Daniella Ortega and Niobe Thompson/2022/86 min/Climate, Conservation, Energy, Built Environment, Historical Perspectives

Virtual, Tuesday, April 23, 6 p.m. CDT

FILM DESCRIPTION: With Carbon in the news every day, you might think you know everything about her. But you’d be wrong. This spectacular and surprisingly unorthodox documentary reveals the paradoxical story of the element that builds all life, and yet may end it all. Narrated in first person by Sarah Snook (Succession), “Carbon” tells of her birth in the violent core of an exploding star and of turbulent sagas through the fabric of our evolving Earth. Accompanied by celebrated scientists, unique animations and a stunning orchestral score, “Carbon” reminds us of our humble participation in the most extraordinary story in the universe.

Rebecca Tickell and Josh Tickell/2023/105 min/Climate, Food & Agriculture, Conservation, Health, Wildlife

In Person, Sunday, April 21, 12 p.m. CDT
Action Fair, 2nd Floor Rotunda
Chicago Cultural Center [Central]

In Person, Sunday, April 21, 1:30 p.m. CDT
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum [North]
Bronzeville IIT, Chicago [South]
Three Brothers Theatre [North]
Oak Park Public Library [W Suburbs]

FILM DESCRIPTION: From the filmmakers of “Kiss the Ground” (Netflix) comes the follow-up documentary “Common Ground,” winner of the Tribeca Film Festival. “Common Ground” is an important new documentary film featuring Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Woody Harrelson, Ian Somerhalder, Donald Glover, Rosario Dawson, Mark Hyman, Gabe Brown, and many others. This film provides hope for future generations with concrete ways to fix a broken planetary system. “Common Ground” explores how regenerative agriculture can help heal the soil, our health and the planet.

The short film “Hope” by Jodi Wu will precede the feature film. ”Hope” tied for the Animation Prize in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest 2023.

In Person, Friday, April 19, 5 p.m. CDT
Kehrein Center, Chicago [West]

In Person, Friday, April 19, 6 p.m. CDT
Unity Temple, Oak Park [W Suburbs]
Triton College, River Grove [W Suburbs]

Maggie Hart and Brittany Zampella/2023/19 min/Waste, Health, Justice

FILM DESCRIPTION: “A Good Neighbor” is a feature-length documentary about a Latina single mother’s fight against racism and climate change as she campaigns for city council in one of the nation’s most polluted zip codes.

Farhoud Meybodi/2023/48 min/Waste, Health, Justice, Built Environment, People & Cultures

FILM DESCRIPTION: Amidst a catastrophic plastic waste crisis in her hometown of Nairobi, Nzambi Matee risks everything to pioneer technology that transforms plastic waste into sustainable paving bricks.

The short film “The Speech of Txai Surui” by the students of Escola Parque (in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) will precede the feature films. This film won two awards in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest 2023.

Camilo de Castro, Brad Allgood/2023/80 min/Conservation, Climate, Justice, Food & Agriculture, Historical Perspectives, People & Cultures, Wildlife

Virtual, Monday, April 22, 6 p.m. CDT

FILM DESCRIPTION: Nicaragua is facing an escalating crisis. Illegal cattle ranchers and miners are decimating the Indio-Maiz Biological Reserve—one of the last remaining rainforests in Central America. Climate change and deforestation are leading to destruction of biodiversity and traditional ways of life. Commodities produced on illegally converted lands are finding their way to unsuspecting consumers in the US and other major markets. The indigenous and Afro-descendent peoples are addressing the threat head on—fighting back to protect their territory and way of life.

Katja Esson/2023/85 min/Climate, Justice, Built Environment, Historical Perspectives

In Person, Saturday, April 20, 6 p.m. CDT
Bethel New Life, Chicago [West]

FILM DESCRIPTION: Liberty City, Miami, was home to one of the oldest segregated public housing projects in the U.S. Now with rising sea levels, the neighborhood’s higher ground has become something else: real estate gold. Wealthy property owners push inland to higher ground, creating a speculators’ market in the historically Black neighborhood previously ignored by developers and policy-makers alike.

The short film “Painting by Numbers” by Radheya Jegatheva will precede the feature film. “Painting by Numbers” won the Sally Stovall Planet Warrior Prize for Creativity in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest 2023.

In Person, Thursday, April 18, 5 p.m. CDT
Epiphany Center, Chicago [Central]
Park Ridge Community Church [North]

In Person, Thursday, April 18, 5:15 p.m.
Good Shepherd Luth. Church [W Suburbs]

Maggie Burnette Stogner/2023/30 min/Water Justice, Conservation, Health

FILM DESCRIPTION: "Upstream, Downriver" takes viewers into the heart of the battle for water justice. Powerful stories with frontline community activists are interwoven with historical context about landmark regulations.

Giorgio Ghiotto/2023/30 min/Water Justice, Conservation, Health, People & Cultures

FILM DESCRIPTION: Vidal Merma, a Peruvian Indigenous journalist, risks his life daily to secure a future where his son, Erik, can savor the simple joy of drinking clean water. This film won the 2023 Gold Medal in the Student Academy Awards.

Two short films will precede the feature films: “The Island” by Mahmut Taş and “Submerged” by Neo Sky James. “Submerged” tied for the Animation Prize in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest 2023.

In Person, Saturday, April 20, 1:30 p.m.
Oak Park Public Library [W Suburbs]
Austin Branch Library [West]

Join us to see 7 short, winning films from the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest.

Badlands Bloom by Atiyeh Hess and Honei Semsar/2017/4 min; Green Gone by
Tess Moretti-Hill, Gabriel Jeffers, Mahea Dunn, Keanu Frith/2019/3 min; Bad Bugs by Bryn Wright/2021/2 min; Sporktagion by students of Heritage Middle School (Berwyn, Illinois)/2013/8 min; Submerged by Neo Sky James/2023/4 min; No Time to Waste, by students of Dryden Elementary School (Arlington Hts., Illinois)/2019/3 min; and My Brand New Car by Paulina Verdalet/2023/3 min.