DREFF Welcomes Denis Delestrac and Sixto Incháustegui as Members of Its Advisory Committees

March 8, 2017

Washington DC – The Dominican Environmental Film Festival(DREFF) is pleased to introduce the new members of the International Advisory Committee and the National Advisory Committee, Denis Delestrac and Sixto Incháustegui, respectively.

Award-winning French-Spanish filmmaker Delestrac, who has been guest at DREFF on two occasions, and has presented 3 feature documentaries in past editions, responded to his appointment with great enthusiasm. “I will be happy to join such a beautiful team and a group of international advisors admirable for their contribution to the preservation of our planet. I will take the hummingbird flag high and proud!”

Delestrac joins filmmakers, journalists and environmental philanthropists such as Charlotte Vick, Debbie Kinder, Fabien Cousteau, Gaetano Capizzi, Jon Bowermaster, Peter O’Brien, Suzan Beraza and Stuart Sender.

For his part, the famous Dominican biologist Sixto Inchaustegui, longtime friend and collaborator of the festival said: “Environmental films have become a powerful tool for the education and promotion of public awareness on environmental issues we have to live with. The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival has established itself as the national event to look for on these topics. To be able to cooperate within the Advisory Committee is for me an opportunity to share my extensive experience in the area with other members, for the annual celebration of this event.”

Other renowned members of the National Advisory Committee are Adolfo López, Cesáreo Guillermo, Eladio Fernández, Ernesto Reyna, Fernando Báez, Ginny Heinsen, Idelisa Bonnelly, Jake Kheel,José Miguel González Cuadra, Lissette Fernández, Marialicia Urbaneja, Melania Milagros Rodríguez, Melba Grullón, Omar Ramírez, Oswaldo Vásquez, Rosaura Pimentel, and Ydalia Acevedo Monegro.

Natasha Despotovic, DREFF Executive Director, in occasion of the appointment of Incháustegui and Delestrac said: “No doubt that these additions will be a great contribution to the content, broadcasting, scope and expansion of the DREFF.  It will be a pleasure having figures of this caliber as members of this important group of individuals and entities that collaborate with the festival in particular.”

About Denis Delestrac
Delestrac stepped into filmmaking in 2001 when he met legendary photographer Steve McCurry, who would later become the subject of The Face of the Human Condition. In 2009, Delestrac teamed with executive producer Mark Achbar and filmed Pax Americana. It received numerous accolades and led Denis to his next film Sand Wars, selected in over 40 festivals and winner of 15 awards. His recent film Banking Nature won 8 Awards, including the Greenpeace Prize 2016. Freightened: The True Cost of Shipping is the director’s latest production. His films unstitch the hidden mechanics of our society, ones that blatantly stare us in the face and yet we are completely oblivious to. The force with which Delestrac exposes controversial issues has sparked public debate and influenced political decision-making internationally, positioning him as one of the most influential investigative filmmakers of this past decade.

About Sixto Incháustegui
Dominican biologist. University Professor. Researcher. Conservationist. Environmental Consultant. With over 45 years of experience, is founding member and researcher of the National Museum of Natural History “Professor Eugenio de Jesús Marcano”. He has been director of the UASD School of Biology, national representative of the Scientific Committee of CITES, regional representative (Latin America and Caribbean) of CITES Wildlife Committee, Vice President for the Caribbean of the World Commission on Protected Areas of IUCN. Environmental officer of UNDP – RD. Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic. Researcher FONDOCYT. Advisor to Science and Technology Deputy Minister, MESCYT. Member of Research Council INTEC. Publishing Council Novitates Caribaea. Member of commissions of fauna specialists of the IUCN. Co-founder Grupo Jaragua and CEBSE. Co-founder Caribbean Biodiversity Conferences, UASD.

For more information:
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