Burnaby film wins Silver Hugo

Burnaby film wins Silver Hugo
Here and Now column by Dan Hilborn, Burnaby NOW assistant editor
Published Sept. 15, 2002

A film produced in Burnaby on behalf of the Knowledge Network will receive a Silver Hugo Award at the upcoming Chicago International Film Festival.
Access Challenge relates the tale of six unique teams of hikers who traverse the Cascade Mountains of Manning Park under the leadership of a captain with a 'significant' physical disability.
The hour-long documentary was produced by Mehdi Ali and directed by David Ozier, both of Fountain Productions in Burnaby.
The film will be shown in Saskatchewan and Manitoba later this month and is expected to be aired on B.C.'s Knowledge Network before the end of the year.
"I'm really honoured that people recognize that there was so much energy we put into it," Ali said, speaking on his cell phone this week. "But the joy of making film is more than just picking up awards."
One of the teams featured in Access Challenge is led by disabled Vancouver city councillor Sam Sullivan, who pits teamwork, technology and ingenuity against the unpredictable forces of nature.
IT'S A BIG RESPONSIBILITY
Kudos to Shahid Punjani, whose parents live near Robert Burnaby Park. The young man was one of three British Columbia residents to graduate this summer from one of the most prestigious and influential schools in the world - the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Punjani obtained his master's degree in city planning during the commencement ceremonies held in early June. The principal address was given by World Bank president James D. Wolfensohn, who told the graduates that the main issue they will face in the future is social and economic equity around the world.
Wolfensohn's words deserve hearing. "My message to you today is: whatever your judgment of institutions like the bank or people from my generation, your challenge is planetary equity," he said. "You cannot avoid it. It's the issue of peace, and all of you here have been trained to make our world a better place."
The speech was made in front of a rain-soaked crowd of 2,187 graduates, many more well-wishers, friends and family members, plus 120 protesters.
ANNIVERSARY WISHES
Congratulations are in order for Mel and Josephine Holmes of Venables Street who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Wednesday, Sept. 12.
The couple have lived in the same house for the entire time and raised three children - Susan, Linda and Ron - in the neighbourhood.
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
Sean Pander, 25, a student in the resource management and environmental studies program at UBC, was the recent recipient of a $1,000 Sustainability Scholarship from BC Hydro.
Pander told the Crown corporation that he entered the environmental field after working as an engineer in Chicago, Ill., where he was shocked by the environmental and social costs of suburban sprawl.
He's one of 65 recipients of the scholarships this year.
The money is offered each year to full-time students attending environmental studies or related programs. Application forms are available at www.bchydro.com/ scholarships.
POETRY AWARD WINNERS
There appears to be a connection between living on an island and having the ability to write good poetry.
All three of the top finishers in the Burnaby Writers Society's 35th annual writing competition will have to travel by ferry to attend their own awards and poetry reading night, taking place in town on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
First-place finisher Mildred Tremblay, who penned 'Frozen Lakes,' will have to come from Nanaimo; second-place finisher Joelene Heathcote, author of 'Where My Parents Live,' hails from Victoria; while K. Louise Schmidt, who wrote 'Prayers for the Full Moon,' spends her days on Gabriola Island.
Honourable mentions went to three Lower Mainlanders, Roy Roberts, Dan Neil and Barbara Wild, plus overall prize winners Tremblay and Schmidt.
The winning poets and other finalists will read from their works at Myles of Beans Coffeehouse, #1 - 7010 Kingsway, at 8 p.m., Sept. 18.
Admission to the event is free, the lattes will be hot and we've been told the pastries are as fresh as the poetry.