Renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle will appear with the portrait film-in-progress, Mission Blue, distinguished biologist Dr. E.O. Wilson will discuss his two recent books about ants and visionary Canadian environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki will attend the screening of Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie.
Stories from the Gulf Coast – Living with The BP Oil Disaster. A special sneak preview of the film, The Pipe, captures the threat of oil pollution to the livelihoods of fishermen and farmers on a pristine coast of Ireland. Oil Rocks – City Above the Sea, a stunning portrait of the first and largest offshore oil city ever built, commissioned by Stalin over 60 years ago in the Caspian Sea, is this year’s winner of the Festival’s Polly Krakora Award for artistry in film.
Closer to home, the menace of mountaintop removal mining to the water, air and landscape of West Virginia is examined in two films, On Coal River and Burning the Future: Coal in America. As the availability of fossil fuels shrinks, even oilmen recognize the need for change, as shown in Houston, We Have a Problem. The 4th Revolution: Energy Autonomy spotlights progress across the globe in moving away from reliance on fossil fuels toward the development of clean, renewable energy. The use of wind power in two small communities in the United States is shown in Windfall and Islands in the Wind. The promise of solar energy is captured in the film, Burning in the Sun, about the first solar panel business in sun-drenched Mali. The bold decision by Ecuador to leave the country’s Amazonian oil fields unexploited to safeguard their natural wealth is examined in two films: A Future Without Oil and Yasuni: Two Seconds of Life.
Among Festival highlights are 80 Washington, D.C., United States and World premieres, including the film, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, winner of the 2010 Palme D’Or at Cannes; the multi-award-winning Russian psychological thriller, How I Ended This Summer; Werner Herzog’s new film, Happy People: A Year in the Taiga and Chilean documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzmán’s Nostalgia for the Light. We hope that you will power up and join us for what promises to be a Festival full of films that will deepen our understanding of the relationship between our planet, its resources and ourselves.
The 2011 Festival is dedicated to the memory of Richard N. Goldman (1920 - 2010).
Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital
Founded in 1993, the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital has become one of the world’s largest and most influential showcases of environmental film and a major collaborative cultural event in Washington, D.C. Each March the Festival presents a diverse selection of high quality environmental films, including many Washington, D.C., U.S. and world premieres. Documentaries, features, animations and shorts are shown, as well as archival, experimental and children’s films at venues throughout the city. Films are screened at partnering museums, embassies, libraries, universities and local theaters and are attended by large audiences. Selected to provide fresh perspectives on global environmental issues, most Festival films are accompanied by discussions with filmmakers, environmental experts and special guests, including national decision makers and thought leaders, and are free to the public. The Festival’s Web site serves as a global resource for environmental film throughout the year.
Mission Statement
The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital seeks to further the public’s understanding of environmental issues – and solutions – through the power of film and thought-provoking discussions with environmental experts and filmmakers. The Festival is a platform that fosters environmental awareness and action.
For general inquiries, please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
