Welcome to effy 2021
Wednesday: 3/24
Gather
Gather is an intimate portrait of a growing movement amongst Indigenous Americans to reclaim their spiritual and cultural identities through obtaining sovereignty over their ancestral food systems, while battling against the historical trauma brought on by centuries of genocide.
Only in fairytales do we hear about lands of honey, bees losing their memory and masked heroes. But will we only read about the Maltese honey bee species, once the last one leaves the hive and is faced with the selfishness of people.
Melita documents the fading craft and ancient tradition in a country that has forgotten its roots. Few beekeepers in Malta act as preservers of history and silenced advocates for change, but still their native honeybee is starved by invasive species and a modernised society. We are the authors of fairy tales, and this one is being written for generations to come.
We only read about some of the inhabitants of our planet in books; we see them only in coloured pictures on paper. Malta has more than 157 tower cranes, but only 1 honeybee species. Why is it important and how should we care?
Pushed Up The Mountain is a poetic and emotionally intimate film about plants and the people who care about them. Through the tale of the migrating rhododendron, now endangered in its native China, the film reveals how high the stakes are for all living organisms in this time of unprecedented destruction of the natural world. Beginning in my godfather's garden in the Scottish Highlands, the film travels between conservationists in Scotland and China who devote their lives to the rhododendron’s survival. Along the way, I meet botanists, environmental historians, a philosopher, a literary scholar, and a museum curator. Their perspectives combined with centuries-old landscape paintings and my speculative voice create a thought-provoking film about human efforts to protect nature for and from ourselves.
A quiet Upper Michigan town becomes the center of an international media frenzy after three scientists discover a record-breaking "Humongous Fungus" living next door. Decades later, the town and the scientists continue to embrace the fungus as a growing symbol of community and wonder. Who will be crowned Mr. Fungi? Will there be a giant mushroom pizza? Will the "Humongous Fungus" outlive us all?
Thursday: 3/25
COMING SOON
Friday: 3/26
Tabira tells the story of a family of veterinarians who adopted a chick that nobody wanted. The unexpected arrival of a raptor that ended up becoming a daughter and a high-flying sister, changing their lives forever. A bird that, with its beating wings and hawkish look, made them dream of flying through the skies. A year later, the winds carries Irati's and Alfonso's words, reminding them of the love they feel for the one that will always be their best friend: a Harris’s Hawk called Tabira.
From the Mountains to the Ocean: Turtles of Alabama
Alabama is a global hotspot for turtle diversity and the perfect playground for turtle scientists. The variety of microhabitats traversing the state create conditions for turtle diversity unmatched anywhere else on the planet. This film explores the “glamorous life of turtles” in Alabama -- from the dramatic alligator snapping turtle to the elusive and almost extinct flattened musk turtle -- and the special people who spend their time protecting this critical species.
The Church Forests of Ethiopia
In Amharic the word for forest means “mystery.” In northern Ethiopia that mystery is under threat. What few intact tropical forests remain are those surrounding Orthodox churches. These so called church forests are so critical for biodiversity that biologist E.O. Wilson declared them one of 15 global “hot spots” in dire need of conservation. These montane forests are facing threats from deforestation, agriculture, and climate change. The question, however, is not only why they are threatened, but why they persist. Amidst depressing news of stalled climate negotiations and widespread deforestation, this story shows a symbiotic relationship between religion and science that has been sorely neglected.
The Guest
The story about the meeting of a forester and a she-bear.
The Linesman
The Linesman is a 30-minute documentary about one man’s mission to end human-elephant conflict in his homeland. With an unprecedented view of the plight of threatened villagers and their massive, majestic foes -- the Asian Elephant -- we come to truly understand both sides of this deadly struggle. Set in the rural landscape of Myanmar, The Linesman illustrates how decades of massive deforestation, the loss of critical habitat, and the increase in elephant poaching for ivory and skin, have driven elephants to desperate measures to survive. In the search for food and safety, they invade nearby villages destroying essential crops and posing a lethal risk to villagers. To protect their livelihoods and their loved ones, some villages have resorted to calling in brutal poachers to stop the elephants. The destruction on both sides has created devastating results that demand a search for solutions.
American Ocelot
American Ocelot tells the story of one of the most endangered and beautiful wild cats in the United States — a species so elusive that high quality images and video have never been captured until now. With fewer than 100 individuals remaining in the US, the ocelot is critically endangered, genetically isolated, and only exists in Texas. Despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent on land acquisition, research, and conservation, ocelot numbers and habitat have steadily decreased since it was listed as an endangered species. But there is hope. Their genetics can be rescued by translocations from Mexico and suitable habitat exists on private lands.... if opposing parties can come to an agreement on their management methods. American Ocelot provides a glimpse into the lives of this mysterious species, explores the nuances of the Endangered Species Act, and aims to invigorate ocelot recovery to ensure the long-term survival of the species.
Saturday: 3/27
From North to South tells the stories of small island states from the North Sea to the South Pacific that are among the lowest producers of CO2, yet are the ones most affected by climate change and rising sea levels. Three destinations that share the same longitude, the same threat and the same will to exist.
Western Australia’s southwest forests are part of one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet and are recognised for their ability to capture and store carbon. They are vital to slowing run-away climate change yet instead of preserving them they are being cut down at an alarming rate for charcoal, firewood and woodchips. Cry of the Forests takes viewers to the heart of the forests to see first-hand the beauty of these towering ecosystems and to witness the community battle to save them.
