21st Environmental Film Festival Puts Spotlight on Eco-Activism Favorite 

The 21st annual Environmental Film Festival is being held in Washington DC from March 12 to March 24, 2013. Shining a spotlight on environmental issues and eco-activism, the festival features films that are both directly and tangentially related to concerns for the natural world.

This year's festival includes 190 films, spanning the genres of documentary, drama, animation and shorts. The festival also boasts a dialogue component, with most screenings either followed or preceded by discussions involving environmental experts and the film's creators. Highlights on this year's bill include Terence Malick's "To the Wonder"; "Hot Water" by Kevin Flint and Lizabeth Rogers; and "Lost Rivers" by Caroline Bâcle.

The festival offers many of their screenings free of charge, and demonstrates the way film can inspire social action. Festival founder and president Flo Stone says, "I think film is just an incredible way to focus people." Of the concerted effort they make to facilitate open dialogue, Stone says that "[going to the festival is] more than just going to the movies. We try very hard to have films with discussions, so it’s both seeing the movie and having that experience but also asking questions and having it be kind of an open forum.”