The international renowned activist and protagonist of The Cove is the guest of honor of the IV Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF).

(Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) – “It sounds really harsh, but I can say that dolphins, animals that live in family by nature and travel hundred of miles per day, commit suicide when they are caught in captivity. We need to stop that cruelty and society can make it happen by stop attending shows that exhibit those animals”.

The activist Ric O’Barry arrived last night to the country to participate in the IV Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) and this morning attended several radio interviews for the Cuentas Claras and Factor Verde, transmitted by La Nota Diferente frequency of Teleantillas.

GFDD-FUNGLODE’s guest of honor for this edition of the Film Festival talked to the Dominican press about his passion: creating awareness about the gravity of captivity of marine mammals. Among other things, O’Barry said that when a dolphin is taken out of his natural environment the two most important things for him are taken away, his family and freedom in the ocean. Dolphins put into small water tanks consider their companions as strangers and that can take them to live in conditions that lead them to death, including suicide.

The Cove protagonist exhorted Dominican society to become conscious about excessive fishery, contamination and dolphin captivity. “It is important to educate the population on this topics both on this country and globally”, said the marine mammals expert. In addition, O’Barry gave thanks to Dr. Leonel Fernández, former President of Dominican Republic, for prohibiting during his administration, the import of 12 dolphins that were captive in the Taiji dolphin hunter some years ago.

Richard O’Barry has worked on both sides of the captive dolphin issue. He worked for 10 years in the 1960’s within the dolphin captivity industry, when he was employed by the Miami Seaquarium to trained dolphins, including the ones that played the role of Flipper in the popular American TV-series of the same name. When one of the dolphins died in his arms O’Barry realized that capturing and training them was simply wrong. Over the past 40 years he has been recognized by many national and international entities. He has published two books: Behind the Dolphin Smile (1989) and To Free a Dolphin (2000). In 2006, O’Barry became Marine Mammal Specialist for Earth Island Institute, where he is also the Director of Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project and Save Japan Dolphins Campaign.

Film Synopsis: The Cove begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. It is here, under cover of night that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen hunt.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and its sister organization in the Dominican Republic Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), will open the IV edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) with the screening of Last Call, a movie directed by Enrico Cerasuolo. The DREFF is a five-day event celebrated from 10 to 14 of September 2014 in more than 10 cities across Dominican Republic.

Last Call is a film that analyzes the issue of growth from today’s perspective. In this documentary Cerasuolo, a native of Venice, engages spectators in a compelling story that raises awareness of the urgent need to make the decisions that will safeguard the future of our planet. The film looks at a problem that 40 years ago a team of brave scientists from MIT denounced in the book The Limits to Growth, where they presented their concern about the future of humanity if the pace of global growth continued without any controls.

During the film festival, the filmmaker will participate at the end of some of his film presentations. Enrico Cerasuolo is an experienced documentary director and writer. Since 1992 he is the manager of the production company Audiovisive Zenit Arti in Turin. He has written and directed several international documentaries that have been recognized in national and European festivals, including: From Berlusconi to Garibaldi (2011); The Hidden Face of Fear (2008); Space Hackers (2007); Peter’s Dream (2007); Checosamanca (2006) and The Enigma of Sleep (2004).

To know more about this movie click here.

For more information on the film presentations, activities and the DREFF general program, you can visit. www.dreff.org

The IV Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) has included in its complete agenda a series of artistic and photographic exhibitions to complement the screenings, workshops and discussion panels related to environmental and sustainable development topics. The main exhibitions include:

“Unveiling Haiti’s Beauty: A photography Exhibit by Eladio Fernandez”: from September 10 to 14, 2014, at the Galeria of FUNGLODE in Santo Domingo. This exhibit displays the social and environmental outlook of Caribbean Conservation Photographer, Eladio Fernández, on the Republic of Haiti. The 14 images displayed provide a small window into Haitian culture, it’s urban landscape, and threatened biodiversity. The photographs also offer rarely seen views of the Pic Macaya National Park, a biodiversity hotspot which contain some of the rarest and most threatened species of orchids and amphibians on the planet. Other important biodiversity hotspots such as Massif La Selle and the Presqu’ile of Mole San Nicolas are equally portrayed in this exhibit.

Although some of these areas are of difficult access, many suffer from increasing rates of deforestation and habitat destruction, threatening the extinction of many species of flora and fauna.

“Dominican Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Environment Exhibit”: The 15 panels, on display from September 10-14, 2014 at UNPHU (Salón de Conferencias, Edificio Nº 3 – Avenida John F. Kennedy, Km. 6.5), provide basic knowledge on the Dominican Republic’s unique landscape as well as information on how to protect and conserve our country’s natural beauty. The Exhibit, inspired by the book of the same name, is part of GFDD/FUNGLODE’s goal to raise awareness about Dominican culture, disseminate information about the country and strengthen appreciation of our unique ecology and biodiversity. It also provides an invaluable opportunity for students and visitors to take advantage of this educational experience in the hope of broadening all of our horizons and fostering a sense of national pride in the conservation of our nation’s natural wealth.

“Recycled Art Exhibit – ReCrearte Program”: on September 11, 2014 at the lobby of the Centro Cultural Perelló, Bani.

For more information visit: www.dreff.org

Conferences and panel discussions will take place also in different cities of the country

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Conversations, workshops and roundtables on the environment will be held in various cities in the Dominican Republic, as part of the IV edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), held September 10 to 14 at various venues in the country.

National and international experts on climate change and sustainable development issues, as well as filmmakers and producers of several short films and movies that will be screened, will have the opportunity to discuss their experiences and exchange ideas with participants and the public attending the different DREFF activities.

On Friday, 12 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm the workshop “Charting the marine and coastal ecosystems with Google Ocean” will be held at FUNGLODE, with the participation of Maria Montoreano and Charlotte Vick, both from Google Earth. On Saturday, 13 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm in FUNGLODE the conference “Marketing and distribution: discovering the potential of your film” will be offered by the filmmaker Suzan Beraza and Suzanne Harle, Founder and Executive Director of Green Planet Films. On Sunday, 14 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm will be held in FUNGLODE the workshop “The cinema as a means of activism”, with the participation of Allison Argo, Director of Parrot Confidential, Fernando Baez, Founder and President of Unicorn Films and the Grupo Único; Stefanie Brendl, Executive Producer of Extinction Soup  and Ric O’Barry, Founder and Campaign Director for The Dolphin Project.

GFDD aims to raise awareness and deepen understanding of environmental problems worldwide among the Dominican public. Along with the DREFF, GFDD also celebrates the beauty and diversity of the natural heritage of the Dominican Republic and offers insights into the attitudes and actions that contribute to recognition, conservation and sustainable use.

Some of the workshops will also be held after the screening of a short film or movie. For more information on the workshops, visit www.muestracinemedioambientaldominicana.org/talleres/

Children of different ages were able to enjoy yesterday, Wednesday 10, the film Cordillera Central Dominicana: Oasis del Caribe, from filmmaker Máximo José Rodríguez, as part of the special activities that complement the IV edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF).

The event took place at the Biblioteca Infantil y Juvenil República Dominicana, where a large group of students also participated in a Q & A with the director of the film.

When approached about the topic selected for production, Rodríguez said that for him the Cordillera Central is the life of the Dominican Republic. “You, the students, are the heirs and, especially, their children. This is the most important environmental asset in the entire Caribbean. My message to you is to care for our planet, our home”.

The DREFF seeks to foster discussions on sustainable development and global environmental issues and aims to inspire the Dominican public to adopt practices that ensure environmental sustainability of the country and the world.

GFDD aims to raise awareness and deepen understanding of environmental problems worldwide among the Dominican public. However, with the DREFF, GFDD also promotes and even celebrates the beauty and diversity of the natural heritage of the Dominican Republic, offering an insight into the attitudes and actions that ultimately contribute to their recognition, conservation and sustainable use.

For the full program please visit www.dreff.org DREFF. Join the conversation on sustainable development promoted by followingGFDDorg GFDD andMuestraCine on Twitter, using the hashtags #RDsostenible and #DREFF.

(Santo Domingo) – Hundreds of students from various schools in Santo Domingo had the opportunity to see the screening of the documentary Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience, a film produced by the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE).  The film, directed by Natasha Despotovic, Executive Director of GFDD, was presented this morning in the offices of FUNGLODE, as part of the activities of the IV Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival, which takes place from September 10 to 14 in various locations throughout the country.

Children from República de Nicaragua, La Salle and Colegio Amor y Paz schools, as well as other participants of FUNDAZURZA, had the opportunity to enjoy the film that shows in detail how recycling has become an important economic opportunity for Dominicans. Bertha Santana, Coordinator of GFDD program RecreArte, was among the speakers as well as Nicolás Mendoza of FUNDAZURZA, Jorge de los Santos of EcoRed and Yoel Garcia of CEDAF.

Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience had received 10 awards since its official launch during last year’s DREFF. Recently, the film was selected as a finalist in BLUE 2014’s International Ocean Film Competition in the Foreign Language category. In the film the viewer notes that besides the obvious benefit to the environment, recycling allows economic development through the creation of new businesses and industries. A short film that inspires moves and calls for action.

For more information on this and other projections of other documentaries, as well as overall program activities DREFF, visit www.dreff.org http://garbage.dreff.org
  http://www.blueoceanfilmfestival.org

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) will recognize the production and distribution of films on climate change and sustainable development topics with the Globo Verde Dominicano Award 2014. This contest is an essential part of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) to be celebrated September 10-14, 2014; the winners will be announced on Saturday, September 13th, 2014.

The 2014 edition of Globo Verde Dominicano Award provides an unprecedented platform for filmmakers, students and young professionals who wish to get involved in a still little-explored area in the Dominican Republic. With this contest, they have the opportunity to make audiovisual material on issues related to the environment, in addition to showing their work at the DREFF to both local and international audiences.

To find more information about Globo Verde Dominicano visitwww.globoverdedominicano.org. You can also support and enrich the sustainable development conversation promoted by GFDD by following @GFDDorg and @MuestraCine in Twitter and using the hashtags #RDsostenible, #SustainableDR and #DREFF.

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) will launch the book Hacia el desarrollo sostenible y la economía verde en la República Dominicana (Towards sustainable development and green economy in Dominican Republic), publication which includes a brief analysis of the current sustainable development in a global context, a compilation of national and international legislation regarding said topics and a practical guide to promote environmental sustainability and resilience from both business and household perspectives. The book will be officially presented and available to the public on Saturday September 13th 2014, during the IV Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF).

Initially published in Spanish, the publication uses very user-friendly language to raise awareness on climate change and sustainability subjects for a wide audience in both the Dominican Republic and abroad. With this book, the audience can have useful hands-on tips for saving water and energy, contributing to transportation sustainability, promoting green policies at the work place, and other related areas of interest. GFDD includes relevant facts, important quotes/statements and useful information related to theSustainable Development Goals proposed by the United Nations.

Businesses and households that wish to contribute to sustainable development will have the knowledge of where and how to start. Although this was originally written for the Dominican Republic audience, it is undoubtedly just as applicable to other people elsewhere, since our need for a more sustainable environment is global and has no geographical limits.

For more information regarding the new publication Hacia el desarrollo sostenible y la economía verde en la República Dominicana, please write tomabreu@globalfoundationdd.org. To buy the book online, click here. Support the sustainable development conversation promoted by GFDD by following @GFDDorg in Twitter and using the hashtags #RDsostenible and #SustainableDR.

UNPHU headquarters in La Vega will host the screenings and activities of the Festival

From September 10 to 13 the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) of this city will be one of the venues of the IV edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), which will open on Wednesday 10, including national and international guests.

Details were provided by the Director of Operations of the DREFF Yamile Eusebio, during a press conference at the site of the UNPHU. The activity was also headed by Baldemiro Martinez, Vice Chancellor of the university.

On Wednesday the 10th, at 5:00 pm, will be the inaugural film projection of the film Dominican Cordillera Central: Caribbean Oasis, directed by José Máximo Rodríguez.

On Thursday the 11th, also at 5:00 pm, the DREFF will present EcoHuertos: Cómo montar un huerto urbano. The film was made under the direction of Natasha Despotovic, Executive director of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD).

Growing Cities, from American Director and Screenwriter Dan Susman, will be the second screening of the DREFF in this city, after which the invited guest will share his work vision with the audience. On Friday September 12, at 5:00 pm, Years of Living Dangerously: A Dangerous Future will be screened, with the participation of its producer Stuart Sender.

All screenings are open to the public, as well as panel discussions, workshops and training sessions.

The IV edition of the Dominican Environmental Film Festival will be held from September 10 to 14 in 10 cities: Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, Puerto Plata, San Francisco de Macorís, Baní, San Juan de la Maguana, La Vega, Samaná, San Cristóbal and Sosúa.

About the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF)

Since 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival aims to raise awareness and deepen an understanding of environmental issues among Dominican and international audiences.  At the same time, the Festival celebrates the beauty and diversity of the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage and offers insights into the attitudes and actions that will contribute to its appreciation, conservation and sustainable use.

The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) is an initiative of FUNGLODE and GFDD, in association with its sponsors and collaborators: Ágora Mall, the Biblioteca Infantil y Juvenil República Dominicana, the Casa de la Cultura de Constanza, CEDAF, Centro Cuesta Nacional, Centro Cultural Monina Cámpora, Centro Cultural Narciso González, Centro Cultural Perelló, Centro Cultural León Jiménez, DGCINE, Descubre Puerto Plata, Academia Dominicana de Ciencia, Muestra EcoFilm, ECORED, FUNDASAZURZA, Green Planet Films, Fundación Propagas, Clúster Turístico de Puerto Plata, Palacio del Cine, Fundación Siempre Más, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Odebrecht, Clúster Turístico de Samaná, Hotel Villa Serena, Listín Diario/Plan Lea, Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), Universidad Católica Nordestana (UCNE), Unicornio Films, y Fundación Sur Futuro.

For more information and the full program, visit our website www.dreff.org  or contact us at info@dreff.org

GFDD and FUNGLODE are delighted to announce that on Monday August 27, 2014, the acclaimed Showtime Series Years of Living Dangerously won the 2014 Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series”. The series was also nominated by The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming”.

Years Of Living Dangerously is the first documentary series devoted to climate change ever to appear on a major network or premium cable. Its 9 episodes were produced by such notorious filmmakers as James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jerry Weintraub and Academy Award nominated filmmaker, broadcast journalist and screenwriter Stuart Sender.

Stuart was present for the Third Edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) during which he took part in panel discussions of his film Harmony. The film showcased the initiatives of the foundations of H. R. H. The Prince of Wales, looking at the root causes of the global problems we face and offering 21st century solutions that highlight the benefits of sustainable development.

This year, GFDD and FUNGLODE are delighted to note that Stuart will be returning to the Dominican Republic for the fourth edition of the Festival on September 10-14, 2014, to screen an episode of the acclaimed series Years of Living Dangerously, featuring Matt Damon and Michael C. Hall. The episode will touch on the transverse impacts of climate change, as it focuses on the effect of extreme heat on human health and mortality, with a focus on research that has uncovered that rising temperatures are creating a worldwide public health emergency.

About DREFF
DREFF aims to raise awareness and deepen the understanding of environmental issues among Dominican audiences. At the same time, the Festival celebrates the beauty and diversity of the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage and offers insights into attitudes and actions that will contribute to its appreciation, conservation and sustainable use.

By screening a diverse selection of high quality films that deal with pressing issues, and by organizing discussion panels with environmental experts, filmmakers and other stakeholders, the Festival seeks to promote dialogue and inspire Dominican audiences to adopt practices that will ensure the country’s environmental sustainability and health.

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