DREFF: Special Guest at the DC Environmental Film Festival Opening in Washington, D.C.

The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), a GFDD’s initiative, was invited as a special guest to the opening night and launch party of the 23rd Annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF). The opening was held at a fully packed Elihu Root Auditorium of the Carnegie
Institution for Science on March 17, 2015 with the Washington, D.C. premiere of Bikes vs. Cars.

Stephanie Flack, DCEFF Executive Director, opened the night and introduced Dr. Matthew Scott, President, Carnegie Institution for Science; Dr. Peter Fox-Penner, an internationally recognized expert on energy markets and policy; Greer Johnson Gillis, Deputy Director, District Department of Transportation; Alex Liftman, Global Environment Executive,
Bank of America; and filmmakers Margarete Jangård and Chris Paine (Who Killed the Electric Car, 2006; Revenge of the Electric Car, 2011), producers of the opening film Bikes vs. Cars.

After the welcoming regards and the screening of the film, there was a lively discussion and Q&A session on the transportation challenges in cities all over the
world.

DREFF collaborates DCEFF for several years now. As part of the 2015’s DCEFF program, a Dominican Night will be hosted by GFDD-DREFF on March 20, at the Hispanic Gala Theater in Washington, D.C. Two Dominican films will be screened: Lago Enriquillo… a prelude to climate change" and "Mañana", winner of the 2014 edition of DREFF’s Globo Verde Dominicano Award. There will be a panel discussion with
Natasha Despotovic, GFDD’s Executive Director, as well as filmmakers Fernando Báez and Carlos García following the screening.

About Bikes vs. Cars
Traffic gridlock around the world is frustrating people, wasting their time, polluting the air and contributing to climate change. Director Fredrik Gertten (BANANAS! and Big Boys Gone Bananas!) investigates the daily global spectacle of traffic and
looks for solutions. Following bicycle activists’ crusades to foster meaningful change, the film documents the struggle for bicyclists in a society dominated by cars. From bike activists in Sao Paulo and Los Angeles, fighting for safe bike lanes, to the city of Copenhagen, where forty percent commute daily by bike, BIKES vs CARS considers the revolutionary changes that could take place if more cities made room for bicyclists. Directed by Fredrik
Gertten. Produced by Margarete Jangård and Elin Kamlert. Executive Producer: Chris Paine.

About DCEFF
The Environmental Film Festival at the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF) is the world’s premiere showcase of environmentally themed films. Each March in Washington, DC, the Festival presents more than 150 films to an audience of over 33,000. DCEFF program includes thematic discussions and social events, film screenings
at museums, embassies, libraries, universities and local theaters. Founded in 1993, EFF is the largest and longest-standing environmental film festival in the United States. It has grown into a major collaborative cultural event both during the festival and all year-round.