These films make use of environmental themes in unexpected and provocative ways. You will meet a lightbulb who is jealous of the sun, a parrot who takes you on an excursion to the home of wild animals, a little octopus who moonlights as a lounge singer, bees who have parties and a brave boy who gathers firewood alone. Along the way, you’ll learn about the world’s oceans, our water and energy supply and threats to animals and insects.

Papa Cloudy’s Restaurant

(Akiko McQuerrey, USA, animation, 2013, 5:51 min) In English.

An octopus sings about overfishing and inspires Papa Cloudy to make sustainable dishes with love.

Shadow Reef

(Elke Specker, USA, live action, 2014, 4:56 min) In English.

A spectacular documentary on the beauty of our oceans and marine ecosystems, narrated by a child.

Lighta

(Andrej Gregorčok, Slovakia, animation, 2012, 10:37 min) Nonverbal.

A little lightbulb is jealous of the sun. Is there a way they can work together?

The Colors for Leo

(Zarah Knebel, Spain, live action and animation, 2014, 14 min) In Spanish with English subtitles.

A parrot takes a young artist on a painterly journey to a land of trapped exotic animals.

Vigia

(Marcel Barelli, Switzerland/France, animation, 2013, 7:45 min) In Swiss Italian dialect with English subtitles.

The filmmaker’s grandfather tells a vivid, witty story about bees and their desperate search for a safe place to live.

Ain’t No Fish

(Tom Gasek and Miki Cash, USA/UK, animation, 2013, 3:40 min) In English.

Seals and fish sing a Hoagy Carmichael song to protest oil and pollutants invading their Arctic habitat.

Part of the Cycle

(Tess Martin, USA, animation, 2013, 8 min) In English.

This animated short cleverly uses ink and water to explain how water reaches our homes, how we change it, and how we are all part of the cycle.

Firewood, Kanta, & Grandpa

(Takeshi Yashiro, Japan, animation, 2012, 16:07 min) In Japanese with English subtitles.

Outside a village in deep snow, there lives a boy named Kanta and his sick grandpa. The firewood is running out, and the woods are scary; can Kanta be brave enough?

Hope?

(Simone Giampaolo, UK, animation, 2013, 4:22 min) In Esperanto with English subtitles.

The earth receives a baby on her doorstep, but babies can grow up to be rather difficult adults.

The Wild World of Pesticides
(Clyde Petersen, USA, animation, 2014, 3:55 min)
A cast of stop-motion animated paper puppets residing in a watercolor landscape tell the sad story of pesticide use in farming, landscaping and gardening, and what we can do to stop it!

For Ages 9+.

Notes to parents: One film (The Colors for Leo) contains some scary moments, though it has a happy ending. Another (Vigia) has a mild expletive—grandpas are hard to censor!

Trailers:

The Colors for Leo: http://www.promofest.org/films/el-color-de-leo

Shadow Reef: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=454OcBFi2mU&feature=youtu.be

Ain’t No Fish: http://www.aintnofish.com

Hope?: making-of http://vimeo.com/72011634

Lighta: http://vimeo.com/57149033

Vigia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGQocTfOqXw

Papa Cloudy’s Restaurant: http://vimeo.com/75525034