We...

Provide a venue for filmmakers from around the world to share their work.

Expose the public to crucial ecological issues.

Inspire people to get involved in creating change.

EarthVision International Environmental Film Festival 2008 celebrates our 10th year of highlighting films about crucial ecological issues, providing a venue for independent filmmakers from around the world and inspiring people to get involved in creating positive change for the planet.

EarthVision 2008 will be held March 3rd – 8th, 2008 with a special screening for Act Locally on Earth Day in April. Award winning films will be screened at the Mello Center in Watsonville and at the Rio Theatre and the Veteran’s Memorial Hall in Santa Cruz. EarthVision will culminate with a celebration honoring the filmmakers and people on the front lines of the environmental movement.

EarthVision 2008 Advisory Committee:

Ed Schehl
Adrienne Kozlowski
Nita Hertel
Kristen Van Kley
Angela Flynn
Kathy Bisbee
Steve Leinau
Marigold Fine

Statement of Purpose

EarthVision presents a series of films and videos in the city of Santa Cruz, California, focused on the environment. The festival also brings together producers of environmental films and videos, and both honors the environment and those that seek to protect it.

The festival seeks to raise consciousness about environmental issues, educate people and mobilize support. EarthVision does this in several ways: The films shown instill concern for the issues they raise, and they seed enthusiasm for change in the audience. The festival encourages filmmakers to continue with their hard work, while providing a venue in which they can witness their accomplishments being celebrated.

The focus of the festival is all about using film and video as tools for raising environmental awareness and uncovering environmental issues. The films shown at EarthVision are the work of passionate individuals who have documented crucial environmental problems and attempts to solve them. For the most part, they are grassroots efforts made from the sweat of volunteers that represent a broad spectrum of environmental situations from diverse points of view.

EarthVision is a nonprofit, community effort, locally organized and funded, using Community Television of Santa Cruz County as its nonprofit umbrella. Support for the festival comes from local businesses, organizations and individuals. In the past, many of the films have been produced by community members or address issues with local impact. The films are powerful educational tools for Santa Cruz, as entries are shown throughout the year on Community TV.

The competition and film festival grew out of the documentary work of partners Katherine Knight and Ed Schehl, and their production company, Raindancer Film & Video. The couple wanted to create a venue in which environmental filmmakers converge and consider each others' work. The festival and participating filmmakers have enjoyed strong community support more than 5,000 people have attended the events and screenings. The winning films (when permission is given by the filmmakers) are run as programming on an average of sixteen hours per week on Community Television of Santa Cruz County throughout the year. This gives EarthVision films the possibility of reaching another 65,000 member subscribers county wide throughout the year .