Discover Planet's Beauty, Fragility at the 2014 One Earth Film Festival

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Revolution Movie Poster

One Earth Film Festival  will present "Revolution" at a hip "View and Brew" event at the new music club WIRE at 6815 W. Roosevelt Road in Berwyn, IL on Thursday, March 6 at 7 p.m. Cash bar will be open.

Revolution is a film about changing the world. It's another true-life adventure by Rob Stewart, who created the acclaimed Sharkwater documentary seven years ago. Revolution continues his remarkable journey, one that will take him through 15 countries over four years. Along the way, he’ll discover that not only are the oceans in grave danger – humanity itself is.

ONLY 15 SEATS LEFT!   RESERVE YOUR TICKET NOW.

Stay for a riveting discussion after the film--you can hash out the issues with others and learn about what you can do to turn the tide and protect the planet's vital resources.

In an effort to discover the secret to saving the ecosystems we depend on for survival, Stewart embarks on a dangerous adventure. He captures his journey with breathtaking camera work, revealing the beauty -- and fragility -- of the world's ecosystems.

From damaged coral reefs in Papua New Guinea to deforestation in Madagascar to the largest and most destructive environmental project in history in Alberta, Canada, he reveals that all of our actions are interconnected. But most importantly, our actions are hurting the Earth’s ability to support human life. How did this happen? And what will it take to change course?

For more information on the film, please visit the official Revolution website. Directed by Rob Stewart / 2012 / 85 Minutes.

One Earth Film Profile: Musicwood

by Christine Fisher

I spent most of my childhood in a New Jersey suburb outside of Philadelphia. My father’s family is Lebanese, and so I grew up regularly hearing music, dancing, singing and eating delicious home cooked specialties. I have fond memories of large family get togethers where my two aunts would entertain us with their tambourine and acoustic guitar. Once the music started, the party started!  I cherish my memories of those times.

I was drawn to the documentary Musicwood because of my love of music and my concern about the depletion of natural resources. The two words “music” and “wood” are interconnected in this film and are the backbone of the story.  The story involves three parties: the guitar –making giants of Gibson, Taylor and Martin who band together, putting aside their competitive relationships; the Native American-controlled Sealaska Corporation, which owns and is clearing wide swaths of the Tongass National Forest; and Greenpeace, which plays the mediator between the groups.

The tug of war over the Sitka spruce is due to its importance in the manufacture of acoustic guitars; it is highly valued for its ability to produce rich tones. The Native Americans are relying on the sale of the Sitka spruce to generate income for their people, many of whom have and are continuing to experience hard times. The guitar-makers are worried about the future supply of the crucial wood of the Sitka spruce.  Greenpeace, also realizing the devastation of the clear-cutting of Tongass National Forest, is trying to educate both the guitar manufacturers and the parties of the negative outcome if the Sitka spruce is not protected.

This film has twists and turns and is acoustically accompanied by the talented musicians of Kaki King, Yo La Tengo, The Antlers and Steve Earle. Musicwood is a rich, passionate story that can transform both music and non-music lovers.

You can see Musicwood at One Earth Film Festival, at Oak Park's School of Rock, on March 8 at 7p.m.

One Earth Film Profile: GMO OMG

by Cheryl Muñoz

Stories are all around us, but a good storyteller pulls us in to listen closely, to be moved and most importantly to be changed by what we hear.  Our appetite for transformative stories is as endless as our basic human need is to find patterns in life that enlighten us and give us hope.

In my work with The Sugar Beet Co-op and Schoolhouse, I am constantly reminded of the challenges that face our environment, our farmers, and our neighbors as we try to navigate and heal a broken food system.  The stress can be overwhelming.  Stories, though, have a way of isolating my insecurities and allowing me to be free of struggle long enough to regain my bearings so that I may engage again with new vitality.

My favorite film selection for the 2014 One Earth Film Festival is GMO OMG for the simple reason that it made me happy.

Continue reading more of Chery'ls review of GMO OMG.

A documentary about genetically modified foods is not supposed to be endearing and funny and lovable!  The storyteller in this case is fun-loving dad Jeremy Seiffert, and he pulled me in right away with his charm and earnest hopes for his two young boys.  As a mother of two young kids, I connected right away with him and trusted that he was going to tell me a good story... and he did.  Jeremy and his young family set out on a road trip to learn more about GMOs.  Along the way he meets with farmers, scientists and others who are impacted by industrial agriculture. Sure, I felt outraged by the lack of information regarding GMOs and looming safety concerns and how corporate greed trumps the common good, but I was ultimately cheered on by Jeremy, his family and the people he met along his journey who are working to label and restrict the use of GM foods.  The message is hopeful.

Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  The transformative power of storytelling and its potential to inform us and inspire us is essential as we fortify ourselves and unite our communities in an effort to make change happen.  We need to feel good about it.

Watch the trailer and learn more about the GMO OMG.

One Earth Film Profile: Harmony, a new way of looking at our world

by Gloria Araya If I had to pick one word to describe the film Harmony, it would be HOPE.  I loved this film so much that I watched it twice, and I am going to watch it again. This film inspired me, and it filled me with creative energy.

The film addresses current issues of Earth erosion, pollution, energy waste, deforestation, lack of effective urban planning, and more. It also addresses issues of hopelessness among the community, it addresses the dangers of globalization, the effects of industrialized agriculture, as well as how industrialization has fragmented communities.

Continue reading about this film, an official selection of One Earth Film Festival 2014. Harmony will screen at Euclid Ave UMC in Oak Park at noon on 3/9.

Harmony's superb script offers a well thought-out analysis of the problems faced today in reference to the exploitation of natural resources while offering creative solutions inspired by how nature operates. Education, innovation, empowering women, giving voice to those who have no voice, establishing programs that can transform lives and at the same time can be replicated are at the core of this film. One of the most inspiring aspects of this film is the introduction of new, transformative concepts that have the power to revolutionize the way we use natural resources today (e.g., the way Germany recycles waste and Kenya's work on healing-restoring landscape).

The aspect that touched me the most was how the film took into account the importance of ancient wisdom, showing that by enhancing it through science and technology, we may be able to use it to explain natural phenomena and universal patterns in nature.   We may then find solutions to urgent environmental issues affecting the Earth, humanity, and the livelihood of every species on Earth.

This film is a call to action!  It offers innovative ideas on how to use nature as inspiration and emphasizes the importance of collaboration in search of ideas for a new economy with the power to create a paradigm shift.  The production quality of this film is as superb as the script. I would not be surprised if this film is considered as one of the highlights of the 2014 One Earth Film Festival!

View the trailer and details of the film here.

One Earth Film Festival brings messages of hope for the planet

With two successful festivals to their credit, organizers of the One Earth Film Festival have higher expectations coming into the third year. They’re intent on bringing the most compelling environmental films to more viewers in more locations throughout Chicagoland in 2014. As in past years, festival films must fit five main areas (energy, food, water, transportation and waste/recycling) and more than a dozen topic categories, such as architecture/sustainable building, environmental advocacy, climate change, and social justice. The film review team pays special attention to selections deemed appropriate for children. Every chosen film is intended to “educate, raise awareness and inspire the adoption of solution-oriented sustainable actions."

Read more about the selection process and meet some of the film review team.

The film selection process

For the 15 members of the film team, the process started this past fall as they began compiling a masterlist of nearly 200, aiming to get that list down to about 30 feature and short-length films for the festival in March 2014. Each team member then created a “watchlist” of up to eight films that they would view all the way through and complete a Film Report Card on each. The watchlist list was further reduced to a “go-list” of the reviewers’ top films.

All films on the go-list required a second - and sometimes third - reviewer to vet them. A final film selection meeting identified about 45 films.  The final festival line-up will be officially announced in late December/early January.

The results are worth the work

In the end, after all the films have been screened at the festival and their messages absorbed, members of the selection team are hoping something meaningful happens.

We asked our film reviewers to share some thoughts on the 2014 festival and film selection process. Here’s what several said:

Q: How would you describe your experience selecting films for One Earth Film Fest 2014?

Jo Ellen Siddens, Restoration Ecologist/Marine Diver, resident of Downers Grove: "As a second year member of the Film Selection Team, I have been willingly drawn from outside the immediate Green Community Connections community into the Film Fest's exciting early years of development.  The intense passion and great camaraderie shared among team members at this "grass roots" level is inspiring. I am convinced that the One Earth Film Festival is on the path to becoming the Chicago area nexus for screening critical environmental messages."

Gloria Araya, Associate Director The Foundation for Human Potential, resident of Chicago: "Watching films I consider to have negative messages makes me turn around and to focus more and more on what’s positive out there, and how to find ways to bring it out into light. There is so much focus on what’s wrong around us, and yet, there is so much to be thankful and grateful for. It is in the presence of beauty, and how this beauty makes people feel that they/we “fall in love”. It is my humble opinion that if the focus of the festival is more and more on what is good out there, and how to do more of that, instead of focusing on what’s so wrong, One Earth Film Festival may become then a path to take where everyone who attends the festival may start to fall in love with this beautiful place call Earth, and then true change will start to take place in the hearts, and minds of people."

Q: What compelling messages are you seeing in One Earth film possibilities that you are reviewing currently?

Cassandra West, founder of SeedingChicago.com/New Media Access, resident of Oak Park: “One of the messages coming through in film after film is that the Earth's destiny is in our hands. We all have some measure of power to combat climate change, improve the air, water and soil. Everything we need to do hinges on changing our desires and scaling back our wants. The Earth, as she always has, will supply all of our needs. Many of the films we’re selecting inform us of the destruction we’ve wrought and the ways to bring us back into harmony and balance with the planet.”

Ginger Vanderveer, owner of Northside Valley Eco-Vacation Villas, resident of Oak Park: “I am looking for films that uplift the human spirit. I want attendees to get excited about our community of 'greenies' that build 'One Earth'. I imagine our filmgoers running out the door (after a screening) to work on the topic that most touched their hearts. As I screen the films I send notes back and forth to various other screeners based on what I know of their passion. In turn, I get notes from my fellow screeners when they see something that they believe I would love to view. This type of camaraderie uplifts my human spirit. I am excited to work within my community and to run out and try some of the solutions portrayed on the films.”

Q: What film are you "rooting for" to make it to the final program? Why?

Sally Stovall, co-founder of Green Community Connections, resident of Oak Park: “I'm rooting for ‘Harmony’ for lots of reasons, but primarily, this is a very strong film that gets at the root of the transformation that will be needed to find our way through this crisis, i.e., changing our way of thinking to live more in harmony with the natural systems.”

Cheryl Munoz, co-founder of Sugar Beet Co-Op, resident of Oak Park: “My favorite film selection is “OMG GMO” for the simple reason that it made me happy. A documentary about GMOs is not supposed to be endearing and funny and lovable! The storyteller, in this case is fun-loving dad Jeremy Seiffert, and he pulled me in right away with his charm and earnest hopes for his two young boys. As a mother of two young kids, I connected right away with him and trusted that he was going to tell me a good story... and he did. Jeremy and his young family set out on a road trip to learn more about Genetically Modified Foods. Along the way he meets with farmers, scientists and others who are impacted by industrial agriculture. Sure, I felt outraged by the lack of information regarding GMOs and looming safety concerns and how corporate greed trumps the common good, but I was ultimately cheered on by Jeremy, his family and the people he met along his journey that are working to label and restrict the use of GM foods. The message is hopeful.”

Community Profile: Christine Fisher, One Earth Film Festival Volunteer

Thinking about making a New Year's resolution? Christine Fisher, owner of Three Queens Organic Gallery, has a suggestion: join her and volunteer with the One Earth Film Festival.

"Come be a part of this," says Fisher, an Oak Park resident who is back for a second year to help out. "This is the time of year we think about making a better, healthier, more sustainable future. You don't have to go far. It's right here in Oak Park."

The One Earth Film Festival, to be held March 7-9, 2014, will showcase dozens of solutions-oriented environmental films. Fisher is on the film committee, which finds, watches, reviews and recommends films that meet the festival's mission. This is no easy task: the team identified 157 films for evaluation this year.

A Volunteer's Experience

"When I'm watching a film, I need to be sure it's promoting sustainability and encouraging people to think in different ways," says Fisher, who owns a 200-acre farm in Westby, Wisconsin with her family. At her farm, shown at left, Three Queens maple syrup is harvested and produced. Fisher sells the syrup at area farmers markets and at her gallery, Three Queens Organic Gallery, in the Oak Park Arts District. Fisher, a theater major and documentary film lover, donates 15 percent of sales back to the Westby-area arts community.

As a film reviewer for the One Earth Film Festival, Fisher also recommends screening venues and brainstorms ideas for facilitators and resource persons to lead post-film discussion sessions that will engage attendees--who will come from all around the city and suburbs--about the issues facing our planet.

"The film festival is three days of inspiration, enlightenment and sharing of ideas," says Fisher. "It's the only environmental film festival in the Midwest."

The film committee has just held its fourth meeting to decide on the final screening list. Fisher and the other volunteer screeners came to the meeting prepared to advocate for their favorite films. The process has been rewarding and fun for Fisher. "It's exciting to be on this team. I really like being around people who share the same goals," says Fisher.

Her involvement with the film festival began last year in a more limited capacity. She reviewed a few films and volunteered at one of the screenings during the festival. "I had so much fun. I mentioned to Ana Garcia Doyle, a festival planning committee member, that I'd like to be involved from the beginning next time," says Fisher. "We started in September this year. It's a lot of work!"

Join the Team

The One Earth Film Festival needs more volunteers to help with marketing, sponsorship, venues, events, logistics, and volunteer coordination. Visit oneearthfilmfest.org to learn how you can get involved.

"Even if you can't volunteer this year, come see a film," says Fisher. "We hear a lot of scary things about the environment, but there is a lot of good out there as well. These films are selected to show that there are solutions, and we can all work together."

Young Filmmakers Can Win the "One Earth, Our Earth" Film Contest

Last year, Green Community Connections kicked off our first One Earth…Our Earth! Young Filmmakers Contest as part of the annual One Earth Film festival.  We were impressed by the creativity and concern for environmental issues demonstrated by each submission we received. This year we hope to draw even more entries from a wider area and a deeper range of students. A primary goal of the contest is to engage and educate children and young adults about sustainability issues in the areas of water, waste, food, transportation, and energy.  The contest offers a way for young people to showcase their abilities in making positive changes for their future.

One Earth...Our Earth! Young Filmmakers Contest Details

Each winning film will be screened in the general film program of the upcoming 3rd annualOne Earth Film Festival taking place March 7-9, 2014.  Green Community Connections will also award cash prizes and a grant to each winner to be spent in support of a sustainably-focused organization of their choice.

A Powerful Experience for Students

We have learned just how powerful the film making experience is from last year’s high school category winner, Lea Kichler from Lincoln Park High School:

Being able to participate in the One Earth contest was not only very exciting as I knew my work would be scrutinized, but also quite fulfilling since the Young Filmmakers Contest brings awareness to multiple good causes. When I found out I won, I was extremely happy!  Being given the opportunity to show my work at a film festival was absolutely amazing, and I was looking forward to donating money to an organization I cared about. I donated the grant money to water.org, an organization that provides water in sustainable ways to communities all around the world. I felt so lucky to contribute through the festival and through my film. I am saving the prize money to invest in more equipment so I can continue to create more documentaries in even higher quality to bring awareness to other subjects I feel strongly about.

There is Still Time to Get Involved This Year! The Young Filmmakers Contest is open to students from 3rd grade through college. Students are asked to make a solution based, 3-8 minute film (5-8 minute for high school and college students) or a (minimum) 45-second animated film. The submission deadline is Sunday, January 12, 2014.If they start now, students still have plenty of time to create a winning film! Please share information about the Young Filmmakers Contest far and wide as we wish to grow this part of the One Earth Film Festival and build upon the wonderful success of our inaugural year!  You can share this email (see button at bottom of email), download and share this year’s Promotional Flyer, and also visit oneearthfilmfest.org for more details. 2013 Winners – One Earth…Our Earth Young Filmmakers Contest Elementary School Category Wasteful Santa: Talia Levy, Elizabeth Larscheid, Ella Haas, Isabel Marx - Mann School Middle School Category Sporktagion: HEAT (Heritage Earth Action Team) – Heritage Middle School High School Category Let’s Talk About Water: Lea Kichler – Lincoln Park High School

"One Earth...Our Earth!" Young Filmmakers Contest 2014

The One Earth Film Festival -- taking place March 7-9, 2014 – is proud to announce the 2nd annual One Earth . . . Our Earth! Young Filmmakers Contest.

This contest is open to students from upper grade school through to college level.  The goal of the Young Filmmakers Contest is to invite students to use the creative medium of film to address the issues surrounding climate change and sustainability. Students are asked to make a solution based, 3-8 minute film or short 45-second animation.  Films are judged by industry professionals and leaders within the environmental community.

Please share information about the Young Filmmakers Contest far and wide as we wish to grow this part of the One Earth Film Festival and build upon the wonderful success of our inaugural year!  Entries are now being accepted (deadline is Jan. 12, 2014).  You can download and share this year's Promotional Flyer.

Film submission deadline is Sunday, January 12, 2014. Winners will be notified prior to the 2014 One Earth Film Festival, and winning films will be screened at the One Earth Film Festival 2014 and/or at the Green Carpet opening event. Winners in each grade level category will also receive cash prizes and matching grants for a non-profit organization or community sustainability project of their choice.

Want more information? Check out the full Contest Details for the 2014 Young Filmmakers Contest.

youngfilmakers

2013 Winners

Elementary School Category

Wasteful Santa -Talia Levy, Elizabeth Larscheid, Ella Haas, Isabel Marx - Mann School

Middle School Category

Sporktagion: HEAT (Heritage Earth Action Team) - Heritage Middle School

High School Category

Let's Talk About Water - Lea Kichler - Lincoln Park High School

Questions? Please contact Katie Morris katie.a.morris@gmail.com, or Sue Crothers  suebillgee@comcast.net

Get Involved with One Earth Film Festival 2014!

Last year’s One Earth Film Festival drew over 2,000 viewers, and the goal for 2014 is to deepen and expand our reach locally and regionally.   Planning for the 2014 Film Festival is underway, and in order for it to be a success, we will need many helping hands, both as Volunteers and Sponsors.   Community leaders, businesses and organizations are encouraged to lend support as we produce this three-day change-making event in the Oak Park/River Forest/Chicago area in March 2014.  Green Community Connections needs your partnership as we raise awareness about environmental challenges and solutions through the power of film.  Our goal is to produce festivals that enrich the lives of participants and  we anticipate that film fest participants will also bring business for local merchants.  Those interested in sponsorship opportunities, please email Sally Stovall.

Continue reading to learn more about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities.

More about Sponsorship

As a One Earth Film Festival Sponsor, organizations will be introduced to an audience of concerned citizens who are passionate about the environment and are conscious consumers.  We provide sponsors with exposure to thousands of film festival attendees and even more exposure online at greencommunityconnections.org, on Facebook and Twitter.  We welcome creative partnerships that increase community and spread the news of sustainable living.

Please download our 2014 Sponsor Brochure.

If you’re interested in volunteering, aside from getting to work with an amazing, energetic group of people, all volunteers who participate in either the planning or help during the festival on site will receive a One Earth Film Festival tee-shirt (while supplies last) and an invitation to the post-festival volunteer celebration (details TBD).

Planning Teams Forming NOW!

Pre-festival planning teams include:

• Film selection & film program development
• Marketing & promotion
• Sponsorship
• Venues and logistics
• Events
• Volunteers

To volunteer for a Planning team subteam, please email Sally Stovall.

You Can Help us Promote the Festival! We like to say that every volunteer is on the promotion team, because we look to our volunteers to spread the word about the festival within their own networks.  We provide suggested emails, Facebook updates and Tweets to each team member to aide in this process up until and through the festival in March.  Right now, we need all hands on deck to help spreading the word about our second-annual “One Earth . . . Our Earth” Young Filmmakers Contest.  Submissions from students in 3rd grade up through college will be accepted until January 12th.  You'll find a flyer on our website and posts on Facebook that make it easy to share this news.

Onsite Event Tasks for Volunteers

As you can imagine, producing the actual weekend of films and discussions is a monumental undertaking.  At last year's festival, we showed 40 films at over 20 venues.  We look for volunteers to help at every venue in a variety of capacities, allowing volunteers a rewarding - yet time-limited - experience.   Here is a list of the types of help we need March 7-9, 2014:

• help with registration
• help with set-up and re-set tasks
• serve as greeters and hosts
• answer questions for participants / provide directions to film screening sites  or other OP/RF locations
• take photos or video footage at film showings
• setup and manage projection equipment
• provide transportation of equipment, chairs, etc., to various sites
• live-tweet the event and post to Facebook and other social media, in order to amplify the engagement from the event itself

Please email Amy O’Rourke if you have questions about on site event volunteering.

Post Event Tasks for Volunteers

We would love to have all festival volunteers come to the volunteer celebration after the event.  (day, time and place to be determined).  There are always ways to get involved with Green Community Connections throughout the year.  We invite all festival volunteers to share their talents with Green Community Connections after the festival!  Visit our website for more details on how to Get Involved.

2nd One Earth Film Festival reaches nearly 2,000 viewers

In its second year, the One Earth Film Festival nearly quadrupled its inaugural year attendance numbers, filling venues with viewers who came from as far away as Aurora and Grayslake to screenings throughout Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and Chicago, IL. The three-day festival, held March 1-3, also debuted its Young Filmmakers Contest, which showcased the environmental concerns of area school students.

Opening Night

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The festival kicked off with a Green Carpet Gala at Pleasant Home in Oak Park and a program that featured Lea Kichler, high school winner of the first Young Filmmakers Contest, and Gerould Wilhelm, a botanist and director of research at the Conservation Research Institute in Elmhurst.

Kichler’s film, “Let’s Talk About Water,” featured an off-camera interviewer asking kids (a few of them pictured at right) questions that tested their knowledge of water. The eight-minute film ended with a simple question: “What will you do to save water?”

As if designed to complement Kichler’s film, Wilhelm’s witty, thoughtful talk was peppered with deep insights about water and conservation. "Let us learn to treat water as a resource, not a waste product,” he said. “We must regard water as a blessing, not a bane."

Popular Films and Programming Pack the House

On Saturday morning, a sold-out crowd at Lake Street Theater watched “Chasing Ice,” the riveting documentary that captures visual evidence of climate change using time-lapse photography to show rapidly melting glaciers.

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The Sunday afternoon screening of two food-related films, “Ingredients” and “Food Patriots,” co-hosted by the Sugar Beet Co-op at Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church, took on a family-style atmosphere.  Friends of Sugar Beet served up a variety of soups and breads before families, church members and others settled in to view the films.

“Food Patriots” filmmaker Jeff Spitz facilitated a post-film discussion that “explored how community-based projects like a food co-op or community gardens can serve to educate and inspire people to make better food choices,” Cheryl Munoz, co-founder of Sugar Beet, said.

The Organizers

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One Earth Film Festival, hosted by a sustainability organization called Green Community Connections, screened 40 films in more than 25 venues around Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and in Chicago’s Austin community. The festival uses the power of film to create opportunities for understanding climate change, sustainability and the power of human involvement.

Festival organizers this year paid particular attention to involving young people, offering separate programs on Saturday morning at Beye Elementary School in Oak Park for young children (3-6) and older children (7-11). In between, a program recognized the elementary and middle school Young Filmmakers Contest winners.

Organizers were hoping to double last year’s attendance of 500 but instead saw a final tally of 1,910.  A fourth of those attended pre-fest screenings leading up to the weekend.  The huge attendance increase over last year both surprised and thrilled the all-volunteer team of organizers who planned every aspect of the festival.

“It was really incredible to witness the impact this festival has on our community,” said Katie Morris, who helped coordinate the Young Filmmakers Contest and screenings at several venues. “It was amazing to see how many people came out to offer their talents, skills and knowledge as volunteers, facilitators, technicians and resource people. It was an incredible group effort, everyone working tirelessly to bring the community together over sustainability and change.”

Breaking Ground

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Moving beyond its suburban boundaries, the festival this year held a screening in the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side. “Soul Food Junkies,” a documentary that exposes the health advantages and disadvantages of a uniquely American cuisine, drew an enthusiastic, wide-ranging crowd. Following the screening, Chef Marwin Brown whipped up some healthier versions of soul food for the audience to sample.

Many who attended said they the festival opened their eyes to issues they don’t see much in the news: water shortages, petrochemicals in the environment and the work of young environmental activists—all topics that the films addressed.

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One goal of the festival was to engage audiences in thoughtful dialogue about environmental issues, ranging from the rise in genetically modified foods to climate change to water use and conservation. Short facilitated discussions followed each screening.

This year, too, organizers offered fest-goers a chance to join a Pledge Group to demonstrate a commitment to taking “concrete action” toward reducing their footprint over the next three to six months.  The festival team plans to follow up with electronic outreaches to those who signed pledge cards.

One Earth Film Festival closed out Sunday evening at Unity Temple in Oak Park with a showing of “Call of Life,” the first feature documentary to investigate the growing threat to Earth’s life-support systems from the unprecedented loss of biodiversity.

by Cassandra West, New Media Access

Photos courtesy of Eileen Molony (#1,2,3,5); Gloria Araya (#4)