James Franco (as Allen Ginsberg) sees the best minds of his generation destroyed in Howl.

In an effort to raise awareness on current social issues, the Eau Claire Progressive Film Festival, now in its fifth year, and founder Bob Nowlan, UWEC English professor, present 30 films covering topics such as equality, social injustice, and sustainability. To increase the involvement of attendees and promote thoughtful conversation and diverse perspectives, each film will be followed by facilitated discussion. Kicking off the event is Looking for Eric, a film about the self discovery of a postal worker. Also included in the opening weekend is Tapped, a documentary that gives viewers an inside look at the unregulated bottled water industry, and Money-Driven Medicine, a film based on Maggie Mahar’s health care book of the same name. The final two days and remaining 13 films will feature a wide range of issues from the obscenities of American poetry in Howl, a film that captures the controversy of Allen Ginsberg’s poetic masterpiece, to the commercialism of Christmas in What Would Jesus Buy?, a docu-comedy from Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me). This independent and unique festival is free and open to all.

Upon line: www.uwec.edu/ranowlan/ec_progressive_film_fest.html