Upcoming Events

Join DCEFF organizers, filmmakers, and partners at Georgetown University’s Capitol Campus for an exclusive first look at some of the award winners and highlights from our 2026 lineup.

You’ll see clips, hear exciting announcements about what to expect this March, and have a chance to connect with an amazing community of environmentalists and film enthusiasts.

March 19-28, 2026, the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF) returns to venues throughout the DC Metro Area. Stay tuned for exciting announcements early in 2026.

A co-presentation of DCEFF and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

Shot across two seasons in Trinidad and Tobao, POSSIBLE LANDSCAPES is a poignant exploration of intergenerational experiences of landscape and environmental transformation in the Caribbean. The film immerses viewers in sugarcane fields, winding mountain valleys and pristine seas that mask the devastation of dying coral reefs, unfinished homes that stretch into oil fields and fishing communities that struggle against the ravages of the Atlantic. As the Caribbean faces escalating environmental crises, filmmaker Kannan Arunasalam captures the tensions of post-independence aspirations and disappointments, and explores the legacies of colonialism, postcolonial nationalism and changing forms of extractivism, offering a profound meditation on resilience, loss and the changing face of the land.

Preceded by the short Madulu the Seaman

Young Amari lives in the whaling town of Barrouallie in Saint Vincent, dreaming of a life in Paris as a soccer star. His grandfather, a legendary whaler-man and sole surviving keeper of the old sea shanties he sang out on the water, is eager to pass on his lifelong traditions even as the end of whaling looms. This lyrical documentary captures the rich history of a dying tradition in the wake of economic struggle at the hands of the tourism industry.

A co-presentation of DCEFF and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

Shot across two seasons in Trinidad and Tobao, POSSIBLE LANDSCAPES is a poignant exploration of intergenerational experiences of landscape and environmental transformation in the Caribbean. The film immerses viewers in sugarcane fields, winding mountain valleys and pristine seas that mask the devastation of dying coral reefs, unfinished homes that stretch into oil fields and fishing communities that struggle against the ravages of the Atlantic. As the Caribbean faces escalating environmental crises, filmmaker Kannan Arunasalam captures the tensions of post-independence aspirations and disappointments, and explores the legacies of colonialism, postcolonial nationalism and changing forms of extractivism, offering a profound meditation on resilience, loss and the changing face of the land.

Preceded by the short Madulu the Seaman

Young Amari lives in the whaling town of Barrouallie in Saint Vincent, dreaming of a life in Paris as a soccer star. His grandfather, a legendary whaler-man and sole surviving keeper of the old sea shanties he sang out on the water, is eager to pass on his lifelong traditions even as the end of whaling looms. This lyrical documentary captures the rich history of a dying tradition in the wake of economic struggle at the hands of the tourism industry.

Join us Thursday, September 17, at Busboys and Poets for a special free screening and conversation around the new film Cow Trip. (UPDATE: Sold Out, Waitlist Available)

A calf in Vermont hits the lottery when a farmer decides to save him, but someone has to drive the baby cow 600 miles to his new home. A freshly retired doctor and his filmmaker daughter volunteer for the job, but nothing goes as planned.

Post-screening conversation featuring: Joanna Zelman (Director), Dr. Jared Zelman (Film Subject), and Michele Waldman (Co-Founder, Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary).

A Co-presentation of DCEFF and the AFI Silver’s Latin American Film Festival

A vibrant, colorful and whimsical tale of a curious papaya seed who longs to fly away from her fate of rooting into the ground and turning into a tree. (Priscilla Kellen, Brazil)

*Also screening September 19 at 11:45am

A Co-presentation of DCEFF and AFI Silver’s Latin American Film Festival

After centuries of forced displacement, Indigenous communities in Guatemala have settled on new land, persevering by collective action. But when volcanologist Paula discovers a new volcano forming under the fault lines of these communities, she worries their way of life may be threatened once again. (Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala)

*Also screening Sept. 23 at 4:45pm

A Co-presentation of DCEFF and the AFI Silver’s Latin American Film Festival

The ancestral homeland of the Wounaan people, nestled within the Darién Gap on the border between Panama and Colombia, is under threat from loggers, ranchers, and miners. The ramifications of these earth-shattering activities have harmed the Wounaan’s way of life and chased away their sacred bird, the kokorddit. (Guido Bilbao, Panama)

U.S. Premiere | Q&A with filmmaker Guido Bilbao

In Partnership with Planet Forward and The George Washington University

From the filmmakers behind Common Ground and Bee Wild, this new documentary takes viewers across five continents to meet the farmers, scientists, and Indigenous leaders reshaping humanity’s relationship to land. Narrated by Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson.

Begins with a reception at 6pm, followed by the film at 6:30pm. There will also be a post-screening conversation with Executive Producer Laura Turner-Seydel and Planet Forward’s Frank Sesno.

Presented by Bertelsmann Foundation Documentaries in partnership with DCEFF and the John Brademas Center at NYU DC

Along Louisiana’s disappearing coast, families are working to hold on to a way of life shaped by the water.

Commercial fishermen, tribal leaders, educators, and young families confront a future marked by land loss, stronger storms, and economic uncertainty. Yet even as the landscape changes around them, they continue to rebuild homes, revive traditions, teach Louisiana French, and pass hard-earned knowledge from one generation to the next.

Set in the bayous of southern Louisiana, On High Water is a portrait of resilience, belonging, and the enduring ties between people and place.

Following the screening, join us for a conversation featuring filmmaker Samuel George and more.

Co-presentation of DCEFF and the Potomac Riverkeeper Network

As America’s aging wastewater system begins to fail, one plant does all it can to stay afloat. Plant manager Dustin Price, together with his dedicated team, battle aging infrastructure, “forever chemicals” and the misconceptions of an odor averse public to keep Portland, Maine clean and healthy.

Followed by a panel conversation.