Gainesville’s own environmentally focused film-and-arts festival is back for its fifth year.
The Cinema Verde Film Festival, which starts today and lasts until Sunday, will be located in the newly renovated Depot Station, Gainesville’s oldest train depot, located at 201 SE Depot Ave.
Trish Riley, the director and founder of Cinema Verde, said the festival creates a support system for people like business owners who choose the untraditional and sometimes costly path of sustainable practices.
“Our goal is to connect those folks with an audience of customers so everyone can strengthen each other, and there can be more forward motion towards sustainability,” Riley said.
Don Hardy, co-director of the Human Experiment, said he submitted his film to the festival because of its solid reputation.
“Hopefully it’s eye-opening,” Hardy said of his film. Produced by Sean Penn, it highlights harmful chemicals in everyday products.
Bill Zhou, a 20-year-old UF marketing sophomore who interns for the festival, said his first year interning has been positive because of the company culture.
“We’re trying to work towards a greener world,” Zhou said.
Along with the films, the festival will feature several food trucks and an outdoor bar.
“People do appreciate it,” Riley said, “and it makes me feel like what I’m doing is worthwhile.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 2/13/2014 under the headline "Cinema Verde to bring sustainability, food trucks to Depot Station"]
