windridertoronto

Windrider Toronto Back in 2010

After a very good first year event in September of 2008, we had hoped to be back bigger than ever for 2009. Those plans are now being prepared for next year as we look to engage with the Toronto International Film Festival - 2010.

Drop back here for more details and visit the main Windrider website to see what's happening with the Windrider Forum in the rest of the world.

Just to note that two of the Windrider Toronto partners, Story Umbrella and Imago are producing an evening showing of the award-winning film, Manufactured Landscapes. For more information, click here.

Windrider Toronto Fall 2009

This coming fall's Windrider Toronto event will be happening either Thursday September 24th and/or Thursday October 16th. We believe that these dates will be more accessible for people - away from the start of a new term and a new year in the academic, and family worlds.

However, we are strongly encouraging you to take in a TIFF film or two this fall, and as you regularly return to this site, we intend to have updates on suggestions for films that might be relevant to our mandate. We then hope to have some conversation around what that experience was like at the Windrider Toronto events that follow.

We do hope to return with a full-up integrated TIFF/Windrider experience next fall (2010) - encouraging conversation at the intersection of film and faith. As this is a new endeavour and we are mindful of the need and interest in this kind of interactive event, we are doing a lot of behind the scenes work to structure these occasions to continue to be both an excellent, thought provoking and inspiring experience.

To that end, we are looking for both funding and partnership in the form of sponsorship, grants, and passionate involvement by people and organizations. We are looking to partner with those who care about learning to find and hear what God is saying in and through the film (and media) world, and what we all can learn and look for in those same films that highlight the concerns of our culture. These become clear through the themes and stories that filmmakers and storytellers care enough to invest their energies and resources into bringing to us, and then somehow resonate deeply with audiences.

We need your help.

If you are interested in sponsoring or funding, in any way, this and other public "media" events and forums, please be in touch.

As well, we are always interested in partnering with other organizations.

The Story Umbrella board is working on undergirding a way forward - we need your interest and involvement to continue these events, and create other workshops and retreats as well as bring in guests that can inspire and encourage all of us. (Story Umbrella can provide charitable receipts.)

We are delighted to already be working closely with WIndriderToronto co-founding organizations as diverse as U.Tor's Wycliffe College, and Imago.

All of this effort will be oriented towards doing, and enjoying media with excellence, in ways that deepen understanding, create compassionate response, and provide for hope in the world - all while building bridges of understanding to the diverse communities we are all a part of. In short "telling stories that connect with the now and not yet ".

Please come back regularly for updates - know that we are working towards lining up another excellent, thought-provoking, and conversation provoking event. We plan to do a series of these and similar events.

Please do think about whether this is an initiative you could get behind, and feel free to be in touch for additional conversation.

In the meantime, enjoy a rejuvenating summer, wherever and whatever it finds you doing.

'til next time.

Imbi Medri,

Producer, Windrider Toronto.

TIFF, Wycliffe College, Imago

STORY Umbrella & Refresh! Present...

STORY Umbrella and Refresh! at Wycliffe have teamed up to put on the next WIndriderToronto event.

On Tuesday May 12th at 7:30, we are showing "As We Forgive" a story about forgiveness that occurs against impossible odds. We will be welcoming the filmmaker, Laura Waters Hinson, for what promises to be a stimulating and thought-provoking conversation after the screening.

Please, mark your calendars and join us at the Medical Science Building, 1 King's College Circle, the University of Toronto. Hope to see you there!

Do check out the Refresh! site for other interesting guests at Refresh! this year, as well as the Windrider Forum site.

Windrider Forum , Wycliffe College, As We Forgive, Laura Waters Hinson, Windrider Toronto, STORY Umbrella

Windrider Forum @ Sundance 2009

At the invitation of the Windrider Forum, John and Marion Franklin of Imago, and Brian Walsh from Wycliffe have joined Bill and I, (along with our daughter who welcomed the window of opportunity to come with us) at Sundance in Park City, Utah, making up a Canadian contingent.

We are enjoying the Windrider Forum, where we have seen the Angelus Student Award winners of last fall, and had theological underpinning and stimulating conversation about the films we are all seeing.

The Forum is made up of Fuller students, joined by Biola and Taylor University film students, as well as Point Loma University students, and various special guests.

We are excited to hear that some of these groups are thinking about joining us in Toronto in September for a broader and wider WindriderToronto experience.

While taking in various films, including Taking Chance,(beautifully shot by Canadian DOP, Alar Kivilo ... of Estonian heritage - I just needed to let you know that) and Adam, followed today by Cold Souls and Sin Nombre this evening, and a few more the rest of the week, Sundance poses much food for thought about what God is saying through the cultural lens of independent film.

We will also talk about and think about how we can make another WindriderToronto even more powerful and impactful than the one many of you enjoyed in September, during TIFF.

We are also hoping to catch a quick interview with Laura Waters Hinson of "As We Forgive" the film we will be showcasing at Refresh! - Tuesday May 12th. Look for that at this sight.

Please check back in here on a semi-regular basis, for more information and some response to the films we are seeing. Please also visit the Windrider Forum site- for a taste of what we are experiencing here at Sundance.

Praying for "eyes that see and ears that hear "for all of us.

- Imbi Medri-Kinnon - Producer, Windrider@Wycliffe

Sundance 2009, Windrider Forum , Wycliffe College

Screening The Award-Winning Film - As We Forgive

WINDRIDER TORONTO Screening
AS WE FORGIVE

Tuesday MAY 12th - Mark Your Calendar Now !

Wishing you all a New Year filled with (movie screens) bright and beautiful (thought-provoking, conversation provoking and community building.)

At WindriderToronto, we have been working on ways to develop and continue to serve the interest expressed at our introductory event - Windrider@Wycliffe - last September, during Toronto's International Film Festival.

While working on next year's September event, we are also pleased to announce our next screening, which will be in May – Tuesday the 12th at the Medical Sciences Building on the U of Toronto campus.

As We Forgive is a story of Rwanda – through the eyes of several individuals coming to terms with the issues and need of forgiveness that most of us here in North America only know as headlines. The filmmaker, Laura Waters Hinson says "I think Rwanda is the most extreme case of practicing what you preach that I've ever seen."

The film "As We Forgive" will reverberate with you – and once again, we are delighted to welcome the filmmaker - Laura Waters Hinson to the screening, after which she will join with us for conversation.

If you believe that filmmakers are the sages and poets of this age, then discovering that themes of reconciliation and forgiveness run through many current films is not a surprise – likewise, this year, Refresh! is all about reconciliation – identifying, breaking down and finding ways to get through the many and diverse walls that divide us.

New to Refresh! this year, WindriderToronto is pleased to continue its association with Wycliffe College.

Refresh! brings a wide range of interesting guests together - this years lineup includes the Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu, known for his interest in social justice issues, William Paul Young (The Shack) and Bishop Graham Cray (Fresh Expressions and the Mission-shaped Church document).

May 12th, Windrider Forum presented by Story Umbrella and Refresh!, is pleased to present another award-winning, thought and conversation provoking film to Toronto. As We Forgive will leave you pondering……

Mark your calendars – see you at the movies.

Please note the change of evenings for those of you who had heard about this event !

Do follow the link to the new Windrider Forum website to see what's new in various places around the world – this next week some of us will be in Park City, Utah at Sundance – the place where it all began. Look for updates on what we are seeing and experiencing there.

- Imbi Medri-Kinnon, Producer, Windrider@Wycliffe

Forgiveness, ReFresh!, Windrider Forum , Wycliffe College

Vince DiPersio on Backyard Theater

Windrider @ Wycliffe Producer, Imbi Medri-Kinnon and I met Vince DiPersio at Windrider Colorado in July. Two of Windrider's co-founders, Will Stoller-Lee and Craig Detweiler had met Vince at the Breckenridge Film Festival where his film, The Big Question, won Best Documentary. Will asked Vince to show TBQ at Windrider Colorado - and after meeting Vince and seeing the film, Imbi and Windrider co-founder, John Priddy invited Vince to Windrider @ Wycliffe this past September.

When we were all hanging out on the porch of the B&B where we stayed in Colorado Springs, Vince told us about the fun he was having with "Backyard Theater" at home in LA. He spoke of how the neighborhood got together in his backyard on Saturday night to watch films - and then just stayed around to talk.

When Vince was with us in September, I grabbed a quick interview with him and one of the questions I asked was about Cinema under the stars. Here's Vince's response.

Backyard Theater - Bringing Neighbors Together from Bill Kinnon on Vimeo.

Link to Backyard Theater website. Link to HD version of this video.

The Big Question, Vince DiPersio, Windrider Forum

We'd Love Your Response

If you had a chance to join us for one, two or all the Windrider @ Wycliffe evenings we would love to hear from you. Please click here to take survey. Your responses will help us in planning for our next events. We will also NOT share any of your information with other organizations. Thank you for taking part.

End of the 1st W@W, Preparing for the Next

We would like to extend deep appreciation to Dr.George Sumner for his openness to trying something different, and to Rev. Annette Brownlee for her leadership at Wycliffe College in pulling together a very successful 1st annual Windrider @ Wycliffe event. Many thanks also to staff, students and the many faculty who came, helped out and participated. Also to John Franklin, Marion Franklin and the Imago team - what a great kick-off reception - thanks so much!

Thanks to all of you who took time out of your busy Toronto lives, and came and participated. We hope you all enjoyed it. If you didn't have the chance to take it in, we are sure you are hearing that you missed an interesting and thought-provoking series of evenings. To those of you who got the word out and / or brought friends, many thanks. And, a special word of thanks to Dr. Brian Walsh, who brought his class to a film that dealt with deep realities of homelessness, To Die in Jerusalem.

And who could forget those of you who came back a second and third night. It was wonderful to see people wanting to stay for as long as possible in a conversation that did not finish.

We believe that this event, in its formational stages, stands to become deeply significant for Toronto. We are pleased to be partnering with Wycliffe College, and organizations such as Imago, and look forward to future events that lead to deep reflection, discussion and action.

We also want to thank the filmmakers, Hilla Medalia, Vince DiPersio, Alison Thompson and Oscar Gubernati who gave of their time to be a part of all the evenings. (Coming in from New York and Los Angeles to be with us.) John Priddy - Priddy Brothers & Windrider Forum, and Will Stoller-Lee - Fuller Seminary Colorado and Windrider Forum, worked with us to make W@W happen and played key roles in each evening's event. We wouldn't have been here without their vision.

To keep up to date on future events, check in at this site regularly. Look for news of another event in the coming months - as well as news about the 2009 Windrider @ Wycliffe.

We would also appreciate discussion here at the Windrider Toronto site - you can comment / provoke discussion on each of the three movie posts below. For overall comments, and any feedback, please comment directly on this post. And if you would like to be involved on a forward going basis, or would rather say something in a more off-line kind of way, feel free to email us at the address in the right sidebar.

For the entire Windrider @ Wycliffe team,
Imbi Medri-Kinnon, Event Producer
Board Member, story umbrella
Managing Director, mkpl.tv

Alison Thompson, Hilla Medalia, John Priddy, Priddy Brothers Films, The Big Question, The Third Wave, To Die in Jerusalem, Windrider Forum , Wycliffe College, Vince DiPersio, George Sumner

First Evening - Screening and Q&A - To Die in Jerusalem

200+ people gathered in Sheraton Hall, Wycliffe College for the first night of Windrider @ Wycliffe. Our first film presentation, To Die in Jerusalem generated a lot of discussion during the Q & A session after the screening. And that conversation continued in the wonderful reception put on by Imago, after the Q & A.

We look forward to another great film this evening, The Big Question. Please join Director Vince DiPersio and the Windrider @ Wycliffe team for this powerful film on forgiveness.

We'd love your comments on the first night - just click on the comment button below this post.

Invitation to Windrider @ Wycliffe

John Priddy is one of the co-founders of the Windrider Forum. Please also watch John, along with his business partner and brother, Ed Priddy, in an interview with Dick Staub, telling the story behind Windrider. As well, the Windrider Rough Cuts video will give you a taste of what happens at a Windrider Forum.