We are happy to announce the program of the Drugreporter Film Sessions at the Harm Reduction International Conference in Montreal!  MONDAY, MAY 15 11.00 – 12:30 – Films on the Global War on Drugs  •    On The War on Drugs Spain / Director: Tre Borràs, Antoni Llort / 23m 6s A film that contributes ideas, arguments and tools to promote critical opinion. •    Peter’s Story: Meet the police officer legalizing drugs United Kingdom / Director: Cara Lavan / 2m 56s Belgian Deputy Chief of Police is convinced that his brother would still be alive if drugs were legal. •    Donna May’s Story: How one woman changed Canadian drug policy United Kingdom / Director: Cara Lavan / 2m 58s The death of Donna’s daughter made her see the need for drug policy reform. She is now dedicated to being an advocate for global drug policy reform. •    The UNGASS on Drugs: Reform Aborted United States / Drugreporter / 9m 34s In 2016 In New York, United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs was the most important international forum for discussing global drug policies since 1998. •    ‘Hoja por hoja’: Community Coca Control in Bolivia Bolivia / Director: Ismael Saavedra / 17m 9s Community coca control has reduced conflict and poverty, increased economic diversification, and even decreased coca cultivation itself in Bolivia. 14:00 – 15:30 – Films on Harm Reduction in North-America •    Advocacy in Action: Charting the future of Canada’s drug policy Canada / Director: Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network / 11m 24s The video showcases the Legal Network’s efforts in promoting and expanding access to rights and equity for people living with HIV and specifically PWUD. •    Working towards more consistent interventions between the health and the safety sectors concerning injection drug users Canada / AIDQ in collaboration with ENPQ / 27m 38s Solutions allowing greater coherence of interventions between police departments, community organizations and Health and Social services institutions. •    The Caring Community: Ithaca and the Movement for Supervised Injection Facilities United States / Directors: Taeko Frost, Matt Curtis / 21m 45s The mayor and district attorney of Ithaca became the first senior elected officials in the USA to endorse opening a supervised injection facility. •    New York Harm Reduction Educators United States / Director: Colin Askey / 16m 5s The film promotes New York Harm Reduction Educators’ fight against stigma and injustice for PWID, as well as provides an education on the history of community activism. 16:00 – 18:00 – The Stairs Canada / Director: Hugh Gibson / 1h 36m 25s The film follows the triumphs and heartbreaks of three social workers, who counsel clients about drug use while also struggling with their own addictions. TUESDAY, MAY 16 11.00 – 12:30 – Films on Harm Reduction in Eastern-Central Europe •    Our Clients Are Our Mission: Harm Reduction in Bosnia Bosnia-Herzegovina / Drugreporter / 13m 31s The movie features those selfless harm reduction professionals who try to save lives in spite of vanishing support and funding. •    She Survived, in Spite of Her Treatment Russia / Drug Users News / 21m 12s Patients call the Yekaterinburg Hospital (Russia) the “final journey”. This hospital is for patients with tuberculosis and other severe diagnoses. •    Harm Reduction and Drug Laws in the Czech Republic Czech Republic / Drug Users News / 11m 14s What has been happening in the drug policy, and how it affects the lives of PWUD since drug use is no longer a criminal offence in the Czech Republic? •    Street Lawyers from EECA region Russia / Drug Users News / 3m A story about the success of the community legal support, and video documenting of cases of torture in the name of drug treatment. 14:00 – 15:30 – Films on Overdose Prevention •    They talk, we die Canada / Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs / 4m 13s In February people who use drugs participated in a national day of action to end the overdose epidemic that is killing Canadians every day. •    Preventing Empty Spaces: Using Naloxone to Reverse Opioid Overdose United States / Director: Greg Scott / 9m 14s A documentary-style training film investigating opioid overdose death and providing training on how to prevent it with the use of injectable naloxone. •    Ray’s Story: my two sons died on the same day United Kingdom / Director: Cara Lavan / 2m 39s Ray describes what happened the night when he lost his sons to overdoses, and why it led him to the belief that the UK’s drug laws need to change. •    Play Safe – Chapter 10 (Heroin & Oxycontin) United States / Director: Eddie Einbinder / 13m 30s The film documents functional drug users who try to take the necessary precautions while using their respective drugs of choice, Heroin & Oxycontin. 16:00 – 18:00 – A Day in the Life: The World of Humans Who Use Drugs Hungary / Director: István Gábor Takács / 1h 25m 53s The film, produced in cooperation between activists and drug users, highlights how the lives of PWUD are affected by the global war on drugs, showing individual stories through the course of one day in seven countries of the world WEDNESDAY, MAY 17 11:00- 12:30 – Films on Harm Reduction in the Global South •    Harm Reduction: The Senegalese Experience Senegal / Director: Nick Loomis / 22m 17s Harm reduction within the Senegalese context through testimonies of former and current drug users, social workers, health workers and policy makers. •    Support. Don’t Punish. Voices for Drug Policy Reform from Asia Thailand / Director: Patrick Tibke, Alex Magill / 29m 41s People working in law enforcement, drug treatment, harm reduction and social services are calling for drug policy reform to end the punishment of people who use drugs in Asia. •    Dying A Slow Death: Inside Indonesia’s Drug War Indonesia / Drugreporter, PKNI / 23m 33s The film documents the first-hand impacts of the drug war as experienced by the community itself. 14:00 – 15:30 – Psychedelic Harm Reduction •    Global Ibogaine Conference- Tepoztlán, México 2016 Mexico / Karina Muscarina, Gabriel Amezcua, Brun González / 21m 12s The Global Ibogaine Conference discussed ibogaine therapy, the overall climate of drug policy, and its relationship with plant-based medicines. •    The Renaissance of Psychedelic Research The Netherlands / Drugreporter / 9m 32s Summary film about the International Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research 2016. •    Deep Web Harm Reduction Ireland / Director: Florian Scheibein / 7m 42s A short interview with ‘Dr.X’ presenting the concept of deep web harm reduction – harm reduction which occurs online in the deep web. •    Huxley’s Exit Canada / Director: Connie Littlefield / 28m 1s Evidence suggests that LSD and similar substances can help resolve existential issues surrounding death. The film tells the story of some of the individuals who are contemplating to use that help. Posted by Peter Sarosi