A playful visual music journey through the universe from the subatomic to the galactic.
The epic science fiction film AVATAR is considered one of the top 10 environmental movies of all time. On the lush alien world of Pandora live the Na’vi, beings who appear primitive but are highly evolved and have adapted to life on the planet’s poisonous environment. A paralyzed former Marine dispatched to Pandora becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the new world he feels is his home. (trailer)
Academy Award-winning actor, environmental activist and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens travel to five continents and the Arctic to witness climate change firsthand. DiCaprio goes on expeditions with scientists uncovering the reality of climate change and meets with political leaders fighting against inaction. He also discovers a calculated disinformation campaign orchestrated by powerful special interests working to confuse the public about the urgency of the growing climate crisis. With unprecedented access to thought leaders around the world, DiCaprio searches for hope in a rising tide of catastrophic news. (trailer)
One hundred and fifty years ago, British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace explored “Wallacea” — located in the coral triangle within the Pacific Ring of Fire. During his eight years in this Indonesian archipelago, Wallace identified many new species for the first time and independently proposed the theory of natural selection and evolution. But much of the habitat Wallace explored is under threat of destruction. Come see the stunningly beautiful biodiversity found in the oceans of Wallacea and learn about the urgent efforts of a few individuals to protect these fragile ecosystems. (trailer)
Post-Screening Discussion with filmmaker Nick Dean moderated by Carrie Rickey.
On the sandy beaches of the Delaware Bay in New Jersey, rufa red knots arrive every year from the southernmost tip of South America. What makes this federally threatened bird species remarkable is its epic journey: 19,000 miles per year, from Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic Circle and back again, one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom. But overharvesting of horseshoe crabs by the fishing industry has put red knots in peril: when the starving birds arrive, there arenít enough horseshoe crab eggs waiting for them. And last year, regulators approved a plan to permit a 1,400 percent increase in oyster farming which could further threaten the red knots’ survival. (trailer)
Post-Screening Panel Discussion with David Scott Kessler (Director of NINE FIRES); Jared Flesher (Director of BIRDS OF MAY); and Dave Edwards (Director of KING IN THE MOUNTAIN) moderated by Drexel University environmental law professor Alex Geisinger.
In the steppes of Kyrgyzstan, an old building foundation from the Soviet era is important to local nomads for a surprisingly modern reason.
A dignified tribute by a 200-year-old witness to American history: an Appalachian Mountain tulip tree.
The latest striking short from animator Isaac Kerlow combines colorful digital techniques with traditional filmmaking to beautifully illustrate a story about our rapidly changing Planet Earth.
An intimate short of an acclaimed Australian artist who uses only recycled materials to create her interesting and detailed sculptures.
In this short from Iran, an elderly couple runs out of water for their fishbowl. But they find water in an unexpected place.
On the isolated Faroe Islands, halfway between Scotland and Iceland, the descendants of the Vikings find their longtime whale hunting practices threatened by animal rights activism, plummeting wildlife populations, and rising mercury levels. (trailer)
From Academy Award-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, Barbara Kopple, Alan and Susan Raymond, and Sundance Award-winning director Jesse Moss, KILLING THE COLORADO is a glimpse into the serious manmade water shortage that threatens the very existence of the American West. The film presents the grim reality that 40 million Americans could soon be without enough water and proposes innovative solutions to preserve this precious resource for future generations. The film features compelling insights from senior research scientists, water resource experts, industrial farmers, and state leaders at the forefront of the water crisis.
Post-Screening Discussion with filmmakers Susan & Alan Raymond.
This compelling documentary about the history of anthracite coal examines the social, economic, and environmental impact of mining on northeastern Pennsylvania. (trailer)
Post-Screening Panel Discussion with David Scott Kessler (Director of NINE FIRES); Jared Flesher (Director of BIRDS OF MAY); and Dave Edwards (Director of KING IN THE MOUNTAIN) moderated by Drexel University environmental law professor Alex Geisinger.
Combining cinematic Western landscapes with intimate poetry recitation, this short is an agrarian dirge on wasted resources, our culture of consumption, and brokers who trade on our most precious resource: water.
Filmed over 4 years around campfires in the New Jersey Pinelands, “Nine Fires” is the latest edition of an evolving documentary project by Pew Fellow David Scott Kessler. In the director’s words, “forest fires and campfires generate rebirth of the physical geology and the identity of the land and its inhabitants.” (trailer)
Post-Screening Panel Discussion with David Scott Kessler (Director of NINE FIRES); Jared Flesher (Director of BIRDS OF MAY); and Dave Edwards (Director of KING IN THE MOUNTAIN) moderated by Drexel University environmental law professor Alex Geisinger.
The story of 4th generation cattleman Will Harris’s evolution from an industrial “commodity cowboy” to a sustainable, humane food producer. On any given day there are 100,000 hearts beating at Harris’s White Oak Pastures farm, which has become the lifeblood of his rural Georgia community.
Fourteen-year-old first-time filmmaker Dylan D’Haeze takes viewers on a journey to learn about plastic pollution and how it affects our planet. His inspiring goal is to show kids they are not powerless and that their daily actions affect our future. (trailer)Post-Screening Discussion with filmmaker Dylan D’Haeze moderated by Brian Wade.
When journalist Craig Leeson discovers plastic waste in what should be pristine ocean, he teams up with champion free diver Tanya Streeter, and they travel to 20 locations around the world over the next four years to explore the fragile state of our oceans. During their adventures they uncover alarming truths about plastic pollution and reveal solutions that could easily be put into action. (trailer)
Internationally renowned river advocate Mark Angelo takes us on a fascinating global journey that reveals the dark side of the fashion industry. Through harsh chemical manufacturing processes and the irresponsible disposal of toxic chemical waste, our blue jeans literally are destroying rivers around the world. RiverBlue is a stunning call to action to manufacture our clothing in a more sustainable way. (trailer)
Kids from around the world take on our biggest environmental challenges—from endangered animals and pollution to climate change. Behind the scenes at the American Museum of Natural History, scientists talk with kids about how organisms are affected by a changing earth. A lyrical mix of science, music, and stories of plants and animals in danger, this film—narrated in part by Tina Fey and Liam Neeson—celebrates the natural world and is a call from kids to all of us to help take care of the planet and everything on it. (trailer)
Used once and tossed, billions of plastic straws wind up in landfills and streets, eventually finding their way into our oceans, where they harm sea turtles and other marine life. Actor/Director Tim Robbins narrates this inspiring story of how it’s possible to make a sea of change, one straw at a time.
In this wise and funny animated short from Denmark, three little friends—Blue, Yellow, and Green—find their friendship threatened by greed and competition as they search for a place to settle down. Will they destroy their natural resources before they learn that happiness sometimes is right in front of you?
The story of five orphaned baby Vervet monkeys, this touching documentary follows the monkeys’ time at the Vervet Monkey Foundation in South Africa. Volunteers help train the babies—who arrive as helpless infants—for possible adoption by foster mother monkeys. This film also looks at why monkey habitat is being destroyed and how we can take positive action. (trailer)
This visually stunning short follows a self-professed “storm chaser” through nine states on his epic quest to capture, sky, clouds, lightning, and finally—a dramatic tornado.
In California’s complex water system, a handful of corporate landowners have gained control of the state’s most precious public resource, while drought has left local homeowners and small farmers with dry wells. California supplies half of the nation’s produce and is the world’s fifth largest food supplier. With our breadbasket at stake, Americans and the world are waking up to a stark reality: Water is the next commodity, and it is rapidly growing more valuable. As a California resident warns us, “Just watch, you’re going to be next.” This film peels back the layers on this complex world. (trailer)
Created with a $100 budget by four middle school students in the Huliau Environmental Filmmaking Club on Maui, this sweet musical remake of “The Cup Song” (by Anna Kendrick from the film Pitch Perfect) highlights threats to Hawaiiís endangered species as they “vanish” beneath the kids’ cups.
