Milwaukee is set to join the environmental film festival circuit with the first annual Great Lakes Environmental Film Festival (GLEFF), running May 1-3. The festival centers on documentaries with ecological themes; subject matter ranges from the historic extinction of the Passenger Pigeon to glacial life cycles. Selected films present a positive message, posing discussion of both problems and potential solutions. Works were chosen based partly on regional relevance with the goal to provide access to pieces that aren't readily available in the Milwaukee area. Joe Brown, professional-in-residence at Marquette University and curator of the festival, explains how GLEFF figures into Milwaukee's emerging role in scientific leadership: “Discussion about the myriad environmental challenges we face as a nation, region and city have to start somewhere and a film festival devoted to eco-films is a fun place to start.”
A large portion of the planning involved contributions from enthusiastic students, providing assistance with graphic design, social media and the intensive process of sorting through more than 1,000 submissions the festival received in the six months since the announcement of its launch. Brown hopes that the volunteer work the students do with the festival will help to train the next generation of art entrepreneurs and environmental media producers. Already, the festival has been a source of excitement for the local artistic community, spurring future collaborations with local filmmakers, museums and nature centers, indicating GLEFF's potential for growth.
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The festival includes events such as a student film competition, a filmmaker panel and a film from 2015 Oscar Nominee, J. Christian Jensen. Brown states, “This year, our first year, we have more than 10 filmmakers coming to the fest and [they] are excited to interact with our audience.”
The event is free of charge and open to the public. Screenings will be held at Marquette University’s Weasler Auditorium and Varsity Theater, 1326 W. Wisconsin Ave.
For the program of events, visit gleff.org.
