Inspired by EFFY: Locals Unite

By Matthew Goldklang

Film is an unconventional avenue for action. Reality footage enables people to connect to issues, places, and people far removed from the audience.The Environmental Film Festival at Yale (EFFY) provides a venue for screening and discussing impactful films on modern environmental challenges. Sonya Wulff and Scott Gray, a couple from Wallingford, found their passion for nature and the environment reflected within the themes of EFFY films, inspiring them to foster discussions about those very films in their hometown.   The couple describes their beginnings in environmental action as rooted in their love for the outdoors and nature. Commonly found on trails around Connecticut, Scott and Sonya are passionate stewards of their local forests and environments. They are “professional volunteers,” maintaining trails and engaging outdoor education. Scott and Sonya explore ideas of nature as a couple. For them, nature is something to share.   Their involvement in EFFY dates back to 2010. It wasn't until 2012, when their working lives had eased, that EFFY inspired the couple to bring film to Wallingford. Their local library had received a grant, and looking for a way to bring their passion to their community, Sonya and Scott requested that the library screen and discuss films from EFFY. The library quickly engaged the idea, and the couple began to adapt a film series on the environment. Their first film was Force of Nature, which explores the limits of nature within the confines of capitalism, and was followed with a discussion.   From the start, the local series was a success. The events brought in growing audiences from the surrounding areas. Scott and Sonya inspired community conversations. Their goals took three demonstrated forms: to expose, to educate, and to involve. People endorsed the screenings “not as experts, but as engaged citizens.” Some of the most popular screenings include GMO OMG and Chasing Ice. The events, however, grew beyond expectations, to include panels with experts and open houses for volunteer organizations. Such experiences provided direct opportunities for community members to get involved. The films and discussions inspired a number of community members, including Scott and Sonya, to testify at the capital on environmental legislation. Scott and Sonya’s passion, with the toolkits provided at EFFY, activated community building around environmental awareness and values.   The couple has their calendars blocked off this year for EFFY. They are excited to learn more and to enable others to grapple with environmental issues in our world and its resources. Sonya and Scott, when asked about expansion of their program, thought other local communities could benefit from screening the films locally. As they continue to act on their environmental zeal, they hope their community’s annual inspiration is renewed and that others join the cause.   Matthew Goldklang is a senior at Yale University studying Geology and Geophysics, and Energy Studies. He focuses on climate change and energy communications, and works at the Science Communications Network with Impact (SCWIN) at Yale.

Film Review: The Revenant

By Leah Michaelsen

Director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s thrilling western drama, The Revenant, is inspired by the real-life experience of American frontiersman Hugh Glass (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) when his fur trapping team leaves him dead following a brutal bear attack. The film depicts a savage story of endurance, revenge, and justice set against a stunning backdrop of frigid landscapes and inhospitable terrain.

Set in 1820’s American territory (present day Montana and South Dakota), the film features visually breathtaking scenes shot mostly in a remote area of the Canadian Rockies west of Calgary, Alberta, and filmed entirely with natural light. The expansive, untamed wilderness combined with veteran cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s vision for crisp, radiant imagery throughout the film makes for a stirring and beautiful portrait of the natural world, captured on screen.

At the same time, the gripping portrayal of one man’s battle for survival amidst a barren landscape reminds the viewer of the power and volatility of the natural world. While filming, the cast and crew battled frequent sub-zero temperatures, frozen terrain, and unpredictable weather patterns. Off screen, the glaring reality of our changing climate was made clear when, near the end of filming, the crew was required to travel to the southern-most tip of South America to find snow covered landscapes to finish shooting. Twice during the 10-months of filming, production was shut down due to seven or more feet of snow melting in a 24-hour period…highly inconvenient for a film that takes place entirely in a snow covered expanse.

After accepting his much anticipated award for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 2016 Academy Awards, DiCaprio took a moment to emphasize the imposing threat of climate change to our planet. “Climate change is real,” he said. “It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating."

Few modern films of this size and scale dare to capture our natural world with such striking aesthetics, and without the use of predominant digital enhancements. Not only does the film deliver cinematically, but The Revenant tells a compelling story of human determination and willpower while weaving together themes of survival, revenge, and the brutality of both humans and nature alike.

Leah Michaelsen is a staff member at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

Film Review: Zootopia

By Ariel Russ

Zootopia is an entertaining, family friendly film, that showcases the various animal members of an anthropomorphized society that is full of witty animal puns and creativity. Thrust into a world of diversity, the viewer can relate to many of the themes showcased in the film.

Judy Hopps is a charismatic, passionate, and idealistic rabbit who dreams of one day becoming a police officer. With hardwork and determination, Hopps earns a position in the Zootopia Police Department, which is traditionally composed of larger species. She befriends a sly fox named Nick Wilde, and helps crack the case of missing animals who are wreaking havoc on the town’s long-established peace and tranquility. Along the way, Hopps learns that benefitting society at large is more important and more difficult than she anticipated.

In the city of Zootopia, different neighborhoods and varied climatic zones like rainforests and tundra, cleverly weave together the urbanized and wild environments in elaborated detail. Moreover, Zootopia is teeming with stereotypes like energetically breeding rabbits and more accurate depictions of animal behavior like slow sloths.

While the film teaches the viewer about the predator-prey dynamics in the city of Zootopia, what it fails to address are certain environmental aspects. The film could have benefitted from creating a more realistic harmonized animal kingdom that was less urbanized. Zootopia could have been used to showcase the resourcefulness of animals with respect to scouring for food or creating shelter rather than showcasing animals operating flower shops and visiting ice cream stores, which would demonstrate the sacredness of the animal since this “wildness” is what creates the distinction between “human” and “animal.” In the end, Zootopia is a message about an urbanized environment and society where distinct species can peacefully coexist and even work together for the success of the city once diversity is acknowledged as being a strength of a society rather than a weakness.

Ariel Russ is a first year Master of Environmental Management candidate at Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in New Haven, Connecticut. 

Announcing the 2016 EFFY Lineup

The eighth annual Environmental Film Festival at Yale (EFFY), the nation’s largest student-run environmental film festival, has selected 16 films from hundreds of submissions representing more than 18 countries. The festival will be held from April 1 to 9 across the Yale campus.

The festival lineup includes “How to Let Go of the World (and Love all the Things Climate Can’t Change),” a film by Oscar-nominated director Josh Fox (“Gasland”) that examines some of the consequences of climate change — as well as some of those things that it can’t destroy; “I Am Chut Wutty,” an inspirational story of activist Chut Wutty, who was stopped and shot dead at an illegal, military-controlled site in the Cardamom mountains while fighting to defend Cambodia’s forests against corrupt and illegal exploitation; “Overburden,” the story of a fiery, pro-coal right-winger and a tenacious, environmentalist grandmother who join forces to take down the most dangerous coal company in the U.S.; and the groundbreaking Sundance documentary “Racing Extinction,” directed by Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos, which examines biodiversity loss, its effect on humanity, and the solutions that inspire hope for a more sustainable future.

“This year, we are showcasing a powerful new wave of environmental films, highlighting themes of collaboration, environmental justice, and collective action,” said EFFY Executive Director Lisa Veliz ’17 M.E.M./M.B.A. “As EFFY blossoms this spring, we hope to inspire more community members than ever before.”

Each year EFFY attracts more than 1,700 audience member over nine consecutive days of film screenings. The festival, which has attracted 200 submissions, showcases incisive, cutting edge films that highlight the environmental and social issues of our time. Expert panels of filmmakers, celebrities, scholars, journalists, activists, and public servants provide our audiences with context, criticism, and greater insights after screenings. EFFY, which each year attracts viewers from across the New Haven community, is also partnering with local organizations and businesses.

For the first time ever, EFFY will host a Youth Filmmakers’ Summit to integrate youth perspectives in the environmental film movement. The event, being held on Saturday, April 2, will give high school students the opportunity to discuss their experiences as filmmakers in a panel discussion. We’ll be hosting high school students from the Cinema School.  Students will explore films for youth, by youth, and of youth, and learn about the resources Yale has to offer at the intersection of film and the environment.

All events will be held at venues across Yale University and are free and open to the public. A short film and panel discussion with filmmakers, cast, community members and scholars will accompany each feature film screening. Awards will be given for the best feature (audience choice and grand jury), honorable mention, short film, and student film.

Other feature films include “Nerve,” the David vs. Goliath story of how one small Kentucky town led the fight to safely dismantle the world’s chemical weapons; “Unacceptable Risk,” a short film that follows firefighters on the front lines of climate change; “Planetary,” a provocative and breathtaking cross-continental cinematic journey that explores our cosmic origins and our future as a species; and “Landfill Harmonic,” which follows the Recycled Orchestra, a youth group that plays instruments made from garbage and became ambassadors for their flood-stricken community.

View the full lineup and watch trailers.

The festival is sponsored by the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale School of Management, Mory’s, The Study at Yale, Heirloom Restaurant, the Whitney Humanities Center, and F&ES Student Affairs Committee.

Follow updates about the festival on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit the Web site. Check out EFFY’s newly launched blog, Climate REEL, for interviews, stories, and film reviews.

Welcome to Climate REEL!

A message from the Executive Director

Welcome to EFFY's new blog Climate REEL!  We are excited to launch our new venture to share insights, interviews, and inspiration with you.  Gearing up for EFFY 2016 has been such an educational experience for all involved. Our team has been working since October to pull various pieces of the festival together, and I know that we are all looking forward to opening night! We have a fantastic lineup this year, and even a couple Sundance films. We’ve also been working very hard to incorporate a few new elements to the festival this year. First, we will be hosting a Youth Filmmakers’ Summit on Saturday, April 2nd, in order to integrate more youth perspectives in the environmental film movement, and I’m very excited to give high school students the opportunity to serve on a panel and talk about their experiences as filmmakers. Second, we’re connecting with virtual reality content providers and gear manufacturers to understand the role that nature-inspired virtual reality experiences can play in a new era of entertainment.  I personally believe that these types of efforts can complement EFFY’s mission quite well. We have several exciting initiatives on the horizon, and I’m looking forward to see it all unfold. Stay tuned!