Words by Smiley Team
Since its launch in 2011, the annual UK Green Film Festival has inspired viewers to take action for the climate. This year’s charity festival, coming to cinemas around the UK, offers an optimistic message that everyone has the power to drive positive change.
From the five documentaries featured in its programme, a diverse range of characters demonstrate ways individuals can make a difference for our planet.
In the film ‘Jozi Gold’, for example, you see how grandmother Mariette Liefferink stands up against a polluting mine, in true Erin Brockovich fashion.
“She takes on this whole corporation,” explains festival producer, Amy Hepton, with great enthusiasm, “and it shows that nobody's too small to make a difference. I think that's just so extremely cool and exciting.”
[Get inspired by initiatives around the world driving positive action for the climate]
Meanwhile, another film in their lineup, ‘Now’, reveals how younger generations are transforming into an increasingly powerful force to tackle climate change.
When teenagers at a youth radio station reviewed the film, Amy was astounded by the impact it had on them. “Talking about the film, these young radio presenters showed how it had really made them believe that they, too, could actually do something about the crisis,” she says.
In the other films listed, you see similar examples of everyday people discovering that they have the ability to reshape society for the better, be it confronting a destructive logging company or building a new sustainable community.
[Read more positive news about people changing our world for the better]
Through seeing positive initiatives on screen, the festival’s audiences sometimes go on to take tangible action themselves. Amy says that one year, they showed a film about bees to promote a Friends of the Earth campaign. This beautiful documentary inspired many cinemagoers to support the charity’s initiative to protect these vital pollinators.
It’s from these audience reactions, that the festival organisers draw hope in the power of film to drive climate action. “Watching films is one of the best ways you can learn about different issues and get really engaged,” Amy adds. “A good film brings to life topics that are otherwise difficult to understand. It puts you right at the centre, helping you empathise with the characters and engage with the science.”
Discover the full programme and more at ukgreenfilmfestival.org.
To support the UK Green Film Festival and help them continue their important work, donate here.
