We're searching for the very best environmental films to screen at our 35th Anniversary Festival. Be part of this milestone event in DC, April 8-17! If you have a new film about issues affecting the natural world, send them our way! filmfreeway.com/EnvironmentalFilmFestivalInTheNationsCapital

If one man knows unique and excellent bear docs, it's Werner Herzog. A big congratulations to filmmakers Jack Weisman & Gabriela Osio Vanden on being named the winners of this year's Werner Herzog Film Award for NUISANCE BEAR. The film also won our William W. Warner Award earlier this year.

BIG congrats are in order for this year's Warner Award winner NUISANCE BEAR. Last week, it was announced that the film will receive the prestigious Werner Herzog Film Award, which is given annually for "achievements in innovation, courage, & vision." More here: www.wernerherzog.org/en/werner-he...

Our FREE virtual encore series kicks off today with these popular shorts from DCEFF 2026. Watch it here, now through Sunday: tinyurl.com/DCEFF-TrailblazersEncore

ICYMI, last week we were named DC’s Best Film Festival by the readers of @wcp.bsky.social for the 8th(!) year in a row! We’re of course tremendously honored and grateful to our audience. If you want to relive any of the highlights from DCEFF 2026, check out: dceff.org/festival

Thank you to everyone who voted! Even after 8 years in a row, winning Best of DC never stops being an honor. In this city, that really means something. Just look at those finalists!

On July 2, 2024, five activists from Mother Nature Cambodia were jailed after they sounded the alarm about river pollution and land reclamation projects. Two years later, they remain imprisoned.. @mongabay.com’s short THE CLEARING tells their story: substack.com/home/post/p-167357741

DCEFF Executive Director Monica Schorn will take part in a post-screening convo around GASLIT this Thurs at the Angelika Pop-Up. In the new doc, Jane Fonda ventures into oil and gas country, meeting the people exposing the fossil fuel industry. Tix: angelikafilmcenter.com/dc/movies/details/gaslit

It's National Pollinator Week! Lots of the buzz may be around bees, but DCEFF has featured a wide variety of these important creatures (bats, birds, moths, and more!) - in our past selections. Watch some of them via our Pollinator Playlist here: dceff.org/pollinators-playlist/

Did you miss TIME AND WATER at DC/DOX? We’re co-presenting a week of screenings at the AFI Silver, June 19-26! silver.afi.com/movies/detai...

Looking for great new environmental films to enjoy all year-round? Over 20 Selections from our 2026 Festival are now available to stream — either directly on our website or via popular streaming services and on demand. Check those out here: dceff.org/watchnow-2026

Today is World Oceans Day! In the year ahead, we commit to highlighting stories that explore important marine issues, uplift frontline heroes, spark debate, and educate the next generation. Your contribution today will help us bring important stories like these to DC and beyond. dceff.org/donate

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us at last week's DCEFF Garden Party! It was wonderful to celebrate more than three decades of environmental storytelling with you as we look ahead to the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital’s milestone 35th Anniversary (April 8-17, 2027).

An Environmental Film Festival to kick off Earth Month? Makes all the sense in the world. The dates for our 35th Anniversary Festival are set! Stay tuned for more news about what we’re planning for this milestone year. dceff.org/subscribe

Did you miss our sold out screening of NUISANCE BEAR back in March? The film, which won our 2026 William W. Warner Award and the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, was recently acquired by MUBI. They plan to announce release details in the near future. www.thewrap.com/creative-con...

"This Tony Leung drama will leaf you mesmerized." - RogerEbert .com The critically-acclaimed SILENT FRIEND (also starring Lea Seydoux) opens Friday at the AFI Silver! Very excited to be co-presenting this stunning new film. Showtimes & tickets here: silver.afi.com/movies/detail/0100005341

We’re so excited to again be a community partner of the Hollywood Climate Summit! This partnership grows our creative sector’s awareness and action on this issue, while emphasizing the importance of storytelling to direct public attention toward the climate. hollywoodclimatesummit.com/tickets

Happy 100th birthday to the one-and-only Sir David Attenborough! We were so fortunate to have Attenborough join us for our 2004 Festival, where he received a the Smithsonian Medal for a lifetime of distinguished work. In the 20+ years since, he hasn't slowed down!

Did we live up to the title of DC's Best Film Festival again this year? City Paper’s Best of DC is going on now! Now more than ever, we hope you will help send a message about the importance of environmental storytelling by voting for us! bestof2026.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts-and-entertainment

"This film reminds us of the promise that activism holds." - Erin Brockovich. We're very excited to see that 2025 DCEFF Selection UNEARTH is now avilable to stream on Documentary+: bit.ly/WatchUnearth

NOT WITHOUT US is now free to stream! Watch it, then join us for a live virtual conversation with filmmaker Mark Decena and activists from the film on May 6 at 1:00pm EST. watch.eventive.org/dceff/play/6...

Happy Earth Day! If you're looking for some films to help you celebrate, over a dozen shorts from DCEFF 2026 are currently free to stream! We've collected them here: watch.eventive.org/dceff Whatever you're interested in, these films have what you need to become inspired toward action today.

A huge THANK YOU is owed to our panelists for the day: Diana Jean Schemo, Frank Sesno, Holly Jonas, Jeremy Young, Clare Fieseler, PhD, Zach Toombs, Jessica Stahl, Rebecca Leber, Meaghan Parker, Christina Larson, Rachel Frazin, and Dino Grandoni.

This unique program, which was done in partnership with @mongabay.com, DXIFF, @grist.org, @sejorg.bsky.social, and @uprootproject.bsky.social , featured two conversations about the importance of high-quality journalism and how to achieve that in this unique moment we find ourselves in.

Last month, we kicked off the final weekend of DCEFF 2026 by bringing together a room of outstanding journalists and communicators for our first ever CivicEarth Media Forum.

It was truly one of the best screenings we’ve had and receiving the William W. Warner Voice of Nature Award was the cherry on top. Thank you to DCEFF and the Warner Family for such a memorable experience." - Jack Weisman, Co-Director

Photos from last month's sold out screening of NUISANCE BEAR at DCEFF. Another extremely memorable night of film and conversation. "Gabby and I had a terrific time screening NUISANCE BEAR at DCEFF. The audience was so engaged and moderator Dana Hedgpeth really elevated the conversation…

Thank you to everyone who celebrated the final day of DCEFF 2026 with us on Saturday! Our programs welcomed 1000+ attendees to venues across DC. We closed out strong out with our Eric Moe Award & Shared Earth Award screenings, highlighting some amazing films and activists in SALLIE'S ASHES & YANUNI.

Excellent conversation started here at our screening of NUISANCE BEAR - Sundance Award and DCEFF Warner Award winner!

The full house last night really dug our new Eco-Horror Shorts program! Guess we’ll bring this one back next year! 🔪🔥🫣