The Apolinar Concepción, Arcadia Reyes, Cleotilde Castillo and Tomás Hernández Franco schools participated in the event that was held as part of the implementation of the Eco-Schools program.

One hundred students from four public schools located in the Dominican district of San Antonio de Guerra enjoyed the screening of the short film Circular, by Mexican filmmakers Aránzazu Zamora and Alexandra Castellano. The activity, organized by the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) and the Institute of Environmental Law of the Dominican Republic (IDADR for its acronym in Spanish), took place on March 25 of this year. The Apolinar Concepción, Arcadia Reyes, Cleotilde Castillo and Tomás Hernández Franco schools participated in the event that was held as part of the implementation of the Eco-Schools program and in the framework of DREFF’s Year-Round Environmental Film Screenings program.

Eco-Schools is an international environmental certification program that is provided to schools that develop education and participation programs and projects where the children and friends of the school, following the established procedures, get involved in the implementation of  environmental enhancements in the school and in the community. This program is overseen worldwide by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

Through the agreement with IDADR, the DREFF supports this mission: “Providing, through cinema, ideas on attitudes and actions that may contribute to the protection of the natural resources, and promoting the importance of sustainable development in the Dominican Republic,” explains Shamir Omar Reynoso, Environmental Programs Coordinator at GFDD/Funglode.

Since the inception of its Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival in 2011, Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) has created and developed five programs that run throughout the year and which contribute significantly to the sustainable development of the Dominican Republic. They are: EcoHuertos, ReCrearte, RDescubre, the Globo Verde Dominicano Award and the Year-Round Environmental Film Screenings program.

The Year-Round Environmental Film Screenings program provides an opportunity for schools, community centers, businesses and government and non-governmental agencies to enjoy the most interesting screenings on environmental issues that have been shown in previous editions of DREFF, on a complementary basis.

For more information:
www.globalfoundationdd.org
www.dreff.org

The DREFF screened two Dominican films, Lago Enriquillo: Preludio del cambio climático and Mañana and hosted a panel with the films’ directors at the Gala Hispanic Theater  in Washington DC, as part of the 23th edition of the prestigious Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital.

The Dominican Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) hosted a Dominican evening as part of the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (EFF), with screenings and a panel at the Gala Hispanic Theater. Lago Enriquillo: Preludio del cambio climático and Mañana, winner of the Globo Verde Dominicano Award 2014, were shown to an enthusiastic audience who sought to know more about the environmental situation in the Dominican Republic and its exquisite natural resources. The DREFF – an initiative of GFDD – also organized a panel discussion that followed the screenings. Natasha Despotovic, Executive Director of the DREFF, oversaw the panel and introduced the films’ directors, Fernando Báez and Carlos García.

With this activity, the DREFF and GFDD once again sought to fulfill one of its objectives, which is to provide information and proposals that contribute to appreciation of the Dominican environment and promote its sustainable use. They also endeavor to contribute to the international screening of Dominican films while providing development opportunities to the country’s young filmmakers.

For the past several years, the DREFF has worked with the DC Environmental Film Festival (EFF), a veteran organization now in its 23^rd year. Natasha Despotovic explained that, through this association, “we have learned a great deal about how to organize our film festival in the Dominican Republic, which is growing and improving daily. In its fifth year, the festival will take place in September in fourteen different cities around the country.”

The Executive Director of the DREFF and GFDD introduced Fernando Báez, one of the most prestigious Dominican filmmakers today and Carlos García, a budding director who, while participating in this event, had the opportunity to learn and to make contact with some of the best environmental film directors working today.

About the movies
Lago Enriquillo: Preludio del cambio climatic presents the history and evolution of the largest lake in the Antilles: Its flora, fauna and its legends. This film is an exhaustive investigation into the lake’s rising water level, analyzed by professionals who have researched it for years. The documentary looks at how the rising water is affecting the area’s inhabitants while attracting the attention of the scientific community around the world who view the phenomenon as a window into the effects and consequences of climate change.

Mañana shows the journey of a man (The Walker) from a land of chaos and destruction to the “earthly paradise,” now lost. This film invites us to realize that we are all responsible for the future of our planet.

The DREFF
Since its inception in 2011, the DREFF provides the Dominican public a platform for knowledge and debate on the environment and sustainable development, their issues and best practices, while celebrating the beauty and unique wealth of the Dominican nature.

Through the screening of a diverse selection of the best films that deal with issues of major national and international relevance, and the organization of discussion panels, courses, seminars and field visits, the DREFF not only promotes dialogue but also inspires the Dominican public to take action to ensure the health and sustainability of the environment.

The EFF
The EFF is the world’s premiere showcase of environmentally themed films. Each March in Washington, DC, the Festival presents more than 150 films to an audience of over 33,000. DCEFF program includes thematic discussions and social events, film screenings at museums, embassies, libraries, universities and local theaters. Founded in 1993, EFF is the largest and longest-standing environmental film festival in the United States. It has grown into a major collaborative cultural event both during the festival and all year-round.

Related links:
www.globalfoundationdd.org
www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org
www.unicorniofilms.com.do/

The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), a GFDD’s initiative, was invited as a special guest to the opening night and launch party of the 23^rd Annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF). The opening was held at a fully packed Elihu Root Auditorium of the Carnegie Institution for Science on March 17, 2015 with the Washington, D.C. premiere of Bikes vs. Cars.

Stephanie Flack, DCEFF Executive Director, opened the night and introduced Dr. Matthew Scott, President, Carnegie Institution for Science; Dr. Peter Fox-Penner, an internationally recognized expert on energy markets and policy; Greer Johnson Gillis, Deputy Director, District Department of Transportation; Alex Liftman, Global Environment Executive, Bank of America; and filmmakers Margarete Jangård and Chris Paine (Who Killed the Electric Car, 2006; Revenge of the Electric Car, 2011), producers of the opening film Bikes vs. Cars.

After the welcoming regards and the screening of the film, there was a lively discussion and Q&A session on the transportation challenges in cities all over the world.

DREFF collaborates DCEFF for several years now. As part of the 2015’s DCEFF program, a Dominican Night will be hosted by GFDD-DREFF on March 20, at the Hispanic Gala Theater in Washington, D.C. Two Dominican films will be screened: Lago Enriquillo… a prelude to climate change” and “Mañana”, winner of the 2014 edition of DREFF’s Globo Verde Dominicano Award. There will be a panel discussion with Natasha Despotovic, GFDD’s Executive Director, as well as filmmakers Fernando Báez and Carlos García following the screening.

About Bikes vs. Cars
Traffic gridlock around the world is frustrating people, wasting their time, polluting the air and contributing to climate change. Director Fredrik Gertten (BANANAS! and Big Boys Gone Bananas!) investigates the daily global spectacle of traffic and looks for solutions. Following bicycle activists’ crusades to foster meaningful change, the film documents the struggle for bicyclists in a society dominated by cars. From bike activists in Sao Paulo and Los Angeles, fighting for safe bike lanes, to the city of Copenhagen, where forty percent commute daily by bike, BIKES vs CARS considers the revolutionary changes that could take place if more cities made room for bicyclists. Directed by Fredrik Gertten. Produced by Margarete Jangård and Elin Kamlert. Executive Producer: Chris Paine.

About DCEFF
The Environmental Film Festival at the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF) is the world’s premiere showcase of environmentally themed films. Each March in Washington, DC, the Festival presents more than 150 films to an audience of over 33,000. DCEFF program includes thematic discussions and social events, film screenings at museums, embassies, libraries, universities and local theaters. Founded in 1993, EFF is the largest and longest-standing environmental film festival in the United States. It has grown into a major collaborative cultural event both during the festival and all year-round.

More information: http://www.globalfoundationdd.org/