If you watched the Oscars on Sunday night and were paying close attention, you may have noticed that climate change made a small appearance. Missed it? It was right there in the middle of the "issues" montage. If you don't believe me, head on over to Oscar.com and take a look at item number ten. See it? Day After Tomorrow. (For those of you not familiar with the movie, IMDb can help. May I also suggest this and this.)
As I mentioned last week, this year's Academy Awards presented a variety of green tinted films, including Syriana and March of the Penguins, which both won Oscars. But you don't need to depend on Hollywood for great environmental filmmaking. A whole host of green films are being created by independent filmmakers everywhere, and are featured at environmental film festivals around the U.S. Two of the most prominent are taking place this month.
Seattle's own Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Network will be hosting their 8th annual film festival in Leavenworth, WA from March 23-26. In addition to showing over 30 hours of ecological and issue-based films, the event provides filmmaking and environmentally focused workshops, expert panel discussions, speakers, and music. See the schedule here.
And from March 16-26, the DC Environmental Film Festival will feature 100 documentary, feature, animated, archival, experimental, and children's films. For a list of films and schedule, click here.
Stay tuned for more information about environmental film festivals next week.
And before I let you go, a quick weekly recap:
- Update [2006-3-10 11:57:42 by Chris Schults]: Oops! Forgot this: Kelley Stoltz and renewable energy
- Treehugger TV launches
- More on Crichton
- Official release date for The Meatrix II announced
Peace!
Climate Citizen: Mary Stuart Masterson
Comments
View as Flat
greenplanetfilms Posted 10:11 am
15 Mar 2006
Thank you for writing about the growing number of environmental films...the green wave is cresting! Al Gore's opens in May. Leonardo DiCaprio's co-producing one now. My organization distributes nature and environmental films, some of which which we gathered from attending a few of these film festivals you mentioned, and mention by Paul Henderson in March 15th's 'Feelin Movie', which I posted the comment below as well.
I started our org after attending a film festival and saw that many of the films are not available for rent or purchase after the film festival has left town. Our customers have used them in workshops, school classes, organization discussions, community film events, as well as home viewing. (and of course, showing them in other environmental film festivals!)
When I watch these DVDs, I am reminded of the Newsreel days of the 1940s..when if one really wanted to know what was going on in the world, they'd go to the movie theater to see the Newsreels. Environmental Film Festivals and the digital video produced by eco activists and filmmakers are seemingly today's newsreels.
Suzanne Harle
Suzanne Harle
Founder / Executive Director
http://www.greenplanetfilms.org
a nonprofit organization
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