Free Screening of Trashed with Reception

11/12/2013

Join us for a free reception and screening of the documentary TRASHED on Tuesday, November 12th at Ciné in downtown Athens co-sponsored by EcoFocus Film Festival and Athens-Clarke County Recycling Division, and organized by students from the University of Georgia.

We buy it, we bury it, we burn it, and then we ignore it. Does anyone think about what happens to all the trash we produce? TRASHED features Jeremy Irons, who sets out on a hopeful journey to discover the extent and effects of the global waste problem as he travels around the world to destinations tainted by pollution. Learn more about the film and view the trailer here: www.trashedfilm.com.

Event Itinerary:
7:00 p.m. Reception in the Ciné Lab (Food and refreshments will be served)
7:30 p.m. Film
9:00 p.m. Prize Drawing

Admission is FREE, and includes film and reception. This event is part of America Recycles Week. An event listing can be found by downloading the document below or visiting the ACC Recycling website.

Join the event on Facebook and help us spread the word! For more information, contact the Athens-Clarke County Recycling Division - 706-613-3512.

This event is sponsored by EcoFocus Film Festival and Athens-Clarke County Recycling Division. EcoFocus was initiated by UGA's Odum School of Ecology in 2007 and is presented by the Odum School, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, the UGA Office of Sustainability and Ciné.

Pandora's Promise Screening with Reception and Discussion

10/17/2013

Join us for a special screening of the award-winning documentary PANDORA'S PROMISE on Thursday, October 17th at Ciné in downtown Athens. An audience favorite at the Sundance Film Festival, PANDORA’S PROMISE asks whether the one technology we fear most - nuclear - could save our planet from a climate catastrophe. One reviewer writes: “Whatever your stance, [Robert] Stone’s compelling film opens Pandora’s box and promises to change the conversation for years to come."

This film screening and post-film discussion provides a unique opportunity for an open conversation about the future of energy production in Georgia. Learn more about the film and view the trailer here: www.pandoraspromise.com.

Panelists will include: Ms Becky Rafter, Executive Director of Georgia Women's Action for New Directions (GA WAND), Dr Rand Knight, ecologist, private business consultant, and solar energy advocate, and Dr Chris Cuomo, ethicist and professor of philosophy at UGA.

6:30 p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. Film
8:45 p.m. Discussion

Admission $9.75 ($7.50 for seniors/students). Tickets include film and reception. The first 25 UGA students with valid UGACard get in free.

Tickets (including student tickets) are available at the Ciné box office or on-line at: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/8568906831.The Ciné box office opens at 4:30 p.m. daily.

Join the event on Facebook and help us spread the word!

This event is sponsored by EcoFocus Film Festival. EcoFocus was initiated by UGA's Odum School of Ecology in 2007 and is presented by the Odum School, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, the UGA Office of Sustainability and Ciné.

EcoFocus and SOS present BLACKFISH with special guest Dr. Lori Marino

09/12/2013

Special sneak preview screening of the award-winning documentary BLACKFISH presented by EcoFocus Film Festival and the UGA student club Speak Out for Species on Thursday, September 12th at Ciné in downtown Athens. BLACKFISH offers a critical look at the consequences of keeping killer whales in captivity. This event includes reception, film, and discussion with Emory neuroscientist Dr Lori Marino. More information about the film can be found at www.blackfishmovie.com.

6:30pm Reception
7:30pm Film
Discussion with Dr. Marino

Admission $9.75 ($7.50 for seniors). Tickets include film and reception. UGA students with valid UGACard get in free.

UGA Blue Card and First Year Odyssey Event.

This event is sponsored by EcoFocus Film Festival, Ciné, and the UGA student organization Speak Out for Species. EcoFocus was initiated by UGA's Odum School of Ecology in 2007 and is presented by the Odum School, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, the UGA Office of Sustainability, and the Georgia Sea Grant.

View the BLACKFISH trailer here!

2013 Festival Highlights

04/19/2013

Thank You for a Great Festival! EcoFocus 2013 was our best festival yet, and we're so proud to be part of raising environmental awareness in this vibrant and creative region. Each year we strive to inform and inspire our community about important issues, and this year was no exception. During the festival we reached more than 1,200 audience members and an additional 200+ students at area schools. Members of the Athens and UGA communities participated in post-film discussions with filmmakers, expert panelists, and - most importantly - each other! On behalf of our presenting partners - the UGA Odum School of Ecology, Ciné, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, the UGA Office of Sustainability, and the Georgia Sea Grant - thank you for making this event a success. We couldn't do this without these important partnerships and the effort and resources of many individuals, organizations, and businesses in the Athens community and beyond. Please keep in touch with us throughout the year by following us on Facebook, where we will keep you up to date with additional events, film screening opportunities, and developments with our favorite films and our festival! Festival Highlights

Chasing Ice Opening Night Audience members enjoyed post-film discussion after Chasing Ice with (from left) Dr. Thomas Mote (UGA Geography), Adam LeWinter (Chasing Ice filmmaker), Dr. Patricia Yager (UGA Marine Sciences), Dr. Rob McDowell (UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government), and Paul Wolff (Tybee Island City Councilman).

Trash Dance Filmmakers Join EcoFocus EcoFocus audience members engaged in a fun discussion with Director Andrew Garrison and Choreographer Allison Orr about their film Trash Dance.

Audience Members Having a Great Time This is what it feels like to have an EcoFocus moment. Audience members enjoying their conversation with Director Deborah Dickson and Sculptor Todd McGrain (moderated by Dr. Richard Hall) after the screening of their film The Lost Bird Project.

Student Energy Conservation Projects Highlighted After the UGA screening of Switch Energy Project, UGA students Allie Brown, Jacob Spaulding, Tyler Faby, Will Grant, and Matthew Tyler lead an inspiring discussion highlighting their student-led energy conservation initiatives on the UGA campus. Learn more about their projects through the UGA Office of Sustainability website.

Student Group from Commerce High School Attend Chasing Ice Screening Teacher Joe Costyn brought a group of enthusiastic students to EcoFocus from Commerce High School to watch Chasing Ice and meet filmmaker Adam LeWinter and Tybee Island City Councilman Paul Wolff.

Audience Members Vote for Their Favorite Ripple Effect Films Audience members cast their vote for their favorite films in the Ripple Effect Film Project video contest presented by the Athens Clarke County Water Conservation Office. See the winners here.

Enthusiastic Audience at Water Conservation Night! Filmmakers and enthusiasts pack the seats to see films entered into the Ripple Effect Film Project contest and see Last Call at the Oasis. A great night! Big thanks to the Athens Clarke County Water Conservation Office!

EcoKids Activities Inspire Kids The EcoKids screening of an EcoFocus favorite Bag It was followed by hands-on activities to promote earth-consciousness and plastics reduction. Big thanks to Athens Montessori School for organizing the EcoKids activities!

Panel Discussion After Screening of Cafeteria Man After the screening of Cafeteria Man, local educators and advocates led a discussion of local school and community gardens, farmers market, and school lunch initiatives. Participants included Stacy Smith, School Garden Coordinator for ACC for the Community Garden Network, Teri Hamlin, Georgia Organics Northeast Georgia Farm to School Coordinator, Tad MacMillan, Principal at Clarke Middle School, Hilary Savage, Clarke County School District School Nutrition Coordinator, and Jan Kozak, Manager of the Athens Farmers Market.

Underground Dance Society Performs Before Trash Dance Screening There were so many great things about the Trash Dance screenings at EcoFocus, and here's one of them. The Underground Dance Society, an Athens-based collective of artists experimenting with traditional and site-specific performance for the community, performs before the final screening of Trash Dance.

Lost Bird Project Filmmakers Join Audience for Discussion Director Deborah Dickson and Sculptor Todd McGrain, whose story is featured in The Lost Bird Project, join the EcoFocus audience to discuss their film.

ACC Solid Waste Dept. Staff Members Attend Trash Dance Screening A big festival highlight came when staff members of the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department came to EcoFocus for a screening of Trash Dance. Thank you the Athens Clarke County Recycling Division for supporting this free screening as well as a special screening for all Solid Waste employees later next month!

Thank You! EcoFocus would like to extend a warm thank you to all of the sponsors, donors, committee members, volunteers, and audience members who made our fifth festival possible. Please support the businesses that support the festival, and we'll see you next year! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter!

Opening Night: Chasing Ice!

03/21/2013

Opening Night Event: Reception & Chasing Ice at Ciné We officially open our fifth EcoFocus Film Festival tonight with a reception and screening of Chasing Ice! Reception at 6pm! Mix, mingle, and enjoy great food with fellow EcoFocus enthusiasts and special guests. The films (The Last Ice Merchant and Chasing Ice) start at 7pm Tickets to the reception and film are $20. On-line ticket sales close today at 2pm. Remaining tickets may be purchased at the Ciné box office starting at 4pm. (See note below about added screenings) Tonight's reception is sponsored by The National, Swoon Events, and James Greenhouses. Thank you, sponsors! Special Guests Tonight One of the young adventurers featured in Chasing Ice, Mr. Adam LeWinter, will introduce the film and join Dr. Thomas Mote (UGA Geography), Dr. Patricia Yager (UGA Marine Sciences) and Dr. Rob McDowell (UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government) for a not-to-be-missed discussion after the film. If you've been to EcoFocus before, you know that the discussions are special. We hope to see you there. Chasing Ice Screenings Added to Schedule Please note that we have added two screenings of Chasing Ice tonight due to high demand. Tickets for the 4pm and 9:30pm shows are $7, and do not include the reception. On-line ticket sales close at 2pm; Ciné box office will sell tickets to these added screenings starting today at 3pm. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter!

About Chasing Ice Our feature film tonight - Chasing Ice - has won multiple festival awards (including the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Jury Prize for Best Cinematography) and was nominated in the Best Song Category for an Academy Award. Chasing Ice (see trailer) is the story of National Geographic photographer James Balog and his mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Within months of his first trip to Iceland, the photographer conceived the boldest expedition of his life: The Extreme Ice Survey. With a band of young adventurers in tow, Balog began deploying revolutionary time-lapse cameras across the brutal Arctic to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers. His hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate. Chasing Ice depicts a photographer trying to deliver evidence and hope to our carbon-powered planet.

UGA Student Ticketing Info EcoFocus tickets are available on-line or in person at the Ciné box office. Thanks to the generosity of the UGA Office of Sustainability, the first twenty UGA students who present a valid UGA ID card at the Ciné box office to obtain their free tickets. Free student tickets are not available on-line, but can be obtained at the box office well in advance. The Ciné box office opens daily at 4pm (and earlier on the weekends).

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Donors! Thank you so much for coming through with financial support for the upcoming festival. We couldn't do it without your help! If you or anyone you know would like to make a tax-deductible gift in support of the festival, please click here for more information. Thank you!! To see who came through for us this year, check out our Sponsor Page!

See Switch Tonight!

03/20/2013

Tonight: Switch Screens at UGA The fifth annual EcoFocus Film Festival starts TONIGHT with The Switch Energy Project! Here's what you need to know: Please join our Facebook event and share with your friends to help us get the word out! It's FREE! Don't worry about tickets, just show up. Miller Learning Center (at UGA), room 101. Show up a few minutes early for food and door prizes! If you're a UGA student, this is a Blue Card event. Along with Switch, you'll also see two fun 3-minute short films; The Man Who Lived on His Bike and The Artificial Leaf, 2nd place winner of the GE FOCUS FORWARD Filmmaker Competition. After the film, take part in a discussion lined up about real energy conservation projects right here at Athens and on the UGA campus Click on the above photo of half-naked Switch filmmakers standing in a lagoon to view the trailer. (We thought that might get your attention.) Big thank you to the UGA Office of Sustainability and the Georgia Climate Change Coalition for their partnership with this event! That's it. See you tonight!! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter!

EcoFocus Tickets On Sale Now! Tonight's event is free. Tickets for the rest of the festival can be purchased on-line or in person at the Ciné box office. Thanks to the generosity of the UGA Office of Sustainability, the first twenty UGA students who present a valid UGA ID card at the Ciné box office to obtain their free tickets. Free student tickets are not available on-line, but can be obtained at the box office well in advance. The Ciné box office opens daily at 4pm (and earlier on the weekends).

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Donors! Thank you so much for coming through with financial support for the upcoming festival. We couldn't do it without your help! If you or anyone you know would like to make a tax-deductible gift in support of the festival, please click here for more information. Thank you!! To see who came through for us this year, check out our Sponsor Page!

EcoFocus 2013 Kicks Off This Week!

03/18/2013

The fifth annual EcoFocus Film Festival begins THIS WEDNESDAY, March 20th with a free 7pm screening of The Switch Energy Project at the Miller Learning Center on the UGA campus (room 101). After Wednesday, the festival moves down to Ciné in downtown Athens. Our festival will present 20 films, including Academy Award nominees Chasing Ice and The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, Sundance Jury Prize winner Irish Folk Furniture, and the United States premiere of The Human Scale. Our complete schedule and updates are available at www.ecofocusfilmfest.org. We are adding special guests each day, so please check our website and Facebook page for updated event details! Speakers and Guests We love filmmakers, and we're so grateful that they have chosen to make dazzling films about important issues. We are excited to announce that the following folks will join us - either in person or via video-chat - after their films for audience questions and discussion. We also have a fantastic group of local speakers, experts, enthusiasts, and activists who will be joining us after the films. Our filmmakers include: Adam LeWinter of Chasing Ice will join us for opening night on Thursday, March 21st at 6pm! Adam joined the Extreme Ice Survey (which is featured in the film) in 2007, and continues to work on capturing the changing landscape of the Greenland ice sheet. Director Deborah Dickson and Sculptor Todd McGrain, whose work is featured in The Lost Bird Project will join us after their film screens on Saturday, March 23rd at 1:30pm. Directors Beth and George Gage, whose film Bidder 70 screens on Saturday, March 23rd at 4:30pm will join us after the film to talk about the experience of making their film that documents Tim DeChristopher's courageous story. Trash Dance Director Andrew Garrison and choreographer Allison Orr, whose project is the subject of the film, will join us after their film screens on Sunday 3/24 at 5pm. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter!

Tickets On Sale Now! Tickets can be purchased on-line or in person at the Ciné box office. Buy tickets and learn about all of the films and the schedule here! Thanks to the generosity of the UGA Office of Sustainability, the first twenty UGA students who present a valid UGA ID card at the Ciné box office to obtain their free tickets. Free student tickets are not available on-line, but can be obtained at the box office well in advance. In other words, UGA students, if you're coming to EcoFocus, go to Ciné and get your tickets now! Ciné is at 234 W. Hancock Avenue in downtown Athens, GA. Box office opens daily at 4pm (and earlier on the weekends).

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Donors! Thank you so much for coming through with financial support for the upcoming festival. We couldn't do it without your help! If you or anyone you know would like to make a tax-deductible gift in support of the festival, please click here for more information. Thank you!! To see who came through for us this year, check out our Sponsor Page!

EcoFocus is Just Around the Corner!

03/08/2013

EcoFocus is Just Around the Corner! The fifth annual EcoFocus Film Festival begins on March 20th - less than two weeks from today. Our festival will present 20 films, including Academy Award nominees Chasing Ice and The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, Sundance Jury Prize winner Irish Folk Furniture, and the United States premiere of The Human Scale. Our complete schedule and updates are available at www.ecofocusfilmfest.org. We are adding special guests each day, so please check our website and Facebook page for updated event details! Special EcoFocus Guests We love filmmakers, and we're so grateful that they have chosen to make dazzling films about important issues. We are excited to announce that Mr. Adam LeWinter of Chasing Ice will join us for opening night on Thursday, March 21st at 6pm! Adam joined the Extreme Ice Survey (which is featured in the film) in 2007, and continues to work on capturing the changing landscape of the Greenland ice sheet. Director Deborah Dickson and Sculptor Todd McGrain, whose work is featured in The Lost Bird Project will join us for a on-line video chat after the screening of their film on Saturday, March 23rd at 1:30pm. Directors Beth and George Gage, whose film Bidder 70 screens on Saturday, March 23rd at 4:30pm will join us after the film to talk about their film, Tim DeChristopher (whose story is the subject of the film) and natural gas extraction. There are lots more speakers lined up, and stay tuned for more details! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter!

Tickets On Sale Now! Tickets are on sale, and going quickly! Tickets can be purchased on-line or in person at the Ciné box office. Buy tickets and learn about all of the films and the schedule here! Thanks to the generosity of the UGA Office of Sustainability, the first twenty UGA students who present a valid UGA ID card at the Ciné box office to obtain their free tickets. Free student tickets are not available on-line, but can be obtained at the box office well in advance. In other words, UGA students, if you're coming to EcoFocus, go to Ciné and get your tickets now! Ciné is at 234 W. Hancock Avenue in downtown Athens, GA. Box office opens daily at 4pm (and earlier on the weekends).

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Donors! Thank you so much for coming through with financial support for the upcoming festival. We couldn't do it without your help! If you or anyone you know would like to make a tax-deductible gift in support of the festival, please click on the Donate button below for more information. Thank you!! To see who came through for us this year, check out our Sponsor Page!

Preview Party and Tickets On Sale!

03/01/2013

Preview Party TONIGHT @ Ciné Tonight from 5:30-7:00pm, join us at our main festival venue - Ciné - for the EcoFocus 2013 Festival Preview Party! Enjoy drink specials, snacks (thanks to The National), and a sneak peek at the EcoFocus festival trailer and feature film trailers from the festival line-up. Visit with fellow film and eco-enthusiasts as we anticipate the upcoming festival. You can also pick up our brand new program guide and purchase EcoFocus tickets and merchandise. See you there! Ciné is at 234 W. Hancock Avenue in downtown Athens, GA! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter!

Tickets On Sale Now! Ticket sales are now open! Tickets can be purchased on-line or in person at the Ciné box office. Buy tickets and learn about all of the films and the schedule here! For the very first time, the first 20 UGA students will be admitted into each festival screening for free. Thanks to the generosity of the UGA Office of Sustainability, UGA students can show their UGA student ID card at the Ciné box office to obtain their free tickets. Student tickets are limited to the first twenty students, so get them early!

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Donors! We asked, you listened! Thank you so much for coming through with financial support for the upcoming festival. We couldn't do it without your help! If you or anyone you know would like to make a tax-deductible gift in support of the festival, please click on the Donate button below for more information. Thank you!! To see who came through for us this year, check out our Sponsor Page!

Announcing Our 2013 Film Line-Up!

02/25/2013

We are pleased to announce the 2013 EcoFocus line-up! We've selected over twenty films to inform and inspire you about this great place we live in, including films about climate change, urban planning, energy, wind power, and more. We're covering a lot of ground this year and can't wait to show you what we've come up with. You can learn about all of the films and the schedule here! Tickets for the festival will go on sale this Friday, too! For the very first time, UGA students will be admitted into the festival for free! Thanks to the generosity of the UGA Office of Sustainability, UGA students can show their UGA student ID card at the Ciné box office to obtain their free tickets. Student tickets are limited; get them early!

EcoFocus Presents the Jekyll Island Green Screen

02/16/2013

EcoFocus Film Festival presents the Jekyll Island Green Screen, a premiere event on the Georgia Coast. EcoFocus is bringing the visually stunning and award-winning new documentary Chasing Ice to the Golden Isles for one night only. To be held on the evening of Saturday, February 16th at the new Jekyll Island Convention Center, the Jekyll Island Green Screen will open with a reception, including hors d’oeuvres and cash bar, and featuring presentations by researchers working on Georgia’s wild and beautiful barrier islands.

Chasing Ice (See trailer) is the story of National Geographic photographer James Balog - a climate change skeptic - and his mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Within months of his first trip to Iceland, the photographer conceived the boldest expedition of his life: The Extreme Ice Survey. With a band of young adventurers in tow, Balog began deploying revolutionary time-lapse cameras across the brutal Arctic to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers. His hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate. Chasing Ice depicts a photographer trying to deliver evidence and hope to our carbon-powered planet.

Chasing Ice is for for everyone, whether you are an outdoor-adventurer, a photographer, a conservationist, or a skeptic. Even if you just want an excuse to come to Jekyll Island and watch a good movie, we hope you will take advantage of this unique opportunity. Stick around after the screening – a panel of experts will discuss the film and take your questions – and stick around on Jekyll Island for the weekend, Georgia’s nearest faraway place. Join Tidelands Nature Center for their annual “Art Inspired by Nature” sale the following day.

This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by "joining" our Facebook event here.

See the Chasing Ice trailer here!

Schedule of events:
5:30-6:30 p.m. Cocktails and Conversation with Georgia barrier-island researchers
6:30-8:15 p.m. Film presentation
8:15-9:00 p.m. Panel discussion featuring invited experts

Event Location:
The Jekyll Island Convention Center
75 North Beachview Drive, Jekyll Island, GA 31527 (map)

Sponsored by:
EcoFocus Film Festival, Georgia Sea Grant, Jekyll Island Authority, Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve-Coastal Training Program, UGA Marine Extension Service and UGA Public Service and Outreach.

Lodging Information:
Want to make a weekend out of it? Check out Jekyll Island lodging information here!

Support EcoFocus 2013!

01/02/2013

We are excited to bring you the fifth EcoFocus Film Festival on March 21-24, 2013. Each year since 2008, EcoFocus has brought quality films and meaningful discussions to Athens audiences to inform and inspire our community about important environmental issues. EcoFocus is an initiative of the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, in partnership with the UGA Office of Sustainability, the UGA Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, Athens Ciné, and many partners and participants from the Athens community.

EcoFocus relies primarily upon contributions from foundations, individual donors, and companies/organizations who support our mission. Opportunities to support the 2013 festival are now available. By making a financial contribution, you have the unique opportunity to directly support a homegrown, local event that supports environmental awareness and social responsibility. If your support is a business or organizational sponsorship, you can gain increased exposure for your company or organization through our website, social media, and print media campaigns.

Several sponsorship levels are available, and all contributions are tax-deductible. If you would like to support EcoFocus, please return the sponsor form no later than January 31, 2013.

Donations can be made via check or on-line. Please see our Donate! page to download sponsorship forms and more information.

Thank you for your support!