Join Us in Celebrating the Second Edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival, September 5-9

New York, July 18, 2012

Mark your calendars! The Second Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) is right around the corner, taking place September 5 – 9, 2012 in the cities of Santo Domingo, San Francisco de Marcorís, Santiago de los Caballeros, Punta Cana, Baní, Puerto Plata and Sosua.

DREFF, launched by Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) in September of last year, raises awareness and deepens understanding of environmental issues among Dominican audiences, while celebrating the beauty and diversity of the country’s natural heritage. Through screening a diverse selection of high-quality films on matters of environmental concern, and organizing panel discussions with environmental experts, filmmakers and other stakeholders, the Festival seeks to foster dialogue and to inspire Dominican audiences to adopt practices that will ensure the health and environmental sustainability of the country.

By bringing together youth, scholars, experts, activists, filmmakers, representatives of public, private and nongovernmental institutions and the general public, the Festival promotes programs and projects that contribute to environmental protection, conservation and sustainability.

The 2012 edition of the Festival will feature film screenings, panel discussions, workshops, training sessions and community outreach activities.

FILMS
To date, the 2012 Festival has confirmed over 20 international and national documentary film productions, including Dominican productions: Terra and Dominicana Bajo el Mar. All screenings are free and open to the public.

Screenings will include:
Anna, Emma and the Condors – Directed by Katjia Torneman. 2011; USA.
Big Miracle – Directed by Ken Kwapsis. 2012; USA.
Biophliic Design: The Architecture of Life – Directed by Bill Finnegan. 2011; USA.
Carbon for Water – Directed by Evan Abramson and Carmen Elsa Lopéz. 2011; USA.
Dominicana Bajo el Mar – Directed by Roberto Llerena
In Organic We Trust – Directed by Kip Pastor. 2012; USA.
Life: Challenges of Life – Directed by Martha Holmes. 2009; United Kingdom.
My Village, My Lobster – Directed by Joshua Wolff. 2011; USA.
My Father, The Capitan – Directed by Jean-Michel Cousteau. 2012; France.
Revenge of the Electric Car – Directed by Chris Paine. 2011; USA.
Sea the Truth – Directed by Claudine Everaert. 2010; Netherlands.
Someplace with a Mountain – Directed by Steve Goodall. 2012; USA/Federated States of Micronesia.
Surviving Progress – Directed by Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks. 2011; Canada.
Taste the Waste – Directed by Valentin Thurn. 2011; Germany.
Terra – Directed by Juan Emilio Yanes
The Whale – Directed by Michael Parfit. 2011; USA.
Vegucated – Directed by Marisa Miller Wolfson. 2011; USA.
Yasuni: A Wild Idea – Directed by Verónica Moscoso. 2011; Ecuador.

For latest information on films visit our website at: www.drenvironmentalfilmfestival.org

DREFF will also premier its short film on the Pico Duarte Expedition. The first-ever DREFF led expedition, which took place April 2-5 of this year, was the outcome of the first edition of the Festival, celebrated in September 2011, and the resulting national and international network that emerged. 45 students from three local high schools participating in the four day trek. The expedition provided students with the unique chance to develop an emotional connection with nature. DREFF hopes that the momentous experience will live in the hearts and minds of the student participants long after the expedition, and will instill within them a profound respect for the natural environment and its resources. Watch the film, and learn how DREFF is helping Dominican students to develop a deeper connection with their natural surroundings to foster respect and care for our planet.

PANELS - WORKSHOPS - ACTIVITIES
DREFF 2012 will organize panel discussions with filmmakers and experts on five key areas: Oceans, Biodiversity, Green Economy, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. Festival participants will also have the opportunity to attend workshops on diverse subjects such as: Social Media as an Awareness Generating Tool, Recycled Art, Environmental Filmmaking, and Training on the Explore the Ocean Layer on Google Earth (read more about GFDD’s involvement in the Explore the Ocean Layer).

GLOBO VERDE
Through this initiative launched this year, DREFF recognizes talented Dominican filmmakers working to create productions on environmental themes. Globo Verde will select first, second and third place recipients in the areas of Short Film and Public Service Announcement. To learn more about this exciting opportunity, visit: www.globoverdedominicano.org

CITIES AND VENUES
This year, DREFF has expanded to include 9 venues in 7 cities, in an effort to extend its reach.

SANTO DOMINGO
FUNGLODE
C/ Capitán Eugenio de Marchena No. 26,
La Esperilla, Santo Domingo
Contacto:809-685-9966 Ext. 2447 y 2449

Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU)
Salón de Conferencias
Av. John F.Kennedy Km. 6 ½
Santo Domingo

Centro Cultural Narciso González
C/ Américo Lugo, Esq. Marcos Adon,
Villa Juana, Santo Domingo

SAN FRANCISCO DE MARCORÍS
Universidad Católica Nordestana (UCNE)
Campus Los Arroyos
San Francisco de Macorís

Centro de Educación Continua - UCNE
Calle Restauración Esq. 27 de Febrero
San Francisco de Macorís

SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS
Centro Cultural Eduardo León Jimenes
Av. 27 de Febrero, no 146
Villa Progreso
Santiago de los Caballeros

PUNTACANA
Punta Cana Resort and Club
Galerías PUNTACANA
4ta etapa. Boulevard 1ero de Noviembre
PUNTACANA Village

BANÍ
Centro Cultural Perelló
Carretera Sánchez Km. 2.5
Escondido, Baní

PUERTO PLATA
Asociación Cultural Sueños de Colores
Teatro Escuela Iván García
C/ Prof. Juan Bosch #60

La Fortaleza de San Felipe
Avenida General Gregorio Luperón
Extremo Oeste Malecón, Puerto Plata

SOSUA
Sosua Bay Grand Casino
Dr. Alejo Martinez #1, El Batey

COLLABORATORS
The realization of DREFF 2012 is possible thanks to the support and contributions of our many collaborators:
Fundación Vida Azul, Panorama Verde, Odebrecht, Uepa.com, Uepa Radio, PUNTACANA Resort & Club, Project Nautilius, Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Sueños de Colores, Flow Magazine, Centro Cultural Perelló, Embajada de España de la República Dominicana, Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), Ministerio de Estado de Cultura, Clúster Turístico del destino Puerto Plata, Universidad Católica Nordestana San Francisco de Macorís, Centro Cultural Narciso González, Centro León, CEDAF, Terra, RENAEPA,

WEBSITE
We are pleased to announce the launch of the DREFF 2012 website! Visit it today and find out more about DREFF 2012’s selection of films. View film synopsis, director biographies and film credits. Learn how you can get involved in the Festival’s panel discussions, workshops and community activities. Acquire important information on venues and access the DREFF 2012 Program.
www.drenvironmentalfilmfestival.org

STAY CONNECTED WITH DREFF ALL YEAR LONG
September is not the only time a year that you can get involved with DREFF. The Festival coordinates screenings and educational programs throughout the year designed to promote awareness of environmental challenges and foster civic engagement.

As a result of the national and international network that emerged as an outcome of the first edition of the Festival celebrated in September 2011, DREFF has launched a series of ongoing initiatives.

Film Screenings
In anticipation of the second edition of DREFF, we have organized regular screenings of environmental documentary films in venues throughout the country including: FUNGLODE, UNAPEC, UNPHU, INTEC, Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, APAP, CEDAF and UNIVERSAL.

School Gardens Program
The School Gardens Program seeks to enhance middle and high school Natural Science curriculums through the introduction of hands-on, experimental activities. Students learn about organic agricultural production, the properties of recycled organic matter, and the importance of maintaining a balanced diet.

The impetus behind the initiative arose from the interest sparked among students participating in talks, panels and workshops conducted by Rose Lord during the 2011 Festival. Rose Lord represents the Make Gardens Not War, an initiative of the Global Coalition for Peace, which seeks to encourage the creation of vegetable gardens around the world. To date, DREFF has brought this initiative to six local schools, and looks forward to introducing the program to other schools throughout the country.

The 2012 Festival will feature the launch of The School Garden Manual.

First Annual Student Expedition to Pico Duarte
Yet another spin-out of the 2011 Festival was the First Annual Student Expedition to Pico Duarte, which took place April 2-5, 2012. DREFF coordinated the four-day trek for forty-five students from three Dominican high-schools -- Centro de Excelencia Media Profesora Cristina Billini Morales “Fe y Alegria”, Centro de Excelencia República de Colombia and Centro Educativo República de Guatemala, in partnership with Dominican professional mountaineer and seasoned Everest trekker, Karim Mella. The expedition included lectures by the students’ teachers on the geography of the Cordillera Mountain Range, rivers, fauna, flora, the climate of the Dominican Republic, environmental protection, forest fires, reforestation and first aid, among other topics. The program was an enormous success. We look forward to the 2013 expedition!

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