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One Earth Film Festival will return for its 15th year on
April 22 to 27, 2026

One Earth Film Festival is the Midwest’s premier environmental film festival, based in Chicago and reaching audiences beyond the Chicago region through some virtual offerings.

The festival creates opportunities for understanding the climate crisis, environmental justice, sustainability, resilient community-building, and the power of people to take concrete, inclusive action. It showcases top-issue, thought-provoking environmental films selected by a diverse, multigenerational slate of environmental experts and community leaders, and works to center the voices of those most impacted by climate change and environmental injustice. Post-film interactive discussions – guided by topic-area experts, advocates, and impacted community members – aim to focus on equitable solutions and the sharing of concrete actions people can take. 

Private, public, non-profit, and community partners are engaged in the sponsorship, support, and production of the festival, which has reached almost 50,000 participants since its founding in 2012. One Earth Film Festival  is a production of One Earth Collective.

Mission and Vision

The Festival commits to especially centering stories, voices, and solutions for communities of color and other marginalized groups, those most disproportionately impacted by environmental issues and climate injustices.

Mission: 

Through sustainability-themed films and facilitated discussion — educate, raise awareness, and inspire the adoption of solution-oriented sustainable actions.

Vision: 

Stimulate, energize and activate communities through deep involvement in the One Earth Film Festival, maximizing citizen reach and expanding the movement.

Other One Earth Collective Programs

One Earth Local is devoted to helping the creation of just, sustainable futures in diverse communities across Chicago and the region. To learn more about the array of sustainable communities, food justice, and environmental justice programs taking place with One Earth Local, see here.

One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest + Youth Voices

In 2013, Green Community Connections introduced the annual One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest. The contest is open to students from grades 3 through college and post-grad level and was created with the goal of engaging youth across Chicago’s rich communities – and worldwide – in the discussion about sustainability and climate justice issues and getting them thinking about equitable solutions. Each winning filmmaker will receive a cash prize and matching grant of equal value to be given to a non-profit organization chosen by the filmmaker. Winning films are featured at One Earth Film Festival. For more information, contact [email protected]. For more info about Youth Voices programming see here.