Bret Whiteley gathered firewood that would be used to warm wind chilled visitors. His dog, UmaLuzi, explored exhibits and greeted visitors at the Cinema Verde Film Festival.
About 60 people attended the second day of the Cinema Verde Film Festival Saturday afternoon in downtown Gainesville.
People sat in straight-backed chairs at Villa East and watched four full films and several short films, which ranged in topics from water conservation to climate change.
During the first film, “Carbon for Water,” some of those who attended munched on sandwiches while the film played.
As the film rolled, participants watched images of women searching for firewood and children carrying water home, illustrating the need for water in the Third World during a time of climate change.
During the second, “Bottled Life: The Truth about Nestlé’s Business with Water,” a woman shook her head in disapproval when the CEO of Nestle spoke and most of those in the room cheered when a town barred Nestle from getting water from its aquifers.
Keri Johnson, a 26-year-old UF religion and nature graduate student, said everyone seemed welcoming at the event and the event was a way to get exciting for the upcoming week of events.
Carley Pels, a 19-year-old UF health science sophomore, said she decided to come to the event after hearing about it from fliers and the website.
“The trailer looked interesting, and it’s a topic that I don’t know about,” she said.
About 12 student tickets were sold, according to Penny Niemann, the festival’s social media and IT specialist.
Pels said she was expecting more students to attend the film sessions.
“I’m disappointed with the number of students who are here,” she said.
Trish Riley, director and co-founder of the festival, said the water availability is a growing problem.
“It’s a problem most immediate to us,” she said.
Events are scheduled each day from today through Friday, and student tickets for the films cost $5 each.
Nineteen-year-old political science sophomore Lissette Portocarrero and 21-year-old economics junior Matt Gorstein sell admission tickets for the 3rd annual Cinema Verde Environmental Film and Arts Festival. The festival runs from Feb. 24 to March 2, featuring films that focus on environmental issues and hosting local booths that showcase ways patrons can get involved within their own community.
