11th Annual RVA Environmental Film Festival To Be Presented Virtually, Free And Open To The Public

The RVA Environmental Film Festival (RVA EFF) announces its 11th annual showcase of over 20 free local and national films. Many films are hosted by like-minded organizations. Two films are of particular interest to youth: "Microplastic Madness" and "Frozen Obsession." Award-winning Virginian films will be shown on February 14, 2021. Audience members will participate in Question/Answer sessions via chat box following many films. RVA EFF will live stream at fixed times and days. Advance registration is required at RVAEFF.org.

Films are selected to raise awareness of environmental issues relevant to the Richmond, Virginia (RVA) region, our nation, and our world. Unique aspects of the festival include the Virginia Environmental Film Contest, and a film for children, "Microplastic Madness," which documents 56 fifth graders from Brooklyn whose actions on plastic pollution morph into extraordinary leadership and scalable victories.

"Frozen Obsession," the world premiere of the feature-length film, kicks off the festival with a panel discussion to follow. The film is a visually stunning and historically poignant expedition through a dramatically changing Arctic aboard the Icebreaker Oden. The expedition included scientists, historians, journalists, education professionals, and college students, including several from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). The panel includes director and producer David Clark, Gonglai Gong of Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the VCU students who were part of the expedition.

"Into the Okavango," from National Geographic Documentary Films, documents a 1,500-mile expedition across three countries and shows the effects of increasing pressure from human activity. The Okavango River Basin and the Okavango Delta, one of our planet's last wetland wildernesses, provide a vital source of water to people, African elephants, lions, cheetahs, and hundreds of species of birds.

Major sponsors include: Ellwood Thompson, Ian Patrick of Merrill Lynch, Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, Citizens Climate Lobby, Enrichmond Foundation, Natural Awakenings, Sierra Club - Falls of the James Group, and Vegan Action.

Thanks to the generous support of these and other sponsors, there is no charge to view any of the films. Advance registration is required through the RVAEFF website or the film festival Facebook and Twitter pages.

For more information on the schedule of films and registration, go to https://rvaeff.org/.

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