Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/594552
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 1 NOVEMBER 2015 44 This Week AS part of its Side-Street Film con- cept, exhibiting alternative and non-mainstream films – The Eden Cinemas will be presenting the first of its kind at their theatres: the LG- BTIQ film festival 'Poutfest Tour 2015.' The Pout tour is a one-week film festival exhibiting films focuss- ing on LGBTIQ themes. It will kick off on the 11 November and run for one week, exhibiting a series of con- temporary, socially challenging and eye-opening movies. Films to be exhibited include: 52 Tuesdays; Soft Lad; Dressed as a Girl; A Girl At My Door; Futuro Beach; and Trick & Treat (a collection of 10 new, award winning short films). As part of the festival, Eden Cine- mas will also be organising on-screen Skype interviews with directors and cast members of the movies. The audience will be given the once in a lifetime opportunity to interact with them and discuss the movie and the concepts behind it. Through the film festival, Eden Cinemas endeavour to provide a significant chunk of the community with film product which is relevant to them; help defeat stereotypes through demystifying the realities that people within the community go through; and through its associa- tion with the Allied Rainbow Com- munities, help raise awareness about HIV and help raise funds towards its treatment. Eden Cinemas will be working hand-in-hand with govern- ment ministries and various NGOs and LGBTIQ support groups for the week-long festival. In her reaction Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties Helena Dalli said: "Laws are important, but they are not enough. It is when all of us open our hearts and minds to the realities around us that we can all progress towards a more equal society, to- gether." The premiere on November 11 will feature the "groundbreaking new film," (Huffington Post) 52 Tues- days. Those attending will enjoy complimentary drinks and canapés as well as a Skype interview with the famed director, Sophie Hyde. Tickets are at €10, of which €3 will be donated to Allied Rainbow Com- munities, who will use the money for HIV treatment and awareness building. Eden Cinemas expect that this fes- tival will be the start of many film festivals, giving the chance to pa- trons to enjoy unusual or alternative movies which would otherwise not have the opportunity to be exhibit- ed. Aside from the premiere, tickets for each movie are at €7 and can be purchased from www.edencinemas. com.mt. The event is supported by the Min- istry for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, the Par- liamentary Secretariat for Health, and the Malta Film Commission Eden Cinemas launches its first one-week LGBTIQ film festival Poutfest Tour kicks off on November 11 52 Tuesdays About 53% of the Maltese Islands is agriculture, and another whopping 33% is built over. The measly 14% that's left is what we can call natural habitat, and even that has been at some point in time modified by human activity. Still, considering we're the most densely populated country on the planet, we're actually lucky we have a bit left, and a good idea to protect it. One of BirdLife's ways of achieving environmental protection is the regeneration of rare and threatened habitats, one of which is wetlands. Is-Simar nature reserve in Xemxija, which today opens for the winter season, is one such project. Formerly little more than a squalid dump – that's what it was up to the 1980s – the place has been gradually transformed into a network of water-associated habitats including shallow pools, canals, saltmarsh and reedbed. Thanks to a good infusion of TLC, at least several new species of birds have nested there for the first time. The site is open Sundays 10am to 4pm till the end of May. Go visit, it's free. 478. IS-SIMAR GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 381: FIND OUT MORE – WWW.FOEMALTA.ORG/LINKS/TTIP Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate Text Victor Falzon Photo Desirée Falzon