Evolving, Elephants and Electronica

The Illuminate Film Festival’s second year in town takes place May 1-4 at various venues all within a two-block radius downtown, where the fest will screen 20 films that are all about raising awareness to explore human potential, spiritual growth and social change. There are 14 feature-length documentaries and a series of micro-shorts that touch on everything from meditation to sourcing sustainable food to visiting with rare sea turtles … to scientific research that shows how personal healing for parents can impact children’s brain development. Nearly all of the screenings are followed by a panel, process, or event designed to take the audience deeper into what they’ve just seen cinematically; from discussions to experiential processes. Special events also take place nearly every day, including live music, speakers and more.

Visit https://illuminatefilmfestival.com

A Life Among Elephants, which screens post-Illuminateat the Lobero Theatre on May 5, is also an inspiring heartfelt film. The documentary spotlights the life and work of Save the Elephants’ Founder Iain Douglas-Hamilton, the Scottish biologist turned maverick conservationist and wildlife crusader who was the first to sound the alarm on the ivory poaching crisis. Archival footage, interviews with Douglas-Hamilton’s family and famed primatologist Jane Goodall make up the bulk of the movie that chronicles Douglas-Hamilton’s experience and journey and highlights the ongoing importance of protecting the animals for future generations. The screening is followed by a conversation with Save The Elephants CEO Frank Pope and others. 

Visit www.lobero.org

Narrated by Laurie Anderson, Sisters with Transistors delves into the little-known story of the pioneering women who helped to shape electronic music, crafting the early sounds and technologies that define the genre today. The doc digs into the work of trailblazing composers Clara Rockmore, Delia Derbyshire, Pauline Oliveros, Wendy Carlos, Laurie Spiegel and Suzanne Ciani, among others. The cohort’s experiments with early synthesizers, tape manipulation, and unconventional soundscapes pushed the boundaries of musical composition. Ciani, the five-time Grammy-nominated composer whose early work includes four-channel quadraphonic recordings, joins a discussion with UCSB Music’s David Novak following the May 6 screening at the Pollock Theater.