Community Activities Encourage Involvement at the DREFF

Along with screening over 30 inspiring films, the DREFF will host multiple community activities during the week of the festival this September. These activities range from demonstrations and contests to exhibits and hands-on activities. The goal of these activities at the DREFF is to promote dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and experience, and inspire Dominicans to adopt actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation, and sustainable use of their
environmental resources.

A special presentation on bees and beekeeping will take place on September 9th at 4 p.m. in the Funglode Auditorium in Santo Domingo. This event is in conjunction with the showing of the film Vanishing of the Bees, and will feature a live bee colony, beekeeping equipment, and products such as honey and beeswax!

A social media competition is set to take place from August 15th through the end of the
festival on September 13th. Individuals can participate by sharing a photo or 15 second video of their favorite nature spot in the Dominican Republic on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, and inviting their followers/friends to meet there. The photo or video should highlight an action promoting the environmental protection of this spot. Be sure to use the hashtags #MiRincón, #RDsostenible and #DREFF, and make reference to @MuestraCine and @DominicanaOnline.

The photography
exhibit, Oxygen, will be open in the Funglode gallery during the week of the festival, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. In this exhibit, Spanish photographer Juan Carlos Vélaz offers a journey across the Dominican Republic, recounting his three year expedition exploring the country’s coastline, forests, hills, and other natural enclaves. Considering natural spaces to be as necessary to humans as the oxygen they breathe, Vélaz encourages us to visit the areas they photographed and
protect them from degradation.

The ReCrearte Program, along with other Dominican organizations, will be hosting an arts showcase promoting recycling within the country by using found materials to create new and beautiful products. It will take place at the Funglode Gallery on September 13th from 2 to 8 p.m. A recycled art workshop will also be hosted by ReCrearte on September 11th at 10 a.m. The session is open to students and members of the BIJRD, and focuses
on the principles of recycling and how to turn waste materials such as wood, plastic, and textiles into decorative objects of practical use such as bags, earrings, and other useful items.

Another event targeted toward the younger crowd is a walk and rally at the National Botanical Gardens in Santo Domingo. On September 10th, from 8 to 11 a.m., participants will trek through the National Botanical Gardens, learn new skills, and discover the extensive range of biodiversity
contained in the Dominican Republic. Following a circuit through the gardens, the young guests will answer questions about Dominican flora and fauna and take part in several other entertaining activities, making it a fun morning to celebrate and enjoy nature!

Special clean-up events will also take place during the week. One, on September 12th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will beautify the fishing community of Bajos de Hain with a beach cleanup and the painting of a wall
mural promoting marine biodiversity in the country. Another will focus on Villa Consuelo on September 8th from 9 a.m to 12 p.m. This cleanup will finish with a decorative wall mural made of recycled materials collected during the cleanup.

A unique event focusing on short stories about nature and biodiversity will take place on September 9th at 10 a.m. Dominican photographer Eladio Fernández and Guatemalan photographer Marvin del Cid will narrate a slideshow that
highlights the beauty of Dominican nature and its extensive biodiversity levels during this presentation at the BIJRD.

An environmental excursion, hosted by the RDescubre initiative, will take place on September 12th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The objective of this activity is to increase awareness among young people about the problems that plague coral reefs, while encouraging them to develop small-scale environmental projects and work as a team with other young people
toward a better system and respect for the environment.

About the DREFF:
Since its creation in 2011, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF)- an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) -has been providing Dominicans with a platform of knowledge and debate on the environment and sustainable development, along with its challenges and best
practices while celebrating the unique beauty and wealth that is the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage.

With a diverse selection of films and numerous panels, workshops, seminars, and community activities, the DREFF promotes dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and experience, inspiring Dominicans to adopt actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation, and sustainable use of their environmental resources.

More
information:
www.r3crearte.org
RDescubre

DREFF app:
Apple (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dreff/id1029535649?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sched.dominicanrepublicenvironmen2015
www.dreff.org / info@dreff.org
Twitter @MuestraCine / Facebook MuestraCineMedioambiental

To see the complete program click here