Environmental Film Festival Australia presents Summer of Change

You are invited to EFFA (Environmental Film Festival Australia) Presents: Summer of Change, the second of four seasonal programs taking place across 2020 and 2021.

This season we celebrate all the visionaries, innovators and disruptors currently fighting to protect and preserve the integrity of our environment.

With a program full of hope, we present to you the stories of the individual heroes and communities who are using the power of Action, Progress and Resistance to cultivate change, showcasing what lessons can be learned from these activists and how the post-COVID world could be a catalyst for bringing about positive environmental impact.

That things will be markedly different is a certainty.

Through coming together around the medium of film, with documentaries, First Nations voices, short packages and even an animation featuring talking dogs, this online program is designed to galvanise our community by providing a platform for those striving to make a difference.

All events are available to be streamed live and on demand throughout the festival.

Films being screened on demand from Thursday 21 January – Thursday 4 February are:

Wild Things by Sally Ingleton
Against a backdrop of drought, fire and floods, this compelling documentary provides an intimate insight into the new generation of environmental activism. Armed with only mobile phones, the ever-growing army of ecowarriors will do whatever it takes to save their futures from the ravages of climate change. From chaining themselves to coal trains, sitting high in the canopy of threatened rainforest and locking onto bulldozers, their non-violent tactics are designed to generate mass action with one finger tap.

Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs by Edmunds Jansons
When the local park is threatened to be destroyed and replaced with skyscrapers by greedy city businessmen, young Mimmi is let down as the adults around her (including her retired-pirate father) refuse to stand in the way of progress to help her protect her favourite tree. In this beautifully animated, joyous adventure, Mimmi joins forces with her cousin Jacob and a pack of talking (yes, talking!) dogs, and discovers that sometimes to make a change, standing up and taking action can make all the difference.

English subtitles.

That’s Wild by Michiel Thomas
An ode to the unique healing powers of the outdoors, and a moving human story of discovering self-worth, That’s Wild blends the majesty of the Colorado landscape with the excitement and adventure of grappling with extreme rugged terrain, offering up a story that is both genuinely soulful and inspiring. Following an after-school group of Atlanta teenagers (and their quirky mentor Bill) as they tackle the Maroon Bells mountain range, this award-winning documentary is affecting, charming and visually stunning. It will leave you both proud of the boys’ courage and perseverance and in absolute awe of the Colorado wilderness.

Citizen Nobel by Stéphane Goël
This charming documentary gives rise to your new favourite eco-warrior: Jacques Dubochet, 78-year old Nobel Prize-winning scientist. Join Jacques as he navigates his newly forged celebrity status and discovers how he can make a positive difference to the mounting climate movement. This is the activism story you never knew you needed.

Climate Exodus by David Baute

It’s estimated that an astounding 300 million people will become climate refugees by the year 2050, forced to emigrate to escape climate-related destruction. This artfully composed, frank and unflinching documentary shines a light on this eradication, by sharing the stories of three women across three continents as they fight to keep their home, land and community safe.

Smog Town by HAN Meng

China has declared war on smog, and Li, the devoted director of the local environmental bureau in the city of Langfang, leads a crucial battle. Air contamination is damaging the environment, the health of citizens and the image of the ruling Communist Party. But who pays for this environmental crisis? What happens if the defence of blue skies can only be achieved at the expense of the most impoverished citizens and workers?

English subtitles.

The Edge of Existence by James Suter and Charlie Luckock

Zeroing in on the Western Corridor of the Serengeti, The Edge of Existence uncovers the urgent story of current human-wildlife conflict in Africa which threatens the survival of the local populations and animals alike. This striking documentary gives voice to both sides of the animal-conservation-versus-human-preservation debate, bringing to the forefront a story in urgent need of telling.

The Last Ice by Scott Ressler

Just as rapidly as the region between Greenland and Canada dissolves, the threat of renewed colonisation and greed rises. With oil and gas deposits, faster shipping routes, tourism and fishing all providing financial incentive to exploit the newly opened waters, the outside world sees unprecedented opportunity. But for more than 100 000 Inuit who live in the Arctic, an entire way of life is at stake.

Warrior Women by Christina D. King and Elizabeth A. Castle

Interspersed with beautifully preserved archival footage, Warrior Women uses a circular Indigenous style of storytelling to explore what it means to navigate leading a movement, motherhood and legacy, under the rule of a colonising government that consistently meets Native resistance with violence. Looking at America’s brutal history, while shining a light on the environmentally destructive present, the film’s rock‘n’roll sensibility is insightful and inspiring, a nurturing history lesson from the women who saw it firsthand.

Shorts being screened on demand from Thursday 21 January – Thursday 4 February are:

Animated shorts

A curated selection of ten animated shorts, recommended for ages 15+.

Elders & The Earth Shorts

A specially curated program of six shorts celebrating the power of First Nations voices.

Experimental Shorts

A curated selection of six experimental shorts, recommended for ages 15+.

Keep an eye on effa.org.au for more exciting additions to the program!

Ticket prices

All of our tickets and pass prices are outlined below. 5% of all profits will be paid to Pay The Rent.

Passes can be purchased below. Single tickets can be bought by selecting your session of choice via the Festival Hub.

All tickets and passes can be bought as gifts.

  • The Full Monty pass – access everything: $134 | $100
  • The Movie Marathon pass – five sessions: $55 | $40
  • The Trilogy pass – three sessions: $33 | $25
  • General admission – single session: $12 | $9

We offer discounted Concession tickets and passes to:

  • Senior Card, Pensioners Card, Health Care Card Holders
  • Students and those under 25
  • Those on Jobseeker
  • Anyone who has been hit hard by COVID-19
  • Anyone who would struggle to afford the Festival at the standard rate.

For more information and to purchase Summer of Change tickets, please visit effa.org.au.

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