Previous One Earth Film Festival themes.

By Laurie Casey

Over the years, One Earth has framed our festivals with themes that represent a call to action: “This is the Moment” (2018), “All In” (2019), and “Power of We” (the election year of 2020). Last year we celebrated our 10th anniversary with “10 Years of Inspiring Change.”

This year, we continue to witness the devastating effects of our warming climate.

Snowstorms are extinguishing forest fires in Colorado suburbs. Say what?

Record cold temperatures have put the temperate Pacific Northwest into a deep freeze.

Scientists are rushing down to Antarctica to measure the thinning ice shelf so they can model the future of coastal communities worldwide (spoiler: It’s. Not. Looking. Good.)

As the imperative to act only grows stronger, our 2022 theme—“Turn the Tide”—reflects the wave of catastrophes rushing at us and the need to push back, so we can avoid the worst case scenarios that threaten to sink hope for a healthy future for our children.

Our 2022 theme is succinct. It demands action. And it addresses the rising sea levels and extreme flooding that pose a direct threat to people all across the planet.

Please join us in turning the tide. . . . you can do that by sharing One Earth Film Festival events with everyone you know—at your office, among your family, in your neighborhood, places of worship and any other communities to which you belong. Turning the tide is going to take all of us.

Will our 2022 Fest be Virtual or In-Person? Both!

Thank you to everyone who helped make our first fully virtual and national festival possible: thousands of households participated in our 2021 season.

This year, we will again stream our curated collection of powerful films and discussions into your living rooms. In addition, if the current Omicron surge abates and it feels safe to do so, we will also add the option for up to 29 in-person events hosted by our Chicago-area partners.

Some film festivals, such as the 2022 Sundance Film Festival slated to start at the end of January, have abandoned their in-person plans.

We are hoping that our March 4 launch party will miss the COVID surge so that we can have it in person (physically distanced, masked, etc.) and see some of you and your sparkling eyes for the first time in 2 years!

We will announce the in-person host sites in late January, so keep an eye out. And in the meantime, please be safe, people!