Venue :
Fenian Films
Featured Film :
Addicted to Plastic
Musical Performers :
Jesse O'Brien, Brian Griffith and Harrison Kennedy
Doors Open : 6:30pm
Film : 7:30 pm
Music : 9:15 pm
Tickets : $15
ADDICTED TO PLASTIC is a feature-length documentary about solutions to plastic pollution. The point-of-view style documentary encompasses three years of filming in 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The film details plastic's path over the last 100 years and provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. These solutions - which include plastic made from plants - will provide viewers with a hopeful perspective about our future with plastic.
DIRECTOR IAN CONNACHER WILL ATTEND SCREENING TO DISCUSS THE MAKING OF HIS FILM
AWARDS
Vancouver International Film Festival
- Runner-Up - Audience Award for Most Popular Documentary Film
- Runner-Up - NFB Most Popular Canadian Documentary Award
- Runner-Up - VIFF Environmental Film Audience Award
Amazonas Film Festival, Brazil
- Winner – Audience Favourite for International Documentary
- Winner – Jury Award for International Documentary
Festival International du Film d'Environnement, Paris
- Winner - Coup de Coeur du Personnel de la Région Île de France
Jesse O’Brien played his first gig, with his father, at the tender age of 12. A few years later, Dad introduced Jesse to Ronnie Hawkins, and the teenager launched into a much-lauded career as a keyboardist. He was inspired by the late, great Buffalo-area keyman Stan Szelest (one-time member of The Band), whose ability to play any style of music was something O’Brien took to be a prerequisite for a music career. “You have to play everything to get by,” he says. “Half the time when you show up at a studio, you don’t even know if you’re walking into a country session, a jazz session, or a pop session.”
O’Brien has indeed played everything – with the likes of The Band, King Biscuit Boy, Juno-winning bluesicians Fathead and young singer-songwriter Matthew Barber. Recently he has toured with Colin James, with whom he will play the London Blues Festival. It was at this festival, five years who, that O’Brien’s most memorable moment occurred when he was invited on stage to play a set with Levon Helm, legendary drummer for The Band.
Yet even such brushes with greatness are not O’Brien’s motivation to continue honing his craft and staying in the music business. “Whether it’s an award-winning band or someone in their home studio, it’s their dream, their project,” he says. “In some small way, you’re helping them reach the end – and that’s why I do it.”
Brian Griffith is easily one of the city’s most ubiquitous and recognizable performers. Those familiar with his work are as likely to know his style of guitar playing as they are his trademark dreadlocks. Music runs deep in the Griffith bloodstream – his “Uncle Jack” is none other than local legend Jackie Washington . And all those basement jams were destined to give way to a full-fledged career. “I started playing with my friends down in the north end,” Griffith recalls. “I can remember going to a jam and all my friends had these really nice guitars and I had this piece of shit. But you still just go and do it.”
From that early guitar in 1970, Griffith coaxed some incredible sounds. While there were lean days (Griffith recalls sneaking down John St. in the ‘90s, hoping to avoid his landlord), his abilities with jazz, rock, blues and other styles have kept him in high demand. He also plays a mean country guitar, which led him to one of his more memorable gigs, playing and touring with country great Willie Nelson. Despite this, he remained a part of the Hamilton musical community. “I’d play in the Village,” says Griffith, “then fly off and do Letterman. It’s hard enough to make a living doing what I do, so you’ve got to be grateful. And I really am.”
Harrison Kennedy hails from Hamilton, Ontario on the shores of the great lakes. It's a "High Country" mini Chicago and Harrison Kennedy has had the sounds of the city wash over him since childhood. It's kept him true to the Blues, even during his stint with Detroit's Chairmen of the Board on Holland, Dozier, Holland's Invictus label in the 1970's. Harrison Kennedy grew up deep in the Blues tradition and now in his Electro-Fi debut disc "High Country Blues" he has evolved into one of it's most gifted singer/songwriters.
Harrison was blessed as a member of the Detroit scene in the 70's with The Chairmen of the Board in which he sang the blues rocker "I'm the chairman of the board". After a string of million selling singles with this legendary band, Harrison hit the road, honing the crafts of a consummate bluesman.