This year, I'm the executive curator of the Greenfilms Program, a series of films shown throughout the festival that raise timely issues about sustainability, the urban environment, and the planet's future. Please join me for a panel this Tuesday, March 28 at the Arclight Cinemas that will discuss the future of L.A.'s environment in the context of the films in the series. I've got some stellar panelists joining me:
- Bernadette Del Chiaro, director, Environment California’s Clean Energy Program
- Jennifer Wolch, Dean of the USC Center for Sustainable Cities
- Jim Jackson, the director/writer/producer of GREENER BUILDINGS/BLUER SKIES and formerly the president of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, the largest land trust in Ventura County, California
- Peter Barsuk, Architect, Gensler and Officer, Member, US Green Building Council
Also: my good friend and colleague Jan Perry will appear at the panel on labor and film in her role as a member of the California Film Commission. It's tomorrow, Friday, at 8 pm at the Arclight and she'll be speaking along with Sally Field, State Senator Gloria Romero, AFTRA president John Connolly, Chancee Martorell from Thai CDC, Rick Jacobs of Brave New Films, and Stacy Taylor, past president of the California Women Firefighters Association. More info here (.pdf link). A great panel!
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Greenfilms Program
Executive Curator: Eric Garcetti, President, LA City Council
Curated by: David Andrusia & Kathleen Mc Cafferty
The world is being challenged. For the first time in human history, the majority of the world's population lives in urbanized areas. The way of life of indigenous people is threatened. We are witness to ecological devastation-every day and on a global scale.
One answer: working to achieve sustainability-living off nature's income rather than consuming its capital.
This year the Silver Lake Film Festival will present a selection of some of the most riveting documentaries on the state of the planet, along with a panel discussion with environmental experts and leaders.
Films
Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action
Director: Roberta Grossman
Sunday, March 26th, 5:15 pm; ArcLight Cinemas
Monday, March 27th, 10:15 pm; ArcLight Cinemas
This gripping documentary portrays five remarkable Native-American activists who are fighting an ongoing battle to preserve their cultural and physical heritage against encroaching multi-national energy companies, our own government and the dismantling of 30 years of environmental laws.
Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea
Directors/Screenwriters: Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer
Saturday, March 25th, 2:30 pm; ArcLight Cinemas
Thursday, March 30th, 5:15 pm; ArcLight Cinemas
The Salton Sea, once a prosperous and popular resort area, has met a fate that is both horrifying and fascinating. Narrated by John Waters.
Clear Cut: The Story of Philomath, Oregon
Director/Screenwriter/Producer: Peter Richardson
A Sundance Film Festival favorite. Liberals battle conservatives in a struggling Oregon timber town, jeopardizing a 40-year-old college scholarship plan for every local high school graduate.
In the Footprint of the City
Director/Producer: Dan Tripoli
Monday, March 27th, 5:30 pm; ArcLight Cinemas
The rise and demise of what was once our nation's richest agricultural area-the Los Angeles Basin-reveals our city's hidden history through the eyes and voices of noted urban historians.
Greener Buildings, Bluer Skies
Director/Writer/Producer: Jim Jackson
Tuesday, March 28th, 7:30 pm; ArcLight Cinemas
Narrated by Ted Danson, and featuring an interview with Robert Redford, this is the story of the "greenest building" in the world-the Southern California headquarters for the Natural Resource Defense Council.
Building Green
Director/Writer/Producer: Michael Mattioli, Kevin Contreras
Tuesday, March 28th, 7:30 pm; ArcLight Cinemas
How do you build a gorgeous home AND make it better for the environment? This first show in the soon-to-be-seen PBS home improvement series will show you how.