In today’s visual media focused society what better way to learn about environmental issues than through film? Luckily the Planet in Focus film festival has got us covered! This week from October 10-14, 2012 Canada’s largest environmental film festival hits the theatres of Toronto.

It’s not just for the birds! Check out some enviro flicks this week at Canada’s largest environmental film festival.

This year’s festival features some great environmental classics like Manufactured Landscapes, a stark and haunting visual perspective on modern industrialized production and its impact on workers. There’s also some world premiers like Lost Rivers which explores hidden river networks in London, Italy, Montreal and Toronto.  Having its Canadian premier, Switch shows how modern society can make the switch from fossil fuel dependence to renewable alternative energy sources.

Check out Trashed this weekend at the Planet in Focus film festival.

As an avid urban cyclist I’m really excited to see Spoke profile and interview the cycling community in Toronto. And of course, no environmental film festival is complete without a truly trashy masterpiece. Trashed explores all kinds of waste, from prison compost heaps in Yorkshire, state of the art recycling in San Francisco, zero waste achievers and how waste affects global communities.

You can pick up the festival guide at the fancy TIFF lightbox at 350 King West St. in Toronto or keep it tree-free and check out the PDF here. And if you’re not able to get your butt in a Toronto theatre seat its still worthwhile to check out the festival films and catch them online or maybe even in a theatre near you!

Ps…Besides the festival, Planet in Focus also runs some really cool initiatives like Youth Camera Action! and Eat My Dust. These programs engage and train young film makers here in Canada and in a small community in South Africa. Check them out and support them if you can!