The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), and initiative of GFDD/Funglode, is honored and excited to announce filmmaker, author, and award-winning journalist Jon Bowermaster as a guest of honor at this year’s festival. Jon will be present at the screenings of his film Antarctica, On the Edge 3D, and will be leading a panel discussion at the Academy of Sciences in Santo Domingo. We are also excited to announce that Bowermaster will be receiving an award of recognition for Inspirational Documentary Films.

A long-time friend of the DREFF, Bowermaster has produced 7 films, a television series, and numerous journal articles that focus on the importance of keeping our planet beautiful and safe. Also a noted ocean expert and long-time grantee of the National Geographic Expeditions Council, he is the founder of the Oceans Aid Project which is a ten-year long series of expeditions focused around the world’s oceans.

A six‐time grantee of the National Geographic Expeditions Council and award‐winning writer and filmmaker, Bowermaster has been on expeditions ranging from the Aleutian Islands to Vietnam, French Polynesia to Chile/Argentina/Bolivia, Gabon to Croatia, and Tasmania to Antarctica. 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 nearly four billion people around the globe who depend on them.

Jon’s most recent documentaries are Terra Antarctica, Rediscovering the Seventh Continent, What Would Darwin Think? Man v. Nature in the Galapagos, and the prize‐winning SoLa, Louisiana Water Stories. His most recent films are Dear Governor Cuomo, and Sink or Swim: Learning the Crawl in the Maldives. He is at work on a new film that takes a nationwide look at fracking, called Dear President Obama, due out in 2015.

Another recent film by Bowermaster, Antarctica, On the Edge 3D, will be showcased at DREFF this year.  From its place anchoring the bottom of the globe, Antarctica might seem too frozen to have any impact on the rest of the planet. But, as shown in this 3D film, the very fact that it is constantly changing – the sea around it freezing and thawing every year – turns it into the planet’s beating heart, its rhythm intimately influencing the earth’s weather, ocean currents, and climate.

About the DREFF:
Since its creation in 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF)- an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) -has been providing Dominicans with a platform of knowledge and debate on the environment and sustainable development, along with its challenges and best practices while celebrating the unique beauty and wealth that is the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage.

With a diverse selection of films and numerous panels, workshops, seminars, and community activities, the DREFF promotes dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and experience, inspiring Dominicans to adopt actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation, and sustainable use of their environmental resources.

Watch the GFDD Global Roundtables discussion with Jon Bowermaster here.

More information:
www.dreff.org
www.oceans8films.com

DREFF app:
Apple (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreff/id1029535649?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sched.dominicanrepublicenvironmen2015

www.dreff.org / info@dreff.org
Twitter @MuestraCine / Facebook MuestraCineMedioambiental

Yamile Eusebio, Operations Director, gave the details on the upcoming environmental film festival, which will take place against the backdrop of places such as the Sosúa Bay Hotel, Gregorio Urbano Gilbert Polytechnic School, and Santa Rosa de Lima College.

Puerto Plata, August 26, 2015. This year, Puerto Plata will be one of the 11 cities to host the 5^th Annual Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), an initiative of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode).

The Sosúa Bay Hotel, Gregorio Urbano Gilbert Polytechnic School, and Santa Rosa de Lima College are the chosen locations in Puerto Plata for activities and free screenings, which are being organized with the help of the Puerto Plata Tourism Cluster.

Yamile Eusebio, Operations Director, gave details on the festival, which will be held from September 9^th to 11^th in Puerto Plata.

Eusebio said the GFDD and Funglode aim to use this festival to raise awareness among citizens so that they can “make a difference and succeed in making the Dominican Republic a world leader in environmental matters.”

Roman Medina Diplan, a member of the Tourism Cluster, welcomed the initiative, stating that it “provides Puerto Plata with a platform for learning about and discussing the environment and sustainable development.”

During his speech, Tomás Callender, President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Sosúa and Cabarete, spoke of the things that are being done in this part of the country to preserve the environment.

Festival Activities
On Monday, September 9^th, at 6:00 pm, the inauguration of the festival will take place at the Sosúa Bay Hotel with a screening of the documentary Shark Girl. Peter O’Brien, an environmental consultant, will participate during the festival inauguration along with other national and international guests.

On that same day, screenings at Gregorio Urbano Gilbert Polytechnic School will start at 9:00 am with the documentary Just Eat It. Additionally, at the same time at Santa Rosa de Lima College, a series of short features from the Academy of Environmental Cinema of Punta Cana will be shown.

On Thursday, September 10^th at 9:00 am, the screening of Exuma will take place at  Gregorio Urbano Gilbert Polytechnic School while the Dominican productions Biodiversidad de la República Dominicana (Biodiversity of the Dominican Republic) and Diarios del Fin del Mundo (Diaries of the End of the World) will take place at Santa Rosa de Lima College.

On Friday, September 11^th, the short films Gente Como Tú (People like You) and Basura o Recurso? Experiencia de la República Dominicana (Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Experience) (a GFDD/Funglode production) will be shown at 9:00 am at Gregorio Urbano Gilbert Polytechnic School. Orgullo de Mi Tierra: Descubre Puerto Plata (Pride of My Land: Discover Puerto Plata) will be shown at 9:00 am at Santa Rosa de Lima College. All screenings will be open to the public.

About the DREFF
Since its creation in 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival – an initiative of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) – provides the Dominican public with a platform for learning about and discussing the environment and sustainable development, its challenges and best practices, as well as to celebrate the beauty and unique diversity of Dominican nature.

The Dominican Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) mobile app is now available and can be downloaded from the following links:

DREFF app:
Apple (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreff/id1029535649?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sched.dominicanrepublicenvironmen2015

www.dreff.org / info@dreff.org
Twitter @MuestraCine / Facebook MuestraCineMedioambiental

GFDD/Funglode are excited to announce the availability of the new app for the upcoming Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF)! With the app, you can access information on film panels, workshops, activities, exhibit listings, and more!

Check the daily schedules to see what films are being screened and where. Browse the Attendees to find out more about your favorite filmmakers and other special guests at the DREFF. Pull open the map to see screening locations and more of the beautiful country in which the festival takes place.

This application is available in the iPhone App Store and Google Play. Download it today to have all the information for DREFF 2015 right in the palm of your hand!

DREFF app:
Apple (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreff/id1029535649?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sched.dominicanrepublicenvironmen2015

www.dreff.org / info@dreff.org
Twitter @MuestraCine / Facebook MuestraCineMedioambiental

The disappearance and extinction of animals has become a more popular topic over the last several years. With poaching, trophy hunting, and illegal fishing practices making headlines in the news now more than ever, more people are starting to wonder what they can do. Gambling on Extinction, which will be shown at the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) focuses on this topic and explores our options. Director Jakob Kneser will be in attendance as a special guest at the screenings of his movie during the DREFF.

Gambling on Extinction, directed by Jakob Kneser, focuses on a story about greed and a merciless battle over a limited resource: wild elephants and rhinos. It is in fact the dark side of globalization: Ivory and rhino horn have become lucrative commodities. It is now a 20 billion dollar a year business, the most lucrative after drugs and weapons and has been taken over by powerful, connected, heavily armed international syndicates.

Gambling on Extinction will be shown at several locations during the festival, including: Santo Domingo- INTEC, APEC, New Horizons and USCD; San Juan de la Maguana- Centro Cultural Monina Cámpora; and Bonao- Cinema Oasis.

To see screenings of this movie, click here.

About Jakob Kneser:
Jakob Kneser grew up in Munich and Bonn. After graduating in philosophy, history and religious sciences, Kneser worked as editor at a music TV channel based in Cologne, before making a name for himself as a director and author.  Since 2002 he has made numerous reports, features and documentaries for arts and science television programs such as ARD, ZDF, 3Sat, and ARTE. Since  his  film End  of  a  Legend  in  2006  he  has  been  working closely with a&o buero film production, becoming partner of the company in 2010. Kneser lives with his family in Bonn.

About the DREFF:
Since its creation in 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF)- an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) -has been providing Dominicans with a platform of knowledge and debate on the environment and sustainable development, along with its challenges and best practices while celebrating the unique beauty and wealth that is the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage.

With a diverse selection of films and numerous panels, workshops, seminars, and community activities, the DREFF promotes dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and experience, inspiring Dominicans to adopt actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation, and sustainable use of their environmental resources.

By bringing together young people, scholars, experts, activists, filmmakers, representatives from the public and private sector, non-governmental organizations, as well as wide audiences from all walks of life, the Festival promotes programs and projects that contribute to environmental protection, conservation, and sustainability.

DREFF app:
Apple (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreff/id1029535649?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sched.dominicanrepublicenvironmen2015

www.dreff.org / info@dreff.org
Twitter @MuestraCine / Facebook MuestraCineMedioambiental

The 5th edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) is proud to present the Recycled Orchestra of Cautera and its Director, Favio Chávez, as guests of honor and the stars of the DREFF opening night. Opening night will be held in Santo Domingo on September 8^th at the Palacio del Cine de Ágora Mall and will feature a screening of the film starring the Orchestra, Landfill Harmonic. The Recycled Orchestra of Cautera will also be traveling to Punta Cana, where they’ll participate in a special presentation on September 10^th at 8:00 pm, in the Puntacana Village.

Click here to see all presentations of the movie.

What some consider exclusively waste or trash, for others are raw materials to make instruments. Thus was born the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, directed by Favio Chávez and formed by children and adolescents living in the precarious community of Bañado Sur, located around the main dump in Asuncion, Paraguay. What distinguishes this orchestra from others is their ingenuity and uniqueness to create and use handmade instruments from trash rescued from the dumpsters.

These artists managed to turn what were once distant dreams into reality, thanks to their unparalleled talent and good will for the environment. They have not only become famous in their country but have also crossed new frontiers, including touring with the famous rock band Metallica, winning a special mention at the awards of the environment at the prominent festival Sheffield, and performing in New York City’s prestigious Carnegie Hall.

The Director of the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura and 14 of its members will participate in four of the six screenings of their film, Landfill Harmonic, officially opening the 5^th DREFF at the Palacio del Cine de Ágora Mall on Tuesday, September 8^th at 5:00 p.m. Five other screenings of the film will take place in Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, and Azua. The DREFF will take place from September 8^th – 13^th, 2015.

Related links:
http://www.recycledorchestracateura.com/
http://www.landfillharmonicmovie.com
http://www.recycledorchestracateura.com/#!the-band/cjg9

DREFF app:
Apple (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreff/id1029535649?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sched.dominicanrepublicenvironmen2015

www.dreff.org / info@dreff.org
Twitter @MuestraCine / Facebook MuestraCineMedioambiental

The Tree of Hope, located in the central atrium of the Ágora Mall, was the backdrop on August 23^rd for the screening of the animated short film A Sea Turtle Story, thanks to the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival’s (DREFF) Year Round Environmental Film Screenings program.

The event, coordinated by the Tropicalia Foundation and Educa, brought together dozens of children and adults who could see through this film, made with the technique of stop-motion animation, the description of the life cycle of this endangered species.

A discussion on the current status of sea turtles in the Dominican Republic was carried out after the screening, in which all questions by the audience were answered.

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and its sister organization in the Dominican Republic, Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode, by its Spanish acronym), have organized the 5^th edition of the DREFF, to be held from September 8^th – 13^th. The Ágora Mall will be one of the main screening locations in Santo Domingo for the Festival.

The Tree of Hope is an initiative that promotes social solidarity and commitment to organizations working in the areas of health and education, and is in its 3rd edition.

The tree stands in the court of the first level of the Ágora Mall from July 16^th to August 30^th, and takes on shape and color from flowers purchased by attendees and families visiting the mall.

More information:
www.globalfoundationdd.org

DREFF app:
Apple (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreff/id1029535649?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sched.dominicanrepublicenvironmen2015

www.dreff.org / info@dreff.org
Twitter @MuestraCine / Facebook MuestraCineMedioambiental

Along with screening over 30 inspiring films, the DREFF will host multiple community activities during the week of the festival this September. These activities range from demonstrations and contests to exhibits and hands-on activities. The goal of these activities at the DREFF is to promote dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and experience, and inspire Dominicans to adopt actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation, and sustainable use of their environmental resources.

A special presentation on bees and beekeeping will take place on September 9^th at 4 p.m. in the Funglode Auditorium in Santo Domingo. This event is in conjunction with the showing of the film Vanishing of the Bees, and will feature a live bee colony, beekeeping equipment, and products such as honey and beeswax!

A social media competition is set to take place throughout the whole week of the festival. Individuals can participate by sharing a photo or 15 second video of your favorite nature spot in the Dominican Republic on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, and inviting your followers/friends to meet there. The photo or video should highlight an action promoting the environmental protection of this spot. Be sure to use the hashtags #MiRincón, #RDsostenible and #DREFF, and make reference to @MuestraCine and @DominicanaOnline.

The photography exhibit, Oxygen, will be open in the Funglode gallery during the week of the festival, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. In this exhibit, Spanish photographer Juan Carlos Vélaz offers a journey across the Dominican Republic, recounting his three year expedition exploring the country’s coastline, forests, hills, and other natural enclaves. Considering natural spaces to be as necessary to humans as the oxygen they breathe, Vélaz encourages us to visit the areas they photographed and protect them from degradation.

The ReCrearte Program, along with other Dominican organizations, will be hosting an arts showcase promoting recycling within the country by using found materials to create new and beautiful products. It will take place at the Funglode Gallery on September 13^th from 2 to 8 p.m. A recycled art workshop will also be hosted by ReCrearte on September 11^th at 10 a.m. The session is open to students and members of the BIJRD, and focuses on the principles of recycling and how to turn waste materials such as wood, plastic, and textiles into decorative objects of practical use such as bags, earrings, and other useful items.

Another event targeted toward the younger crowd is a walk and rally at the National Botanical Gardens in Santo Domingo. On September 10^th, from 8 to 11 a.m., participants will trek through the National Botanical Gardens, learn new skills, and discover the extensive range of biodiversity contained in the Dominican Republic. Following a circuit through the gardens, the young guests will answer questions about Dominican flora and fauna and take part in several other entertaining activities, making it a fun morning to celebrate and enjoy nature!

Special clean-up events will also take place during the week. One, on September 12^th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will beautify the fishing community of Bajos de Hain with a beach cleanup and the painting of a wall mural promoting marine biodiversity in the country. Another will focus on Villa Consuelo on September 8^th from 9 a.m to 12 p.m. This cleanup will finish with a decorative wall mural made of recycled materials collected during the cleanup.

A unique event focusing on short stories about nature and biodiversity will take place on September 9^th at 10 a.m. Dominican photographer Eladio Fernández and Guatemalan photographer Marvin del Cid will narrate a slideshow that highlights the beauty of Dominican nature and its extensive biodiversity levels during this presentation at the BIJRD.

An environmental excursion, hosted by the RDescubre initiative, will take place on September 12^th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The objective of this activity is to increase awareness among young people about the problems that plague coral reefs, while encouraging them to develop small-scale environmental projects and work as a team with other young people toward a better system and respect for the environment.

About the DREFF:
Since its creation in 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF)- an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) -has been providing Dominicans with a platform of knowledge and debate on the environment and sustainable development, along with its challenges and best practices while celebrating the unique beauty and wealth that is the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage.

With a diverse selection of films and numerous panels, workshops, seminars, and community activities, the DREFF promotes dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and experience, inspiring Dominicans to adopt actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation, and sustainable use of their environmental resources.

More information:
www.r3crearte.org
RDescubre

DREFF app:
Apple (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreff/id1029535649?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sched.dominicanrepublicenvironmen2015

www.dreff.org / info@dreff.org
Twitter @MuestraCine / Facebook MuestraCineMedioambiental

To see the complete program click here

The Universidad Católica Nordestana (UCNE) is the venue for several activities to be held September 9-11.

(San Francisco de Macorís, August 24, 2015) – The 5^th edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), an initiative of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) is opening in San Francisco de Macorís on Wednesday September 9^th through Friday the 11^th.

All Festival screenings and activities, free and open to the public, will be held at the Universidad Católica Nordestana (UCNE).

Yamile Eusebio, Director of Festival Operations, is inviting all residents of San Francisco de Macorís to attend the events, not just in their hometown but also other locations around the country. “We hope everyone will support us, not just here, but will also travel to Santo Domingo, Bonao, or Santiago to see movies,” said Ms. Eusebio.

The fifth edition of the DREFF will be held from September 8-13 in eleven cities around the Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, Baní, San Francisco de Macorís, Puerto Plata, San Juan de la Maguana,  La Vega, Samaná, Punta Cana,  Bonao, and Azua and in 30 screening rooms.

“We have grown this year and are having screenings at new venues, which we hope everyone will enjoy,” added Eusebio.

For her part, Dr. Zamira Asilis, vice rector for Graduate Studies, Research, and Extension at the UCNE, said the previous four Film Festivals have been a total success. “We have used them as teaching and learning tools for our students.”

Dr. Asilis noted that, “More and more students and teachers are getting involved, because they understand that film, especially documentaries, are educational tools.”

Wednesday September 9^th at 11:00 am will be the inaugural event at the UCNE with a screening of the documentary, Yakona. The film’s producer, Jillian Anne Hall, will be present as well as other national and international guests.

Jillian Anne Hall works as a producer at Arcos Films, a documentary production company dedicated to creating content about important social issues and distributing it in innovative ways. She also teaches film workshops in underserved local elementary and middle schools through the Austin Film Society’s after school program.

On Thursday September 10^th, short films made by the Academia de Cine Ambiental Puntacana will be screened at 11:00 am.

On Friday September 11^th two Dominican productions, Biodiversidad de la República Dominicana and Diarios del fin del mundo, will be shown at 11 am.