Virtual Colorado Environmental Film Festival: Feb. 12-21

I have been making an annual pilgrimage to Golden the third weekend in February for the past four years to attend the Colorado Environmental Film Festival (CEFF). It’s always worth the trip – even if my record is 50/50 for being caught in a blizzard on the way there from Denver. This year, snow is (sadly) not the greatest impediment; COVID is. So, like so many other events, CEFF has gone virtual.

Nearly a year into our homebound retreat, the auto-populated recommendations on Netflix are neither new nor compelling. The timing of a 10-day (February 12-21) celebration of fresh, inspiring and educational cinematic stories on a wide range of environmental issues couldn’t be better.

There are more than 70 films, divided into 22 collections – there’s everything from youth-oriented programming to feature-length documentaries, covering everything from water issues to e-waste. Instructions on “how to fest” explain your options for entertainment and/or engagement. A variety of passes allow access for as little as $1 per film, and you can participate in live chats, happy hour viewing parties and even attend the Eco-Expo Showcase, where you’ll see short-film contributions from regional environmental organizations, including Denver Botanic Gardens. 

We all eagerly await the return of the in-theater movie experience – be it in Golden at CEFF or even at the new Sturm Family Auditorium at Denver Botanic Gardens’ recently completed Freyer – Newman Center. But in the meantime, CEFF continues to provide its February tradition of showcasing impactful, new content – and we benefit from a 10-day respite from Netflix burnout.

Sturm Family Auditorium, Freyer – Newman Center