Cinema Verde is an annual film and arts festival that focuses on the environment and sustainability. “The logo for the festival is the passion flower, and the festival aims to inspire us all to transform our world by creating a sustainable economy and culture.” Lynn Dirk, Board Member

Cinema Verde provides environmental education through film and the arts. We bring community organizations, businesses and citizens together to forge sustainable solutions for our future.

The Festival films are powerful and shocking, moving and compelling, enlightening and frightening, and sometimes funny and sweet – all focused on the many ways our lives are tightly woven into our environment, how we treat the environment and how that comes back to us. The films topics range from A to Z: animals, climate, chemicals, economics, energy, food, happiness, nature, plastics, resources, sustainability, waste, water, and zeroing in on solutions.

With personal stories, revealing images, and dynamic illustrations of causes and effects, these films are an antidote to bad news headlines and long complicated explanations in print.

Cinema Verde brings together art and films that open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds so that a passion will flower in us to preserve the quality of our world and to save us from ourselves.

History

Since 2010, Cinema Verde has hosted a multidisciplinary program of film, music, visual arts exhibitions, workshops, and public forums focused on broad themes related to the environment and cultural sustainability to increase public awareness about environmental practices that enhance public health and improve quality of life in urban, suburban, and rural settings. The Festival serves as a forum to bring together community organizations, businesses, and citizens to discuss the need for and ways to build a sustainable culture

An integral part of the festival is a film competition. A call for entries is issued worldwide at a recognized website for film makers. The competition has categories for professionals and students–high school and college. Winning films are recognized at an award ceremony and shown during the festival. The film contestants are invited to come to Gainesville. In previous years, we have received films from all around the world.

In addition to screening films, Cinema Verde brings national, international, and local filmmakers, artists, scientists, and government and community leaders to the festival in person and by skype to discuss the films and the issues with audiences after films and at related events such as forums to collaborate toward creating a more sustainable community.

The 4th Annual Cinema Verde Environmental Film and Arts Festival is a production of GoGreenNation.org.