DREFF Panels: Nine Opportunities to Interact with Experts and Learn How We Can Work Towards Achieving a More Sustainable Tomorrow

New York, September 4, 2012

The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) is only a days away. If you have not already viewed the 2012 Program online, take a look and make sure to benefit from the Festival's wide offering of film screenings, panel discussions and activities, which are all free and open to the public.

This year, audiences will have nine opportunities to interact with experts and learn how we can all work towards a more sustainable tomorrow through the Festival's program of panel discussions featuring presentations by national and international experts. Panels will center on the following thematic topics: sustainable fisheries, sustainable food production, the environmental and health benefits of plant-based diets, protection of bird species, conserving biodiversity, surviving climate change, green architectural design, and the economic value of biodiversity.

2012 Panels

My Village, My Lobster
Thursday, September 6, 8:00 pm – Punta Cana, Galerias Punta Cana
Friday, September 7, 7:00 pm – UNPHU, Salon de Conferencias

Following the screening of the film My Village, My Lobster, join the director and the producer of the film alongside local experts and fishermen to shine a light on the black market of spiny lobsters in the Dominican Republic. The panel will highlight the impacts of this illegal trade on fishermen, spiny lobster populations and the coral reef ecosystem, as well as examples of sustainable fishery initiatives that are being carried out successfully in the country.

Panel participants: Joshua Wolff, Director; Brad Allgood, Producer; Jake Kheel, Director, PUNTACANA Ecologicial Foundation (PCEF); Susanne Leib, Coastal Marine Project Coordinator, PUNTACANA Ecologicial Foundation (PCEF); Ruben Torres, President of Reef Check Dominicana; Pedro Montero, Vice Minister of Coastal and Marine Resources.

In Organic We Trust
Thursday, September 6, 6:30 pm – UCNE – Juan Pablo Segundo
Friday, September 7, 8:00 pm – Centro Cultural Perelló

Join director, Kip Pastor, and representatives of local government and agricultural organizations to discuss how the Dominican Republic, a major organic food exporter itself, has found innovative ways to produce food and grains in an environmentally friendly, economically profitable manner in a way that is more equitable to producers, trades and consumers alike. In turn they will also address what food systems are more sustainable and highlight solutions at the local level which improve food security and lead to a higher degree of food independence and self-sufficiency.

Panelists: Kip Pastor, Director; Cristiana Cruz Minier, School Gardens Initiative Coordinator, GFDD

Vegucated
Wednesday, September 5, 6:15 pm – Centro Cultural Narciso González, Santo Domingo
Thursday, September 6, 8:15 pm – Puerto Plata, Asociación Cultural Sueños de Colores

Panelists will discuss how to encourage consumers to be more conscious of what they eat, and contrary to cultural beliefs, the benefits of eating lower on the food chain. Also meet other individuals that can personally attest to the gains of assuming a more vegan lifestyle showing us how we can actively participate in a win-win situation by eating healthy foods while saving money and reducing our carbon footprint on the world.

Panelists: Demetrius J. Bagley, Producer; Natasha Despotovic, Executive Director of GFDD; Cristiana Cruz Minier, School Gardens Initiatives Coordinator, GFDD

Anna, Emma and the Condors
Friday, September 7, 10:30 am – Centro Cultural Narciso González, Santo Domingo

Following the film, join a discussion of local bird preservationists on the island, which boasts a high level of avifauna, to learn more about efforts to support the bird species in the Dominican Republic, some of which are facing extinction. Learn how to get more involved with the art of bird-spotting and how to value this important species' significant role in nature.

Panelist: Kate Wallace, Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB)

The Whale
Thursday, September 6, 11:30 am – Centro Cultural Narciso González, Santo Domingo
Saturday, September 8, 8:00 pm – Puerto Plata, Asociación Cultural Sueños de Colores

The film's director Michael Parfit and producer Suzanne Chisholm, along with local experts, will share their personal experiences, encounters and unique bonds they have formed with whales, and reflect on the ethical and practical issues behind this interaction.

Panelists: Michael Parfit, Director; Suzanne Chisholm, Producer; Oswaldo Vásquez, Atemar; Roberto Llerena, Grupo Nautilius

Life: Challenges of Life
Wednesday, September 5, 11:00 am – Centro Cultural Narciso González, Santo Domingo
Thursday, September 6, 11:30 am – Centro Cultural Perelló, Baní

Join seasoned National Geographic Explorer, Jon Bowermaster, and other local panelists from the science world who will highlight their experiences out in the field and explain why biodiversity, from which human livelihood stems, is so important to preserve for future generations.

Panelist: Jon Bowermaster, National Geographic Explorer

Someplace with a Mountain
Thursday, September 6, 7:30 pm – Centro Cultural Perelló, Baní
Friday, September 7, 5:00 pm – UNPHU – Salón de Conferencias
Saturday, September 8, 12:00 pm – UCNE – Cinema Biblioteca

Global climate change is the cause of much of the loss of the planet's biodiversity, reduced productivity of important crops, and the reduction in the availability of water for human, agriculture and hydroelectric consumption. Mindful of the fact that, the majority of the Dominican population lives within 6 miles from the coastline, following the film a panel, comprising those with hand on expertise and policymakers will talk about Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and how the steady rise in sea level increasingly threatens our living culture and ultimate survival.

Panelists: Jon Bowermaster, National Geographic Explorer; Max Campos, Organization of American States; Charlotte Vick, Google Ocean

Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life
Thursday, September 6, 8:00 pm – FUNGLODE
Friday, September 7, 12:00 pm – CUCNE – Cinema Biblioteca

Biophilic Design reflects humanity's need for a connection to nature. Following the screening, find out how local architects in the Dominican Republic are applying the concept of green architecture by using a combination of the latest technology, and the most sustainable materials, to create buildings that are in harmony with the environment and connect us more to nature. In this informative session, meet with those at the forefront of the green building movement in the country, as they explain the process of designing spaces that conform to internationally accepted standards of environmental and ecological sensitivity.

Panelists: Gustavo Luis Moré, Center for the Study of Architecture, Urbanism and Habitat, FUNGLODE; Johnny Pérez Guerra, President of the Dominican School of Architecture, GCIA y GMZ

Wild Wealth
Sunday, September 9, 7:00 pm – FUNGLODE

Officials from the Inter-American Development Bank will highlight examples of best practices of sustainable biodiversity conservation in the areas of tourism development, agriculture, fisheries and job creation. Learn how communities can work together to maintain a  balance between economic, environmental and social objectives, conserving the environment for future generations while still harnessing natural resources for economic development.

Panelist: Jorge Requena, Chief of Operations, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Dominican Republic

For more information on DREFF panels and other DREFF program offerings, visit our website at: www.drenvironmentalfilmfestival.org

About DREFF
Launched by GFDD and FUNGLODE September of last year, DREFF 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.