Moving Baltic Sea Festival

This summer there is a different kind of ship sailing the Baltic Sea. Don't worry, it isn't a pirate ship, it is a ship full of artists, environmentalists and filmmakers involved with the cultural project Moving Baltic Sea. So instead of seeing BlackBeard or Jack Sparrow, it'll be a cruise teeming with the likes of film-making genius, nico beyer. In three months, this sailing ship aims to educate and inspire young activists and artists about environmental issues, through workshops, film screenings and discussions.

Moving Baltic Sea is headed by Moviemiento e.V. , a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) based in Berlin. Moviemiento e.V. works as a travelling, European short film festival, whose goal is to promote young European films by connecting people and cultures. A principal element to Moviemiento e.V. projects is movement, normally done on a bus throughout Europe. However, this year the enterprise is moving via an environmentally friendly sailing ship, logically inspiring the Moving Baltic Sea's underlying theme: understanding the global importance of clean public water.

The ship is sailing to countries whose national borders have always created a barrier – Germany, Poland, Russia, Latvia and Estonia – but that have always been connected by the Baltic Sea. As water flows freely, ideas and dialog will also mix between people of the participating countries in this project. The target audience is young people, especially those culturally active in film or environO By Tamara Zibners mental protection. The ship starts in Germany and sails north, stopping at various ports along the Baltic Sea. At each docking point, the ship will rest its sails, and the crew will hop off board to conduct a four-day festival with locals.

At the opening celebration in each port there is: an open-air short film screening; panel discussions with young activists, political representatives, environmental NGOs, and culture representatives; a screening of the growing tour documentary, with images of the journey and audience reactions; and a party with local artists and musicians. Various workshops and a 48-hour film contest will be held during the following days. To wrap up the show before sailing to the next port, the organizers will have an award ceremony for the winner of the 48-hour short film contest, and all workshop participants will be able to present their results.

Moving Baltic Sea understands that many young people are really interested in doing something for our society or the environment, but only a small fraction is actually involved. Through the exciting medium of film, Moving Baltic Sea appeals to youth who might otherwise be uninterested in environmental issues. It also helps young environmentalists and culturally active individuals network and exchange ideas across national boundaries. Environmentally aware, artistically intriguing, and promoting multicultural interaction; time to mark on my calendar when Moving Baltic Sea sails to my city! To learn more about Moving Baltic Sea or to get involved, go to: www.movingbalticsea.org

Activities 48-hour Film Contest:
Young filmmakers write screenplays based on given themes, shoot, and edit their short film within two days.
Workshops on Environmental Policy: Young environmental activists exchange information, discuss ideas and develop courses of action for transnational cooperation on environmental issues. Creative Writing and Photography
Workshops: Plotki (www.plotki.net), an independent, English language magazine created by students from all over Europe, will produce a cultural magazine with the work from the creative writing and photography workshops.

Festival Tour Dates

July 4-7: Rostock, Germany
July 11-14: Gdansk, Poland
July 19-22: Kaliningrad, Russia
July 31- August 3: Riga, Latvia
August 9-12: Narva-Jõesuu, Estonia
August 21-24: St. Petersburg, Russia

By Tamara Zibners