BIFF has a long history of presenting high-quality environmental documentaries. With the impacts of the climate crisis starting to be acutely felt in the Berkshires, artistic director Kelley Vickery and program consultant Lillian Lennox began to explore the possibility of making the Environmental Film Focus a permanent ongoing feature within BIFF’s year-round programming.
The Environmental Film Focus allows people to come together in the community and engage with environmentally-based stories, strategies, and actions. Our objective? To build a more deeply resourced, connected, and resilient community capable of responding to the many dimensions of the deepening environmental emergency with creativity and competence.
Looking ahead, the Berkshire-based Roaring Brook Family Foundation will provide a $500 stipend to filmmakers for selected documentaries, as well as funds to cover all marketing and event costs.
Upcoming BIFF Environmental Film Focus screenings:
Environmental Film Focus Series: BAD RIVER Sunday, February 22, 2026 - 3PM Triplex, Theater 3 Tickets $15/general public; free to ReelFriends BAD RIVER, narrated by Quannah ChasingHorse and Academy-Award nominee, Edward Norton; written and directed by award-winning filmmaker, Mary Mazzio; and produced by Grant Hill (Owner of the Atlanta Hawks) and Allison Abner (writer for Narcos, West Wing and descendant...
Upcoming BIFF Environmental Film Focus screenings:
Film TBA
Dare Bottle Shop hosts a Biodynamic wine-tasting
5:00 PM on Friday, April 12, 2024
Berkshire Botanical Gardens
Past BIFF Environmental Film Focus screenings have included:
2019 A PLASTIC OCEAN – Director, Craig Leeson
THE BULLISH FARMER – Director, Ken Marsolais
RIGHT TO HARM – Director, Annie Speicher
2020 THE POLLINATORS – Director, Peter Nelson
THE STORY OF PLASTIC – Director, Deia Schlosberg
TO WHICH WE BELONG – Director, Pamela Tanner Boll, Lindsay Richardson
2023 FASHION REIMAGINED – Director, Becky Hunter
LIVING WINES – Director, Lori Miller
The BIFF Environmental Film Focus is honored to partner with the following community activists and leaders:
Berkshire Agricultural Venture
Rebecca Busansky, Executive Director.
Glenn Greenberg, past Executive Director https://www.berkshireagventures.org/meet-the-team
Propagate
Mark Phillips, manager
https://www.propagateag.com/
Berkshire Environmental Action Team
Jane Wynn, Co-Founder and Executive Director
https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/
Greener Gateway
Peter Hofmann, Chair of the Lee Greener Gateway Committee
https://www.lee.ma.us/recyclinggreener-gateway
AltaSea
Dr. Sandra Whitehouse, Chief Scientific Officer
https://altasea.org/our-future-is-blue/
Clean Ocean Access
Elena Kissel – Environmental Lawyer
https://www.cleanoceanaccess.org/about/team/
Berkshire Grown
Margaret Moulton, Executive Director
Roots Rising
Jessica Vecchia, Founder and Executive Director
https://www.rootsrising.org/
Center for Food Studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock
Dr. Maryann Tebben, Director
https://simons-rock.edu/academics/program-overview/food-studies.php
No Fracked Gas in Mass
Rosemary Wessel, Co-Founder, Director
https://nofrackedgasinmass.com/
Dare Bottle Shop
Mary and Benjamin Dare
