IF YOU GO

FRIDAY AT THE BOULDER THEATER

Doors Open at 6:30 p.m. with The Gaia Film Festival Kick-Off Party

--"Sacred Water," directed by Corwin Bell. (Boulder), Short, director in attendance.

--"Water," directed by Saida Medvedeva. (Russia) Colorado premiere, documentary, producers in attendance

SATURDAY AT THE BOULDER PUBLIC LIBRARY

1:00 p.m.

--"Driftwood," directed by Michelle Steffes, short

--"The Cake Eaters," directed by Mary Stuart Masterson. Feature, filmmakers in attendance

3:45 p.m.

--"Five Wishes," directed by Michael Goorjian, starring Gay Hendricks. Colorado premiere, short, director and cast in attendance

--"Sherman's Way," directed by Craig Saavedra. Colorado premiere, feature, director in attendance

6:30 p.m.

--"Speed of Life," directed by Jeff Lester. Short

--"Crazy Sexy Cancer," directed by Kris Carr. Documentary feature

SATURDAY AT THE ST. JULIEN HOTEL SCREENING ROOM

8:15 p.m.

--"I Met the Walrus," directed by Jerry Levitan. (Canada) Short

--"Samsara," directed by Pan Nalin. (France) Feature

SUNDAY AT THE BOULDER THEATER

11:00 a.m.

--Kid's Shorts Program -- TBA

--"Diamond Dog Caper," directed by Mark Stouffer. Colorado premiere, family feature, director in attendance

2:15 p.m.

--"Paper or Plastic?" directed by Jimmy Wardle. Short

--"Fields of Fuel," directed by Josh Tickell. Documentary feature, director in attendance

5:30 p.m.

--Gaia Community presents an Evening with Peter Russell, Presentation and Discussion

7:00 p.m.

--The Gaia Film Festival Awards Ceremony featuring the winning short and the Gaia tribute film, "Meetings with Remarkable Men," directed by Peter Brook. (UK) 1978

Passes and tickets are on sale at www.bouldertheater.com or the Boulder Theater Box Office, 303-786-7030. For full schedule details and more information go to www.gaiafilmfest.com.

T he people who shape and contribute the most to their communities come to be known as the "salt of the Earth," as they seem to embody the elemental qualities that build strength and character in the world around them.

The programmers of The Gaia Film Festival hope the films they select will produce the same qualities in viewers.

"We look for films of an altruistic nature," says festival director Una Morera. "[Films] that could inspire people of all ages to make a positive change - in their community, in the world around them, in themselves."

The Gaia Film Festival begins today in Boulder and runs through Sunday.

Morera said the films Gaia accepted embodied a "happy worldview":

"They don't portray darkness, an overly political point of view, or overly violent [content]," she says. "These are films that leave the audience with a feeling of hopefulness, connectedness; they're inspired to change the world."

Gaia enters its third year with the 2008 festival. This year marks the first time Gaia will be held in Boulder.

"Boulder is a destination town; it's a great place for people to come in the summer," says Morera about the festival's move. "It's a great place for audiences to come out to attend a festival."

The films themselves being screened this weekend all share a theme of "people going through a transformation," says Morera.

"How [do people] develop altruistic motives, and what does it look like when it's done cinematically? What are the motives behind being thoughtful and caring when presented with a dichotomy? How can we take care of others in the best way possible?" asks Morera. "Each film has some element of these."

The plethora of films on display all seem to present these themes, as well as characters - both real and fictional - who exemplify them.

"Fields of Fuel," winner of the Best Documentary Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of Josh Tickell, a man who takes on America's oil dependence through biodiesel. The film is littered with celebrity interviews, including the likes of Willie Nelson, Julia Roberts, Larry David and Jack Johnson.

"It's a great story of a heroic person committed to finding a solution to our fuel needs," said Morera. "It's a very thorough film, a look at a complicated problem with some fun moments and a nice lineup."

"Crazy Sexy Cancer," meanwhile, follows actress/photographer Kris Carr as she undertakes a journey of self-discovery from the inside-out when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

"I've watched hundreds of cancer movies - it's really affected society in a quiet way," says Morera. "This film is revolutionary: it takes cancer and makes it a universal experience, turns it around into an inspirational journey."

"Sherman's Way" is "[Gaia's] homage to the road trip, coming-of-age genre," says Morera.

"['Way'] stars James Le Gros [of modern 'Macbeth' adaptation 'Scotland, PA'] as a deadbeat dad who meets a younger hitchhiker while going to see his son," she said. "It's about the journey they go through to be responsible."

As the world itself is composed of basic elements in their purest form, so human character consists of fine characteristics, some of which remain dormant until awoken. At the Gaia Film Festival, a causal viewer might just find the film to inspire their spirit - and help them change the world.