IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT opens in San Francisco 7/15 July 15, 2011

IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT
Remarkable Documentary on Rise and Fall of Radical Environmentalists
Opens Friday, July 15 in the San Francisco Bay Area

Landmark Theatres Engagements begin Friday, July 15, 2011
Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinemas, 601 Van Ness San Francisco, (415) 267-4893
Showtimes (valid 7/15-22): Fri-Sat at 12:10, 2:30, 4:40, 7:00 and 9:00; Sun at 12:10, 2:30, 4:40 and 7:00; Mon-Thurs at 2:30, 4:40 and 7:00
General Admission: $10.00 Bargain, Student, Senior & Child: $8.00

Showtimes and tickets available at: http://www.landmarktheatres.com/tickets and theatre box office.

http://www.ifatreefallsfilm.com/

Berkeley Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120625848025386
San Francisco Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=234690213216453

Oscilloscope Laboratories presents IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT, opening July 15, 2011 at Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinemas in San Francisco, and Landmark’s Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley.

On December 7, 2005, federal agents conducted a nationwide sweep of radical environmentalists involved with the Earth Liberation Front (ELF)—an organization the FBI has called America’s “number one domestic terrorism threat.” For years, the ELF—operating in separate anonymous cells without any central leadership—had launched spectacular arsons against dozens of businesses they accused of destroying the environment: timber companies, SUV dealerships, wild horse slaughterhouses, and a $12 million ski lodge at Vail, Colorado.

IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT is the remarkable story of the group’s rise and fall, told through the transformation and radicalization of one of its members, Daniel McGowan. Part coming-of-age tale, part cops-and-robbers thriller, the film interweaves a chronicle of McGowan facing life in prison with a dramatic investigation of the events that led to his involvement with the ELF. Using never-before-seen archival footage and intimate interviews—with cell members and with the prosecutor and detective who were chasing them— IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT explores the tumultuous period from 1995 until early 2001 when environmentalists were clashing with timber companies and law enforcement and asks hard questions about environmentalism, activism and the way we define terrorism. Winner of the Documentary Editing Award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Marshall Curry (Racing Dreams) and co-directed by Sam Cullman.

Official Website: http://www.ifatreefallsfilm.com/
Find the film on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/If-A-Tree-Falls-A-Story-of-the-Earth-Liberation-Front/186553578028577

Winner, Environmental Visions Award – Dallas Film Festival
Winner, Best Documentary Award – Nashville Film Festival
Winner, Documentary Editing Award – Sundance Film Festival

"It gains much of its considerable power because of its ability to illuminate the complexities behind the actions." – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

"Engaging... The film addresses thorny issues surrounding deforestation, dissent and civil (and uncivil) disobedience in the post-9/11 era." – Anthony Kaufman, The Wall Street Journal online

"An intriguing and important film... As director Marshall Curry said at his Sundance post-screening Q&A: "The film has a point of view, but a grown-up point of view that acknowledges the complexity of the situation." – Stewart Nusbaumer, Filmmaker Magazine

"A compelling doc about radical environmentalism... informative, compelling." – Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter

"If a Tree Falls' is nothing if not troubling, complicated and thought-provoking... [the film] provided a common text from which everybody — radical or moderate, liberal or conservative — was able to work, interpret, converse. This common ground paired with the power of narrative establishes a strong ally for the environmental community and a bridge across divided ideologies and hopes."
– Dylan Walsh,, Yale Daily News

"One of the more personal and intimate environmental docs in recent memory.... It's a powerful tale; one guaranteed to generate heated discussion." – Steve Ramos, Box Office Magazine

"A gimlet-eyed glimpse into the roots of terrorism and the politics behind its prosecution… Curry provides a concise, temperate but penetrating history of how the ELF came to be... the footage Curry collects has to be seen to be believed...Curry lays out the strategies of the ELF with precision and clarity, abetted by handsome animation and terrific ancillary players." – John Anderson, Variety

The film’s running time is 85 minutes; it is not rated.

Official Website: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=234690213216453