The first POEFF was presented at the newly renovated landmark, Victory Garden’s Biograph Theatre on August 29 – 31, (Labor Day Weekend) 2008, and attracted more than 300 audience members, as well as local, national and international press coverage.

The opening night included three films competing in the festival as well as the festival’s special Midwest premiere of the multi-award winning documentary, Dalai Lama Renaissance, directed by Khashyar Darvish and narrated by Harrison Ford. Darvish led a post-viewing discussion of his film and his journey working with the West’s leading and most innovative thinkers in their fields as they journey to Dharamsala, India, to meet with the Dalai Lama to discuss the world’s problems and how to solve them. These four films and the riveting dialogue between Khashyar Darvish and the audience following the screening of Dalai Lama Renaissance, set the tone for an exciting and inspiring weekend.

Over the course of the film festival’s three days, 40 selections were presented from a field of over 200 international films, representing 15 countries including: Tibet, China, Spain, Rwanda, United Arab Emirates, Scotland and the United States. Categories included documentaries and narrative films in both feature length and short, animated and student films. Film topics included individuals making conscious choices involving the environment, the commonality within world beliefs to help heal conflict, the power of an individual to affect positive change, and Chicago’s own North Lawndale College Preparatory High School students’ using their voices and talent through free spirit media, to create awareness, stop gun violence and share their vision for a safe and nonviolent community.  

Two panel discussions were held during the Festival:  a Filmmakers Panel and a Peacemakers Panel.  Both featured open dialogues on the impact of films in promoting awareness of peace and achieving conflict resolution.  The Filmmakers Panel was moderated by Alan L. Gansberg, four-time Emmy nominated Writer/Producer/Director and Dean of the College, Academics & Faculty at Columbia College, Hollywood, CA. The Filmmakers Panel included filmmakers whose works were being screened at the festival, as well as Chicago-area native, John D. Hancock, Director/Producer/Writer of such films as Weeds, with Nick Nolte and Joe Mantagna, and Bang the Drum Slowly with Robert DeNiro.

The Peacemakers Panel was moderated by nationally syndicated writer and Chicago-based journalist and editor at Tribune Media Services, Robert C. Koehler. The panel included Mary Jeanne Larrabee, Ph.D., Director of the DePaul University Peace/Conflict Resolution/Social Justice Studies Program; Edith Crigler, Associate Executive Director of Program Development for the Chicago Area Project; Jennifer Kim, Chair of the Chicago Build the Peace Committee and Education Coordinator at The Peace School; Karen Johnson, Volunteer State Coordinator for The Peace Alliance, a grassroots campaign to establish a U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence (H.R. 808, 110th Congress); and Ken Surdin, Recruiter for the Chicago Regional Peace Corps Office.

The weekend concluded with awards given in several “Best Of” categories, followed by a closing night gala.

Read “About Us” for more information on Transcendence Global Media (TGM), NFP, an Illinois Not for Profit 501 (c) 3 Corporation, and parent company of the POEFF.