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Media mogul Moses Znaimer opened the Silver Screens Arts Festival at Ryerson University with a lecture hall full of zoomers, "boomers with zip" as he calls older adults. Running from May 1 to 16, Silver Screens Arts Festival: Aging Creatively, Creativity in Aging is a two-week showcase of the arts which mirrors the world of the 50-plus generation by showing the positive, contributing, and creative side of aging today through film, art, music, photography, writing, performances, and lectures. The Festival is coordinated by Prime Time Learning at The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education and the LIFE Institute.

"Staying engaged and keeping the mind active are vital to health and well-being in our older years," said Anita Shilton, Dean of The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education. "In addition to the incredible calibre and range of events, Silver Screens Arts Festival creates learning opportunities that enable seniors to learn, grow and thrive."

The Festival includes the Silver Screens Film Fest, the Author Series, Lecture Series, theatre performances, music, and dance performances. Highlights include three films which focus on the crucial role grandmothers play in caring for AIDS orphans in Africa and how some Canadian grandmothers are getting involved; four short plays, written, produced, directed and performed by Torontonians using humour, drama and tragedy to shed light on the older voice and dispel the stereotypes of aging; and a photo exhibit by photographer and registered social worker Irene Borins Ash, which gives a glimpse into the positive side of life in resident homes.

"Silver Screens is about empowering older adults to get involved in something that they are passionate about and connects with the world around them," said Sandra Kerr, Director of Prime Time Learning.

Znaimer talked about the power of the zoomer generation and the power of their voice in the community. He presented a whole new media empire he's spearheading that includes websites and magazines targeted at the 50-plus generation who enjoy an active lifestyle. Znaimer is also the new executive director of CARP, Canada's Association for the Fifty Plus.

"In a career spanning over three decades, Moses Znaimer has dramatically transformed television content, format and style. As a producer, director and presenter and especially as a creator of channels, he has revitalized the industry, bringing an original drive in television," said Adam B. Kahan, Vice-President, University Advancement. "Ryerson is both privileged and proud to be apart of the Silver Screens Arts Festival and to have Moses as our special guest, trailblazing the way with a diverse outlook on zoomers."

"There's this problem with language. People don't like the word 'old' because of the connotations that come with it. I felt like I needed to do something about it," Znaimer said. "I want to change the familiar image of aging with one that captures the energy and gusto of zoomers."

Sixty-one year old travel writer Liz Campbell thinks of Znaimer as a pioneer who has the zoomer generation's best intentions at heart. "I love the fact that he's empowered us in a sense. He's given us a voice as people who are active," she said.

"It's great that we've got festivals like Silver Screens that are challenging people to look at things from a different viewpoint. Learning is a life-long thing and we have to awaken ourselves to the fact that just because you're 65 or 70 doesn't mean there's nothing left to learn."