New Horizons School Welcomes “Dear President Obama” and Director Jon Bowermaster with Hugs, Smiles and Applause

September 15, 2016

“As part of activities of the 6th edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), on Wednesday evening September 14, feature film “Dear President Obama” was shown to high school students at the Bilingual New Horizons School in Santo Domingo.

Among hugs and positive feedback heeped on the director, Jon Bowermaster, following the screening of the film, one of the prize students, Derek Fermin, interviewed the director on behalf of his classmates.

Bowermaster spoke to the students in the school auditorium along with Academic Director, Priscilla Garrido Comer, and other school authorities.

The film debut began with welcoming remarks from the school’s public relations director, Ana Bencosme, who thanked the DREFF for providing the opportunity to be part of the 6th edition of the DR Environmental Film Festival.

She was followed by Paul Goris, who represented the DREFF at the event. Goris talked about the successful expansion of the DREFF over the last six years, and invited all those present to spread the word about the important task of contributing to the preservation of the environment; he stressed the importance of taking care of it.

At the end of the screening, Bowermaster who wrote and directed the film, took questions and comments from the student who asked about the making of the film. Bowermaster shared all the details that went into the development of the script, pre-production and production of this important environmental documentary.

Followed by applause, smiles and a wide range of views from these bilingual teens, Bowermaster, also a US journalist, pointed out that the “clean energy revolution is now,” referring to the message of awareness and environmental sustainability he is trying to convey in his film.

Ms. Garrido, Academic Director, said she was pleased with Bowermaster’s presence in the DREFF, and again thanked the entire team while stressing the continued commitment to support the DR Environmental Film Festival.

When the film ended, the space was used for a photo exhibit. Time was well used by the audience to honor their guest and the team of DREFF 2016.

About the film:
“Dear President Obama” is appeal to the President of the US, and to all elected officials, to carefully consider the growing evidence proving that hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas is hardly the path to energy independence that many promote. We take a cross-country look at fracking, highlighting its variety of contaminations, the stories of its victims, the false promise of an economic boom, with a focus on energy solutions that would allow us to proceed towards an energy future that does not rely on yet another dirty fossil fuel extraction process.

About the writer and director:
Jon Bowermaster is a six-time recipient of the National Geographic Expeditions Council and award-winning writer and filmmaker. Seeing the world from the seat of a sea kayak has given Bowermaster a one-of-a-kind look at both the health of the planet’s oceans and the lives of the people around the globe who depend on them. His most recent films look at the controversy surrounding fracking in New York State and why so many coastal residents never learn to swim, though they live just a couple feet above sea level. Antarctica 3D, On the Edge is the first 3D film to be shot in Antarctica. He is a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF).