Spotlight on the Environment at Film Festival in D.C.

If statistics, reports and scientific evidence don’t compel someone you know to fight global warming, you could give the movies a try. The Environmental Film Festival (EFF) 2009 in Washington, DC from March 11th to March 22nd is a feast of 140 films that harness the perspective and knowledge of over 50 film makers and 72 special guests.

Due to rapid developments in communications technology, media has become one of the most powerful social agents that define our global culture. Whether it is a billion-dollar Hollywood production, an academic documentary or a local homemade production, films contribute to shaping how we perceive our surroundings by reaching out to audiences at a personal level. The movie watching experience may not necessarily help us find solutions to issues that haunt our society, but they do raise questions, facilitate a platform for discussion and provoke thought that create education and awareness.

Stephanie Steele of The Warner Theatre mentions on the festival site that, “EFF opens our eyes to a world we have never encountered—it’s not often that your outlook on life can be changed in the course of a day’s work.” Moreover, events like EFF put the mainstream spotlight on issues related to climate change, carbon emissions and conservation, which are otherwise seen as concerns of special interest groups. Earth Visions, Global Visions Hazel Wolf, Jackson Hole, Earth Dance, Princeton and Vermont are similar national and international film festivals in the U.S. and Canada that occur annually.

For more information on the featured films, locations and schedule, visit the EFF site.