Upcoming Events

Our 2024 Shared Earth Foundation Award for Advocacy winner is currently screening in theatres across the United States. This includes a stop at DC’s Miracle Theatre later this month for a special program featuring the filmmakers.

We Are Guardians follows Indigenous forest guardians in their fight to protect the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil from destruction. Directed by Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, and Rob Grobman—and executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio—the film uses powerful character-driven storytelling to shine a light on one of the most critical ecological and human rights crises of our time.

Join us at Patuxent Research Refuge on Thursday, July 17th for a “moth-nificent” night out with a screening of the internationally acclaimed film, Nocturnes. Spread your wings into the world of moths, an often-underrated night-time pollinator.

After the film please take home some free native plants and/or seeds, as coordinated by Friends of Patuxent. Friends of Patuxent will also provide light refreshments. Create some pollinator habitat of your own — you can help these wonderful creatures even if you only have a window ledge or a spot on a stoop to put out a plant!

Co-presented by DCEFF and the AFI Silver as part of their Latin American Film Festival

This is a story about life — stubborn, fragile and fleeting — that began 66 million years ago, when a giant meteorite crashed in what is now the Yucatán Peninsula, wiping out the dinosaurs from existence. Millennia later, tens of thousands of Caribbean flamingos flock to the region for a grand display of courtship, turning the muddy banks into a vast maternity ward for the next generation. This incredible undertaking by phoenicopterus ruber to breed — building mud nests in a prominent flood zone, finding a mate among a horde of competitors, evading scores of hungry predators — was captured over a two-year period in partnership with the esteemed Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Humorous, offbeat narration by Mexican singer Julieta Venegas, an engrossing score by Bryce Dessner and breathtaking natural photography combine to create a singular wildlife documentary that will make you appreciate the hardy flamingo and the preciousness of life itself.

Co-presented with the Pulitzer Center. Stream this free virtual screening September 28-28 as part of Climate Week NYC!

This collection of films, created by emerging journalists in the Pulitzer Center’s 2024 Reporting Fellowship program, captures how climate change is reshaping landscapes, livelihoods, and cultural traditions around the world. Together, they reveal what is at stake and the vision of a new generation responding to a changing planet.

Co-presented by DCEFF and the AFI Silver as part of their Latin American Film Festival

The first female elected chief of her people in the Amazon’s Middle Xingu region, Indigenous activist Juma Xipaia is the brilliant subject of Richard Ladkani’s urgent documentary. An outspoken advocate, Juma has survived six assassination attempts as she dares to face the ruthless mining companies whose every action threatens to destroy her community. Steadfastly by her side is her husband, Hugo, a former Special Forces ranger and helicopter pilot who is now tasked with leading dangerous missions for Brazil’s environmental protection agency. As their family and responsibilities begin to grow, Juma and Hugo must protect both their future and the future of the Amazon. Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, Ladkani’s mesmerizing eco-thriller juxtaposes awe-inspiring nature photography with heartless violence in a fight for environmental justice that never ends.

Co-presented by DCEFF and the AFI Silver as part of their Latin American Film Festival

This is a story about life — stubborn, fragile and fleeting — that began 66 million years ago, when a giant meteorite crashed in what is now the Yucatán Peninsula, wiping out the dinosaurs from existence. Millennia later, tens of thousands of Caribbean flamingos flock to the region for a grand display of courtship, turning the muddy banks into a vast maternity ward for the next generation. This incredible undertaking by phoenicopterus ruber to breed — building mud nests in a prominent flood zone, finding a mate among a horde of competitors, evading scores of hungry predators — was captured over a two-year period in partnership with the esteemed Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Humorous, offbeat narration by Mexican singer Julieta Venegas, an engrossing score by Bryce Dessner and breathtaking natural photography combine to create a singular wildlife documentary that will make you appreciate the hardy flamingo and the preciousness of life itself.

The Uproot Project, in partnership with DCEFF, presents an engaging evening exploring climate politics and trust in the media

The event will begin with a screening of 2025 DCEFF Opening Night Select The White House Effect. The film will be followed by a conversation with journalists Justin Worland from Time and Jenny Hijazi from Bloomberg, moderated by Chelsea Henderson, author of Glacial: The Inside Story of Climate Politics.

Co-presented by DCEFF and AFI Silver as part of their European Union Film Showcase

Against the backdrop of Iceland’s magnificent landscape — a rugged island filled with winding roads amidst a majestic tundra — a marriage falls apart, threatening to fracture a loving family. Fisherman Magnús (Sverrir Guðnason) has just moved out of the house he shares with his visual artist wife, Anna (Saga Garðarsdóttir), and their three children, Ída and twins Þorgils and Grímur (all three played by the real children of filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason, GODLAND). The high school sweethearts have drifted apart as of late, despite Magnús’ hope for reconciliation, though they still spend time together for the sake of the kids. Working with a set-up that could easily veer toward melodrama, Pálmason pens a surprisingly sensitive and poignant treatise on the ties that bind, imbuing the scenario with a warm sense of humor and a charming thread of magical realism that combine into a powerful climax.

The gorgeous cinematography, lensed in 35mm by Pálmason himself, deftly renders the grandeur of the Icelandic setting. All of this is anchored by the compelling, sly performances from all five principal players, though special mention goes to the various critters that live with the family — chickens, cows, horses and one exceptional sheepdog named Panda, who won the coveted Palm Dog award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Co-presented by DCEFF and AFI Silver as part of their European Union Film Showcase

Against the backdrop of Iceland’s magnificent landscape — a rugged island filled with winding roads amidst a majestic tundra — a marriage falls apart, threatening to fracture a loving family. Fisherman Magnús (Sverrir Guðnason) has just moved out of the house he shares with his visual artist wife, Anna (Saga Garðarsdóttir), and their three children, Ída and twins Þorgils and Grímur (all three played by the real children of filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason, GODLAND). The high school sweethearts have drifted apart as of late, despite Magnús’ hope for reconciliation, though they still spend time together for the sake of the kids. Working with a set-up that could easily veer toward melodrama, Pálmason pens a surprisingly sensitive and poignant treatise on the ties that bind, imbuing the scenario with a warm sense of humor and a charming thread of magical realism that combine into a powerful climax.

The gorgeous cinematography, lensed in 35mm by Pálmason himself, deftly renders the grandeur of the Icelandic setting. All of this is anchored by the compelling, sly performances from all five principal players, though special mention goes to the various critters that live with the family — chickens, cows, horses and one exceptional sheepdog named Panda, who won the coveted Palm Dog award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.