People

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An American Ascent

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An American Ascent

George Potter & Andrew Adkins/2014/68 min/People & Culture

Saturday, March 9, 12:30 p.m. [West]
Chicago Public Library, Austin Branch

Saturday, March 9, 5 p.m. [South]
Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago

FILM DESCRIPTION: “An American Ascent” documents the first African-American expedition to tackle North America's highest peak, Denali. In only a few decades the United States will become a majority-minority nation, as people of color will outnumber today's white majority for the first time ever. Yet, a staggering number of people in this soon-to-be majority do not consider the outdoors as a place for them. By taking on the grueling, 20,310 foot peak of the continent's biggest mountain, nine African-American climbers set out to shrink this adventure gap by building a legacy of inclusion in the outdoor/adventure community.

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Birders: The Central Park Effect

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Birders: The Central Park Effect

Jeffrey Kimball/2013/60 min/Wildlife

Sunday, March 3, 11 a.m. [South]
St Benedict the African Parish, Chicago

FILM DESCRIPTION: “Birders: The Central Park Effect” reveals the extraordinary array of wild birds who grace Manhattan’s celebrated patch of green, and the equally colorful New Yorkers who schedule their lives around the rhythms of migration. The lively cast of characters features author Jonathan Franzen, as well as an idiosyncratic trombone technician, a septuagenarian bird-tour leader, and others. This charming, lyrical documentary transports the viewer to the dazzling, hidden world of America’s most famous park.

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Call of the Forest

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Call of the Forest

Jeffrey McKay/2016/52 min/Conservation

Sunday, March 3, 1:30 p.m. [South]
St. James Church, Chicago

Sunday, March 10, 10:30 a.m. [W Suburbs]
Thatcher Woods Pavilion, River Forest
Forest walk 9:30 a.m.

Sunday, March 10, 2 p.m. [Lake County]
St. Joseph Church, Libertyville

CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE. FILM DESCRIPTION: The science and enchantment of the global forest provides us with answers to modern dilemmas. “Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees” follows scientist and acclaimed author Diana Beresford-Kroeger as she investigates our profound biological and spiritual connection to forests. Beresford-Kroeger explores the most beautiful forests in the Northern Hemisphere from the sacred sugi and cedar forests of Japan to the great boreal forest of Canada. She shares the amazing stories behind the history and legacy of these ancient forests while also explaining the science of trees and the irreplaceable roles they play in protecting and feeding the planet.

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Tawai: A Voice from the Forest

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Tawai: A Voice from the Forest

Bruce Parry & Mark Ellam/2017/97 min/People & Cultures

Sunday, March 3, 4 p.m. [W. Suburbs]
Unity Temple, Oak Park
OEFF After Hours Event
Admission $20,
includes reception at 6 p.m.

CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE. FILM DESCRIPTION: Tawai is the word the nomadic hunter-gatherers of Borneo use to describe their inner feeling of connection to nature. In this philosophical and sociological look at life, explorer Bruce Parry travels the world to learn from people living lives very differently from our own. From the jungles of Malaysia to the tributaries of the Amazon, “Tawai” is a quest for reconnection, providing a powerful voice from the heart of the forest itself.

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The Superfood Chain

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The Superfood Chain

Ann Shin/2018/66 min/Environmental & Social Justice

Tuesday, March 5, 7 p.m. [Dupage County]
College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn

Wednesday, March 6, 6 p.m. [South]
U. of C. Laboratory Schools, Chicago

CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE. FILM DESCRIPTION: Every year, the western world is introduced to a new “superfood” that boasts extraordinary nutritional features, and year after year we buy them. “The Superfood Chain” explores the facts and myths behind superfoods, and reveals the ripple effect of the superfood industry on farming and fishing families around the world. This film follows filmmaker Ann Shin as she meets families in Bolivia, Ethiopia, Philippines, and Haida Gwaii affected by the superfood industry.

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The World Before Your Feet

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The World Before Your Feet

Jeremy Workman/2018/95 min/Architecture & Sustainable Building

Saturday, March 9, 6:30 p.m. [South]
Experimental Station, Chicago

FILM DESCRIPTION: There are 8,000 miles of roads and paths in New York City and for the past six years Matt Green has been walking every street, park, cemetery, beach, and bridge. Executive produced by Oscar® nominee Jesse Eisenberg, “The World Before Your Feet” is a “walkumentary” that Hyperallergic calls “A celebration of using what short time we all have to better connect with the world.”