DREFF and Centro León Celebrate World Environment Day with Cinema and Discussions on Sustainable Development

The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), through its program Year Round Environmental Film Screenings, commemorated yesterday in collaboration with Centro Leon in Santiago de los Caballeros the World Environment Day. To celebrate this important day two short films were screened: Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience, a Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) production winner of numerous international
awards; and 7 Grams, winner of Premio Globo Verde Dominicano 2015.

Also, Nelson Bautista, president of Acción Verde, Jonatán Vila and Hadzael Gómez, co-directors of 7 Grams, and Omar Shamir, GFDD Environmental Programs Coordinator, answered questions and curiosities at the end of the screening.

Bautista stated that both documentaries answer the question on who is responsible for the environment. “You are,
I am, we all have to deal with the matter and find solutions for environmental issues.”

Furthermore, Gómez explained to the audience how the story of the hummingbird reaveled to him by chance during the construction of a school in the community of Los Amaceyes, Tamboril, when the tiny bird built his nest on a column of rods.

Vila, on the other hand described he joined the project, after following Hadzael’s documentation on the hummingbird in social media,
to develop together the short film that thanks to Premio Globo Verde Dominicano has been presented at different international festivals.

The screening of these documentaries at Centro León was the closing to a program of activities celebrating World Environment Day that started on Wednesday with the talk “Environment and the City”.

Finally, Reynoso commented that “the objective of such events, organized under the patronage
of GFDD, is to sensitize society on the importance of natural resources and to get citizens to be guardians of the environment.”

About Year Round Environmental Film Screenings
As part of its mission to reach more communities, institutions and individuals around the country, the DR Environmental Film Festival organizes film screenings year round, providing the opportunity to bring successful film programs to new and remote
communities. By showing a diverse selection of quality films on critical environmental issues and organizing discussions and workshops, the year round film screenings seek to foster and inspire dialogue, raise awareness and promote sustainable practices.

About DREFF
Since its creation 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.

For more information:
www.dreff.org