Films / Programs

The Environment in Focus

Environmental advocacy has become a powerful cultural touchstone; as such, it is a core concern for the 2009 Starz Denver Film Festival. The Environment in Focus program features cutting-edge documentaries with the ability to inspire audiences to make a difference through their interactions with the natural world.

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  Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo

  USA , 2009 , 90 min. Japan’s age-old love affair with insects may at first seem odd to Westerners, but by the end of Jessica Oreck’s entrancing documentary debut, we come to appreciate a culture that reveres all of nature in everyday life. Forty-seven dollars for a rare beetle? Why not?... more
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  Garbage Dreams

  Egypt , 2009 , 82 min. For nearly as long as anyone can remember, the Zaballeen, a Coptic Christian community, have served as Cairo’s garbage collectors. This winning documentary reveals the pride they deservedly take in a job well – and sustainably – done.... more
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  So Right So Smart

  USA , 2009 , 93 min. Business bigwigs and ecoactivists alike share the passion of Ray Anderson, CEO of carpet manufacturer Interface, Inc., for examining his change of heart about environmental stewardship and his subsequent work to dispel the myth that profit and sustainability are mutually exclusive.... more
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  Split Estate

  USA , 2009 , 76 min. The new drilling boom in the western U.S. has been accompanied by a blow to civil liberties, Colorado-born documentarian Debra Anderson shows, as homeowners find themselves battling energy companies who have the mineral rights to their land and are often drilling literally in their backyard.... more