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Join us Wednesday, September 9th at 7:00 p.m. as we begin our 14th annual Sustainability Film Series with a fantastic documentary featuring the environmental activism efforts of legendary folk musician Pete Seeger!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

Local musician Steve Zarate will be performing songs by Pete Seeger in The Athena lobby from 6:20 p.m. until the 7:00 p.m. showtime

About the film

In the 1960s, the iconic American folk singer Pete Seeger devised an audacious plan—to build a sailboat to save the polluted Hudson River. But the Clearwater was not just a beautiful wooden vessel; it was also a movement, intersecting environmentalism, civil rights, and antiwar activism.

An intimate portrait of Pete and the grassroots community he anchored in the Hudson Valley for over forty years with his wife Toshi, Down by the Riverside shows how an unconventional campaign to save a beloved American waterway prompted a green revolution.

As the globe confronts a seemingly insurmountable climate crisis, this film is a parable for our time that offers hope for the next generation, revealing the potential of imagination, music, and participation to transform the planet.

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85 MIN

Wednesday 09/097:00

Join us Wednesday, September 23rd at 7:00 p.m. as our Sustainability Series features a hard-hitting documentary about the effects of the U.S. Military’s insatiable appetite for fossil fuels!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

About the film

Earth’s Greatest Enemy, the second feature film project by Abby Martin, is a groundbreaking anti-imperialist environmental documentary.

Exempt from international climate agreements and rarely scrutinized in mainstream reporting, the Pentagon is the world’s single largest institutional polluter—spewing carbon, contaminating water, and scarring landscapes across the globe. Combining investigative journalism, striking visuals, and stories from impacted communities, this film challenges audiences to rethink the hidden costs of a global military empire and its planetary consequences. Provocative, urgent, and eye-opening, this is a documentary that will change how you see both the military and environmentalism.

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121 MIN

Wednesday 09/237:00

Join us Wednesday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m. as our Sustainability Series dives deep into Earth’s oceanic biosphere with an award-winning documentary featuring renowned broadcaster David Attenborough!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

About the film

This beautiful film takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean. Celebrated broadcaster and filmmaker David Attenborough reveals how his lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests, and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing. Stunning, immersive cinematography showcases the wonder of life under the seas and exposes the realities and challenges facing our ocean as never-before-seen — from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching. Yet the story is one of optimism, with Attenborough pointing to inspirational stories from around the world to deliver his greatest message: the ocean can recover to a glory beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.

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95 MIN

Wednesday 10/077:00

Join us Wednesday, October 21st at 7:00 p.m. as we celebrate Appalachia Day as part of our Sustainability Series!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

This event will feature a presentation by local Rural Action group Appalachian Understories

About the film

Deep in the hollows of the Appalachian Mountains, the construction of a fracked gas pipeline rips through mountaintops, forests, and streams, bearing down on rural communities across Appalachia. Russell, an Army veteran who once swore an oath to protect and serve his country, now finds his home, waters, and forests under threat. He enlists in the battle to defend his community. Russell joins forces with people along the pipeline route, including Georgia, an apple farmer in Virginia; Maury, a retired schoolteacher in West Virginia; and Crystal and Jason, Indigenous community leaders in North Carolina. Together, they form a movement that faces numerous setbacks as they take on the multibillion-dollar corporations behind the pipeline. When one of the nation’s most powerful politicians intervenes, the stage is set for a high-stakes showdown.

About Appalachian Understories

Appalachian Understories is a Rural Action initiative proudly supported by Ohio’s Winding Road. Our tours and events lay the foundation for forming lasting connections to Appalachian Ohio rooted in appreciation for the area’s rich natural and cultural resources. These experiences draw upon the knowledge and passion of skilled locals who provide participants with experiences rooted in community and place. By supporting local knowledge, Appalachian Understories helps to stimulate the local economy, strengthen our communities, and support our neighbors.

To find out more about Appalachian Understories, click here

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45 MIN

Wednesday 10/217:00

Join us Wednesday, November 4th at 7:00 p.m. for a haunting nature documentary from clebrated filmmaker Werner Herzog!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

About the film

For more than 10 years, conservation biologist and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Steve Boyes, has searched the highland plateau and deep forests of Angola for an elusive herd of “Ghost Elephants” — an undiscovered species of African elephant that is said to travel silently through its high-altitude domain, gaining an almost-mythological status among the indigenous peoples of the region.

Written, directed, and narrated by acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog (Fitzcarraldo, Grizzly Man), this haunting and contemplative film  joins Boyes on his epic quest, along with some of the world’s best master trackers, in order to prove the existence of an animal long believed to be only a myth.

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98 MIN

Wednesday 11/047:00

Join us Wednesday, November 18th at 7:00 p.m. as our 14th annual Sustainability Film Series concludes with an award-winning documentary about two artists whose work bridges the gap between expression and environmental activism!

Admission is FREE – Tickets are required

About the film

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80 MIN

Wednesday 11/187:00

Join us Wednesday, September 17th at 7:00 p.m. as our Sustainability Film Series continues with an award-winning documentary delving into the relationship between humans and microplastics!

Admission is FREE and open to the public – Tickets are required

This event will feature a pre-show presentation by Liliana Kijeck

About the film

The award-winning feature documentary Plastic People investigates our addiction to plastic and the growing threat of microplastics on human health. Almost every bit of plastic ever made breaks down into “microplastics.” These microscopic particles drift in the air, float in all bodies of water, and mix into the soil, becoming a permanent part of the environment. Now, leading scientists are finding these particles in our bodies: organs, blood, brain tissue, and even the placentas of new mothers. What is the impact of these invisible invaders on our health? And can anything be done about it?

Acclaimed author and science journalist Ziya Tong takes a personal approach by visiting leading scientists around the world and undergoing experiments in her home, on her food, and her body while collaborating with award-winning director Ben Addelman (Discordia, Bombay Calling, Nollywood Babylon, Kivalina v. Exxon) in an urgent call to action for all of us to rethink our relationship with plastic.

About the speaker

Liliana Kijeck is a recent graduate of Ohio University’s Master of Science in Environmental Studies Master’s program and a new Appalachian Ohio Restore Corps AmeriCorps member with Raccoon Creek Partnership at the Ridges in Athens. Originally from the Cleveland area, Liliana grew up spending all of her time outside and in Lake Erie, which prompted her to study political science at Cleveland State University in order to understand environmental politics and policy, the politics of conservation and sustainability, and human-environment relationships. During her Master’s program, she spent her time focusing directly on human and environmental interactions, water quality, and specifically plastic pollution and microplastic occurrence in drinking water in relation to socioeconomic and demographic aspects.

Check out the rest of our line-up of films in the Sustainability Film Series

This series was made possible thanks to the following sponsors:

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84 MIN

Join us on Wednesday, October 1st at 7:00 p.m. as our Sustainability Film Series features an excellent documentary that examines the effects of invasive species that threaten the close-to-home ecosystems in the Lake Erie region!

Admission is FREE and open to the public – Tickets are required

This event will include a preshow presentation by Amy Jewitt from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

About the film

Lake Erie, one of the most picturesque landscapes and important ecosystems in Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and nearby regions are at risk from aquatic invasive species. In the new film, “Seeing The Unseen: Aquatic Invaders & What’s at Stake,” executive produced by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program staff, you’ll learn how hundreds of aquatic invasive species are negatively affecting Lake Erie and its watershed and nearby regions.

Invasive species – non-native species that do not occur naturally in an area and grow quickly and aggressively, out-competing native species for food, habitat and other limited resources – are threatening the health and biodiversity of this rich and important natural ecosystem. This film provides tangible actions we all can take to prevent the spread of invasives and protect Lake Erie and nearby regions.

About the speaker

Amy Jewitt, a co-executive producer for this film, serves as the Invasive Species Coordinator at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. Amy’s past experiences with both the Plum Pox Virus and Asian Longhorned Beetle eradication programs have made her a passionate advocate for raising awareness of the impacts invasive species have on the environment, economy, and human health and well-being.

Amy has a combined 12 years of professional experience working with invasive species eradication programs and tracking invasive species locations and management efforts. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from Penn State University with minors in horticulture, international agriculture and leadership development.

Check out the rest of our line-up of films in the Sustainability Film Series

This series was made possible thanks to the following sponsors:

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45 MIN

Join us Wednesday, October 15th at 7:00 p.m. as our Sustainability Film Series examines the injustices climate change through resilient South Florida communities on the edge of crisis!

Admission is FREE and open to the public – Tickets are required

About the film

Shedding light on the resilience of communities facing the brunt of climate injustice, Edge of Hope, focuses on Miami, FL as the city grapples with rising sea levels, extreme heat, intensified hurricanes, and other harbingers of crisis. The film uncovers how systemic inequities magnify the challenges of climate change, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations. By weaving together the voices of experts and community advocates, the film presents a powerful narrative of both struggle and determination.

More than just a documentary, Edge of Hope is a testament to the power of resistance and collective hope. It challenges viewers to reflect on the systemic forces at play while inspiring change through community-driven solutions. As climate threats escalate, this film serves as a crucial reminder that hope, and action remain vital in the fight for environmental justice.

About the speakers

David Dugard is a Miami native whose work centers on community engagement, equity, and resilience. He currently serves as the Program Director for the Mellon-funded FIU Commons for Justice Project, which partners with historically Black and Brown communities in Miami to address longstanding social and environmental inequities. As one of the directors of The Edge of Hope, David helped bring to life the stories and voices of Miami residents who continue to shape the city’s future in the face of challenge and change. Through his work, he explores how storytelling and collective action can strengthen community bonds and inspire meaningful progress.

Kevin Grove is Professor of Geography at Florida International University, and editor at Progress in Human Geography. His research focuses on the political geographies of resilience, disaster management and environmental security, which he has explored in Kingston, Jamaica, New York City, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and most recently, Miami, where he led the “redesigning resilience” research team in the FIU Commons for Justice project. He is the author of over 80 peer reviewed articles and chapters, including his 2018 book Resilience, which examines the links between ecological resilience theory, design thinking, and their adoption in national and local government policies initiatives. Kevin received his PhD in 2011 from the Ohio State University, and currently splits his time between Miami and Athens with his wife and son. He is a proud supporter of local youth soccer and recently coached his son’s U12 soccer team, the Adena Spears.

Check out the rest of our line-up of films in the Sustainability Film Series

This series was made possible thanks to the following sponsors:

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106 MIN