The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) ushered in the new year by joining the Green Film Network (GFN), the prestigious international association of environmental film festivals. Through its network of major festivals, the GFN promotes global awareness of environmental and sustainable development issues by coordinating the events of its member festivals, by promoting and distributing films worldwide, and by encouraging cooperative initiatives and projects. In its homepage the association welcomes DREFF and explains its mission, vision and objectives. Its website also hosts a dedicated link to the Dominican festival.
As a result of its affiliation with the GFN, the DREFF, an initiative of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), will be able to work more closely with other festivals, such as Paris’ FIFE (France); Turin’s Cinemabiente (Italy); Delhi’s CMSVatavaran (India); Moscow’s Eup (Russia); Zaragoza’s EcoZine (Spain); Porto Velho’s Festcineamazonia (Brazil); and Buenos Aires’ FINCA (Argentina). Membership will also allow DREFF to create linkages with events such as GFFIS, Seoul (Korea); Planet in Focus, Toronto (Canada); SEFF, Sisak, (Croatia); SFGFF, San Francisco (United States); The Interfilm, Berlin (Germany), and the RIEC – IWFE, Montreal (Canada), et al.
GFDD’s Executive Director and Director of the DREFF, Natasha Despotovic, expressed her “pride of belonging to this important organization, whose main purpose is to support the work of international directors and to promote films that create awareness of environmental issues.”
The environment has long been at the forefront of GFDD/FUNGLODE’s mission. Since its inception, the Foundation has sought to develop national and international networks, to focus attention on pressing environmental issues, to bring national and international experts together for discussion, and to develop training initiatives. These efforts, in fact, culminated in the creation of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival. By screening a diverse selection of high quality films and by organizing discussion panels that comprise environmental experts, filmmakers, and other stakeholders, the Festival organizers seek to promote internal dialogue. Further, by deepening the understanding of environmental issues among Dominican viewers, the DREFF hopes to inspire citizens to adopt responsible practices that will ensure the country’s environmental sustainability and health. Hence, membership in the GFN is consistent with DREFF’s short-term and long-term goals.
Ultimately, by bringing together people from all walks of life—young and old, scholars, scientists laypersons, representatives from the public/private and governmental/non-governmental sectors—the GFN network will provide the Dominican festival not only an expanded forum for discussion, but also a broader platform from which to appreciate and celebrate the natural beauty of the Dominican Republic.
Related links:
www.dreff.org
www.greenfilmnet.org
http://greenfilmnet.org/festivals/dreff/
http://greenfilmnet.org/dreff-santo-domingo-dominican-republic-welcome-to-the-gfn/
