Green Film Fest strives to inspire
Since its inception seven years ago, the San Francisco Green Film Fest has taken on tough environmental issues such as global warming and pollution, but even as the weeklong event has highlighted dire problems, the goal has always been to offer inspiration and hope.
That desire to find a higher ground will be abundantly evident on the screen again this year: The opening-night feature Thursday, April 20, will be the crowdpleasing “Evolution of Organic,” a tribute to organic farming. And closing the festival April 26 will be “Twelve Pianos,” a lovingly made metaphor about the arts and the environment.
Despite a national political climate at a fever pitch and fears that the U.S. government no longer considers it a high priority to protect the environment, festival organizers are taking the long view, in the belief that change has to come one person at a time.
“There have always been huge threats,” said Rachel Caplan, founder and CEO of the festival. “The environmental movement is used to hurdles, so this is nothing new.
“It’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the environmental challenges we are facing. What we hope with the festival is that people will find their one passion and take it on. It’s impossible to solve everything, but you can do one thing and really make a difference.”
The festival, one of the most important green fests in North America, brings together a broad cross-section of people from all over the Bay Area, including blogger moms, young people, urban farmers and tech scientists. “It’s like the Women’s March,” Caplan said. “It’s for everybody.”
The Green Film Fest will become perhaps the first festival in the United States to give viewers the “F” rating system, grading films on how they incorporate women. For example, the formidable centerpiece film, “Rise: Standing Rock,” earned a triple “F” score — the highest rating possible — for the number of women it used both in front of and behind the camera.
The festival also will screen several films that focus on food justice and sustainability — “Every plate tells a story,” Caplan says — and will for the first time offer a $5,000 prize to a Bay Area independent filmmaker in the lineup.
Here are some highlights: Evolution of Organic: The opening-night film, a delightful, informative documentary from San Francisco director Mark Kitchell, traces the rise of organic farming, from its humble hippie-dippy beginnings to its rise as a multibillion-dollar business that changed how we eat. 7:30 p.m., April 20, Castro.
To see a trailer: tinyurl.com/khvdnx7 Rise: Standing Rock: One of the nation’s most pressing environmental issues, construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, gets the spotlight in this powerful, emotional documentary. This centerpiece film is
not just about the protests — it’s about the amazing people behind them. 8:15 p.m., April 23, Roxie.
To see a trailer: tinyurl.com/myh8vr5 Twelve Pianos: The star of the closing-night film is about artist Mauro ffortisimo and the Bay Area locations in which he stages his piano installations. The musical performances in this documentary are beautifully filmed, and the final frames are magic — a paean to both the arts and the environment.
To see a trailer: tinyurl.com/m2dkacw 4 Wheel Bob: In this engaging documentary, irrepressible Livermore adventurer Bob Coomber attempts to navigate a 12,000-foot Sierra Nevada mountain peak in his wheelchair. It’s a film about cherishing the great outdoors — and getting the most out of your life. 3:15 p.m., April 22, Roxie.
To see a trailer: tinyurl.com/lj94lfm Generation on the Wind: This ahead-ofits-time documentary, nominated for an Oscar in 1979, follows a band of environmental activists who attempt to construct a huge electrical windmill. A newly remastered version of the film will be screened. 6:30 p.m., April 23, Roxie.
‘Twelve Pianos’: The final frames of this documentary are magic — a paean to both the arts and the environment.