Overview:
Our efforts focus on, but are not limited to bringing conservation films to Monteverde, Costa Rica. We are motivated by the power of environmental documentary films to inform and inspire people of all kinds to understand and protect nature. Monteverde is a nexus of remarkable conservation, education, and community-based actions to protect biodiversity, enhance ecosystem health, and promote sustainability. Its residents and visitors will benefit from viewing, discussing, and sharing their insights about these films.
The creation of the first Monteverde Conservation Film Festival (MCFF) aims to generate engagement and facilitate exchange about nature conservation and sustainability through the medium of short documentary films. This extends existing efforts to disseminate films by Mountainfilm on Tour, based in Telluride, Colorado, USA.
Co-leaders worked with Mountainfilm staff to select the films from those screened at the 2023 Mountainfilm Festival, based on criteria that would match the interests of people in Monteverde (Appendix 1). Films are short documentaries (3-26 min), created by independent filmmakers. We have had all of the films subtitled in Spanish.
The festival will take place on January 27-28, 2024, from 5-7:30 pm, at the Caburé/Bat-Jungle theater. Films will be shown free of charge (but with tickets required and a modest donation requested) in two 60-min blocks, with a 15-minute intermission. At the end of each block, the director of one film will provide a zoom Q&A session with members of the audience. Viewers can sign up for "MCFF Conversations" in local restaurants on days following the Festival.
The MCFF will also serve as an active springboard to increase awareness and encourage support for existing conservation, education, and sustainability organizations and programs. Each Collaborating Partner group (Appendix 3) will offer information and opportunities at a table at the Festival venue, to solicit funds, ideas, and volunteer help.
To inform and inspire the next generation, films will also be shown at local and regional high schools, with accompanying educational materials and activities, facilitated by the Monteverde Institute. The MCFF plans to offer one or more basic environmental film making workshops after the Festival.
Collaborating Partners provide support, guidance, and resources to deepen the MCFF experience beyond the viewing of films, by offering ways that will inspire viewers to take positive actions. Our Advisory Team provides oversight and guidance on films, conservation, research, education, and sustainability (Appendix 4).
The MCFF acknowledges, with thanks, contributions from the Broader Impacts portion of a research project that is supported by the National Science Foundation (IOS 21-30111) to Sybil Gotsch and her research team (2020-2024). Mountainfilm on Tour (Telluride, Colorado, USA) provided access to films and filmmakers.
Appendix 1. Film Selection Criteria
1. Films should have content/action around the natural world, conservation, ecological restoration, or natural history.
2. Films can be about the wonders of nature, not necessarily only about ACTIONS taken to protect nature).
3. Films locales can occur in all parts of the world
4. Forests are of great interest, but marine/freshwater conservation films can also work.
5. Films that inform us of how small actions (and small numbers of people, even a single individual) can “make a difference” in conservation.
6. Films that depict a diversity of approaches to conservation, diversity of people involved in conservation, and a diversity of outcomes from conservation actions.
7. We wish to have people associated with some of these films (directors, producers, subjects) available to provide exchange with audiences when films are screened.
8. Some films should be appropriate to children/families and to youth/high school students
9. Films that promote a dialogue, to foster discussions after the Festival.
10. Films that show the reality of environmental issues – challenges and successes – locally, regionally, and internationally.
11. Films should empower the audience to be aware of or take actions to protect biodiversity, enhance ecosystem functions, or mitigate consequences of climate change.