Watch Now

Combining stunning scenery with insightful commentary on the state of river conservation, this is a powerful call to action for protecting our country’s remaining wild rivers for future generations.

Since the first Earth Day in 1970, it has grown into a global phenomenon. Take a peek into the past to discover how Rachel Carson, Senator Gaylord Nelson, and other historical voices influenced the creation of this day.

Remote areas of Baja California’s Peninsula are home to some of the last wild coasts on Earth.

Dr. Jane Goodall accepts DCEFF’s 2022 Environmental Champion Award and sits down with DCEFF Board Member and National Geographic’s Director of Special Global Events Gregory McGruder for a discussion of her life and work.

The Hudson River Valley has been called America's Serengeti, for the abundance of wildlife in what many wrongly consider to be a "dead" river.

Meet Ailo, a newborn reindeer who embarks on an incredible odyssey with the help of his mother. Narrated by Donald Sutherland and set against the frozen majesty of northern Finland, this an uplifting story for the whole family.

Join Julie and Denise as they head out into the bay near Hoonah, Alaska to fish for crab and shrimp; a tradition that Tlingit women have participated in for generations.

Delicately details the journey of two students from Gustu, the groundbreaking cooking school and fine-dining restaurant founded by Noma's Claus Meyer in La Paz, Bolivia

Follows the intimate journey of an astronaut going up into space, guided by metaphors from the life on earth.

Professional and citizen river keepers monitor and protect the rivers of Maryland's Eastern Shore. The film is a tribute to the beauty of our rivers and to the individuals dedicated to protecting and preserving these living treasures.

Claver Ntoyinkima, a native park ranger, shares the secrets of Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda as he guides us through the forest.

Himawari 8, Japan's most advanced meteorological satellite, travels 35,786 km above Earth, at more than 11000 km/h. It observes the Eastern Hemisphere day and night. For one year we look through the eyes of the distant observer. From solstice to solstice, from pole to pole, from storm to storm, we watch Earth's beauty and fragility, weather's wonders, forces, and disasters. From space, it all looks miraculous.

One man risks his family and future to stop the tar sands of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from crossing his land.

Four years in the making, this intimate short combines historical and current-day aerial views of six glaciers in Southeast Iceland, exposing a rapidly disappearing frozen world.

On Earth Day 2010, the oil rig Deepwater Horizon exploded, flooding the Gulf of Mexico with crude oil and devastating the coastline. Filmmaker Jon Bowermaster returns to the shores of Louisiana five years after the disaster, interviewing a rich cross-section of local denizens – fishermen, scientists, politicians, environmentalists, and oil-rig workers – to uncover the enduring impact of the catastrophe in a dogged investigation narrated by actress Melissa Leo. Has the Louisiana coastline been tainted forever? Will its economy and its ecosystem ever recover?

Investigates the all-too-common problem of wastewater overflows, and reveals a remarkable network of underground tunnels being constructed below the nation’s capital to try to stem the toxic tide.

A year after wildfires ravaged Northern California’s wine country, its vulnerable population of farmworkers, many of them undocumented, find themselves in a heightened state of insecurity and inequality.

In Canada, a remote Indigenous community is fighting for its survival in the age of climate change. The film explores the impacts of this struggle against a backdrop of systemic discrimination and calls for the government of Canada to do better to protect Indigenous communities.

Dynamite blasts echo through canyons as construction for the southern border threatens flora and fauna for centuries to come.

This half-hour documentary about Smith Island, MD, features Mary Ada and Dwight Marshall, whose lives personify the Chesapeake Bay’s seafood-harvesting culture and history, and their four children, who chose to break with that tradition.

A young boy displaced by a massive condominium complex creates his own reality in which, as a lion (anbessa), he can face the forces beyond his control.

Filmed in one of the last remaining patches of the oldest forests in Lithuania, this poetic and atypical nature film depicts a place where boundaries of time melt and everything that exists does not wither or age but “grows into” eternity.

Two brothers who come from a line of Zande hunters pursue protecting their forest from diametrically opposed avenues.

High-end production values and state-of-the-art camera techniques capture evidence of human planetary domination. At the intersection of art and science, this film bears witness to a critical moment in geological history.

A short documentary investigating the entangled roles of art and science in making the world a better place.

A poetic meditation on Tuktoyaktuk (Tuk), an Indigenous community facing climate change in the Arctic.

Focusing on people, rivers, and the fight for the future of wild fish and the environment that supports them, Artifishal explores wild salmon's slide towards extinction, threats posed by hatcheries and fish farms, and our continued loss of faith in nature.

An impressionistic portrait of China’s industrial supply chain that reveals the country’s growing class divide through observations of labor, consumerism, and wealth.

If we are going to preserve Cape Cod we must learn to look for warnings we would prefer to ignore.

Inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, a defiant community of women lives on some of the most toxic land on Earth. They share this beguiling yet lethal landscape with an assortment of visitors: scientists, soldiers, and even 'stalkers,' young thrill-seekers who sneak in to pursue post-apocalyptic fantasies. The story of the self-described "Babushkas" who chose to return after the disaster, defying the authorities and endangering their health, speaks volumes about the pull of home, the desire for free will, and the subjective nature of risk.

Co-presented with the American Conservation Film Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

October 22, 6:30 pm - Block 6 at The Frank Center*

Tickets, $10.00 for block or $40.00 for festival pass.

*Frank Center – 260 University Drive, Shepherd University Campus, Shepherdstown, West Virginia

A behind-the-scenes look into the plight of the polar bear, Bare Existence focuses on the biologists on the front lines of protecting these animals as they battle against the effects of climate change threatening their existence.

Writer and activist Mark Baumer walked barefoot for over 100 days to protest climate change.

Bhargavi and Chelmala Srinivasulu have been called the bat woman and bat man of India. Join them on a strange journey to find a bat that had not been seen in nearly three decades.

Twelve-year-old Beans is forced to grow up fast during an Indigenous uprising which tore Quebec apart during the summer of 1990.

In the vast wilderness of Alaska the earth is changing, threatening the history and culture of native peoples, natural landscapes, and the habitats of wild life. Between Earth and Sky examines how climate change is rapidly affecting Alaska, and will soon affect us all.

Meet Anna Le, an aquatic ecologist and environmental educator working to cultivate a more inclusive outdoors for all.

In 1977, world-renowned cinematographer Neil Rettig filmed the first images of the Philippine Eagle in the wild, transforming the bird into a national symbol. But today, with a rapidly expanding human population facing serious political, economic, and environmental turmoil, the eagle’s plight has fallen out of public consciousness.

Investigative journalists, scientists, and concerned citizens trace the fallout of a new American fossil fuel boom.

Ofelia Rivas was born just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, a place her ancestors have called home since time immemorial.

The complex world of wildlife trafficking is viewed through a feminine lens in this thorough exploration of the emotional toll that poaching and wildlife crime are having on the courageous women fighting on the front lines.

Life on Earth is fed by sunlight - so one could think that the lack of sunlight means no life at all. The truth is just the opposite: a closer look reveals that most dark caves present wildlife in abundance.

Takes an unflinching look at the unprecedented and catastrophic Australian bushfires of 2019-2020, known as ‘Black Summer.’

Using a unique mix of aerial cinematography and poetry, Cambodia Burning explores the changes in the country's landscapes brought about by deforestation and forest fires, and the emotional impacts they have had on Cambodian people.

After moving to Oregon and falling in love with the ability to explore the outdoors with ease with his wife and two kids, Rashad Frazier created Camp Yoshi, a space for Black people and allies to unplug and reconnect with the wilderness.

Ten years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster, scientists are still studying the devastating impacts on the Gulf of Mexico.

Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world.

Deep in remote Florida swamps, a team of researchers and photographers have made a new discovery that upends what we thought we knew about the ghost orchid, one of the world’s most iconic flowers, and how it reproduces.

Part of the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting Series: Can Religion Save the Environment?

Tells the story of the country's church forests -- pockets of lush biodiversity that are protected by hundreds of churches “scattered like emerald pearls across the brown sea of farm fields.”

Narrated by Richard Gere, Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops is a series of five short films, featuring twelve leading climate scientists, that explores how human-caused emissions are triggering nature’s own warming loops.

Shishmaref, Alaska, is a town of 600 people, located on a small barrier island off the northwest coast of Alaska. This island is going through an erosion process put on steroids by climate change.

The lens of photographer and physician Eric Overton captures a fearless and uncommonly vulnerable self-portrait of American wilderness, our relationship to each other, and the possibility that nature itself may be all we need to find common ground.

Static winter forms melt in sunlight.

The Colorado River has carved a deep imprint both on the physical landscape and on the lives of he people who rely on it. This film follows an up-and-coming indie folk band as they traverse and document this endangered river system in the form of original music.

The Champlain Valley lies at the heart of the Champlain Adirondack Biosphere Region where the Adirondack State Park and the sparkling waters of Lake Champlain join New York and Vermont.

When the traditional methods of coping with trauma don't work, what options do you have left? Brandon Kuehn, an Iraq War veteran, believes the best way to face a range of trauma is to reach for literal physical summits -- and he isn't alone.

Winner of the Best Documentary award at the Cannes Film Festival, master filmmaker Patricio Guzmán's The Cordillera of Dreams completes his trilogy (with Nostalgia for the Light and The Pearl Button) investigating the relationship between historical memory, political trauma, and geography in his native country of Chile.

A story of transition and renewal in the rural west that shares the many perspectives that encompass a community upheld by coal but looking towards a future without it.

Alexis has a life-threatening disease. She spends her time in the wooded expanse of northern Scotland, where she takes care of dozens of others who are also sick, wounded, or dying.

In the highlands of Guinea, people and chimpanzees live peacefully side by side. Myths and stories -- and a mutual respect for one another -- have preserved this relationship for generations.

For decades the utilities industry has been a driving engine of the U.S. economy, contributing significantly to our progress and standard of living, with a business model that focused on centralized generation. Today, however, facing a crisis that requires them to capture new market share, the industry has its sights on the transportation sector.

An exploration of the energy transition in the Southwest, where power and water systems are increasingly stressed due to more frequent extreme heat and drought, and where increasing numbers of coal-fired power plants are closing due to market forces.

This environmental thriller follows investigative journalist Matt Blomberg and ocean activist Paul Ferber in their dangerous efforts to create a marine conservation area and combat the relentless tide of illegal fishing.

An attorney risks his career and family to uncover a dark secret hidden by one of the world’s largest corporations and to bring justice to a community dangerously exposed for decades to deadly chemicals.

A global environmental film project consisting of cinematic and meditative scenes of dawn captured on May 3, 2020 -- International Dawn Chorus Day -- from all over the globe weaved together into a lyrical meditation on the first light and sounds of the day.

In January 2015, American rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson captivated the world with their effort to climb the Dawn Wall, a seemingly impossible 3,000-foot rock face in Yosemite National Park, California. For Caldwell, this was much more than just a climb.

Consumers love – and live on – their smartphones, tablets and laptops. A cascade of new devices pours endlessly into the market, promising even better communication, non-stop entertainment and instant information. The numbers are staggering. By 2020, four billion people will have a personal computer. Five billion will own a mobile phone. But this revolution has a dark side, hidden from most consumers. In an investigation that spans the globe, filmmaker Sue Williams investigates the underbelly of the electronics industry and reveals how even the smallest devices have deadly environmental and health costs. From the intensely secretive factories in China, to a ravaged New York community and the high tech corridors of Silicon Valley. This is a story of environmental degradation, of health tragedies and the tipping point between consumerism and sustainability.

Snails in Hawaii are disappearing at a faster rate than any other animal on the planet. Meet the scientists fighting for their survival.

Three women follow the 85-mile-long migration path of a scruffy, pregnant mule deer doe and learn to see the world differently in the process.

Jay leads us on a hunt for Sitka black-tailed deer near Hoonah, Alaska. Continuing a long tradition, he hunts not only to feed himself but to share with his community.

Tim Paule and Nicole Lindsey are a young couple who run an urban bee farm in East Detroit to create opportunities for young Detroit natives to overcome adversity.

Unraveling one of the biggest environmental scandals of our time, a group of citizens in West Virginia take on a powerful corporation after they discover it has knowingly been dumping a toxic chemical - now found in the blood of 99.7% of Americans - into the drinking water supply.

Offers a candid look into the world of 92-year-old British chef and cookbook author Diana Kennedy, widely regarded as the world's authority on Mexican cuisine

When images of everyday Navajo life began appearing at a monumental scale on abandoned buildings, roadside stands, and water towers across the Southwest, it was a surprise for many in the community to discover it was the work of Chip Thomas a.k.a. "Jetsonorama," a longtime resident known by many as a healer of another kind.

Has the Gulf of Mexico recovered from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill?

A young woman emerges as a leader on her Colombian island to save the reef that’s vital to its survival.

Attracting four-legged patients from around the world, Dr. Goldstein's practice, Smith Ridge Veterinary Center, provides holistic treatment for animals after other vets have given up hope.

The salt marshes and mangroves of Louisiana's Barataria Bay are fertile nesting grounds and nurseries for birds and fish. Despite being hit hard by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout, these waters teem with hundreds of species of marine animals.

On Colombia's Pacific Coast, a mother teaches her daughter Dulce how to swim. It is an essential skill in this remote region, where livelihoods are made on the sea and where rising tides, made worse by climate change, have swept entire villages away in recent years.

Several billion tons of earth are moved annually by humans -- with shovels, excavators, or dynamite. Nikolaus Geyrhalter observes people in mines, in quarries, and at large construction sites, engaged in a constant struggle to take possession of the planet.

Part of the Water and Oil Shorts Program

Told solely by the Apollo 8 astronauts, this film celebrates the first image captured of the Earth from space, in 1968. The iconic image had a powerful impact on the astronauts and the world, offering a perspective that transcended national, political, and religious boundaries.

An indelible tale of friendship and commitment set against the luminous beauty of the central African Rainforest. Together, an elephant behavioral biologist, Andrea Turkalo, and an indigenous tracker, Sessely Bernard, will be tested by the realities of war and the limits of hope for the majestic animals they have committed their lives to study and protect.

An old farm dog recounts the true tale of Old Bet, the elephant at the start of the American circus. This mournful, handcrafted film uses oil pastel as well as painterly clay-on-glass animation techniques.

It’s the dawn of a new era in Yellowstone. The wolves have returned. The grizzly bear population is at an all-time high. And the mountain lions? They never left. The presence of these iconic predators touches every aspect of life in Yellowstone.

An intimate story of a 9 year old girl called Eve, living in one of the oldest off grid communities in the UK. The film follows her journey returning to school and becoming a young climate activist.

Follow Tlingit elder Owen along the rocky shorelines in Glacier Bay National Park while he collects gumboots, a not-so-widely-known treat.

Follows elite climber Alex Honnold and a world-class team on a grueling mission deep in the Amazon jungle as they attempt a first-ascent climb up a 1000 foot sheer cliff.

The Amazon was the first victim of the peace process in Colombia. Since the demobilization of the FARC guerilla group in 2017, deforestation rates have spiked by more than 40 percent as illegal loggers exploit the power vacuum left behind by the rebels.

This intimate portrait film follows master falconer Rodney Stotts on his mission to build a bird sanctuary and to provide access to nature for his stressed community.

This consciousness-shifting film takes us on an immersive journey through time and scale into the magical earth beneath our feet, which houses an underground network that can heal and save our planet.

Extreme weather events are hitting America’s farmers hard, and with greater frequency than ever before.

Farming is ever-evolving. Today, when we think about what’s to come next for farmers, a key question is, “How do we produce food and still maintain a livelihood for farmers, while respecting the needs of other organisms with which we share the land?"

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists are tracking Asian elephants in Myanmar's Ayeyarwady region using GPS collars. Though they set out to understand how elephants use the land, their research has also revealed a troubling rise in poaching.

Humans and elephants are increasingly living in the same places, which can lead to significant challenges. Tracking technology may be able to provide solutions that allow for people and elephant to thrive with fewer conflicts.

Smithsonian researchers partner with experts in Myanmar studying human and animal health to find out what diseases are present in wildlife and whether they could pose a threat to humans.

Follow scientists as they track endangered elephants in Myanmar with GPS collars. The more they learn about how Asian elephants travel and move through the landscape, the better they can protect them.

Part of the DC Public Library Shorts Program

When a supposedly extinct fish resurfaces in the path of oncoming wildfire, a Colorado biologist braves the flames on a daring rescue mission.

Discover a world of drugs, the timber industry, and a controversial decision not to list Pacific fisher under the Endangered Species Act. This story pulls back the veil on the lead-up to that surprise decision and what it means for the future of the Pacific fisher.

The free soloist climber prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock -- the 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park -- without a rope. Celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, Honnold’s climb sets the ultimate standard: perfection or death.

Part of the Living Wild Shorts Program

A scrappy Russian marine mammal biologist unexpectedly hitchhikes aboard a boat filled with adventure junkies.

The world of an Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor is turned upside down when a group of world-renowned athletes and scientists demonstrate that most of what he had been taught about protein was a lie.

Follows the stories of natives on the frontlines of a growing movement to re connect with spiritual and cultural identities that were devastated by genocide.

Youth activists march hundreds of miles to demand good jobs and a well-funded Civilian Climate Corps to fight the climate crisis.

This film follows a small group of activists who risk their lives on remote Indonesian islands to find justice and freedom for the enslaved fishermen who feed the world’s insatiable appetite for seafood.

Offers a fundamental reassessment of what our food, cities, and financial system could look like if we create, produce, and distribute within Earth's natural boundaries.

Peering out her tall bedroom windows at the highway below, Caitlin Davis dreamed of life as an ecologist. When she saw mountains for the first time on a backpacking trip after college, her fate was sealed.

The golden lion tamarin becomes a beacon of hope for the Atlantic Forest habitat in Brazil, as conservationists continue a more than 30-year effort to save the species by connecting its fragmented habitat with a wildlife bridge.

When Arnold returns to his native community in the Peruvian Amazon after living in the urban world, he remembers the stories told to him by his grandfather and the great importance of maintaining balance with the jungle.