JM Crawford

Watch Now: Short Film for International Bat Week Three film recommendations for celebrating our flying friends

Bats are amazing creatures that are vital to our environmental and economic health. So, it should be no surprise that they have been featured in past DCEFF Selections! Here are a few bat films you can stream for free to help celebrate International Bat Week: substack.com/home/post/p-177278792

Finally got around to KWAIDAN. Pretty amazing all around, but LADY OF THE SNOW was my favorite segment. Absolutely *devastating*.

Big congratulations to @spun.earth’s Toby Kiers on being awarded a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant! You may remember Toby from our 2024 selection FLORA FAUNA FUNGA.

You can read the announcement here: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/arts/design/macarthur-foundation-2025-genius-grant-winners.html

YouTube video by National Geographic Jane Goodall: The Hope (Full Episode) | SPECIAL | National Geographic

As we continue to remember & celebrate the legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall, we are grateful to National Geographic for releasing the full feature film JANE GOODALL: THE HOPE on their YouTube channel.

We’re excited to revisit this 2020 DCEFF Selection. Watch here: youtu.be/4ST6pqfCTy0?si=TskkcwRhxSinAPIi

Hot off its World Premiere this summer at Tribeca, catch our co-presentation of YANUNI as part of AFI’s Latin American Film Fest Thursday night!

The mesmerizing eco-thriller produced by Leonardo DiCaprio follows activist Juma Xipaia’s fight to protect the Amazon. silver.afi.com/movies/detai...

Thank you to everyone out there doing the hard work in unprecedented times. Our 2026 Festival is for you.

Today, we are proud to announce the theme of our 34th Annual Film Festival: Against the Current.

DCEFF is very sad to learn about the passing of film legend Robert Redford. We were incredibly fortunate to have him join us at our 2012 Festival for the World Premiere of Jamie Redford's film "Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West".

If a single photo can inspire change, how influential are a million? CHASING TIME documents the Extreme Ice Survey’s work to bring evidence of climate change to the global stage over 15 years. Catch our free virtual encore - streaming 9/25-28 as part of Climate Week: watch.eventive.org/dceffclimate

One of my favorite writers taking a look at my favorite film! What a treat.

I’m pretty tired of this post-truth world. There IS an objective reality. Not everything is up for debate or disputable.

Vaccines are good. Trump is in the Epstein files. Crime is down in Baltimore & DC. Vibes and loud voices don’t change that.

I know we’re all hoping his days are numbered but Mitch McConnell has been having strokes in public while looking like a corpse for years and he’s still a sitting Senator.

You can argue all you want about who is the best presidential candidate - either morally or based on likelihood of success. But, when Election Day comes, if you don’t vote for the major party candidate closest to your beliefs (even if they’re far off & you hate them), then you’re just kinda stupid.

Crop Quiz, Hot Shot.

Honestly, this is the first time I’ve felt unsafe in DC. Even if you took them in good faith that they were going after criminals (I don’t), how much have the odds just increased that I might catch a stray bullet?

Seems very fucking bad. How soon until they start shooting people?

We love DC. The District is full of diverse organizations and individuals who care deeply about the environment. From Falconer Rodney Stotts to Towpath Joe to our riverkeepers, organizers, urban farmers, and rooftop beekeepers - thank you for making us so proud to call this city home.

Uhhh…that guy gotta go.

I live in Baltimore. I almost never feel unsafe here but am aware of the reputation. Comparatively, DC has always seemed even safer still. I’ve walked all over the District and taken transit very late and never has it occurred to me that I was in danger.

ICYMI, submissions for DCEFF 2026 are now open! Send us your films on climate, conservation, enviro justice or any issue affecting the natural world! Learn more and submit here: filmfreeway.com/EnvironmentalFilmFestivalInTheNationsCapital

ATTN: filmmakers! We’re now accepting submissions for our 34th Annual Environmental Film Festival. We're looking to bring the best films exploring the natural world to our audiences here in DC - March 19-28, 2026.

Learn more: filmfreeway.com/EnvironmentalFilmFestivalInTheNationsCapital

Do any of these shitheads have any actual examples of public broadcasting being “biased”?

MURDERLAND is probably one of the best books I’ve ever read. Silent Spring meets In Cold Blood is a perfect description.

So, yes, let’s build coalitions. But who is the impediment to that? I bet the people of Cancer Alley support keeping public lands beautiful and healthy. Do you support measures to keep them from dying? Or are we not re-litigating sacrifice zones?

Oil & gas? Carry on. Extractive and polluting industries? Carry on. Just keep it out of my natural playground.

How do these people feel about Trump cutting environmental justice initiatives? Do they have any empathy or is their conservation motivation entirely selfish?

A lot of this stuff sounds great! I’d love to build coalitions with anglers, hunters, etc. - but NOT if their belief is that their right to pristine outdoor recreation is more important than the rights of others to clean air and water where they fucking live!

“I think oftentimes these pieces want to relitigate and relitigate and relitigate the past, instead of talking about the future that conservatives see.”

Does this future do anything to right past wrongs? No? Eeeeeeeat shit.

Al Larson was a legend in the world of citizen science. We highly recommend taking 30 minutes to watch the award-winning short film about his work on bluebird recovery - BLUEBIRD MAN: open.substack.com/pub/dceff/p/watch-now-bluebird-man

Watch Now: About Damn Time A love letter to the Colorado River and its trailblazing boatwomen

ABOUT DAMN TIME, the new short supported by @americanrivers.bsky.social, follows the trailblazing boatwomen of the Colorado River. Read more about it and stream it for free (this weekend only) via our Shorts: Wild Lives virtual collection. open.substack.com/pub/dceff/p/watch-now-about-damn-time

Send a maniac to catch a maniac.

Who is taking their heritage away systematically? The football team not using a racist name? Or the guy selling off sacred Indigenous land to the highest bidder? That’s a tough one!