Documentary films change minds, reach hearts, and create change. Good Pitch has been using documentaries to bring organizations together into powerful coalitions for over 12 years in 15 different countries. Over 3,200 organizations have attended Good Pitch worldwide, creating a network of foundations, NGOs, campaigners, academics, philanthropists, policymakers, brands and media.
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Caroline Cox: It is our right as humans to be in direct relationship with the land and have access to healthy food.
My name is Caroline Cox. I’m the Director and Producer of the film Food for the Rest of Us. I made this film in collaboration with Tiffany Ayalik.
Tiffany Ayalik: Hello, I am a producer and writer.
We’re from the Northwest Territories, an area in Canada that experiences incredible food insecurity, exorbitant grocery prices and inaccessibility to land for food production. In some places in the Arctic, a jug of orange juice is 20$ and there is no local produce available.
Caroline: I became inspired by this connection to land and food when I was living off the grid, 7 hours outside of Yellowknife. Being in relation to seasonal food sources sparked the concept for Wild Kitchen, a TV show hosted by Tiffany. This tiny spark of an idea in the high Arctic grew into an international community with followers across the globe. Through this community we realized we were not alone in our desire to create change through food.
Tiffany: It became clear that young, racialized and marginalized people around the world are fighting with the very same barriers.
Barriers like racism, colonialism and capitalism separate us from our food and its production and keep us dependent on others for our survival.
But people are fighting back.
Caroline: Food for the Rest of Us heads to the front lines of 5 communities from the Arctic to the American Mid-west to an Island in the Pacific, and we learn about radical activism through farming and harvesting.
This isn't just about farming, it’s about survival. Quality of life is directly tied to mental health, physical health and access to food. In Kansas City for example, Food Deserts and lack of access to healthy food have contributed to the lowest life expectancy for Black Men in America.
Caroline: In the Canadian Arctic quality of life contributes to a staggering suicide rate.
In the poorest region of Hawaii where Ma’o Organic farm is located, the youth working on the farm have been studied and show a significantly lower risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, which affects an alarming 13% of the population.
Despite these struggles we are incredibly inspired by the hard work and endeavouring spirit of the people we met.
Tiffany: Our impact campaign is called “Plant a Seed, Grow a Movement” and here is how you can help us inspire change:
Apart from wide festival screenings, we want to take this film to rural, inner-city, and high priority audiences who do not have access to film festivals. Local food communities want this film to help uplift their movements. We want screenings to be accompanied by someone from the film and a local liaison to hold workshops. We need support with flights, accommodations, projectors, screens, and speakers’ fees to honour the work of the participants of the film that will enable audiences to engage deeply with its messages and goals. To hand out at screenings, we would like to create “Plant the seed, grow a movement” seed packets to encourage radical acts of guerilla gardening. We are looking for support to create these packets and have them contain ethically sourced seeds.
We are looking for people to sponsor screenings for communities who might otherwise find the cost of hosting an event a barrier.
We are seeking support to create a social media campaign and build our digital platform to engage young, Indigneous, Black, People of Colour, LGBTQ2+ folks, and allies to engage with the film, learn about food justice, and connect with mentors who are already on the front lines of the food movement. To support our digital campaign we would like to create “How To” videos to give specific skill sets to people who want to be more connected to their food.
Caroline:For some, the ability to grow your own food is a luxury but now people who have been historically pushed to the sidelines are leading us forward and they use food to make the world a better place for all of us.
Thank you so much, and don’t forget to support your local farmers!
WHO ATTENDED?
AmandaFroese, NMFCCC Team Member - Northern Manitoba Food, Culture & Community Collaborative / MakeWay
A virtual screening within Northern Manitoba.
Anastasia Gaisenok, Story money impact
Offered to develop an evaluation plan through her consulting company
Ankita Khandelwal, Sourcing & Impact Intern - Nada
A screening of the film in their community, and also cross promotion to all social media platforms.
Anthony Swan, Outreach Director - Story money impact
Offered to help create and maintain the website for the film.
Becky Young, Executive Director - WWOOF
Pledged to share the film, options for donating and screening calendars on their website and on their social media accounts (reach 30,000 member list and tens of thousands of more). Promote the film with all national WWOOF groups around the world who also have a large member list. $500 donation
Belinda Li, Director of Innovation - Simon Fraser University's Food System Lab
$100 donation from their consulting company
Dawn Morrison, Founder/Research Curator - Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty
Committed to screen the film in a community forum format to discuss how we can build a more regenerative life, using it as a jumping for more discussion in our networks. $100 donation from their budget for solidarity economy.
Em Lubbers, Tech & Digital Intern - Story Money Impact
Offered pro-bono editing for how-to videos, recruiting family members in Abbotsford and rural Ottawa to get involved in the issue.
Fatin Chowdhury, Development and Communications - Manager - Black Creek Community Farm
Offered to bring the film to Rebels With A Cause Film festival, organize an outdoor screening with Thorncliffe Park Women's Comittee for the racialized and immigrant community in the area, and to organize a screening with York's Environmental Studies Faculty.
Heather Pritchard - Foodland Trust Cooperative
Offered a donation of seeds. Possibly organize a screening with the Certified Organic Association of BC at their Virtual Conference. Personal $100 donation.
Jacob Beaton, Farmer - Tea Creek Farm
Promote the film in their region.
Leticia Deowuo, Executive Director - Black Creek Community Farm
Supporting Susanna with bringing the film to the TFPC, and to use network at the farm to get an audience for the film. Would like to get the film into curriculum at George Brown.
Lolehawk Buker, EDCUATOR
Use the film in their ecologies of hope course. Donation of $100.
Mark Busse, Board member - Story Money Impact
Personal donation of $100.
Norm Goldstein, Board Vice president - Richmond Food Security Society
Report on the film to his board.
Susanna Redekop, Communications Coordinator - Local Food and Farm Co-op
Screen the film at their annual assembly. Offer the film to their member co-ops for them host virtual and distanced screenings for their communities. Bring this film and campaign to the attention of the Toronto Food Policy Council. Personal donation of $100.
Tamara Shulman, Director of Community Partnerships - Simon Fraser University's Food System Lab
Promote the film through through their website, a screening for lab members, students and other folks who've been involved in our research. Access to SFU resources, interested in finding a place to plug in their work with behaviour change initiatives.
Tamo Campos, POD - Story Money Impact
$100
Tracey Friesen, Board memer - Story money impact
$100
WHAT PLEDGES WERE PREVIOUSLY MADE AT OUR LIVE EVENT?
Alexa Pitoulis, Interim Executive Director - Fresh Roots
Engage youth in their SOYL programs and have them help with the film’s impact campaign.
Julia Hunter, Director - Food Stash Foundation
Pledge to collaborate with all the food or other organizations in the room to screen the film and come together to engage their audiences. Also, help with an event where food waste that has been turned into fine dining can be highlighted.
Sarah KiM, Food Networks Coordinator - Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Networks
Support access to the film film, would participate in this and screenings. Provide a venue for future screenings.
Amir Niroumand, Farmer - Abundance Community Farm Society
Screening at the farm.
Naomi Ryan, Community and Events COordinator - Nada Grocery Store
Collaborate on screening; can hold 150 people in their venue. Space offered to facilitate workshops on topics related to the film.
Richard Han, provincial Manager - Public Health Association of BC, Farm to School BC
Bring film to rural communities and cross promote with social media. Will ensure reaching wide audiences focussed also on public health.
Chris LeE, director of programming - Inspirit FoundatioN
Strategic introductions to some east coast organizations, as well as Seed Change which has global reach; $20,000
AUDIENCE PLEDGES
PricE waterhouse Coopers, Laura Plant
Pledge to match any funding that is up to $3000.
Cedar Isle Farm, Yoshi Sugiyama
Seed donation from seed saving practices on his farm. Partnering on educational opportunities.n.
Esther Chetner
As Executive Director of CPJ, introductions and leverage into faith-based organizations and sector, introductions to climate action Members of Parliament.
The Tyee
Support from The Tyee’s Event Committee to promote screenings to Tyee readership. Emma Cooper personally offered services of MC or a comedian to host an event or to do a short 15 min set at an event in the Vancouver area for a film should they choose to reach out.
Personal Donations
$1500
$1000
$350
$250
TEAM
Sue Biely
Anthony Swan
Jonny Morris
Brianna Girdler
Jenny Lee Craig
Anastasia Gaisenok
Natasha Shukor
Em Lubbers
Anis Annisa Maryam
WITH GREAT APPRECIATION
Good Pitch Vancouver Virtual
Program Donors
David Paperny
Audrey Mehler
Story Money Impact Donors
Leonard Schein
Laura Plant
Erika Harrison
Tracey Friesen
Dr Hilary Pada
Annette Frymer
David Goorevitch
Wayne Busse
David Zitzerman
David Richardson
Leola Purdy Foundation
Sandra Garossino
Tinu Mathur
Mark Busse
Ruth Hahn
Ring Five Impact Docs
Tatiana Nemchin
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Annette Frymer
John Dippong
Laura Plant
Leonard Schein
Liz Shorten
Loc Dao
Mark Busse
Sharon Farrish
Tinu Mathur
Tracey Friesen
PAST BOARD MEMBERS & ADVISORS
Al Etmanski
Bonnie Foley-Wong
Carol Biely
Gulnaaz Z. Lalji
Joel Solomon
Andrea Nemtim
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Annette Frymer
John Dippong
Laura Plant
Leonard Schein
Liz Shorten
Loc Dao
Mark Busse
Sharon Farrish
Tinu Mathur
Tracey Friesen
PAST BOARD MEMBERS & ADVISORS
Al Etmanski
Bonnie Foley-Wong
Carol Biely
Gulnaaz Z. Lalji
Joel Solomon
Andrea Nemtim
