January/February 2019 Newsletter

Dear friends,

I hope your new year is off to a great start! With a new decade before us, we look forward to embarking on more productions, innovations, and impact research. The recent ongoing reports of raging fires in Australia, rising temperatures, species extinction, and climate disasters around the world makes us ever more aware of the urgency for action. Our planet is in serious trouble but there is still time for us to come together and make significant and critical changes. The Center for Environmental Filmmaking is empowering media-makers to inspire, engage, and activate. You can help by supporting the next generation of storytellers with scholarships, by contributing to our research on impact and engagement, and by ensuring all voices are represented. Today’s climate urgency is real, and your support makes a very real difference. Donate here

For more information, contact Maggie Burnette Stogner at stogner@american.edu. 
Visit our website, www.environmentalfilm.org

Upcoming Deadlines! 

Classroom in the Wild Deadline - February 7
Classroom in the Wild (CITW) is an experiential education opportunity offered during the week of American University’s spring break.
This is an excellent way for filmmakers to gain experience working in challenging, natural environments. This course is based in Chesapeake Bay’s Black Water Reserve area and taught by AU SOC/CEF professor Larry Engel. 




Eco-Comedy Open Call - Deadline February 15
The Eco-Comedy Video Competition gives the opportunity for filmmakers around the world to engage audiences with humor. In recognition of Earth Day’s 50-year anniversary, this year’s theme is Clean Air and/or Clean Water. Videos must be three minutes or under and will be judged in one of the following four categories:

K-8, High School, College/University, or Non-Student, plus two additional DC/Baltimore area K-8 and High School categories. Sponsored by AU/CEF, AU/Center for Media and Social Impact, The Nature Conservancy, and Clean Air Partners.
Submit your films to: https://filmfreeway.com/Eco-ComedyFestival2020
Winners will be celebrated at the DC-EFF at American University on Friday, March 20th!  

 Experiential Learning

Maryland Public Television

CEF students in the Fall 2019 Producing for Public Television course filmed with river-keepers from the Anacostia and Potomac river basins. The final product will be shown on Maryland Public Television. 
“The process of making this film was an incredibly collaborative effort and gave everyone involved experience in what it is like to play an essential role in a production crew,” Beth Ebisch, CEF and graduate student said. “Working with Professor John Paulson, Executive Producer for our film, we gained insight into how our filmmaking experience in this class could translate to real-world experience.” 
Stay up to date on the project by following “After the Storm: Pollution in the Potomac” on
Facebook


Paraguay Documentary

CEF and MFA graduate student Lia Nydes spent her winter break finishing a film in Paraguay. Her documentary explores the research of National Geographic explorer Rebecca Smith, who is studying Capuchin Monkeys in Paraguay’s Atlantic Forest. Prior to beginning her MFA at American University, Lia had begun the project with the non-profit organization Para La Tierra based in Paraguay. 



“It was really helpful to be able to bounce ideas on story structure and gear to take with me and [how to] travel with all that gear. The support of CEF validated my desire to spend my break in Paraguay,” Lia Nydes said. The film will be distributed through Para La Tierra upon completion. 

CEF has multiple students who will be pursuing projects in the upcoming months and those who are working on thesis projects have an opportunity to apply for grants from CEF. Stay tuned to hear where our students are filming throughout the year! 

Resources for You!

Listen Up! Our podcast pick of the season is BBC original Forest 404, an environmental dystopian thriller following main character Pan who discovers remnants of the forgotten natural world. Forest 404 can be found on Spotify, BBC, and Apple Podcasts. 

Whether you need a quick read in the morning or have a daily commute that needs some entertainment, we’ve been compiling a list of newsletters and podcasts for conservation and environmental film and mediamakers. Do you have more to add? Send them to CEF contributor Jess at jessicawiegandt@gmail.com to get them on the list!
Top Podcasts

  • Eyes on Conservation Podcast - Brought to you by Wild Lens Productions, this podcast invites scientists to sit down and talk about climate change and the impacts their research has on the planet. 

  • The EDGE Conservation Podcast - Hear from researchers, photographers, and filmmakers working around the world to tell the stories of the planet on this innovative podcast.

  • Into the Wilderness - The Pace Brothers explore lifestyles of adventure and conservation in this podcast of humor, research, and hopes to safeguard wildlife and the planet. 

  • Black Nature Narratives - Hosted by Beth Collier, this podcast offers black perspectives on issues relating to the natural world and our relationship with nature. 

Top Newsletters/Sites
  • Climate FWD - A weekly newsletter from the New York Times climate team, with stories and insights about climate change and tips on how to help. 

  • Climate Change Vox - Climate change is one of the most critical topics of our age. Stay up to date with the latest news.

  • Econundrums (Mother Jones) - Health and environmental news. Explaining cutting-edge research, debunking weird health claims, and keeping you up to speed on the fight to save the planet. 

  • Grist - A nonprofit newsletter that pursues in-depth stories on under-covered topics like clean energy, sustainable food, livable cities, environmental justice, and a better economy.

Oscars Nominations and Reactions

The 92nd Oscars nominations were announced earlier this month and of the 20 actors and actresses nominated, only 2 were people of color and no female directors were nominated. In 2016, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences set a goal of doubling the number of diverse members by 2020 - they didn’t quite hit the mark. 

We’ve put together an Oscars wish list (environmental film-style, of course) that we think should be considered for nomination.  

Director
Alison Reid directs
The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, a film that retraces the steps of Dr. Anne Inis Dagg’s 1956 journey to Africa and the impacts her research has today.
Cinematography

The River of the Kukamas explores a disappearing Peruvian culture and the connection the Kukama people have to the river. A short documentary by Nika Belianina, this film has won the Best Cinematography Award at “To Save and Preserve” film festival in Russia.
Conservation

Deer 139 is a film featuring three friends who journey the migratory path of a pregnant mule deer. Research scientist Samantha Dwinnell was determined to move the knowledge of her conservation findings from academic literature into the public conscious. Directed by Jayme Dittmar and Morgan Heim, this story is a heartfelt journey of adventure and friendship through the wildness of Wyoming.
Animated Short

Plantae is a short film from Brazilian animator Guilherme Gehr where a logger contemplates an unexpected reaction of nature when he approaches and begins cutting a large tree.
Documentary Thriller

Sea of Shadows follows a team of scientists, conservationists, activists, and filmmakers into the world of drug cartels and traffickers who are exploiting the rare totoaba fish in the Sea of Cortez. This practice is destroying the marine life and habitat in the region, including the vaquita porpoise.
Conversation Starter

The Game Changers focuses on plant-based diets and the effects on high-performance athletes, and engages a new audience in the climate conversation. The film focuses on the effects of meat on the human body and weaves in a tale of plant-based sustainable eating habits. From director Louie Psihoyos, a film raises the question of how we fuel our bodies.
Throwback

Erin Brockovich (2000) is a fiction adaptation based on true events in which Erin (Julia Roberts) stumbles upon documents at a law firm that detail the cover-up of a contaminated water scandal. She must fight to help the community and residents being poisoned by their own water.

Stay tuned for more updates from CEF throughout the year!

Maggie
Executive Director
Center for Environmental Filmmaking

stogner@american.edu

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The Center for Environmental Filmmaking is expanding its efforts to inspire, empower, and engage students, environmental scientists, thought-leaders, and concerned citizens. Through powerful storytelling, innovative media, experiential education, community building, and more, we can make a difference. Join us! 

For more information: http://environmentalfilm.org

For a detailed account of our 2018-19 activities and efforts: CEF Annual Report

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