Greening the screen

Two people talking to each other

This year, Cannes Film Festival saw the launch of a new sustainability standard – BS 8909 – for film, developed by the British Standards Institute (BSI) and endorsed by the BFI, which the UK industry will lead on. As one of the busiest independent cinemas in the UK, Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) endeavours to be the Scottish figurehead for the standard.

The methodology for ensuring the minimisation of environmental impact is a complex and evolutionary one but there are key steps that can be taken. For GFT, an energy audit from the Energy Saving Trust was a shrewd place to start; in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University, our carbon footprint has also been measured, determining areas of focus and setting clear targets to act as a benchmark for future progression. From this an Environmental Policy has been established, a must for any organisation with green ambitions. Waste contractors, the William Tracey Group, have developed a bespoke GFT recycling service that is in line with the Scottish Government’s flagship Zero Waste campaign. Fundamental to success is the deployment of an Environmental Coordinator and a departmental Green Group who will drive and champion ongoing innovations.

It is not simply about the environment; there are social benefits of commercially developing and driving sustainability within our communities. GFT has a history of integration with the local community and so taking part in the inaugural UK Green Film Festival, a not-for-profit festival hosted in cities around the country from 20-22 May 2011, seemed like a natural way of showcasing the work that has been going on ‘behind the scenes’. Green MSP Patrick Harvie launched the festival and introduced the opening film, The Big Uneasy, a scrutiny of New Orleans’ ill-preparation for Hurricane Katrina from comedian and journalist Harry Shearer: “We have to constantly re-evaluate what we mean by green; we have to do that in film, in art, and in our general expression. There are issues to do with how we generate energy and how we deal with waste, but there are also issues to do with communities and with the economic power relationships between those communities and big business… Going green isn’t just about sticking up a few windmills. It’s a much broader agenda for the whole world.”
Eight feature films and three shorts from Glasgow-based voluntary collective Camcorder Guerrillas all engaged with themes around the environment and climate change. It was a programme of both global and local scope with particular emphasis on giving local groups a voice, building strong affiliations that will galvanise the larger community and shape the Festival in years to come. UK-wide Festival Director Chris Brown stressed that “people want to know what they can do in their own lives to make a difference.” An inclusive fringe programme of free events and activities aided this – arts and crafts stalls, organic food tasting, a bike MOT from local environmental charity the Glasgow Bike Shed, workshops on grow-your-own fruit and vegetables, and energy saving at home were a few of the events on offer.

This was a promising first year for what we hope will be a Festival of growing flair and relevance. Next year’s Festival (18-20 May) will officially launch the BS 8909 standard in Scotland, a key milestone for GFT’s – and the Scottish film industry’s – environmental future.