Photo credits: Galapagos Tortoise, Frederick Van Bolhuis; Logger, USDA Forest Service; Photomontage, Alan C. Kettler
This specialized film museum would collect and play environmental films and videos from around the world. The 500-1,000 piece collection would be archived in a climate-controlled facility and shown on a daily, continual basis in 2 theatres, located in the setting of an environmental garden landscape.
This permanent facility would provide a one-of-a-kind media showcase for films and videos about nature, and the interactions between people and nature. The collection would include topics ranging from endangered species to organic farming to pollution and consumerism. The types of films would include documentaries, animation, documentary dramas, major Hollywood productions, educational pieces, news, and more.
A primary goal of the museum would be to serve the public demand and need for environmental education, especially through programming for children and schools. As both a cultural and scientific arts institution, the theatres would create a whole range of opportunities for both environmental and cultural study and interpretation.
The museum building would be designed to maximize the ecological potential of its site by capturing renewable energy for heat, cooling, and electricity, while operating in an ecologically efficient manner. This would drastically lower utility costs while enhancing the educational mission of the museum. Please link here to view a conceptual floor plan and rendering of the building.
Film festivals could be organized around various themes, attracting visitors from around the world. Independent film makers would benefit by having a venue for presenting their works outside the realm of commercial theaters, which rarely if ever present this kind of film.
Also, an international environmental media foundation would be established to fund artists and educators working in this field. Environmental filmmakers would receive grants for equipment, production, or other costs. Consideration would be given to the size and scope of any project's audience, and the film's purpose as environmental education, advocacy, etc. This international network of environmental media producers and distributors, working in partnership with the Environmental Film Museum, would satisfy some of the huge global need for increased environmental education, awareness, and literacy.
The Environmental Film Museum is a project of the Institute for Creative Ecology. For further information contact:
Alan C. Kettler, Director
6928 Meade St, Pittsburgh, Pa 15208
412.877.3546