"One must remember that in choosing the lesser of two evils, one still chooses evil." --Hannah Arendt, Philosopher, Activist
In 2011, SURGE was scheduled to take place for only 3 days in Austin, Texas. Yet, because of increased international interest in SURGE, the SURGE Film Festival took place for a total of over 10 days nationwide, showing a total of over 40 films in the cities of Austin, Texas; Urbana, Illinois; and Portland, Oregon! Films from over 15 different countries were shown. These films included a vast array of independent features and world premiers by new filmmakers as well as feature films such 'In The Footsteps of Elie Wiesel' with internationally recognized Emmy and Golden Globe winning actors such as RICHARD GERE, and feature films such as 'Love & Valor - The Intimate Civil War Letters' with Golden Globe winning actors such as BRIAN DENNEHY.
SURGE recognizes that it is extremely difficult for small, independent films to find a wide audience. That is why in 2011, SURGE started the S.U.R.G.E. Collection DVD Compilation which circulated over 1,000 DVDs with two films selected from the 2011 SURGE Film Festival. After filmmakers are officially selected for SURGE they are given a questionnaire and filmmakers who choose to have their film included in the SURGE DVD Collection may receive a wider audience all over the world.
In Addition, in 2012 at least one filmmaker and/or screenwriter will receive our annual “Love & Encouragement” Award. This award is presented to a filmmaker and/or screenwriter who presents an excellent film that simply strives to create art and media that does not promote or cater to politicians or multinational corporations. The filmmaker will receive round-trip airfare from their city to the film festival, housing during the film festival, a spending stipend and much more. In 2011, SHAWN JUNE was honored at the SURGE Film festival in Austin, Texas for his film Asphyxious. He also received round-trip airfare from his home in Des Moines, Iowa to the Portland, Oregon screening of his film at the Historic Academy Theater that screened during the Grand Finale of the Portland, Oregon portion of the 7 day SURGE Film festival!
Many films were shown with the directors attending Question & Answer sessions after their films and receiving the distinguished SURGE 'Eternal Flame' award for keeping the flame of equality and social flame burning bright for all the world to see. It is notable that the budget for Asphyxious was estimated at $1,000.00. At SURGE, it is not the cost of the film that matters, but the courage to encourage other people to follow their dreams in the quest for a better world.
SURGE is a non-competitive film festival so all participants are winners. Because we remain a non-competitive film festival, when a film, script or music video is officially selected by our film festival, each member of the cast and crew is permitted to display our official selection SURGE laurels on their website and materials. The SURGE laurels not only distinguish you as being a part of an official selection of SURGE, but more importantly the laurels distinguish you as someone who works for equality and social justice on behalf of all people. In addition, each member of the cast and crew are eligible to receive a certificate. SURGE has also begun interviewing members of the cast and crew who attend SURGE and placing the video interviews on our website through Vimeo as well as Youtube channels. This enables the video interviews to appear not only on the SURGE website, but these video interviews can also appear on the filmmakers website through links.
Each and every year admission and ticket fees for people to attend the SURGE film festival has remained free-of-charge! This enables the largest possible audience, from all different financial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, to participate in the film festival.
Registration fees to submit films into the SURGE film festival remain low. This enables the largest possible audience, from all different financial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds to submit films...
+...in which anonymous entries are accepted as we encourage whistle-blowers to expose injustice! +...in which some of the entries that are not included in the festival are still published along with all the other entries in our International, S.U.R.G.E. Multilingual Film Festival Directory! This enables all entries to receive exposure and networking with people from all over the world.
SURGE is so much more than just another film festival: it is in word and in action the sixth annual international Social Uprising Resistance and Grassroots Encouragement (S.U.R.G.E.!) Film Festival!
Mission Statement
Peace, Equality and Solidarity. Although political protests give us the opportunity to unite our thoughts in opposition to the route which our governments are taking us, many of us all over the world have come to the realization that the lack of peace in the world and the problems that we see increasing every day have a foundation deeper than the Republicans, the Democrats, or a few select multinational corporations. What we face are institutionalized problems, problems which can only be confronted at the root, researched and solved by imaginative and broad based, non-violent social movements - not ballot boxes.
A Forum of Unparalleled Access and Outreach Access, Horizontalism and Outreach. The Annual Social Uprising Resistance and Grassroots Encourage (SURGE) Film Festival begin during the first Annual International A World Beyond Capitalism (AWBC) Conference that began in 2005. Much like the AWBC, SURGE has always aimed at contributing to the process of Access, Horizontalism and outreach by providing a space for activists - to reflect on the importance of long term vision, strategy, face-to-face relationship building and the realization that a worldwide multi-racial struggle for true universal equality must pro-actively work to include all races and classes of people, differently abled people, and even those who do not speak English. We also seek to bring together and give voice to people working for a better world: a world of equality, a world of peace.
With this in mind, SURGE is a film festival that is now moving to the next level by once again organizing the Annual International SURGE Film Festival that will take place in several different cities during several large events.
There has been so much talk about what kind of ‘charity’ third world countries and immigrants ‘need.’ But there is little talk about the need for self-empowering justice beyond capitalism and more capitalism.
Once again, in 2012 SURGE is being organized with hopes of not replicating the style and approach of traditional film festivals, which are often alienating and racially homogenized with little attempt to create outreach and universal accessibility to non-English speaking people and to the disabled people of our society. These segments of our society are often the most vulnerable populations victimized by the oppressive characteristics of capitalism. Rather, SURGE is an attempt to use outreach to create an inclusive gathering.
Our Vision Those of us who have collectively worked together to make the ‘SURGE’ a reality share the vision below, one that we imagine is also shared by many who have agreed to participate, facilitate, present, translate, or involve themselves in some active way.
We envision a space in which all voices are heard, and see the concept of "horizontalism" as a goal and a tool. It implies directly democratic discussions where theory meets non-violent practice, seeing and hearing one another in our full humanity, and confronting the power hierarchies that we observe amongst ourselves. Given that we all still live under the shadow of capitalism and the consequences of how it affects our behavior and psyches, we know that it is necessary for us to put great amounts of energy and thought into structuring egalitarian and provocative conversations, ones in which all of our voices and ideas can thrive. This at times may mean putting aside our defensive egos which often may inadvertently defend our lifestyles of privilege. At some level, we all have privileges in the United States, and these privileges of our capitalistic society have been gained by exploiting millions of the most vulnerable people throughout the world.
Diverse Perspectives All of us participating in Film Festival have various experiences and thoughts on all the topics being discussed, from those of us who have spent most of our adult lives contemplating a particular subject, to those of us who are now just thinking about certain things for the first time. There are those of us who are creating alternative energy in our communities, and those of us who are still very much in the dreaming and questioning stage.
We would greatly like for you to help us work towards the goal of education and peaceful, universal alliance building. The best event and intentional community is the one we build in solidarity. Bring a friend, offer housing or a ride, post flyers in your community, volunteer or just be imaginative!
Goals "Once people understand the strength of non-violence - the force it generates, the love it creates, the response it brings from the total community - they will not easily abandon it."
--Cesar Chavez, Co-Founder of the United Farm Workers of America, Union Activist, Ethical Vegetarian, Philosopher, Activist
You have probably attended many meetings and conferences which speak about building Multi-racial alliances. Here are a few of the many ways in which film festivals that you have attended in the past greatly differ from SURGE Film Festival.
[To see a list of corporate front groups and corporate-backed groups please go here. Go here to read about the international usage of corporate front groups in an Australian Science article titled 'ecological double agents.' Or go to your local library and find a very detailed list of corporate front groups found in article written by Co-op America titled: 'Unmasking Corporate Front Groups: Will the Real Grassroots Groups Please Stand Up.']
We have many more innovative ideas to build real and lasting multi-racial alliances amongst people who are truly working for world peace. But we can only do it with your help. Volunteer or just make sure you come to the SURGE Film Festival!
"Once people understand the strength of non-violence - the force it generates, the love it creates, the response it brings from the total community - they will not easily abandon it."
