The Greenhorns, free documentary film this Tuesday night at Eckerd

The 13th Annual Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival begins this Friday, February 18th. The festival brings films to the Tampa Bay area in order to raise awareness and promote discussion of questions relating to nature, place and the environment.

Programs at this year’s festival highlight themes such as reincarnation, plastic bags, forgotten things, global warming, natural gas, independent farming, insect obsessions, astronomy and urban bird watching. Plus, there will be a number of short films featured, some straight out of Sundance 2011, and others the winners of a 2011 environmental short film competition. All films are free and open to the public, and screen in the Miller Auditorium of Eckerd College.

Monday, February 21, 7pm - Split Estate, dir. by Debra Anderson

Examines the impact on human lives of the natural gas industry. The film will be introduced by the director, who will lead a discussion afterwards.

Tuesday, February 22, 7pm - Greenhorns; and Nourish: Food + Community

Two short films: about young farmers in America, and about our changing relationships to food in a global economy. The film will be introduced by Eckerd professor Kip Curtis and some "Greenhorn" farmers.

Wednesday, February 23, 7pm - Beetlequeen Conquers Tokyo, dir. by Jessica Oreck

A documentary exploring Japan's longstanding love affair with bugs. The film will be introduced by Eckerd Professor of Japanese Eileen Mikals-Adachi.

Thursday, February 24, 7pm - Bag It!

An average guy (Jeb Berrier, who will be here to present the film) decides to stop using plastic bags and it ends up changing his life.

Friday, February 25, 7pm - Nostalgia for the Light

A gorgeous and provocative essay film that examines two seemingly unrelated phenomena in the Atacama desert of Chile: astronomers search the skies for timeless truths and families search the ground for the remains of their loved ones who disappeared during the brutal regime of Pinochet.

Saturday, February 26, 7pm - Legend of the Pale Male

A delightful documentary following the fame of a wild redtail hawk who made his home among the tall buildings of downtown New York City. The film will be introduced by its producer, Janet Hess, who is also series editor of the PBS series Nature.

For more information and a complete program, see the website at http://www.eckerd.edu/eff. The "Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature," Environmental Film Festival is coordinated by Cathy Griggs, Eckerd College Prof. of Environmental Studies, and Nathan Andersen, Eckerd College Prof. of Philosophy. Major support is provided by the Phoenix Venture Philanthropy Foundation.

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The Garden, at The Eleventh Annual Environmental Film Festival at Eckerd College

Urban Ecology - The Garden, directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy

When: February 28, 2009, 7 pm

Credits

Director, Cinematographer, Editor: Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Length: 80 mins

Introduced by: Nathan Andersen, Associate Professor of Philosophy, and Kelly Schiller, Senior in Political Science and Environmental Studies

The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country's most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community.

But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.

The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers:

Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer for millions less than fair-market value? Why was the transaction done in a closed-door session of the LA City Council? Why has it never been made public?

And the powers-that-be have the same response: "The garden is wonderful, but there is nothing more we can do."

If everyone told you nothing more could be done, would you give up?

The film was an official selection of Silverdocs and the LA Film Festival and is currently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary of 2009!

The Eleventh Annual Environmental Film Festival at Eckerd College

February 21 to 28, 2009

General Information

All programs are free and open to the general public.

Eckerd College is located at 4200 54th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida. Click here for driving directions and maps to Eckerd College.

For further information, please contact the Eckerd College Office of Communications at 727-864-7979 or events@eckerd.edu.

Program

All screenings are at 7 p.m. in The Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium at Eckerd College except Sunday, February 22 at 2 p.m.

All programs will be preceded by a short reception with the presenter and will feature an opportunity for audience questions immediately after the program. Refreshments will be available in the lobby of The Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium