Call of the Forest

Call of the Forest

Jeffrey McKay/2016/52 min/Conservation

Sunday, March 3, 1:30 p.m. [South]
St. James Church, Chicago

Sunday, March 10, 10:30 a.m. [W Suburbs]
Thatcher Woods Pavilion, River Forest
Forest walk 9:30 a.m.

Sunday, March 10, 2 p.m. [Lake County]
St. Joseph Church, Libertyville

CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE. FILM DESCRIPTION: The science and enchantment of the global forest provides us with answers to modern dilemmas. “Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees” follows scientist and acclaimed author Diana Beresford-Kroeger as she investigates our profound biological and spiritual connection to forests. Beresford-Kroeger explores the most beautiful forests in the Northern Hemisphere from the sacred sugi and cedar forests of Japan to the great boreal forest of Canada. She shares the amazing stories behind the history and legacy of these ancient forests while also explaining the science of trees and the irreplaceable roles they play in protecting and feeding the planet.

Dirt Rich

Dirt Rich

Marcelina Cravat & Eric Katsuleres/ 2018/86 min/Conservation

Sunday, March 3, 2 p.m. [South]
Windsor Park Lutheran Church, Chicago

Wednesday, March 6, 6:30 p.m. [Lake]
College of Lake County, Grayslake

Saturday, March 9, 2 p.m. [W Suburbs]
Triton College, River Grove

CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE. FILM DESCRIPTION: “Dirt Rich” shifts the focus from greenhouse gas emissions to carbon drawdown, a viable solution for reversing the effects of runaway global warming in a timely manner. In “Dirt Rich,”  Marcelina Cravat  (“Angel Azul”) and Eric Katsuleres shine a light on geo-therapy strategies. Through regenerative agricultural practices, reforestation of abandoned land,  protection/restoration of carbon rich wetlands and keystone species, “Dirt Rich” illustrates how implementing these strategies will return our atmosphere to safe levels of carbon while growing soil, our most precious resource.  

Into the Okavango

Into the Okavango

Neil Gelinas/2018/93 min/Environmental & Social Justice

Sunday, March 3, 2 p.m. [Lake County]
Gorton Community Center, Lake Forest
Admission $10, Students $5

Thursday, March 7, 7 p.m. [Dupage County]
College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn

FILM DESCRIPTION: The Okavango River Basin provides a vital source of water to about one million people, the world’s largest population of African elephants, and significant populations of lions, cheetahs and hundreds of species of birds. However, this once unspoiled oasis is now under siege due to increasing pressure from human activity. From National Geographic Documentary Films, “Into the Okavango” chronicles a team of modern-day explorers on their first epic four-month, 1,500-mile expedition across three countries to save the river system that feeds one of our planet’s last wetland wildernesses.

Living in the Future's Past

Living in the Future's Past

Susan Kucera/2018/86 min/Climate

Saturday, March 2, 10 a.m. [W Suburbs]
Classic Cinemas Lake Theatre, Oak Park
Admission $8

Saturday, March 2, 1 p.m. [Lake County]
Prairie Crossing School, Grayslake

Monday, March 4, 6 p.m. [South]
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE. FILM DESCRIPTION: In this beautifully photographed tour de force of original thinking, Academy Award® winner Jeff Bridges shares the screen with scientists, profound thinkers, and a dazzling array of Earth’s living creatures to reveal eye-opening concepts about ourselves and our past, providing fresh insights into our subconscious motivations and their unintended consequences.

Paris to Pittsburgh

Paris to Pittsburgh

Sidney Beaumont & Michael Bonfiglio/2018/77 min/Climate

Sunday, March 3, 12:30 p.m. [W Suburbs]
Action Fair 12:30 p.m.
Film begins at 1:30 p.m.

St. Giles Catholic Church, Oak Park

Sunday, March 3, 1 p.m. [Dupage County]
Elmhurst College, Elmhurst

Tuesday, March 5, 6:30 p.m. [North]
Truman College, Chicago

Friday, March 8, 6 p.m. [South]
Catholic Theological Union, Chicago

Friday, March 8, 6:30 p.m. [Lake County]
College of Lake County, Grayslake

FILM DESCRIPTION: The Paris Agreement was monumental in uniting all nations in the fight against climate change. With the United States’ withdrawal from the agreement, citizens around the country are taking matters into their own hands. “Paris to Pittsburgh” explores the very real social and economic impacts of climate change-fueled disasters and features voices from local leaders and everyday Americans from Pittsburgh to Puerto Rico.

Protecting the Boundary Waters

Protecting the Boundary Waters

Saturday, March 9, 10:30 a.m.
[Lake County]
Warren Township High School, Gurnee

FILM DESCRIPTION: Four short films will tell personal stories of youth and their life-shaping experiences in the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota. The youth have gone on to advocate for permanent protection of this treasured wilderness area. Sulfide-ore copper mining has been proposed by Twin Metals (a Minnesota company owned by Chilean mining conglomerate Antofagasta) less than a mile from the Boundary Waters. The U.S. Forest Service denied mining leases held by Twin Metals due to the extreme environmental risks they posed to the Boundary Waters. Following the lease denial, the Forest Service began a two-year environmental review to determine if sulfide-ore copper mining should be banned in the Boundary Waters watershed.

RiverBlue

RiverBlue

David McIlvride & Roger Williams/2017/52 min/Water

Wednesday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m. [North]
Loyola University, Chicago

Saturday, March 2, 3 p.m. [Central]
Columbia College, Music Center, Chicago

Thursday, March 7, 7 p.m. [South]
U. of C. Green Line Performing Arts Center, Chicago

Saturday, March 9, 1 p.m.. [Lake County]
Catlow Theater, Barrington

CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE. FILM DESCRIPTION: Following international river conservationist, Mark Angelo, “RiverBlue” spans the globe to infiltrate one of the world’s most pollutive industries, fashion. Narrated by actor and clean water advocate Jason Priestley, this groundbreaking documentary examines the destruction of our rivers, the effects on humanity, and the solutions inspiring hope for a sustainable future. Through harsh chemical manufacturing processes and the irresponsible disposal of toxic chemical waste, one of our favorite iconic clothing items has destroyed rivers and impacted the lives of people who count on these waterways for their survival.

The Guardians

The Guardians

Ben Crosbie & Tessa Moran/2018/70 min/Wildlife

Sunday, March 3, 12 p.m. [North]
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago

Wednesday, March 6, 6 p.m. [West]
Chicago Public Library, Toman Branch

Saturday, March 9, 2 p.m. [Lake County]
Waukegan Library, Waukegan

Saturday, March 9, 7 p.m. [West]
St. Malachy + Precious Blood, Chicago

FILM DESCRIPTION: A visually dazzling meditation on the delicate balance between human and nature, “The Guardians” elegantly interweaves the lives of the iconic monarch butterfly with an indigenous community in Mexico. Shot over three years, this intimate documentary takes viewers on a cinematic journey through the butterfly dense mountaintops of Michoacan as the community works to build a sustainable path forward. Rarely has the communion of human and nature been told in such an evocative and surprising way, leaving viewers with a new perspective on the ecological challenges facing us all. In Spanish with English subtitles: Everyone is welcome!