Check Out Past CEFF Films

PLAY NOW (35 minutes)

This is the 9th year of the Urban Water Cycle Bike Tour that connects people to their water by engaging passionate water resource managers to present information about the status of our water as we ride along different urban waterways.

Directed by: Amy Conklin

PLAY NOW (7 minutes)

In 2018, the historic Camp Fire destroyed the town Paradise and killed 85 people. In its wake, the community gathered to talk about their values and enact them in the rebuilding. This film is set 50 years in the future and reflects on the rebuilding process in Paradise.

Directed by: Allen Myers

PLAY NOW (46 minutes)

When the Gold King Mine Spill happened on August 5, 2015 in Silverton, Colorado, local leaders were not informed. And 50 miles downstream in Durango, Colorado, folks didn’t care about acid mine drainage – until the river turned orange.

Directed by: Tom Schillaci

PLAY NOW (15 minutes)

Featured in 2021 CEFF 4 Kids Screening

This is the story of spending a night in a big old gumtree. Strapped to three builders planks- one of which had a large crack that I thought was spilled paint, I slept with one eye open, which was pleasant because I could see the view. Originally driven by the premise of backyard adventuring, using old climbing kit and dodgy ladders, a simple night out, 30-foot up, ended up being a reflection of how much I like trees, particularly the vulnerable Strzelecki gums I live among.

Directed by: Beau Miles

PLAY NOW (4 minutes)

Breathing Drill tells the story of Derrick, a young black man, who encounters oil pumps and refineries on his way home from school. The pollution triggers his asthma and as he tries to recover and get his breathing under control he is confronted by law enforcement. This story furthers the dialogue on the impacts of environmental racism on communities of color and pushes the question: What can be done so that these marginalized communities can finally breathe easy?

Directed by: Natasha Nutkiewicz

PLAY NOW (15 minutes)

There are over 4,000 species of native bees in North America, many of which are in decline due to factors such as urbanization and habitat destruction. Their plight is overshadowed by the invasive but agriculturally significant honeybees. “Save the Bee” campaigns have grown in popularity, but they focus on domesticated honeybees, while the native bees, so critical to our ecosystems are lacking conservation attention.

Directed by: Brooke McDonough

PLAY NOW (8 minutes)

Featured in 2021 CEFF 4 Kids Screening

Plastic pollution is a big problem and many companies and organizations are making changes to reduce their waste. This video will share the problem of plastic pollution, and how we can make a change in your community and home.

Directed by: Maiana Nelson

PLAY NOW (47 minutes)

The effects and risks of climate change are compelling young people the world round to call upon radical system change as the only solution to avoid a catastrophic collapse. Fairytales of Growth looks at the role economic growth has had in bringing about this crisis, and explores the alternatives to it, offering a vision of hope for the future and a better life for all within planetary boundaries.

Directed by: Pierre Smith Khanna

PLAY NOW (42 minutes)

This film looks at real-life solutions to challenges plaguing farmers, such as water scarcity, soil degradation and the ravages of climate change. The flip side of that coin is a regenerative agriculture that means farmers can rebuild degraded natural resources and be more resilient in the face of mounting challenges.

Directed by: Leo Horrigan

PLAY NOW (1 hour and 2 minutes)

The Maijuna are one of the smallest and most endangered indigenous groups in the Peruvian Amazon. This film tells their inspiring story as they fight for their biologically rich ancestral lands and cultural survival.

Directed by: Jacob Wagner

PLAY NOW (4 minutes)

Rampant illegal fishing exposed in North Korean waters. Groundbreaking analysis by Global Fishing Watch marks the beginning of a new era in satellite monitoring of global fishing activity and reinforces the importance of greater transparency to fight illegal fishing.

Directed by: Ryan Ffrench

PLAY NOW (4 minutes)

Immuto (Change) features members of indigenous and local communities and other activists from different parts of the globe voicing their concerns and describing their diverse efforts to adapt to changes, conserve territories, reform laws, and keep carbon in the ground. Every participant in Immuto comes forward as an agent of change in their respective context. More than isolated stakeholders, they powerfully reach out to viewers to assert the need for recognition and reciprocity, prevailing upon us — in the words of one contributor – to find a way to walk side by side so that together we can find a way to benefit the whole world.

Directed by: Janis Steele & Brooks McCutchen

PLAY NOW (12 minutes)

Featured in 2021 CEFF 4 Kids Screening

The conservation activities and educational benefits of the Bigfork High School Cave Club of northwest Montana

Directed by: Lochlan Jessop, Scout Jessop, Ryan Cantrell, Louis Jessop

RENT NOW (1 hour 25 minutes)

Winner of 2021 CEFF Best of Fest Award

Kiss the Ground reveals that, by regenerating the world’s soils, we can completely and rapidly stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems and create abundant food supplies. Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film artfully illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is the missing piece of the climate puzzle.

Directed by: Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell

PLAY NOW (2 minutes)

Featured in 2021 CEFF 4 Kids Screening

A Jefferson County, Colorado third-grader takes action on her concerns about environmental damage from plastics and Styrofoam.

Directed by: Jack Maher

PLAY NOW (5 minutes)

Winner of 2021 CEFF Best Youth Film Award

Featured in 2021 CEFF 4 Kids Screening

The Earth is dying. Climate change is the most important issue the world is facing today. I want to challenge everybody who watches my film to look within themselves, for how they can help. I composed the musical score in a minor key to show how serious the issue is. My title comes from a quotation from teenage climate activist Greta Thornburg, “…you are never too small to make a difference.” Kids have powerful voices, and I hope my film encourages everyone to use their voices to make a difference.

Directed by: Mason Mirabile

PLAY NOW (16 minutes)

The Little Snake River is the last of its kind in the Colorado River Basin. Steady, not flashy. Pretty, not perfect. And without any fanfare at all, the Little Snake quietly does the work that keeps the rest of the Colorado River system functioning as nature intended, moving millions of tons of sediment downstream in seasonal pulses, recharging downstream beaches and bottomland and critical fish habitat.

Directed by: Cody M. Perry

RENT NOW (51 minutes)

20 years ago, a young group of social entrepreneurs started a company to sustainably harvest acai in the Brazilian rainforest. Along the way, they joined a movement of purpose-driven companies looking to change the world through an alternative economic model. These “triple bottom line” businesses measure success not only financially but also socially and environmentally. Their practice of “conscious commerce” addresses some of today’s most challenging issues. This award-winning documentary empowers viewers to be part of the solution by “voting with their dollars” and supporting brands and products that make positive change for the planet.

Directed by: Richard Yelland

PLAY NOW (5 minutes)

Sustain Music & Nature is a nonprofit that makes music a force for nature. This music video is part of our national Songscapes series that pairs bands with public lands to create songs and music videos inspired by national parks, forests and wildlife refuges. Our latest (premiering with American Songwriter on Oct 20) features Americana cellist and activist, Ben Sollee, at Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in NJ.

Directed by: Mallory Cunningham

PLAY NOW (55 minutes)

“The Adventures of Wonder Woman” looks at the Peruvian government’s clampdown on illegal gold mining in Madre de Dios State, in southern Peru, focusing on the work of Chief Environmental Prosecutor, Karina Garay. The film also uncovers the story of how a new road, the inter-oceanic highway, leads to the massive migration of poor peasant farmers from neighbouring Andean states like Cusco.

Directed by: Max Baring, Dan Collyns, Anastasia Moloney

PLAY NOW (6 minutes)

In 2015, Steve and Tracy Hennigan purchased a home with a plan to renovate the property to be the most sustainable and energy-efficient home imaginable. They wanted to capture the earth’s natural resources (sun, rain, and geothermal) and prove that modern comforts and smart investments don’t have to come at the expense of the environment.

Directed by: Tom Attwater, Patrick Attwater

PLAY NOW (20 minutes)

Over one-third of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Because food waste has severe social, economic, and environmental consequences, it is a key sustainability challenge. Fortunately, the people of Denmark are leading the effort to combat this global issue.

Directed by: Elise M. Dadourian

PLAY NOW (21 minutes)

Featured in 2021 CEFF 4 Kids Screening

An honest conversation about our consumption-crazed culture.

Directed by: Michael Oheany

Ken Sleight watched the place he called home, Glen Canyon, slowly drown under the waters of Lake Powell. That loss changed him from an old-school conservative into a radical environmental activist who will do anything to protect the canyons of the Southwest. He’s faced down raging bulldozers from the back of his horse. Monkeywrenched? He’ll never tell – but he was the inspiration for Seldom Seen Smith in his buddy Ed Abbey’s classic book THE MONKEY WRENCH GANG. Now 90, he’s still fighting for Glen Canyon Dam to be brought down and the river freed. Climate change may make that a real possibility.

Directed by: Chris Simon

PLAY NOW (4 minutes)

Featured in 2021 CEFF 4 Kids Screening

A Happier Earth is a lively stop-motion film about pollution caused by transportation, and what we can do now to keep the Earth healthy for generations to come.

Directed by: Marin Chalmers, Daniela Arezina