CUBAN HAT FIRST PRIZE: THANK YOU!

Thanks to the support of so many people, Plenty's Paradox WON the Cuban Hat Pitch! We are deeply encouraged that so many people see the importance of a critical film on Canadian mining companies in Africa.

The first prize is: $1,000 in cash from Fonds Bell, $15,000 in post-production services from Post Moderne, a one-year subscription to the Doc Organisation of Canada and $1,000 in legal services from Loussiers & Khouzam. We are so grateful to all who took the time to vote, donated funds and services to the Cuban Hat, and to the Cuban Hat team for making it possible for an independent political film such as ours to access these incredible services! For more information on the Cuban Hat Pitch, check out www.cubanhat.tv.

The Cuban Hat Pitch Finals are from 19h00 - 21h00 EST/4 pm - 6 pm PST on Tuesday!!

TO VOTE ONLINE: WWW.CUBANHAT.TV

Please check for the confirmation email! Watch the livestream at www.cubanhat.tv!

Plenty's Paradox: Canadian Mining Companies in Africa is one of the 6 finalists in the Cuban Hat Pitch contest at the Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal (RIDM)l! The prize is $25,000 in post-production services and other goods. Online voting counts for 25% of the final score..SO WE NEED YOU!

The three minutes it will take you to vote for our film will help us get the resources we need to bring stories from the frontlines of Canadian mines in Africa to television screens, community halls and festivals. Our film asks critical questions about who's profiting off Canadian mines. It traces how our taxes, pensions and investments go to some of the largest Canadian-owned open-pit mines in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.

Time is ticking!! If you have three minutes to spare (and I haven't already hassled you), please consider voting for Plenty's Paradox in the Cuban Hat Pitch! Click below, follow the instructions, and check your inbox for the verification email. Thanks!
http://www.cubanhat.tv/plentys-paradox-canadian-mining-in-africa/

 We've also posted two sneak-peeks on our flickr page. Check them out for a glimpse of the footage you'll see in Plenty's Paradox.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/plentysparadox/sets/72157631773078255/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/plentysparadox/sets/72157631772984329/

Cuban Hat Pitch

Who's Getting Rich Off Canadian Mines in Africa?

Plenty’s Paradox is a documentary that travels from Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania to Canada to unearth the stories behind some of the world’s largest Canadian-owned mining projects.

This century’s global scramble for metals and minerals has led hundreds of Canadian mining corporations to Africa in search of the next big mine find. Seventy-five percent of the world’s mining corporations are based in Canada. Canadians finance mining companies through taxes paid to government, interest in bank accounts and even pension plans. But who gets rich off Canadian mines?

In Africa, where some of the world’s most lucrative resource extraction projects sit right next to the world’s poorest communities, there is no simple answer to this question. Plenty’s Paradox takes a hard look at why communities, governments and corporations are pitted against each other in a battle to extract the earth’s riches.