction to contemporary media activism.

The HONK! Festival, held every year in Somerville, Massachusetts, is an explosion of music, dance, pageantry and politics. This documentary explores the relationship between music and political expression and shows the deep need we all have to express our concerns about social issues through the arts and by making a noise.

American Radical is the probing, definitive documentary about American academic Norman Finkelstein. A devoted son of holocaust survivors, ardent critic of Israel and US Mid-East policy, and author of five provocative books including, "The Holocaust Industry", Finkelstein has been steadfast at the center of many intractable controversies, including his recent denial of tenure at DePaul University. Called a lunatic and disgusting self-hating Jew by some, and an inspirational street-fighting revolutionary by others, Finkelstein is a deeply polarizing figure whose struggles arise from core questions about freedom, identity and nationhood.

From Beirut to Kyoto, the filmmakers follow Finkelstein around the world as he attempts to negotiate a voice among both supporters and critics, providing an intimate portrait of the man behind the controversy while giving equal time to both his critics and supporters.

Features interviews with Finkelstein, Alan Dershowitz, Noam Chomsky, John Mearsheimer, Alan Dershowitz and more.

In 1998, university professor Kembrew McLeod (Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa) trademarked the phrase "freedom of expression" - a startling comment on the way that intellectual property law restricts creativity and expression of ideas. This provocative and amusing documentary explores the battles being waged in courts, classrooms, museums, film studios, and the Internet over control of our cultural commons. Based on McLeod's award-winning book of the same title, "Freedom of Expression" charts the many successful attempts to push back this assault by overzealous copyright holders, and is an essential tool for educators, activists, filmmakers, students, artists, librarians, and more.

What do secrecy, police provocateurs, an assault on democracy and infringements on citizens' rights have in common? The Security Prosperity Partnership. "You, Me & the S.P.P" is a feature length documentary which exposes the latest manifestation of a corporatist agenda that is undermining the democratic authority of the citizens of North America. Two processes, the Security Prosperity Partnership (SPP) and the Trade Investment Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) are rapidly eroding and eliminating standards, civil liberties, regulatory systems and institutions put in place over generations through the democratic process. Proponents of the SPP say that it is needed to keep trade flowing. Opponents say, not only will it undermine the democratic authority of citizens, it threatens the sovereignty of the three NAFTA nations through the integration of military, security structures and regulatory regimes.

Join us for a post-film discussion with Director Paul Manly, the Parkland Institute's Gordon Laxer, and more TBA.* See Speaker Bios at left for more info about the panel participants.

Recent reports state that the SPP is "officially dead". However, there is still cause for concern, as energy policy is still subject to "deep integration", and a newer version called the PPA - Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas - is now being developed. Called a "neoliberal fantasy about revising the FTAA, the Free Trade Area of the Americas" by Murray Dobbin, one Canada's most popular progressive political commentators and analysts, he goes on to say that "the demise of the SPP should provide Canada with an opportunity to have a serious debate about our economic future."**

"...take your mask off brother.... No, no, no, put the rock down man, put the rock down, this is our line!" - Dave Coles, President of the Communications Energy and Paperworkers union, at the 2008 SPP Summit in Montebello, Quebec, just before the masked 'protestors' were revealed to be police agent provocateurs. *Edmonton Premiere!

* "You, Me & the SPP: Trading Democracy for Corporate Rule" is also the 2009 NoN Expo's contribution to the Oct. 24 International Day of Climate Action, coordinated by http://www.350.org. The post-film discussion will address the "deep integration" of Canada/U.S. energy policy, and how Canada's "dirty oil" - the Alberta Tar Sands - is undermining efforts to meet our international obligations to climate change solutions.

"Tar Sands production is destroying the environment at an alarming rate. It ruins vast tracks of land, clears forests and sucks up a quarter of Alberta's ground water. Tar Sands production is also making people sick as studies show higher rates of cancer in nearby towns. Alberta is about to become one of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters thanks to Tar Sands oil. A fivefold increase in production, as called for by an SPP Tar Sands working group, would have a catastrophic impact on the environment and make it impossible for Canada to ever reach its Kyoto targets." - from the Council of Canadians' "Integrate This!" report (http://canadians.org/integratethis/index.html)

"Canada Must Forge Its Own Economic Fate" by Murray Dobbin, Sept. 24/09 - see http://murraydobbin.ca

NOTE: Before the films check out Music is a Weapon's 'Busk for a Cause' event (all donations to buskers to be forwarded to SIHA - the Student International Health Association). Details at http://www.musicisaweapon.ca. After the films & panel go check out PROPAGANDHI at the Starlight Room (10030 102 St.)!

This film is being presented to commemorate the 8th Anniversary of the Invasion of Afghanistan.

"Myths for Profit" is a dramatic, expose documentary which explores Canada's role in Industries of War and Peace. Through diverse interviews and case studies this documentary unveils the specific interests and profits that are made by certain corporations, individuals and agencies within Canada. The Canadian government and the military would like us to believe that we are altruistic peacekeepers helping people around the world. But is this accurate? "Myths for Profit" examines how this misconception is maintained, and who stands to gain by perpetuating it. By understanding the systems of power in Canada we can move forward in challenging how they operate and collectively create change.

MYTH 1) 'Canada is a peacekeeping nation' examines the changes within the Canadian military policies and what has been the agenda of these actions. From the historical beginnings of peacekeeping, to the recent missions, the documentary takes a critical look to the motives behind these actions. Particular focus is given to the role Canada has taken in NATO, the current perpetual war in Afghanistan, and how Canada played a pivotal role in pushing the policy of 'humanitarian bombing' in Yugoslavia in 1999.

MYTH 2) 'Canada's military purpose is defence': By investigating the magnitude of the Canadian military industrial complex, this section probes the intersecting relationships between various government agencies and corporations as well as public complicity in this vast industry.

MYTH 3) 'Canada's aid is helping people around the world' investigates how various government agencies and ministries have specific agendas they are implementing around the world. The active role taken on in regional development banks, to the policies pushed by Export Development Canada are designed and carried out to ensure a free market neo-liberal agenda in different countries, regardless of the negative effect they may have on the communities and environment they impact. This includes how Canada's development agency's (CIDA) tied and phantom aid function in post and present conflict zones.

Interviewees include: Justin Podur, Editor of Z-Net online magazine; Scott Taylor, Publisher of Esprit de Corps; Sherene Razack, Professor of Sociology at University of Toronto; Michael Mandel, Professor of International Law at York University; Thomas Marr, Canadian Ambassador to Croatia; Richard Sanders, Director of Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) and Editor of Press for Conversion; Slobodanka Borojevich, Plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Canadian Government over the bombing of former Yugoslavia; Steven Staples, Director of the Rideau Institute and CeaseFire.ca; Sakura Saunders, Program Associate of CorpWatch; Richard Veillete, Director General of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA); Jesse Griffiths, Policy Officer at Action Aid; and many more.

ESPA also recommends that people check out:

Robert Greenwald's excellent series on Afghanistan called "Rethinking Afghanistan": http://rethinkafghanistan.com

In this moving and wildly innovative film, director Lynn Hershman Leeson tells the terrifying true story of how one man's personal tragedy turns into persecution by a paranoid and overzealous government.

Steve Kurtz's nightmare began on May 11, 2004, when he awoke to find his wife Hope dead of a heart attack. Police responding to his distressed 911 call became suspicious of scientific paraphernalia in his house - materials for an art project on genetically modified food that the Kurtz's were developing as members of the Critical Art Ensemble - and contacted the FBI. Soon his world was turned upside down. Only hours after his wife's tragic death he was suddenly a murder suspect, an accused bioterrorist, and a pariah to all but his closest friends.

Kurtz was prohibited from discussing key aspects of the case and his arrest while in jail. Told through a unique blend of interviews, documentary footage, and reconstructed scenes starring Tilda Swinton, Thomas Jay Ryan, and Peter Coyote, Hershman's critically-acclaimed film is a sophisticated, look at how the traumatic events of 9/11 altered society and undermined its long-held values.

Kurtz was eventually cleared of all charges in April 2008, but the case remains an important documentation about political art and the "war on terror".

Nebaigta Pasaka (An Unfinished Story) is a beautiful short animation that visually explores the possible causes of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Antanas Skucas is a graduate of M. K. Ciurlionis National Art School (Lithuania) and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Department of Animation of the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts. He has authored several public relations campaigns for the Lithuanian National station Baltijos TV, as well as video installations for local pop-group Saules Kliosas for the National Eurovision Contest, for Jurga Seduikyte, Best Female Artist & Album of the 2005 Lithuanian Bravo Awards, and for other Lithuanian pop singers. Antanas created installations for a charity concert for Afghan kids in 2007, at the order of the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania. He is now pursuing his Master's degree at the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts, and is studying at the University of Plymouth under an exchange program.

"Honeybees are responsible for one of every three bites of food we eat. Each year, they pollinate $14 billion worth of crops and seeds in the U.S. alone. Their total decimation would be catastrophic from the local to the global level -- failed businesses, skyrocketing food prices, unsustainable labor costs, and depleted supplies of fruits, nuts, vegetables, plants, and more." - Environmental News Network

Honeybees first appeared on earth around 80 million years ago, and from the beginning have played a key role in our survival.

In the winter of 2006, a strange phenomenon fell upon honeybee hives across the country. Without a trace, millions of bees vanished from their hives - up to 80% in some regions - leaving billions of dollars of crops at risk and potentially threatening our food supply. The epidemic - called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) - set researchers scrambling to discover why honeybees were dying in record numbers - and to stop the epidemic in its tracks before it spread further.

"Silence of the Bees" is the first in-depth look at the search to uncover what is killing the honeybee. The filmmakers take viewers around the world to the sites of fallen hives, to high-tech labs, where scientists race to uncover clues, and even deep inside honeybee colonies. Silence of the Bees is the story of a riveting, ongoing investigation to save honeybees from dying out. The film goes beyond the unsolved mystery to tell the story of the honeybee itself, its invaluable impact on our diets and takes a look at what's at stake if honeybees disappear. "Silence of the Bees" explores the complex world of the honeybee in crisis and instills in viewers a sense of urgency to learn ways to help these extraordinary animals. Silence of the Bees is a Production of Partisan Pictures and Thirteen/WNET New York. NATURE is produced by Thirteen/WNET New York for PBS.

In this new half-hour documentary by Amnesty International, the Lubicon Cree of northern Alberta tell the story of their long struggle defend their culture and way of life.

Three decades of intensive oil and gas development have caused massive environmental destruction, driving this hunting and trapping society into extreme poverty. But the Lubicon people have never given up hope. They continue to work to rebuild their society and preserve their way of life for future generations.

To accomplish this, they need secure rights to their land and fair redress for all the harm they have suffered. To date, the federal government has ignored repeated calls by the United Nations to negotiate a just settlement of the dispute. Meanwhile, the province of Alberta continues to permit more and more oil and gas development on the disputed land.

Join us for a warm reception of the Bees after the film programming, and pick their brains about their beautiful banners & patches, installed as one of the NoN Expo's feature exhibits. We'll also take advantage of this time to discuss the struggles shared by the Lubicon and other Indigenous groups in South America (the Bees' focus). Reception runs until approx. 9pm.

The Bees will delight workshop participants with their astonishingly enormous FTAA & Plan Colombia banners, and present a PowerPoint 'Picture Lecture', taking you on an interactive visual tour of the connections between COLONIZATION, MILITARIZATION, and RESOURCE EXTRACTION in the Americas. Join in as they deconstruct the complex and overwhelming issues that are shaping our world using metaphors and bio-regionally accurate depictions of animals and insects. It's a storytelling picture-lecture to be understood by anyone, not just the experts and political analysts!