The Colorado Environmental Film Festival, held in Golden, Colorado, once again delivered a bounty of environmental films from all over the world.  CEFF celebrated its 5th year featuring films that many will not see in the theaters or from Netflix. 

The festival was held at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden and was kicked off on Thursday, November 4th at Bridgewater Grill.  Films were shown over the next two days and they varied from climate change, renewable energy to wildlife and activism.

This examiner only watched a few films, but one of the favorites was Milking the Rhino as the best feature, which depicted the conflict between people and animals in Africa.  The conflict between stewardship and poaching rages on, however the film shows how the poachers are now becoming conservationists protecting the very animals they used to slaughter.

Play Again was regarded as the best educational film for kids, parents and educators to get children outdoors and active.  Our children are growing in the electronic age, where they become disconnected from nature with computers, cell phones, and televisions.  Children spend thousands of hours every year glued to these electronic devices, but are losing touch with nature.  According to the film, an average American child spends 5-15 hours a day behind screens.

The documentary follows six teenagers adventure from being totally plugged in to being completely disconnected from their electronic devices.  They follow the teens on a trek in the wilderness with no cell phones or other electronic devices and records how they connect with nature. 

Best short film went to Die Rechnung, “The Bill”, a German film consisting of a five minute conversation with three men in a bar discussion food, trips, cars, and other luxuries, until they get the bill.  A great film you can see for free on You Tube with subtitles.  Look at who actually pays for the things we have imported from all over the world. 

The best activism film was Global Alarm, which is a short eight minute Danish film with subtitles depicted as a thriller.  The film addresses climate change in a very dramatic way.

Another film this examiner saw was A Simple Question: The Story of STRAW, which is about a movement in Northern California.  The organization organized elementary students to activate in addressing the disappearance of a small invertebrate, the fresh water shrimp.  The movement began in 1992 and is a partnership between elementary schools, farmers, and a non-profit organization called the Bay Institute and  the movement called Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (STRAW).  The film shows how children can not only make a difference for the endangered species, but enhance their learning and build positive relationships with farmers and landowners by planting trees.

Another favorite was Butterflies and Bulldozers:  David Schooley, Fred Smith and the Fight for San Bruno Mountain.  This was a lifetime commitment by community members to save San Bruno Mountain from developers in the Bay Area of California.  When biologists discovered that three rare butterflies lived exclusively on San Bruno Mountain, the battle between real estate developers and environmentalists ensued.

The festival ended with a reception with food provided by Whole Foods, and many other local vendors.  It was a time to share viewpoints on films and viewpoints on the state of our planet.  What can you do to make a difference?

Many of these films you can purchase online or view online, which are educational for all ages.  To learn more about the films featured at this year’s CEFF, check out: http://www.ceff.net/.

You can also volunteer for the festival next year, like this examiner did, and see the films for free.