Ithaca College will sponsor the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (FLEFF) for its 25th anniversary in March. The festival is centered on the theme of entanglements.
FLEFF will be available starting March21-April 10 Will Over 65 films and events are available online and in person. The festival programming will include films, discussions with scholars, concerts, presentations, and lectures. All festivals events will be linked to the Entanglement theme. This refers the interaction and blending concepts like environment and culture.
In addition to the new content at this year’s festival, in celebration of the 25th anniversary members of the FLEFF team organized a 25 for 25 Project. The project consists in a compilation of stories by past FLEFF contributors, sharing the festival impact.
Patricia ZimmermannCharles A. Dana, professor of screen studies At the college, ServedFrom 2004 to 2021, FLEFF was co-directed by Thomas Shevory and Thomas Shevory (retired professor in the Department of Politics). Zimmermann is the sole director of the 2022 festival. She stated that the festival programming covers all schools on each college campus.
One thing that I’ve enjoyed about being the director of FLEFF for 20 years is the incredible dynamic intellectual energy, Zimmermann said. The way I think of it is it’s a combustion engine, you know, bringing all these pieces together.
Zimmermann said that it would not be possible to host FLEFF without the help of many people. She stated that her role was to bring people together in a manner that encourages collaboration and community.
Zimmermann stated that the greatest compliment any festival director can receive, is that people don’t know who you really are.
Since 2003, the festival has moved from Cornell University (now Ithaca College) to a new theme. This theme is used to connect the material and reinforce the festival’s focus on education. Commercial rather than based.
Zimmermann explained that she studies environmental, political, and human rights issues in order to find the right theme for each year’s festival. However, it is abstract enough to be able to curate work from many subject areas.
The [theme]Zimmermann stated that the term entanglements was what really stood out. It’s a term from environmental studies and it’s a term from environmental media theory, and it felt like during COVID it’s the perfect topic because you can’t think of COVID as simply something that makes you sick.
Junior Taylor Cliff was an intern at FLEFF 2021. She is now back as an assistant to producers. This is the video. RoleCliff and the other students will collaborate with Ann Michael, FLEFF producer, and Phil Wilde (who organize festival programming). She noted that the theme is broad and interesting. She can already see the connection with FLEFF 2022 content.
It can be used in so many ways and it can be understood in so many different ways. Cliff said that I love seeing how people put their effort into that one-word title, but make so many different things.
FLEFF currently has 19 partners from around the world. Zimmermann stated that this is the first time these partners have been publicly announced on a website. Partnerspage and not attached to specific events. FLEFF was created to acknowledge all the contributions of partners. Partners contribute financial support, expertise, and streaming locations.
Zimmermann said that partnerships are formed over many years. Art Mattan films and Scribe Video are this year’s new partners.
Zimmermann stated that there have been two decades of building relationships with people in Ithaca, at college, across the country, and around the world. That is how you put on festivals. We wanted to this year really acknowledge those relationships.
The CSGC at Hong Kong University is a center that supports research on globalization, cultural change, and other issues. FLEFF’s second year is the CSGC’s first year as a partner. Gina Marchetti, CSGC director, said at this year’s festival the CSGC will be hosting two panels on Chinese-language filmmakers.
We’ve been really delighted to be able to particularly work with FLEFF on their programming involving Chinese-language film and the cultural component of environmental and eco-critical developments in this part of the world, Marchetti said.
Zimmermann indicated that there was an increase in partners this season, probably due to the last year’s virtual festival. The festival was able draw a larger audience by hosting events online. Zimmermann said that the festival attracted people of all ages, professions, and origins from over 35 countries.
Marchetti said that this is the next phase for film festivals. I think the next phase is going to be more in terms of digital and global connections for film festivals, in general, and then I think for environmental festivals that’s so important because environment is a global issue.
