Bushfire Relief Fundraiser 2040 Screening Announced At Coburg Drive In

Deeply touched by the sobering destruction the bushfires have brought upon our land, wildlife and communities, a group of like-minded parents has come together to host a special fundraising screening of the multi award winning Australian documentary by Damon Gameau, 2040 on 13 February, with all proceeds raised going to Wildlife Victoria.

2040 is an uplifting feature documentary that demonstrates that we already have the solutions to climate change, we just need to take action to bring them rapidly into the mainstream.

"2040 is a letter to my 4-year-old daughter showing her an alternative future to the doom and gloom version we are currently presented with. But there is a catch. This is not an exercise in bad parenting - everything I show her in 2040 must already exist today in some form. It cannot be made up. This film is not a utopian fantasy; it is an exercise in what I call 'fact-based dreaming'," says film director Damon Gameau.

"It's easy to get distressed grasping the scale of the disaster Australia is suffering now, or lose your faith in democracy and fair go. In times like this a positive outlook is vitally important to remind us that it's still all in our hands to change the future, if we align our goals and efforts," says Masha Ilinov, one of the Melbourne parents who has come together to create the fundraiser.

"As many parents out there we are faced with questions like 'why can't we go outside today?', 'Why is there a white smoke in the air?', 'Can we call the firefighters to stop the fires?', which are very hard to answer. And despite our best efforts to blend a good dose of hope with the terrible truth, our kids know and take things deep to their hearts. We don't want children to wear masks each summer to play outside. We don't want to tell them stories of koalas and other Australian animals with the prefix 'extinct'", says Masha.

It's not surprising that this film has been nominated for several awards both in Australia and internationally, it speaks to wide audiences regardless of their age, ethnicity, values or beliefs.

The topics covered in the film span across farming, aquaculture, civic design, transport, education and other areas, sparking positive conversations and forward thinking. Most importantly, it sends a powerful message about uniting and strengthening our communities, which can't be overrated as Australia fights through the bushfire crisis.

Stories from all over Australia depict incredible bravery, generosity, compassion and altruism of firefighters, rescuers and everyday citizens alike. Come Autumn, the fires will subside, but the animal recovery and habitat restoration will be as much in need of our support.

By attending this movie screening, Melburnians will provide much needed support for wildlife recovery with 100% of funds raised going to Wildlife Victoria.
Immerse yourself in the wonderful new world Damon Gameau has created in 2040, at Melbourne's much loved, long standing Coburg Drive-In. Rejuvenate your hope and drive home knowing you've done a good deed, feeling inspired to create change.

For tickets and more information visit https://events.humanitix.com.au/2040relief, all proceeds go to Wildlife Victoria Bushfire Relief Fund.

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