2004 Deborah Fletcher Award of Excellence in Filmmaking on International Development

CIDA's Development Information Program is proud to announce that the first annual Deborah Fletcher Award of Excellence in Filmmaking on International Development goes to Shebandowan Films Inc. of Thunder Bay, Ontario, for the film Banana Split .

Produced by Ron Harpelle and directed by Kelly Saxberg, Banana Split was selected by the jury for its entertaining and thought-provoking look at the issues surrounding the banana, a popular tropical fruit much loved by Canadians. The film takes us to the vast, foreign-owned banana plantations in Honduras where workers labour for as little as 35 cents a day under often-dangerous conditions. Food security and consumerism are also examined; the film ends with a plea for Canadians to 'just ask where their food comes from' and to support fair trade practices.

The jury gave honourable mention to Ghosts of Lomako by director Kenton Vaughan (90^th Parallel Productions Ltd.) for brilliantly telling the complex story about the underlying causes of environmental degradation, namely the lack of sustainable human development leading to the imminent extinction of wildlife in the rain forest. The film examines the paradox of a research team's mission to the Lomako region of the Democratic Republic of Congo to save apes from extinction in a country ravaged by war; as well, the film explores the delicate balance between the human condition and the natural world.

Hats off to the other six films that were nominated in 2004 for the Deborah Fletcher Award:

• Change from Within - Productions Jeux d'Ombres
• Cirque for life  - Adobe Productions International
• Dabla! Excision - Les Productions Virage
• Dove Days - The Nightingale Company
• Talk Mogadishu - Judy Films
• The World Stopped Watching - White Pine Pictures

For more information, consult the Deborah Fletcher Award webpage.