Team members of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) were present last night at the opening of Planet in Focus Film Festival, which is taking place in Toronto until this coming Sunday.

Canada’s leading environmental film festival, and the first of its kind in the world, this year marks its fifteenth anniversary with a full schedule of film screenings and events for the industry, as well as activities aimed at primary and secondary school students.

Last night, the TIFF Bell Lightbox hosted the opening gala during which, in addition to screening the film Monsoon, by Sturla Gunnsson, tribute was paid to renowned Canadian documentary film Director Alanis Obomsawain.

Today, Planet in Focus celebrates the Industry Day at Toronto’s City Council, in which DREFF will be present.

This event is organized by Canadian filmmaker Mark Terry, who is a friend and collaborator of DREFF and has presented films in its past editions.

Planet in Focus is an environmental organization dedicated to the visual arts with programming throughout the year. Its mission is to “produce, promote and disseminate artistically made films and videos that explore and tell stories about the world in which we live.”

The Festival, which is ongoing until Sunday, November 9th, presents and promotes environmental films and videos in all genres: documentary, animation, experimental, short films and drama, by Canadian and international filmmakers.

According to the organizers, its objective is to enlighten, engage and entertain people from all backgrounds through film.

In turn, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) aims to raise awareness among the Dominican public and to deepen its understanding of current environmental issues. DREFF is also dedicated to celebrating the natural beauty and diversity of the Dominican Republic, as well as providing information and proposals that contribute to their appreciation and to promote their conservation and sustainable use.

The DREFF team, which will celebrate its fifth edition on September 8th through the 13th, 2015, works throughout the year to bring to the Dominican Republic the best films during each of its editions and to create networks with members of the industry from all over the world and, thus, serve as a catalyst for the creation of projects and programs that promote good practices in the area of the environment, resulting from the interaction between youth and the general public with teachers.

Related Link: http://planetinfocus.org/