At the 13th annual Colorado Environmental Film Festival (CEFF), one motif pulsed across the screens: environmental justice is social justice. The mission of the festival has always been to inspire, educate, and motivate audiences to take action through the power of film. In late February, over fifty short and feature-length films were screened at the American Mountaineering Center in downtown Golden, Colorado. The festival also included an “Eco-Expo,” where patrons could interact with local businesses that promote environmental responsibility, such as solar panel services, at-home tower gardens, and a network of volunteers that monitor poaching activity in Africa from their mobile devices. From conservation to sustainability, it seemed there was no message or part of the world unreached at this festival.
Alaska Thaw (2018, directed by Bjorn Olson), the festival opener, set a beautifully somber tone not unlike the feeling one experiences when alone on a mountain top or in...
University of California Press