Films for the Forest screening features celebrity judges

By Yvonne Lim Wilson Monday, 10 May 2010

Rainforest Partnership, an Austin-based non-profit organization, is hosting a screening of winning films from its “Films for the Forest” competition on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Hot Mama’s Espresso, 2401 E. Sixth St.

Filmmakers from countries as far away as Brazil, Italy and India, as well as from cities throughout the U.S., sent in entries for the contest. They were tasked with producing a short film of 30 seconds to three minutes featuring the theme of “The tree and I.”

Judges Richard Linklater, Lisa McWilliams, Michel Scott and Evan Smith will be present at the screening and fundraiser event.

Niyanta Spelman, Rainforest Partnership executive director, described her personal favorite entry from Philadelphia that involves a person courting a tree.

“It’s candlelight dinners and walks, and then they break up and the tree is gone forever,” she said. “It’s funny, poignant and very creative.”

Spelman said this is the first of what she expects to become an annual event.

“This is part of our way to link people to people, not just in Austin, but everywhere around the world to what we’re doing, our work and why these forests matter and to get people to think about what we do,” she said.

Rainforest Partnership focuses on reducing deforestation and its impacts on climate change. The group works with rainforest communities in Latin America to support alternative and sustainable means of income to keep forests standing.

Winning films from the competition will be featured on Rainforest Partnership’s website and may possibly be aired on television. Admission to the screening is $15 before May 13 and $20 at the door; beer and cocktails included. For more information, visit www.rainforestpartnership.org.