The Ojai Film Festival continues the tradition of focusing on environmental films with the 20th Anniversary Edition: FOCUS EARTH. Throughout the ten-day festival filmgoers will find double screenings of eco-conscious indie films. A day of special events focuses on the environment, including discussions, seminars and panels about the planet we share. This full day of eco-films starts at 10 am on Sunday, November 10 and continues into the evening.
The documentary Living in the Future's Past, described as a "beautifully photographed tour de force," headlines the event. Susan Kucera directed the film, narrated and produced by Jeff Bridges.
In an interview with Clean Technica, Ms. Kucera spoke about her film and collaboration with Jeff Bridges. "I think a lot of the film looks at what it would take to do an energy transition right. You actually need a lot of heat and energy and resources just to make a solar panel. So then you look at fossil fuels maybe in a different way. Fossil fuel is a big amount of energy we need now to usher in something new. We need to invest energy to get energy and we need to think about where we invest the energy we have, our relationships with energy," she said. "What Jeff and I wanted to do was think about how we think. A lot of people watch the film and they go, 'Aha! I see how everything works and it's not so weirdly scary,' which makes transition more interactive and more full of exciting possibilities."
Dr. Sheila Laffey, filmmaker, producer and professor in the Santa Monica College Film and Animation Academy, highlights the festival's Environmental Films as Educational Tools seminar series. Dr. Laffey will offer specific Eco-Shorts, plus animations and methods for classrooms and small group use on Sunday, November 10 at 1 pm.
In session two, Director Sylvie Rokab joins Ms. Laffey to present the eco-doc Love Thy Nature, narrated by Liam Neeson. In an interview with Eluxe Magazine, Ms. Rokab describes how she chose the title Love Thy Nature to convey the sense that loving (our) nature is so critical to our wellbeing, and the wellbeing of our world, that it might as well be a universal truth just like 'love thy neighbor.'" She said, "We have a myriad of new scientific studies that show a contact with nature makes us healthier, smarter, calmer, more connected, and happier human beings...we are inextricably wired to nature - physically, neurologically, emotionally, and spiritually. And yet, in our increasingly urban and technological world, too many of us have completely lost touch with nature - living in grey cities, working in sterile offices, leading stressful lives, and eating toxic foods."
Indie films in the Focus Earth series include Ay Mariposa, a stunning documentary feature about two women and a rare community of butterflies standing on the frontlines in a battle against the US-Mexico border wall. Ay Mariposa screens on Friday November 8 at 10 am and Saturday, November 9 at 1 pm.
In the inspiring new documentary The Condor and The Eagle, viewers discover four Indigenous leaders who embark on an extraordinary trans-continental adventure from the Canadian plains to deep inside the heart of the Amazonian jungle. They strive to unite the peoples of North and South America and deepen the meaning of "Climate Justice." Their path through the jungle takes them on an unexpectedly challenging journey. An ancient prophecy shared by many Indigenous peoples motivated this story. The prophecy says, "When the Eagle of
NORTH AMERICA and the Condor of South America unite, the spirit of peace will awaken." Catch it on Wednesday, November 6 at 4 pm or on Saturday, November 9 at 1 pm.
Another high point in our Focus Earth series hits close to home with The Perfect Firestorm: The Thomas Fire Story. This film chronicles the devastating wildfire that whipped through Ventura County and burned over a quarter million acres before firefighters finally contained it on January 12, 2018. The Perfect Firestorm, which features personal stories of survival and healing, screens on Sunday, November 3 at 1 pm and Friday, November 8 at 1 pm.
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