Mark Terry never expected to get an official invitation to screen his ecological documentary The Antarctica Challenge: A Global Warning at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The veteran docmaker merely hoped to get a pass to conduct interviews for a follow-up film. But within six hours of receiving Antarctica, organizers summoned Terry to present the film at the international event – being attended by climate groups and world leaders including U.S. President Barrack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

‘I hope it helps provide world leaders with enough information to come up with a climate change policy that benefits all life on Earth,’ Terry said, as he was prepping to head to the conference, Dec. 7-18, alongside Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen.

The film, which will screen continuously throughout the confab, is also being released in roughly 100 European theaters via Belgium’s XDC digital cinemas. German distributor ZDF is working on worldwide television sales. In Canada, CBC has first-window broadcast rights for Antarctica, which has aired on its documentary channel. PBS is handling DVD sales in the U.S., though the film has yet to find an American broadcaster.