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Film Hailed by Dr. Jane Goodall as "a masterpiece" Brought to Toronto by Coalition of Animal and Environmental Groups as Positive Alternative to Festival's "Cat Killer" Film

Canadian premiere of Peaceable Kingdom, a new doc from award-winning filmmakers that was rejected by TIFF, to be presented the night before Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat

Monday, September 13, 2004, 7:00- 9:00 PM
Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St. West (NE corner of Bloor and Avenue Rd)

Screening followed by Q&A with Director Jenny Stein, Producer James LaVeck, Subjects Harold Brown (former farmer) and Gene Bauston (Co-founder of Farm Sanctuary)

Reception to Follow

Toronto, Sept. 3, 2004 - In response to the Toronto International Film Festival's decision to screen a controversial documentary called Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat, area animal protection and environmental groups have joined together to sponsor the Canadian premiere of Peaceable Kingdom, a new documentary by award-winning filmmakers which was not included in this year's festival line-up. The 70-minute documentary, set against the backdrop of a farm animal sanctuary in scenic upstate New York, had its World Premiere at Manhattan's Lincoln Center.

"What concerns us," says the screening's coordinator Anita Krajnc, a professor of political studies at Queen's University, "is that Casuistry, a film that gives voice and attention to people passing their sadistic crimes off as art, is given a platform at the festival. Meanwhile, Peaceable Kingdom, a truly artistic and thought provoking exploration of our society's treatment of animals, was not. Both films examine violence toward animals. Both are provocative. Yet Peaceable Kingdom puts the focus on our human capacity to respond to injustice with creativity and non-violence. It is widely regarded by animal advocates as the best film on the subject ever made."

"It's clear that most people care about how animals are treated," says producer James LaVeck, "but there are so many misconceptions about who animal advocates are, what they believe, and why. Our films give the public a chance to see for themselves that these are just regular people who have come to their point of view honestly, through life-changing experiences that anyone can relate to."

Through the eyes of farmers who have come to view their participation in institutionalized cruelty as unacceptable, through the words of those who rescue abused and neglected farm animals, and through the stirring images of animals caught in an out of control industrial machine, Peaceable Kingdom offers a glimpse into a surreal world that has systematically been hidden from public view. As an inspiring counterpoint, the film also tells the story of a community of people who have chosen to live in complete harmony with animals. Audience members regularly describe the shift of perspective created by the film as "a life-changing experience."

"I really hope this film is shown everywhere to everyone," said one viewer at a U.S. premiere. "Never before has a film made such an impact on my thoughts, dreams and feelings in the days following its viewing," wrote another a week after the event.

"At the center of the controversy over Casuistry is the supposed motivation of the cat killers," says Krajnc. "They claimed their act would expose our society's hypocrisy in valuing individual companion animals while we turn a blind eye to institutionalized cruelty on factory farms. What's particularly ironic is that Peaceable Kingdom, a film which explores this very real contradiction in a compassionate and meaningful way, was submitted to the festival this year and was turned away. We think that was a real loss for the people of Toronto. So we're sponsoring the Canadian premiere of Peaceable Kingdom the night before Casuistry, right in the midst of the festival's main venues, at the Church of the Redeemer."

LaVeck and Stein's first film, The Witness, about a construction contractor who rescues cats from the streets of New York, received six festival awards for Best Documentary and played at Toronto's Planet in Focus film festival in 2001. Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Howard Rosenberg said the documentary "may be the most important and persuasive film about animals ever made." (Los Angeles Times, 12/8/00)

The Canadian Premiere of Peaceable Kingdom is co-sponsored by a growing list of animal and environmental organizations, including Action Volunteers for Animals, Animal Protection Institute, Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals, Canadian Furbearing Animals, Freedom for Animals and the Kensington Market Stray Cat Rescue, Peaceful Parks Coalition, ProNature Network, Toronto Animal Rights Society, and World Society for the Protection of Animals.

The event is open to the public. There is a suggested donation of $10. Festival pass holders will be admitted free. To reserve a seat in advance, visit www.tribeofheart.org

Members of the media should email james @ tribeofheart.org to reserve a seat. An advance copy of the film is available to members of the media upon request. For more info, stills, and to view a trailer, visit www.tribeofheart.org/press.htm

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Contacts: James LaVeck, Producer, (607) 275-0806, james @ tribeofheart.org

Anita Krajnc, Screening Coordinator, (416) 452-5135, krajnc @ post.queensu.ca