DREFF Present at 16th Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival in Toronto

The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), a GFDD initiative, was represented last night at the opening of the Planet in Focus Film Festival, which takes place in Toronto until Sunday, October 25th. The festival is Canada’s leading environmental film festival, and the first of its kind in the world. This year marks its 16th anniversary, and boasts a full schedule of film screenings and events for the industry, as well as activities aimed at primary
and secondary school students.

Last night, the Royal Cinema hosted the opening gala during the Toronto premiere of After the Last River with
filmmaker Victoria Lean, followed Q&A session with Lean and special guests from Attawapiskat indigenous community. Amy Millan of the band Stars was also in attendance to receive her Canadian Eco-Hero Award for her work with USC Canada’s “I Am a Seed Saver Campaign!” The previous night, Dr. Vandana Shiva received the International Eco-Hero Award in a beautiful ceremony that included the screening of the short movie The Living Seed and a very special keynote from Vandana Shiva.

Collaboration
The DREFF and Planet in Focus work together in collaborative projects throughout the year. During the last edition of the
DREFF, the Dominican Festival, in partnership with Planet in Focus Film Festival of Toronto, Canada, organized a workshop to teach participants the basics of how to make their own short environmental films, using iPads and iMovie in all phases. Canadian filmmakers Emily Hunter and Andrew Nisker, and Alessandra Cannito, Festival & Programs Manager of Planet in Focus, were the instructors

Today, Miryam López, Communications Manager for DREFF and GFDD, attended the
Industry Day at the Center for Social Innovation (CSI) Annex. This event is organized by Canadian filmmaker Mark Terry, who is a friend and collaborator of DREFF and has presented films in its past editions.

Planet in Focus is an environmental organization dedicated to the visual arts with programming throughout the year. Its mission is to "produce, promote, and disseminate artistically made films and videos that explore and tell stories about the world in which
we live."

The Festival, which is ongoing until Sunday, October 25th, presents and promotes environmental films and videos in all genres: documentary, animation, experimental, short films and drama, by Canadian and international filmmakers. According to the organizers, its objective is to enlighten, engage, and entertain people from all backgrounds through film.

In turn, the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) aims to
raise awareness among the Dominican public and to deepen its understanding of current environmental issues. DREFF is also dedicated to celebrating the natural beauty and diversity of the Dominican Republic, as well as providing information and proposals that contribute to their appreciation and to promote their conservation and sustainable use.

The DREFF team, which celebrated its sixth edition in September 2015, works throughout the year to bring to the Dominican
Republic the best films during each of its editions and to create networks with members of the industry from all over the world and, thus, serve as a catalyst for the creation of projects and programs that promote good practices in the area of the environment, resulting from the interaction between youth and the general public with teachers.

More information:
planetinfocus.org/
www.dreff.org