The First Annual Austin Fair Trade Film Festival was a huge success! May 18, 2010

The First Annual Austin Fair Trade Film Festival was a huge success! A “Thank you” to all that participated and attended. The day was complete with three documentary films, panel discussions, a Fair Trade Market, artisan demonstrations, and great live music.

We want to extend a big thank you to all the sponsors: Texas Coffee Traders, Handmade Expressions, The Progressive Populist, Transfair USA, Novica, Texas Fair Trade Coalition, Eastside Cafe, Dominican Joe, Nada Moo, Maine Root Handcrafted Beverages, Austin Tan Cerca de la Frontera,Austin Local & Fair Trade, Ethical City, Marigold-Gateway to India, Fair Trade a Day, and Etnik Fashions. Another big thank you to all of the volunteers! Events such as this would not happen without you. Also, many thanks to Alamo Drafthouse for hosting!

Keep a lookout next year for the next annual Fair Trade Film Festival!

This event helped with the campaign to secure the Fair Trade Town designation for Austin. If you are interested in supporting fair trade, join the Ning group to participate in this initiative. We meet every other Monday, at Dominican Joe’s Coffee Shop.

Also, Congratulations to the winner of the drawing for the beautiful Zulugrass Multistrand Necklace!

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Please mark you calendars for the next Austin fair trade event:

The St. Ignatius Fair Trade Global Bazaar, on May 30, 2010 9:00a – 3:30p at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in their Family Center, 120 West Oltorf Street.

10% of all sales will be donated to St Ignatius charities

We hope to see you there!

There will be Fair Trade Gifts from Around the World from these vendors:

Discover Hope : Jewelry made by mico-credit recipients in Peru

Hill Country Hill Tribers: Handwoven bags made by Burmese refugees living in Austin

Weavers of Hope: Fair trade weavings from Villa Garcia, Zacatecas, Mexico

Ethical City: Baskets made by a widow’s cooperative in Ghana, Haitian metal art, gift cards made by orphans in Rwanda, clothing made by women in India

Austin Local and Fair Trade: Everyday products like fair trade spices, basic apparel, journals, and soap

Ten Thousand Villages : Austin’s only fair trade store, featuring handmade crafts from around the world

Etnik: Fine Leather and Mola purses, shoes and belts from Colombia

Cultural Designs by Kate: Semi-precious jewelry made by women in the middle east

Coffee from Texas Coffee Traders

Tea from Zhi Tea