DR Environmental Film Festival, an initiative of GFDD and FUNGLODE, Collaborates with Whale Festival in Samaná

Samaná’s Whale Festival is a great success thanks to the support of over fifteen NGO’s, governmental organizations and private corporations, including GFDD and FUNGLODE.

As a way of promoting the Samaná Peninsula’s impressive natural
and cultural heritage, as well as commemorating the start of the 2012 annual whale watching season, the first-ever Whale Festival was officially launched this past January 21, 2012 in the coastal city of Santa Barbara de Samaná, or Samaná, as it is most often referred to. The annual Festival will take place during whale season, which runs from January 14 through March 15, and brings the highest concentration of north Atlantic humpback whales in the world to
DR’s northeastern coast.

Following a welcome speech by Samaná mayor, Miguel Bezi, the Festival began with the screening of the documentary film Where the Whales Sing, followed by performances by the Teatro Popular Danzante and a recital by pianist Carlos Lalanes featuring Samaná born singer Marino Balbuena.

Throughout the week, the Festival carried out several community activities designed to raise environmental awareness among young people in, and around, Samaná. The activities included creative painting workshops, educational games, a mural installation, and several film screenings.

The screenings were conducted in collaboration with the DR Environmental Film Festival, which
provides audiences the opportunity to watch leading films from around the globe specifically devoted to the subjects of environmental stewardship and protection. The Second Annual DR Environmental Film Festival will be held September 6 – 9, 2012 in Santo Domingo and Santiago.

This Whale Festival was supported by
USAID; the Dominican Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources; Quisqueya Verde; The Nature Conservancy; CEBSE; and members of the Environmental Protection Program, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Fundemar, the Ministry of Education, Grupo Jaragua, the Samaná Tourism Cluster, Bahía Cruise Service, the Ministry of Tourism, INTEC, Boat Owners Association of the Bay of Samaná, AHETSA and Samaná City Hall.

Links:
http://www.drenvironmentalfilmfestival.org
http://www.samana.org.do/whales-s.htm
http://www.ambiente.gob.do/cms/
http://www.fundemar.org.do
http://www.grupojaragua.org.do/
http://competitividad.org.do/cluster-turistico-de-samana/
http://ahetsa.com/
http://www.intec.edu.do/