2024 DC Environmental Film Festival

I think I have seen at least one film during the DC Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF) since I moved to the DC area 12 (!) years ago. I wasn't able to go to any of the in-person screenings this year, but I did watch several of the short films online. Here are some of my favorites:

Flora, Fauna, Funga

I loved this National Geographic film! It's about a Chilean mycologist, Guiliana Furci, studying, identifying, and finding new species of mushrooms. Her passion is infectious, and I myself have felt the wonder of seeing a mushroom or other kind of fungus and wishing I knew what kind it was. Fungi are an amazing part of our ecosystems, and yet they are usually overlooked and are rarely acknowledged. I like how this film brings them to the forefront, and of course any documentary that focuses on women in STEM is great in my book!

WILD HOPE: Return of the Manatees

I have always loved manatees, and I actually saw them for the first time in captivity last year (read that blog post here). This Nature on PBS documentary is about manatees in areas of Florida, such as Crystal River and Indian River Lagoon, and how their populations have been negatively affected by storms, which have brought saltwater and non-native plants into freshwater areas where they live; the manatees were starving because they didn't have the right vegetation to eat. Concerned citizens, as well as representatives from non-profits such as Sea & Shoreline and Zoo Tampa, have gotten together to help save the manatees and the ecosystems where they live. These animals are such gentle creatures, and I am so glad there are many people trying to look out for them!

Bare Existence: A Documentary About Polar Bears International

I knew this would be a sad film because it's about polar bears, and everyone knows how terribly affected they are by climate change. They are running out of sea ice, which is where they feed, and they are starving (there is some graphic footage). Polar Bears International is an organization doing research to help save polar bears. I was particularly enamored with Steven Amstrup, who is the chief scientist emeritus of the group. He has been studying bears for decades, and he is particularly passionate about saving polar bears. He even helped get them listed as "vulnerable" on the Endangered Species List! The non-profit does a lot of education around the plight of polar bears, and I really appreciate the work they are doing to spread the word on how important it is to save charismatic megafauna species like this.

Batsies

I myself like bats; I've never found them creepy or scary. So I resonated with the two women in this film who have dedicated their work to saving bats (and they get to do it together as best friends, no less!). Sarah Fritts and Sara Weaver met at Texas State University, and now they are both wildlife biologists at the school working to protect these cute, furry creatures. More women in STEM, woot! I was particularly surprised to learn how bats are negatively impacted by wind turbines, and these scientists are trying to find a way to use ultrasonic deterrents to keep bats away from the turbines using sounds that the bats don't like. Fascinating! I hope it works to help save these little animals. 

The Return of Nóouhàh-Toka’na

This film is about the Swift Fox species and trying to reintroduce it to the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana. Just like the bison, these animals are important to Native American tribes (specifically the Aaniiih and Nakoda tribes), but the species was almost entirely lost due to predator control years ago. In the end of the film, it was cool to see how they could track the animals (and show how far each traveled!) as well as reinstate this missing piece of Native culture. I appreciated how many young people were involved in the project, too. And of course it's always encouraging to see a population start to improve and grow. The science and dedication is working!

Read my blog posts from previous festivals:

• 2021
• 2023