Advocacy

An American Ascent

An American Ascent

George Potter & Andrew Adkins/2014/68 min/People & Culture

Saturday, March 9, 12:30 p.m. [West]
Chicago Public Library, Austin Branch

Saturday, March 9, 5 p.m. [South]
Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago

FILM DESCRIPTION: “An American Ascent” documents the first African-American expedition to tackle North America's highest peak, Denali. In only a few decades the United States will become a majority-minority nation, as people of color will outnumber today's white majority for the first time ever. Yet, a staggering number of people in this soon-to-be majority do not consider the outdoors as a place for them. By taking on the grueling, 20,310 foot peak of the continent's biggest mountain, nine African-American climbers set out to shrink this adventure gap by building a legacy of inclusion in the outdoor/adventure community.

Home

Home

Yann Arthus-Bertrand/2009/90 min/Conservation

Saturday, March 2, 3 p.m. [South]
Jackson Park Fieldhouse, Chicago

FILM DESCRIPTION: 10 Year Anniversary screening of “Home,” featuring breathtaking photography of our planet by award-winning photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand! In the past 200,000 years, humans have upset four billion years’ worth of evolutionary balance on planet Earth. Humanity has little time to reverse the trend and change its patterns of consumption. Through visually stunning aerial footage from over 50 countries, Yann Arthus–Bertrand shows us a view most of us have never seen. He shares with us his sense of awe about our planet and his concern for its health. With this film, Arthus-Bertrand hopes to provide a stepping-stone to further the call to action to take care of our “Home.”

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.

Tawai: A Voice from the Forest

Tawai: A Voice from the Forest

Bruce Parry & Mark Ellam/2017/97 min/People & Cultures

Sunday, March 3, 4 p.m. [W. Suburbs]
Unity Temple, Oak Park
OEFF After Hours Event
Admission $20,
includes reception at 6 p.m.

CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE. FILM DESCRIPTION: Tawai is the word the nomadic hunter-gatherers of Borneo use to describe their inner feeling of connection to nature. In this philosophical and sociological look at life, explorer Bruce Parry travels the world to learn from people living lives very differently from our own. From the jungles of Malaysia to the tributaries of the Amazon, “Tawai” is a quest for reconnection, providing a powerful voice from the heart of the forest itself.

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!

The Human Element

The Human Element

Matthew Testa/2018/76 min/Climate

Saturday, March 2, 6:30 p.m. [North]
St. Clement Parish School, Chicago

Sunday, March 3, 3 p.m. [South]
Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
Admission $10

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

Monday, March 4, 6 p.m. [Kane County]
Action Fair 6 p.m., Film 7 p.m.
Waubonsee Community College, Aurora

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION with WOMEN IN GREEN
Friday, March 8, 5:30 p.m.
[West]
Malcolm X College, Chicago
OEFF After Hours Event
Reception 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., $20
Film screening 7 p.m. free to all

Saturday, March 9, 10 a.m. [W Suburbs]
Classic Cinemas Lake Theatre, Oak Park
Admission $8

CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE. FILM DESCRIPTION: Renowned photographer James Balog (prominently featured in “Chasing Ice”) uses his camera to reveal how environmental change is affecting the lives of everyday Americans. Following the four classical elements—air, earth, fire and water—to frame his journey, Balog explores wildfires, hurricanes, sea level rise, coal mining, and the changes in the air we breathe. He takes it further by examining the effects of the fifth element—the human element—to tell an urgent story while giving inspiration for a more balanced relationship between humanity and nature.

Why We Cycle

Why We Cycle

Gertjan Hulster, Arne Gielen, Marco te Brömmelstroet and Jeroen Dirks/2017/57 min/Transportation

Saturday, March 2, 1 p.m. [W Suburbs]
Oak Park Public Library, Oak Park

Saturday, March 9, 7 p.m. [Central]
Patagonia Chicago, Chicago
OEFF After Hours Event
BIKE RIDE CANCELED
Admission $20, includes reception & after party

FILM DESCRIPTION: There are more bicycles than people in the Netherlands, but the Dutch don’t seem to notice what a special bike culture they have. Going beyond the obvious health and economic benefits of cycling, “Why We Cycle” explores the egalitarian nature of cycling, as well as its less-obvious effects on a city’s planning and development, its residents, and society as a whole.