Progressive Cinema presents: Bimblebox

Bimblebox is a documentary depicting stories from the front lines of the battle of 

rural Australians against coal and gas extraction on their land,

at 7:30pm on Wednesday, 9th May,

at the Armidale Club, 91 Beardy Street.

Turntables Restaurant will be open for dinner from 6pm.

The Progressive Cinema screening this month follows on from the Coal Seam Gas Forum organised by Armidale Action on Coal Seam Gas at the Armidale Town Hall at 7pm on May 2.

The film, Bimblebox, will be introduced by Carmel Flint, spokesperson for the Northern Inland Council for the Environment, Regional Co-Ordinator with the Lock the Gate Alliance and one of the leading members of Armidale Action on Coal Seam Gas. Carmel chained herself to a bulldozer at the Boggabri coal mine in Leard State Forest and was arrested on 11th April. Her action was a measure of last resort to raise awareness and send a message to the State Government which seems to place the welfare of mining companies over that of the community.

The coal mines at Boggabri and Tarrawonga are set to be expanded and a third mine  is to be established in the district at Maules Creek. The mining projects would see 5000 hectares of bushland cleared to produce 21 million tonnes of coal each year, dispersing 18,000 tonnes of dust over local farmland.

We are privileged to have Carmel sharing her experience and expertise at the screening.

‘Bimblebox‘ is directed by US-based filmmaker Michael O’Connell. It presents the story of Paola Cassoni, a resident of Alpha, a tiny town in Queensland 500 km west of Rockhampton. Bimblebox Nature Refuge is an 8000 ha property directly in the path of the proposed ‘China First’ coal mine, an operation that, if approved, will be the largest coal mine in the world.

The film features interviews with leading academics and scientists, as well as members of the communities affected by mining and former miners, to provide a picture of the broader implications of Australia’s mining boom, while focussing on one woman’s fight to protect the land she loves.

“This documentary was born out of the necessity to let the broader public know that our bush, our communities, farms and our waters are going through a radical transformation,” Ms Cassoni said. ” It shows the daily battles and frustrations of ordinary people in dealing with both mining corporations and an indifferent Governments. It’s more than a hint that we need a new direction in energy consumption both at home and globally.”

“My sincere thanks go to Mike O’Connell, who donated his time, and to country folks who helped to finance the project.” Mr O’Connell is an experienced environmental documentary film maker, having previously made ‘Mountain Top Removal’,  which focussed on the issue of coal mining in the US region of Appalachia. He has received numerous awards including the ‘Reel Current’ award, presented by Al Gore at the Nashville Film Festival.

“Australia is the world’s largest exporter of coal, supplying one third of the world’s supply. It is impossible to address climate change without looking at Australia’s role in the planet’s climate future,” said Mr O’Connell. “After making my film, Mountain Top Removal, I wanted to look at the global issue of mining and also explore the alternatives to fossil fuels. Australia was a perfect place to do that”.

‘Bimblebox‘ premiered at the Byron Bay Film Festival. Further information about the documentary is available at www.bimbleboxdocumentary.com.

The event will be free, however donations to help cover the costs of making the film are encouraged. 

For more information about the film call Ellie Smith, Associate Producer, on  {mobile prefix oh four}48335452. 

For more information about the screening call Bea Bleile on  {mobile prefix oh four}58 752 680. 

Please pass this on to others who might be interested.