鈥淭here are too many great films to choose from鈥� is the most common 鈥渃omplaint鈥� heard at the World Community Film Festival.

Although they are finding it difficult to choose their favourites this year, the programmers are letting us in on some of their picks for the festival, which is celebrating 20 years and set to run Feb. 4 and 5 at the Sid Williams Theatre and nearby venues in downtown Courtenay.

Programmer Janet Fairbanks recommends all of the films featuring music such as the opening night films, Music by Prudence and The Topp Twins.

On Saturday morning (Feb. 5) at 10, Soundtrack for a Revolution is her pick to start the day. It tells the story of the American civil rights movement through its powerful music, the freedom songs protesters sang to give them courage as they fought for justice and equality.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen this film three times and it moves me to tears each time. The filmmaker chose to use contemporary performers such as John Legend and Mary Mary in order to attract younger people who may not know the amazing history of the civil rights movement in the U.S.,鈥� says Fairbanks.

鈥淥ne thing we try to highlight at the World Community Film Festival is stories or activities which the mainstream media have missed or ignored,鈥� says fellow programmer Wayne Bradley. 鈥淏udrus is a film about one of those stories, which may turn out to be world changing, yet has received little attention in the media.鈥� 

Budrus is a small town in the occupied territories of Palestine that was going to be completely surrounded by the so-called separation barrier being erected by the Israeli government, cutting people off from the farms and olive groves that have been tended for generations.

A community leader, Ayed Morrar, unites the various Palestinian factions in opposition to the fence, with a difference.

This time the tactics will be of non-violent resistance. 

The intensity of the struggle increases as the Palestinian women, led by his daughter Itezam, join the resistance, followed by activists from the Israeli Peace Movement.

The unity of Palestinians and Israelis against this injustice presents a powerful front that confounds the Israeli military, and gets results that have rarely been achieved by confronting violence with more violence.

A festival pass for the two days costs $28. Friday evening costs $12 and the price for Saturday is $18 鈥� $3 for youth that day. Tickets are available at the Sid Williams Theatre Box Office 鈥� 250-338-2430 (extension 1) or order online at www.sidwilliamstheatre.com.

Check out the schedule at www.worldcommunity.ca.

鈥� World Community Film Festival