Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital

06/19/2026

As Iceland’s glaciers melt, writer Andri Snær Magnason and Academy Award®-nominated director Sara Dosa create a cinematic time capsule through family archives, folklore and memory.

Our co-presentation of TIME AND WATER with AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center starts today and runs through June 25! Find tickets and showtimes here: silver.afi.com/movies/detail/0100005576

06/15/2026

New article by OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT filmmaker and subject Rosanna Xia!

"CalCOFI is a humbling reminder that it can take decades of commitment to understand even one patch of ocean. And at a time when federal budget slashes have upended many institutions of science and newer programs have struggled to stay afloat, continuing any baseline of knowledge that we do have is even more critical."

Nowhere else on the planet has such a large swath of ocean been studied as thoroughly and for so long, and much of our modern approach to oceanography can be traced back to this hidden gem.

06/11/2026

"Conservatives can care about climate change and the environment, Gill says, and conservative activists who care about conservation have the power to convince their peers. But reaching Republican voters takes effort, she says. and that work revolves around building connections and showing people how conservation fits into their existing worldview.

This idea is the central thesis of THE [CONSERV]ATIVES, which premiered at the Environmental Film Festival in Washington D.C. in March, and will soon embark on a screening tour through communities throughout the country."

The new documentary “(Conserv)atives” explores the intersection between right-wing politics and environmental activism

06/09/2026

Time is running out to vote in City Paper's Best of DC. Vote DCEFF for Best Film Festival here: bestof2026.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts-and-entertainment/best-film-festival

Did we live up to the title of DC's Best Film Festival again this year? Washington City Paper's Best of DC voting is going on now! Now more than ever, we hope you will help send a message about the importance of environmental storytelling by voting for us in the Arts & Entertainment category: bestof2026.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts-and-entertainment

06/08/2026

Today is World Oceans Day! The theme for this 2026 edition is "Reimagine", a concept familiar to our community of storytellers and changemakers. At DCEFF, we know film has the unique power to change how we see and interact with the natural world.

In the year ahead, we commit to highlighting stories that explore important marine issues, uplift frontline heroes, spark debate, and educate the next generation. Your contribution today will help us bring important stories like these to more hearts and minds in the nation’s capital and beyond. dceff.org/donate

06/05/2026

In celebration of World Environment Day weekend, we recommend you check out our new Watch Now page, featuring links to over 20 titles from our 2026 Festival that are now streaming. Many of these are available free and can be watched directly on our website! dceff.org/watchnow-2026

06/03/2026

The DC Caribbean Film Festival begins this Friday at the AFI Silver! We’re excited to be co-presenting screenings on June 9 & 10 of POSSIBLE LANDSCAPES (preceded by the short MADULU, THE SEAMAN).

For more info and tickets visit: silver.afi.com/movies/detail/0100005569/

06/01/2026

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us at last week's DCEFF Garden Party! It was wonderful to celebrate more than three decades of environmental storytelling with you as we look ahead to the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital’s milestone 35th Anniversary (April 8-17, 2027).

And a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali for his artistry and invocation of our collective power “when cameras remember the earth.” May we all remember to “let joy sit front row beside truth” in our screenings!

05/28/2026

An Environmental Film Festival to kick off Earth Month? Makes all the sense in the world. The dates for our 35th Anniversary Festival are set!

Stay tuned for more news about what we’re planning for this milestone year. We can’t wait to celebrate 35 years of DCEFF with you, to revisit all the good we’ve done together, and to explore all that this community can still accomplish through the power of environmental storytelling. dceff.org/subscribe