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September 13-18, 2016

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  1. Death by a Thousand Cuts Screened in Washington, DC: “The ferocious and growing competition for natural resources is fertile ground for social conflict”

    July 28, 2016 by AdminDREFF

    The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), in collaboration with the DC Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF) and the Interamerican Development Bank (IBD), yesterday celebrated the screening of the film Death by a Thousand Cuts at the E Street Cinema in Washington, DC. Before a full house that required the opening of two screening rooms, the movie’s codirectors Juan Mejía Botero and Jake Kheel and producer Ben Selkow spoke with the public about the film and expressed their hope that it would serve to call attention to the implicated parties and generate dialogue between Haiti and the Dominican Republic as well as transnational solutions.

    “Washington, DC, as capital of the United States, is the ideal place to present Death by a Thousand Cuts before an influential and active audience,” they explained. “The presentation of the documentary in this city,” they continued, “gives us the chance to carry on the dialogue and conversations we’ve previously had with congressmen and US senators who’ve shown interest in this important problem, while also sharing the discoveries of our investigation into charcoal trafficking and its consequences.”

    The documentary is, in essence, “a story with a moral demonstrating that the ferocious and growing competition for natural resources, along with increasingly notable economic inequality, is fertile ground for social conflict,” said the film’s directors, against a backdrop of impressive photography from Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

    The new executive director of the DCEFF, Maryanne Culpepper, said during her opening comments that the Festival – this year celebrating its 25th anniversary – presented this impactful documentary “as part of our commitment to presenting the most relevant films within the framework of the environment.”

    DREFF’s director of programming María Victoria Abreu highlighted, for her part, that DREFF’s commitment to presenting this film in both Washington, DC, and the Dominican Republic between September 13 and 18 during the Festival is “to generate interest and concern among the public and motivate dialogue, action, and change at the different levels of society.”

    Luis Simón, an analyst at the Office of External Relations of the Interamerican Development Bank (IBD), mentioned this special presentation and highlighted that “it’s important to support events like this that stimulate constructive discussions on complex issues in Latin America.”

    “The solutions are varied and can be incorporated at different levels, but they should at minimum include a binational focus to reduce the demand for charcoal, greater protection for Dominican protected areas, livelihood alternatives for charcoal producers, and coherent forest management policies,” Kheel stressed.

    About the Movie
    At a time when tensions between the Dominican Republic and Haiti are ever more fraught, the brutal murder of a forest ranger becomes a metaphor for a broader reality on illicit charcoal exploitation and mass deforestation. With masterful cinematography, the documentary investigates the circumstances of the ranger’s death and the systematic destruction of Dominican forests.

    About DREFF
    This documentary is part of the program for DREFF 2016, to be held this September 13-18 in the Dominican Republic. The Washington, DC, showing is part of the Environmental Film Screenings program that DREFF runs year-round in the United States, on this occasion with the collaboration of the DCEFF, our partner of several years.

    Since its creation in 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival offers Dominicans a platform for knowledge and debate on environmental and sustainable development issues as well as the challenges they involve and best practices to address them. It also celebrates the exclusive beauty and wealth of the Dominican Republic’s natural endowment. With a varied selection of documentaries and numerous debate panels, workshops, seminars, and community activities, DREFF promotes dialogue and exchange of knowledge and experiences, with the aim of motivating Dominicans to take action and contribute to appreciating, conserving, and utilizing their natural resources sustainably.

    Related Links
    www.globalfoundationdd.org
    www.deathbyathousandcutsfilm.com


  2. DREFF, DCEFF and IDB Present Death by a Thousand Cuts DC Premiere

    July 13, 2016 by AdminDREFF

    The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) in partnership with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will host the DC premiere of Death by a Thousand Cuts at the IDB Enrique V. Iglesias Auditorium, July 27 at 6 pm. The special screening will be followed by a discussion with the co-director and producer Jake Kheel, co-director Juan Mejía Botero, and producer Ben Selkow. This initiative is part of the Year Round Environmental Film Screenings Program that DREFF develops in the United States throughout the year, on this occasion with the collaboration of DCEFF, our long term partner.

    thousandcuts-post-01Directed by Juan Mejía Botero and Jake Kheel, the documentary will be part of DREFF 2016 Program, taking place in the Dominican Republic from September 13 to 18. Beautifully filmed in the Dominican Republic, with music composed by multiple Grammy nominated and Grammy winning guitarist for They Might Be Giants Daniel Miller, Death by a Thousand Cuts it’s a captivating film that shows the link between environmental destruction and social catastrophe.

    As tensions increase between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the brutal murder of a park ranger becomes the metaphor for a larger story about illicit charcoal exploitation and mass deforestation. With stunning cinematography, the film investigates the circumstances of the ranger’s death and the systematic eradication of the Dominican forests. As in so many global struggles for natural resources, the fight for survival leads to scapegoating, xenophobia and clashes between communities. These clashes come to reflect the struggle for resources at a national and global scale, which when taken to extreme scenarios can lead to the persistent cycle of ethnic civil conflict and international violence, explain the producers of the film.

    “The film, at its core, is a cautionary tale of how the increasingly fierce competition for natural resources combined with swelling wealth inequality can create fertile ground for civil strife,” as explained by the directors Juan Mejia Botero and Jake Kheel. “Even when initially represented as ethnic conflicts, if we step back and examine some of the world’s most recent international tragedies, we’ll often find this combination of factors at their center. The rising tensions between Haiti and the Dominican Republic are one example.”

    About the Directors

    Jake Kheel is a leader in the field of sustainable development. For over ten years he has confronted diverse social and environmental challenges in the Dominican Republic as Vice President of Sustainability of Grupo Puntacana and Vice President of the Grupo Puntacana Foundation, successfully implementing programs that have garnered the company many global sustainability awards. In 2001, as a graduate student conducting his Master’s thesis, Jake saw firsthand the relentless deforestation in the Sierra de Bahoruco and the potential for conflict between neighboring Haiti and the Dominican Republic over this unique national park. This began a nearly two-decade interest in the Sierra de Bahoruco and its steady decline that eventually led him to conceive of Death by a Thousand Cuts. Jake has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from Cornell University and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Latin American literature from Wesleyan University.

    Juan Mejia Botero is an award-winning film director with over 15 years of experience in feature and short documentaries. His work has focused primarily on human rights abuses and struggles for social justice around the world. He has worked extensively in Latin America and the Caribbean where he has directed a number of films around matters of forced displacement, ethnic autonomy, state violence, and the competition for natural resources, which have played widely in the festival circuit and also television. Juan’s directorial debut, Uprooted, won a number of awards and aired nationally on PBS. His feature documentary The Battle for Land, was a winner of a production grant from the Colombian Ministry of Culture Cinema Fund and a postproduction grant from the Tribeca Film Institute.

    About Ben Selkow

    Ben Selkow is an award-winning, non-fiction television and film director/producer whose work has been showcased on HBO, CNN, PBS, SundanceTV, Discovery, Science, Participant Media, Univision, Esquire Network, and at film festivals globally. His work pushes the cinematographic medium while crafting evocative human stories that elevate topics to broader platforms of dialog. Ben has focused on global social justice issues such as mental health disorders, women’s maternal health, the connection between environmental destruction and mass conflict. He has produced and directed long-form documentaries, docu-series, hosted international series and branded content all over the world.

    About DREFF
    Since its creation in 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival 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.

     


  3. The Iván García Theater School’s Summer Camp in Puerto Plata Teaches Students about Environmental Protection with the Documentary The Change

    July 12, 2016 by AdminDREFF

    Last Friday, July 8, the DREFF Environmental Screenings Series presented the short film The Change to a dozen kids aged 7–12 from the Ivan García Theater School summer camp in Puerto Plata. The screening was complemented by a talk on the value of marine flora and fauna, with the aim of promoting environmental best practices and furthering sustainable development.

    Layla Arisleyda Beard, principal and teacher at the theater school, offered words of welcome and thanked DREFF (an initiative of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development) for its collaboration with the aforementioned cultural center.

    The talk was given by Yamil Rodriguez, technical director of ANAMAR, and covered basic aspects of the endemic flora and fauna and the maritime limits of the Dominican Republic.

    When the activity ended, parents and children in the audience took the opportunity to ask questions and clarify thoughts about the subjects discussed.

    About the DREFF Environmental Screenings Series
    The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival runs an Environmental Screenings Series, offering audiences around the country the chance to enjoy the most interesting titles screened in prior editions of DREFF and thereby expanding the reach of its efforts to raise and deepen awareness on environmental issues among the Dominican public. The program offers the opportunity for schools, community centers, companies, government bodies, and NGOs to enjoy these screenings at no cost.

    Related Links:
    www.dominicanscreening.org


  4. The Dominican Environmental Film Festival Partners with the German Embassy

    June 22, 2016 by AdminDREFF

    The Dominican Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) can rely this year, in its sixth edition, on the support of the Embassy of Germany in the Dominican Republic.

    Her Excellency Ambassador Sabine Bloch met last week at the Embassy in Santo Domingo with Yamile Eusebio, Director of GFDD New York Office and Director of Operations of DREFF, who was accompanied by María Victoria Abreu, Programming Director of DREFF and GFDD’s International Affairs and Socio-Economic Development Program Manager.

    This year, DREFF will feature three films of German origin: 10 Billion: What’s on Your Plate, Taste the Waste, and The Wind’s Journey (a German/Colombian co-production). In addition, prominent German filmmaker Valentín Thurn will be present during the festival.

    “The German Embassy joins DREFF’s partners and sponsors, allies and friends of the festival that guarantee every year the success of this initiative, and allows us to broaden our reach and make a greater impact.” said Eusebio.

    For Germany, collaborating for sustainable development, the reduction of poverty in the Dominican Republic, and the promotion of environmental awareness has special importance, and by supporting the Dominican Environmental Film Festival it formalizes a new opportunity to transfer knowledge, experiences, good practices and lessons learned.

    About DREFF
    Since its creation in 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival 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.


  5. Do You Want to Be an Environmental Filmmaker and Travel Around the World with Your Movies? Premio Globo Verde Dominicano Gets You One Step Closer to Your Goal!

    June 17, 2016 by AdminDREFF

    The Globo Verde Dominicano Award, a GFDD/Funglode and DREFF initiative, is a unique opportunity for filmmakers, students and young professionals who want to venture into a fairly uncharted area in the Dominican Republic -the creation of environmental audiovisual material- as well as to show their work to a national and international audience. For example, the short film 7 Grams, winner of Premio Globo Verde Dominicano 2015, has been presented this year in 4 different international festivals: DCEFF in Washington, D.C.; Princeton Environmental Film Festival, in New Jersey; Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, in New York; and Festival del Cine Pobre de Gibara, in Holguin (Cuba); in addition to the Dominican Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) during the award ceremony last September. This year there´s still time, submit your work before July 31!

    In addition to a gift certificate for $2,000 in technical equipment, the winner in the Short Films category will receive a unique prize: the director will travel with his/her film to an international environmental film festival and there will be screenings of the winning movie at film festivals around the world. Additionally, the film will enjoy promotion in all DREFF related pages.

    Hadzael Gómez, co-director of 7 Grams with Jonatán Vila, participated in March at the Washington DC Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF) and spoke about his experience: “Being here and being able to share with directors, producers, and other figures related to film is incredible… encountering the great quality of the works presented is a great experience… in my case just attending is a huge prize!”

    To watch the interview click here.

    The executive director of GFDD and DREFF, Natasha Despotovic explains that “the competition aims to motivate Dominican youth to produce audiovisual material that will generate awareness about the importance of the environment and sustainable development. The Globe Verde Dominicano Award is a unique opportunity for filmmakers, students or professionals alike.”

    For the 2016 edition, submissions are open until July 31st. This year the contest has four categories: Short Films; Globo Verde Junior, for high school students; Public Service Announcements; and Photography. As in past editions, the Photography category follows a theme selected by the organizers of the contest. This year, the theme is “I am sustainable” and seeks to promote the program of the United Nations, including Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, with the objective of stimulating reflection on environment and sustainable development and its implications for the future, and to find proposals to improve the challenges faced by the Dominican Republic in such areas.

    Don’t miss out on the chance of making your dreams come true! Premio Globo Verde Dominicano gets you one step closer to your dreams!

    About Globo Verde Dominicano
    Globo Verde Dominicano Award, launched in 2012 by GFDD/Funglode during the 2nd Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), is the first short films and public service announcement contest with an environmental content to raise awareness about the importance of the environment and sustainable development. In 2014, the Festival’s Advisory Committee added a new category: Photography; and in 2015 the Globo Verde Junior category, exclusively for high school students, was introduced to give youths the opportunity to present their work.

    For more information:
    www.globoverdedominicano.org


  6. GFDD Production Value of Life Awarded Best Documentary Jury at Bangalore Shorts Film Festival 2016

    June 15, 2016 by AdminDREFF

    Bangalore – GFDD’s Value of Life was awarded with Best Documentary Jury prize at the 5th edition of Bangalore Shorts Film Festival (BSFF), which took place on June 12 in Bangalore, India.

    The festival, created in 2012 to mark the 100 years celebration of Indian cinema, provides a platform to aspiring and professional filmmakers for showcasing their talent and networking and marketing opportunities in film industry.  As explained by its organizers the festival’s objectives are: to generate a short films culture in India, promote upcoming filmmakers, and develop sources of revenue generation for short films and to make short film making a commercial enterprise.

    Value of Life was chosen among more than 90 short films submitted by a jury integrated by Dayal Padmanabhan, Award Winning Kannada Film Director, from Bangalore; Mohmammad Hemedani, Award Winning Animation Film Director & CEO Skyframe Studio, from Iran;  N. Sivanandam, Award Winning Kannada Film Director, from Bangalore; and Dr. D.C Singh, Film Producer & Academician, from Delhi.

    Value of Life, directed by GFDD executive director, Natasha Despotovic, and Alexandra Tabar, exposes the little value that is placed on natural capital when looking at growth equations and socioeconomic development. It is difficult for big businesses, and more so for ordinary people, to quantify the significance of natural resources and make the value of nature tangible in our daily lives. The new GFDD production responds to those questions: How much is the natural capital of the Dominican Republic worth? How do we put a price on the ecosystem the planet has given us and that allows us to survive?

    Natasha Despotovic expressed her gratitude and honor to have received such award: “In this year alone, Value of Life has been presented in four different international festivals and I thank BSFF for the opportunity granted. For GFDD is an honor to participate and promote its production in such a renowned festival. By making environmental films we want to encourage other Dominican directors to follow our steps, promoting sustainable development in the country.”

    More information:
    http://vital.dreff.org/
    https://filmfreeway.com/festival/BangaloreShortsFilmFestival16


  7. Lake Enriquillo: A Prelude to Climate Change, a DREFF Screening, at the Opening of the Environment Week 2016 at UNIBE

    June 8, 2016 by AdminDREFF

    GFDD Year Round Environmental Film Screenings Program and the DREFF will participate throughout the week with different projections of international environmental documentaries.

    Santo Domingo – During UNIBE´s Environment Week, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), through the Year Round Environmental Film Screenings program, presents national and international documentaries aiming to raise awareness and deepen the understanding on environmental issues among students, teachers and interested audience.

    On 6 June Lake Enriquillo: A Prelude to Climate Change – documentary directed by Fernando Báez – was screened at the University´s Auditorium on occasion of the opening ceremony where Paola Tineo, designer and environmentalist, was recognized for her efforts to preserve the environment. The following day the movie Planetary, buy Guy Reid, was screened at Salón de Referencia. The same venue will host today the screening of The Wisdom to Survive, by Anne Macksoud and John Ankele; and next Thursday SlingShot, by Paul Lazarus in Room FRI-903. Friday June 10 Denis Delastrac´s film Sand Wars will be presented too.

    Over 60 students from different career paths, as well as other authorities of the institution attended the ceremony, presided by the Dean of UNIBE, July Amado Castaños Guzmán.

    After the screening, Fernando Báez took part in a panel discussion in which he talked about the film, which deals with the origins and changes suffered for decades by the Lake Enriquillo and the consequences of climate change.

    Among the upcoming screenings offered by the DREFF during environment week is The Wisdom to Survive, SlingShot, and Sand Wars.

    About Year Round Environmental Film Screenings

    As part of its mission to reach more communities, institutions and individuals around the country, the DR Environmental Film Festival organizes film screenings year round, providing the opportunity to bring successful film programs to new and remote communities. By showing a diverse selection of quality films on critical environmental issues and organizing discussions and workshops, the year round film screenings seek to foster and inspire dialogue, raise awareness and promote sustainable practices.

    About the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF)
    Since its creation 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) 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.

    Related Links:
    www.globalfoundationdd.org


  8. “Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival: the Path to Synergy “, an article by Natasha Despotovic

    June 7, 2016 by AdminDREFF

    As Director of GFDD and DREFF, Natasha Despotovic, contributes to the publication How to organize a film festival with a social commitment, a handbook for organizers of human rights and environmental cinematographic events (Cómo organizar un festival de cine con compromiso social, un manual para organizadores de eventos cinematográficos de derechos humanos y medio ambiente), with the article “Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival: the Path to Synergy”.

    The pieces in a puzzle

    Sometimes it’s hard to identify the exact moment an idea is born, as only rarely do ideas arrive in a single moment. Rather, the process is something like a series of small flashes that flicker until at last a clear and dense stream of light flares up, containing all the potential for everything to come after it. As an image on a puzzle only fully emerges when the final piece is fit into place—such was the conception of DREFF.

    Here at the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) and the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), sister institutions with offices in Santo Domingo, Washington, DC, and New York, we’ve spent the last 15 years developing projects and programs related to sustainable socioeconomic, democratic, and cultural development aimed at improving the lives of citizens in the Dominican Republic, the United States, and the Western Hemisphere. We work in the fields of education, health, democracy, environment, international relations, security and defense, knowledge management, IT, globalization, culture, economics, and communications, among others. Through our many activities—including conferences, seminars, workshops, courses, professional training, discussion forums, international events, and cultural festivals, as well as research projects and publications—the two foundations contribute to progress, exchange, and collaboration in the Dominican Republic and throughout the region. Our programs and activities aim to elevate public awareness and debate, fill a vacuum in the supply of professional training programs, develop better public policies, foster exchange and understanding at the international level, and respond to structural and other contemporary needs in our society.

    We do our work in collaboration with numerous public, private, and nonprofit institutions worldwide, especially universities, think tanks, multilateral bodies like the various agencies and entities of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations (UN), private foundations, professional organizations, and government bodies. In our work with these national and international partners we exchange experiences, lessons learned, and best practices, allowing us to continually improve our programs and to present new initiatives.

    Since the nascence of both foundations (of Funglode in 2000 and of GFDD in 2002), our work has displayed an interest in cinema both as an art form and as a medium to better understand the world. Workshops and cinema conferences, as well as small film festivals, were our first efforts in this respect. From 2006 this aspect of our work underwent a revolution, with the celebration of the first Dominican Global Film Festival (FCGD).

    An initiative of then Dominican President Dr. Leonel Fernández, who is also the founder and president of Funglode and GFDD, the Dominican Global Film Festival was the first step in his project to stimulate the country’s film industry and attract moviemaking from abroad. I had the honor and challenge of directing this first edition of the Festival as well as its two following editions. The Funglode and GFDD team had no experience planning film festivals, but their enthusiasm and complete dedication to the project as well as experience with similar kinds of events served to provide both guidance and inspiration: and so we managed to make the first FCGD a success. We were also lucky to enjoy the support of an experienced external advisor and a team of technicians who handled the screenings—the print traffic (as we call the handling of the films themselves; and yes, in this festival we were actually working with 35mm reels!) and the operation of the projectors and other technical equipment.

    From November 8 to 12, 2006, a selection of 18 high-quality films were screened and seven panels and master classes held in six venues in three cities around the Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo, Santiago, and Puerto Plata). This was our first stab at a large-scale cultural event and it would eventually become the largest film festival in the Caribbean, which now screens more than 100 features in eight cities around the country.

    Over the last 10 years, filmmaking in all its aspects—national productions and co-productions, foreign shoots in the country, film schools, cinema-related entertainment programs, filmmaking contests—has undergone dizzying growth and improved in all respects: in cinematic quality, promotion at the international level, screening venues, appreciation among specialists and the general public, etc. The Dine Law enacted in November 2010 and the creation of a General Directorate of Cinema in 2011 were two cornerstones in this process that continues to advance today.

    Now: How, when, and why did an environmental film festival arise among all this?

    Three years after its launch, the FCGD had already become quite consolidated and its path toward a promising expansion appeared clear. The Funglode/GFDD team had survived an enormous trial by fire, and emerged exultant, renewed, with new lessons learned, skills acquired, and international contacts forged: ready, in short, for new challenges. In our first four years of work we visited several renowned film festivals and sponged up everything we saw in our eagerness to do everything just as well or better and adapt it to local conditions in the best possible way. Since one of our offices is in Washington, DC, we attended several editions of the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (more commonly known as the DC Environmental Film Festival) and we loved what we saw.

    There are certain differences between a general film festival and an environmental one and I’d like to take advantage of my experience with both and share it with you. Hopefully it helps cheer on and encourage our colleagues working in the environmental field so they can see the manifold fruits of their labor which so often pass unnoticed and are taken for granted.

    Compared to our experiences dealing with complaints from movie stars, hypercompetitiveness among film productions, commercial interests tied up with the productions, sometimes even security concerns for certain guests, all the fussy decorations and “glamour” items needed for the red carpet and special screenings, not to mention the conflicts of interest that occasionally arise between productions—compared to that, planning an environmental film festival feels almost entirely peaceful and relaxed. And this without even mentioning the technical issues, especially back when quality films screened at a festival could be of no more than 35mm. We needed an entire team of vehicles and technicians from one screening location to the next and all of our hard work basically depended on whether the reels were correctly tagged, transported, delivered, stored, etc. It’s possible that in a country with a lot of experience and tradition of film festivals and with excellent screening venues, these technical issues wouldn’t have caused such anxiety, but I assure you that in ours a huge amount of organizational and creative energy was spent on nothing more than following huge reels around, especially since each reel traveled to several cities, from screening to screening.

    So there we were, discovering a world of film festivals where “glamour” was not the be-all and end-all of everything and the staff was not absorbed in the nightmare of film reels not arriving on time or “Surprise! This isn’t the movie we just announced!”

    In this world the filmmakers, the audience, and the organizers shared spontaneously. The filmmakers and stars of the features didn’t come in through a back door and then run out of it when the Q&A ended to avoid any personal contact. Filmmakers who carry their DVDs around in a backpack and hand them out to the audience? Or who call you to offer to give a master class or participate in a panel, because, since they’re coming to the festival, they’d like to contribute something? Yes, it was indeed a different experience that we were learning from our colleagues who’d been planning environmental film festivals for years.

    In fact, as part of the FCGD we had already planned several screenings of enviromental films with panel debates: in the very first edition in 2006, for example, we screened An Inconvenient Truth, in the second Flow: For Love of Water, and in the third The Cove. We witnessed the enormous interest in these issues around the country and met environmental filmmakers and experts, who participated in several of our panels.

    It was there that the pieces of a promising puzzle began to come together: visits to environmental film festivals; screenings of environmental films at our own festival; an international team with experience and skills gained in planning a film festival. And—voilà! In a meeting, the idea for DREFF—the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival—came into being.

    The Funglode team in Santo Domingo was well prepared to carry on alone with the FCGD, whose growth required daily attention and monitoring in situ. The GFDD team in the Washington, DC, and New York offices was ready for a new challenge.

    Another aspect to keep in mind is our work on environmental and sustainable development issues and the importance these matters have taken on globally, especially since the end of the 90s and the start of the 21st century. Since their beginnings, both Funglode and GFDD have organized numerous seminars, international conferences, and trainings on this issue. In 2011, after five years of research and design, we published the first Diccionario Enciclopédico Dominicano de Medio Ambiente (Dominican Encyclopedia of the Environment). Through our active participation in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), we’ve been able not only to stay up to date on international debates but also to make contributions in the form of briefs and status reports. All this together with our experience planning the Dominican Global Film Festival prepared us for the first edition of DREFF in 2011.

    Sounding out the territory
    It might well be precisely because the path to the first DREFF was so elaborate and full of challenges and experiences that once the decision was made and the date announced, everything happened very quickly: we had launched a missile to which we were attached body and soul, but we could hardly keep up with its speed.

    The first Festival was held September 8–11, 2011, in two cities (Santo Domingo y Santiago), with three screening venues and 17 films. Quite exhausted after having launched and set the FCGD on its path, and keen to create a more laid-back festival where we could better curate the content and the educational activities surrounding it, we opted for something modest and low-profile. Nonetheless, the conditions were in place for a large-scale project with a broad reach.

    Our first guest of honor was none less than the renowned scientist Dr. Sylvia Earle, world champion protector of oceans. Two friends who had participated in the Dominican Global Film Festival—Debbie Kinder, director of the Blue Ocean Film Festival, and Charlotte Vick, head of content for Google Ocean—were the first members of our advisory committee and assisted us in selecting the films and preparing for the first festival. We started out shyly, gauging the response from the public. After each screening, we organized a panel debate in which our international guests participated alongside national experts.

    Over the course of the Festival we were approached by many local experts and enthusiasts and discovered new partners who we’d had no idea existed. Everyone offered ideas and suggestions for films, topics, guests, new venues—the interest and support was astounding. By the end of the Festival, we had so many ideas and proposals that we didn’t know how we’d be able to respond to them all.

    We’d started out worrying that perhaps there was still not much interest in these issues or that awareness was low, but we’d decided to do it anyway—“Let’s be on the cutting edge and at some point the public will appreciate it,” we’d said.

    Lesson learned: There are lots of people worried about the same things as you but you’ll never know that until you show your concern. Another one: Don’t underestimate the general public. And another: If you have a lovely project you believe in and can put your heart into it, do it, and the rest will be built around you. Like that line from Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.”

    The project leads us along
    By the end of the first DREFF, we realized we’d given birth to something that would itself guide us along. Our responsibility was to hear its demands and respond in time to its needs and suggestions.

    The group of local experts and enthusiasts quickly became our National Advisory Committee. By the second Festival it included 16 members. We began to expand our International Advisory Committee with people who generously shared their knowledge and networks of contacts with us. The growing enthusiasm around the Festival attracted more and more volunteers and employees looking to be part of the project to the Foundation.

    In each edition of the Festival, we increased the number of films shown, screening cities, venues, partners, and sponsors (see graphic below).

    cuadro-dreff-numeros

    We began to create new projects within the Festival. Ideas came from the films themselves, from the guests, from members of the advisory councils, from institutional collaborators, and from the public.

    In the second edition we began organizing community activities such as beach cleanups with a dedicated local NGO and a swimming contest led by renowned Dominican long-distance open-water swimmer Marcos Díaz. In the third, we again cleaned up a beach and also organized a tree-planting day, and some young volunteers climbed up the Mogote and cleaned up the paths used by hikers and local farmers. We carried on like this, planning more and more community activities, to the point that we were holding activities year-round, outside the Festival setting. Why? Because after the screenings, audiences would ask: “Okay, we get it, but now what can wedo?” And we realized that although we can’t solve every environmental problem, we can provide examples and inspiration.

    In the second Festival we also presented our first Globo Verde Dominicano awards for best short film and best awareness-raising message in the area of environment and sustainable development. The idea for the contest arose as a result of how difficult it was to find Dominican films for the Festival and how few films we had to offer in other festivals. We assumed the task of promoting environmental cinema in the country. In 2014 we added a photography award, and in 2015 a Globo Verde Junior award aimed at high school students who could use their smartphones for filming. In the same vein of offering examples and inspiration to national talent in the area of environmental documentaries, we decided to start producing our own short films, which have since traveled to many global film festivals and received several awards. Again, all these ideas were gradually added out of necessity, as before us a world was revealed full of possibilities waiting to be discovered.

    We introduced the Audience Award in the second Festival to better capture the viewers’ receptiveness to the films and add a small element of suspense and expectation.

    Other projects that have arisen during the Festival include: EcoHuertos, the organic school and community gardens project; Reciclarte, workshops to turn recycled waste into art and objects for daily use; Rdescubre, excursions to take young people to places of environmental interest around the country; and the Year-round Environmental Film Screenings, which continues the work of the Festival in response to requests we receive from all over the country.

    I mustn’t forget to mention an important aspect of the Festival: the sharing and exchange between our international guests and our local experts and enthusiasts. In each edition of the Festival, we put special effort into planning social activities where the international guests and national filmmakers and experts get the opportunity to share—over lunch, dinner, beach excursions, etc. I don’t think I’m exaggerating in saying that the empathy, friendships, and even joint projects that have been conceived during the Festival are one of the most important aspects of what we do. We also take advantage of the presence of guests from abroad to introduce them to some of the natural beauty and ecological gems of the Dominican Republic, such as the Organic Cacao Trail and the dunes of Baní.

    In 2015, the Festival joined the Greeen Film Network (GFN), an international association of environmental film festivals that now includes more than 30 members. We can only imagine all the opportunities in store for us in future collaboration with these brilliant global projects, but our first experience will definitely be this year when we’ll have the honor of hosting the GFN Award, given annually to the best environmental film.

    Looking back
    After six years of work, we look back and have to say that we’ve been pleasantly surprised—amazed, even. We’ve learned so much.

    Empowering others is the most important thing. How? By inspiring them with your own example and exposing them to experiences with others who can inspire them. An environmental film festival can and should do that. It’s not going to solve every problem, that’s true. Sometimes we get discouraged because there’s so much to do and every day we hear about new challenges. Nonetheless, the power of networks, of contacts, and of inspiration lies precisely in the fact that they produce unexpected exponential growth whose impact no one can control or even predict.

    It’s extremely important to base a festival’s work on the ideas, suggestions, and guidance of its local audience, experts, and enthusiasts, local organizations keen to collaborate. The project can grow only in response to local demand and interest. Involving all partners is essential. We make sure we have meetings with partners and the advisory committee several times a year to refine our program and guest list to respond better to their interests and expectations. Instead of seeking audiences for different venues, we take the films to places where there’s a captive audience, regardless of the technical conditions. We often bring along a small projector and screen knowing that the reward with be the enjoyment and enthusiasm of the audience.

    We’ve also learned to never underestimate the impact a film or an international guest can have on an audience, no matter how much we think the conditions for understanding are not there. That’s mainly our own prejudice. We’ve learned there are many ways of understanding things and many more ways of communicating them. Another unexpected gift is that the filmmakers and experts are themselves enriched and inspired by reactions and questions from viewers we might have thought were “not fully prepared for the experience.”

    And finally: working on an environmental film festival team has many challenges—the challenges are exactly where the value and richness lie. The team is always made up of people whose aptitudes and professional outlooks are very different: the way a programmer thinks is different from how a graphic designer or filmmaker thinks, or how a media person or logistics manager thinks. Even speaking the same language, they may not understand each other, and if we throw in the fact that the team is international, coming from different cultures and places around the globe, the challenge is even greater. That’s exactly what makes the result so rich: that melting pot of ways of seeing, feeling, thinking, and acting—all different, but all aimed at the same goal and with the same concern for excellence in the result. Instead of getting frustrated by that, we should welcome it with joy and gratitude. How we do things is something we transmit to our audience and partners and sometimes that part of the message is even more powerful than the topic itself.

    Our hope and wish is that environmental film festivals continue to sprout up and grow around the globe, and that, like a prayer or meditation chain, a single day or a single hour may not pass without a festival flourishing somewhere on the planet.

    To download the manual click here.

    Related links:
    www.globalfoundationdd.org


  9. Strengthening the Power of Film Festivals Networks: DREFF at the 2016 FINCA

    June 6, 2016 by AdminDREFF

    Buenos Aires – The Multimedia DeHumALC Institute (IMD) of Argentina, in the framework of the International Environmental Film Festival FINCA, organized last Friday in Buenos Aires the meeting “The Power of Film Festivals Networks” during the launch of the publication “How to organize a film festival with a social commitment, a handbook for human rights and environmental cinematographic events” which is available online for download. The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) participated to recount its six years of experience organizing the only event of its kind in the region.

    The Communications Director of DREFF, Miryam López, was present at the panel together with the director of the Portuguese CineEco Seia Festival, Mario Branquinho; the Copia Cero director and consultant for the IMD, Natalia Cortesi; and co-director and programmer of the Festival Internacional de Cine Político de Argentina, Clara Isasmendi. The event, held in the Library of the French Alliance of Buenos Aires, was a rich exchange of experiences between festivals of very different characteristics and expertise, but all with a strong social commitment to change and with a common goal of raising the consciousness of society.

    Natalia Cortesi noted the importance of this handbook and of the exchange of experiences between similar events in a context in which there is no training schools and limited opportunities for learning how to organize a film festival. Meanwhile, Miryam Lopez said that there is no single formula to develop a film festival. “We must constantly keep our eyes and ears wide open and use creativity to meet the needs of the moment and the new times that change so fast. In this context, the joint work of festivals that have a common goal is of utmost importance. ”

    As for Branquinho, he says that “every film festival must maintain its own identity” and mentioned that an event of these characteristics has a great impact on society by implementing actions, workshops and community-integrating activities.

    The Handbook
    Since 1997, the IMD has been dedicated to promoting an engaged cinema and contributing to social change, according to the organizers. “Many were the successes and mistakes capitalized on through time by sharing these experiences with other festival organizers that make up the two international networks, the Green Film Network (GFN) and the Human Rights Film Network (HRFN), as well as locally, the Red Argentina de Festivales y Muestras Audiovisuales (RAFMA) “. Given the needs and challenges facing festivals and social commitment, the IMD with the support of the HRFN and the Dutch foundation Movies That Matter, decided to translate and adapt two manuals previously carried out by members of the HRFN from the Latin American perspective, as well as adding content relating to the experiences of the Festival Internacional de Cine Ambiental (FINCA) and the Festival Internacional de Cine de Derechos Humanos (FICDH). As contribution to the publication, the executive director of DREFF and Global Foundation for Democracy and Development, Natasha Despotovic, wrote the case study “Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival: The Path to Sinergy”.

    Despotovic highlights here the enormous power of networks. “Empowering others is the most important thing. How? By inspiring them with your own example and exposing them to experiences with others who can inspire them. An environmental film festival can and should do that. It’s not going to solve every problem, that’s true. Sometimes we get discouraged because there’s so much to do and every day we hear about new challenges. Nonetheless, the power of networks, of contacts, and of inspiration lies precisely in the fact that they produce unexpected exponential growth whose impact no one can control or even predict.”

    To read the full article click here
    To download the handbook clic here.

    Más información:
    www.imd.org.ar
    http://www.imd.org.ar/?nota=379
    www.dreff.org


  10. DREFF and Centro León Celebrate World Environment Day with Cinema and Discussions on Sustainable Development

    June 5, 2016 by AdminDREFF

    The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), through its program Year Round Environmental Film Screenings, commemorated yesterday in collaboration with Centro Leon in Santiago de los Caballeros the World Environment Day. To celebrate this important day two short films were screened: Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience, a Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) production winner of numerous international awards; and 7 Grams, winner of Premio Globo Verde Dominicano 2015.

    Also, Nelson Bautista, president of Acción Verde, Jonatán Vila and Hadzael Gómez, co-directors of 7 Grams, and Omar Shamir, GFDD Environmental Programs Coordinator, answered questions and curiosities at the end of the screening.

    Bautista stated that both documentaries answer the question on who is responsible for the environment. “You are, I am, we all have to deal with the matter and find solutions for environmental issues.”

    Furthermore, Gómez explained to the audience how the story of the hummingbird reaveled to him by chance during the construction of a school in the community of Los Amaceyes, Tamboril, when the tiny bird built his nest on a column of rods.

    Vila, on the other hand described he joined the project, after following Hadzael’s documentation on the hummingbird in social media, to develop together the short film that thanks to Premio Globo Verde Dominicano has been presented at different international festivals.

    The screening of these documentaries at Centro León was the closing to a program of activities celebrating World Environment Day that started on Wednesday with the talk “Environment and the City”.

    Finally, Reynoso commented that “the objective of such events, organized under the patronage of GFDD, is to sensitize society on the importance of natural resources and to get citizens to be guardians of the environment.”

    About Year Round Environmental Film Screenings
    As part of its mission to reach more communities, institutions and individuals around the country, the DR Environmental Film Festival organizes film screenings year round, providing the opportunity to bring successful film programs to new and remote communities. By showing a diverse selection of quality films on critical environmental issues and organizing discussions and workshops, the year round film screenings seek to foster and inspire dialogue, raise awareness and promote sustainable practices.

    About DREFF
    Since its creation 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.

    For more information:
    www.globalfoundationdd.org


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