Reel Green: 18th Annual Environmental Film Festival
"Incredible Journey" by Allegro Film.
The Environmental Film Festival is well known for its consistent and in-depth showcase of films highlighting issues affecting the earth’s atmosphere and its inhabitants. This year, the 18th edition hosted in the nation’s capital, the festival goes even greener by increasing the line-up and screening more than 155 films from March 16 to March 28.
This year’s festival is presented collaboratively with more than 100 global, national and local organizations. With films screened at 56 locations throughout the District, the themes are varied and include: issues of global warming; energy alternatives; toxic effects of plastic on wildlife; and health hazards of cellular technology. The festival’s overall theme examines the vital connection between food and the environment.
“It’s very gratifying to see the festival taking root,” said Helen Strong, Public Affairs Director for the Environmental Film Festival. “People are taking notice of the environment.”
The correlation between health and our food, including how food is prepared and transported, is an issue presented in various films. For example, “Dirt! The Movie” and “Soil in Good Heart” examine the importance of soil in regard to nourishment. “Garapa” explores the chronic hunger and malnutrition of three Brazilian families. “What’s On Your Plate?” examines our food sources with an in-depth look at school lunch programs.
The festival strives to showcase other interesting and informative topics. “Gasland” details the effects of hydraulic drilling for natural gas on our air and drinking water. “A Road Not Taken” captures the journey of a set of solar panels since their removal from the White House. “The Legend of Pale Male” tells the true story of a hawk living in New York and its impact on residents and tourists. And finally, “Turtle: The Incredible Journey” reveals the remarkable life journey of loggerhead turtles.
The festival offers many enlightening and entertaining family and children-oriented films, and most of the events are free. In addition to the screenings, the festival will present discussions with more than 150 filmmakers, subject experts and special guests.
“I hope [viewers] gain a greater appreciation of life on earth and all of its diversity,” said Strong. “We want them to understand all of the dimensions.”
Visit www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/ for more information about tickets and screening locations.
12th Annual Washington DC Independent Film Festival: Cultivating a Community
The Washington DC Independent Film Festival, an annual festival celebrating the work of independent filmmakers in the District and throughout the nation, marks its 12th annual event this year by screening an array of films from March 4-14.
This year’s festival showcases more than 100 independent films from 27 countries at The US Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center’s Penn Conference Center.
The films are organized into 23 themes ranging from “Disabilities — Out of Context” to “Cine Latino” to “Urban-omics” and “Green Evolution.” It opens with a series of humorous and quirky films, exploring themes like dumpster diving and America’s problem with food waste, to an underachieving associate professor’s quest for tenure. The festival will wrap up with a collection of short films examining a post-apocalyptic world, an animated Frankenstein and tales of a popular ghost hunter.
The event also features a music festival with daily concerts highlighting independent musicians, a filmmaker and policymaker summit, master classes, seminars, and workshops conducted by industry professionals to foster development and networking opportunities within the DC film community.
US Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center: 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20004; Visit http://www.dciff.org for ticket information.
AFI Presents Archival Gotham: NYC on Film
The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center has unearthed a myriad of film classics from throughout the states. From March 13-21, it highlights a selection of restored archival prints centered on New York with the collection, “Archival Gotham: NYC on Film.” This year, the film series will feature a Gotham shorts program. In addition, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has curated four films in conjunction with their annual exhibition, “To Save and Project: The MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation.”
The film series is highlighted by Academy Award-nominated films and shows, which include the early works of actors such as Rodney Dangerfield and Robert De Niro. The four featured films, “East Side, West Side,” “Little Fugitive,” “The Projectionist,” and “Taxi Driver,” explore New York in the ’20s, ’50s and ’70s. The shorts program features animation, documentaries and works by Orson Welles, among others.
AFI Silver Theatre: 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD; 301-495-6700; Visit www.AFI.com/silver for ticket information.
