Advocacy can come in so many different forms of human expression. Subtly or intensely, ongoing or in bursts, making a change in the world starts with being heard. The entertainment industry has often found that sweet spot for attracting audiences while guiding them to a deeper understanding. Where science meets art, filmmaking is one creative strategy to share a voice and tackle important local topics about the world around us.

Surfrider Foundation and Associated Students Earth Day hosted their first ever Environmental Film Festival at sunset on April 14 at Anisq’Oyo Park, featuring five student-made short films debunking topics related to the local environment, ecology and cultures. The Surfrider Foundation’s mission aims to protect our oceans for the benefit of the Earth and the people to enjoy it. What started as a small group of surfers in Malibu has turned into an expansion of over 200 student organizations along the coast, campaigning against local issues and fighting for beach restoration and preservation. 

With Earth Day just around the corner, UC Santa Barbara is promoting a series of events locally to focus on celebration and awareness for keeping our Earth well cared for. This poses the question for students to think about on a personal level: What does Earth Day mean to you?

Before the film screenings, the venue offered several pop-up booths promoting sustainable activities and merchandise for Earth Day. These included free block printing, hand-made jewelry and art, thrifting and local photography. All of this was entertained by live music, vocals and acoustic guitar, as people began crowding the outdoor venue in the grass. Sustainable practices are critical to combat the constant rise of overconsumption and waste, so filling the area with vendors sharing the same values these films were created to represent was intentionally impactful.

The first short film presented was created by Talia Frank, titled “Hydra on the Horizon,” a documentary-style film about Sable Offshore and their drilling practices, a legal battle that has continued to be fought for decades. This film features videography from 1969, 2015 and present day, showing the recurring struggles of oil drilling practices completely disregarding our oceans and the impending threat of an oil spill reoccuring. It was crazy to see the varying sources interviewed, ranging from college-aged students to older generations of locals who were there to witness the Refugio oil spill so many years ago. This film is especially relevant today with the re-opening of the controversial oil pipeline as of this past March that has resumed operations. While the increase of oil production might be good for the economy, its possibility for leakage poses a huge threat to the ocean and all the animals inhabiting the area.

The next film, “The Salt on Our Skin,” was directed by Alessandra Puig-Santana and covered the cultural relationship between the tides and diverse communities. She highlighted the many people who have firsthand felt the struggles of racism in their local surf spots and are working to reclaim what is rightfully theirs: inclusivity and identity. While this film centered around coastal communities in Southern California, its themes run much deeper as there are communities fighting for beaches, mountains, forests and all sorts of environments everywhere. Nature and culture should be commemorated together, and the makers of this film merged compelling visuals with real human stories that encapsulated that need for that belonging and celebration of identity.

The following screening was “quwa’,” directed by Jonathan Coronado, Ryan Grant, Jade Ipiña and Catherine Scanlon. This film brought light to the small island most people probably didn’t even know was an island, right beneath the Santa Barbara Airport. Surrounded by marsh, this sanctioned property is originally home to the Chumash who were kicked from their land and have made numerous peaceful but unsuccessful attempts to share it. They aim to bring biodiversity and culture back to its grounds. Once again, while this issue is local and borders our own campus, the film addresses the global issues of Indigenous populations being forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands. Just because these once biodiverse lands have been turned to state-owned properties and businesses does not mean that it’s too late to keep fighting for restoration.

Attending the Environmental Film Festival felt like being set back in time in the most cliche way possible. Photo Credit: Makena Eggiman

The next screening presented was “The Bear Beneath,” directed by Olivia Hille and dedicated to uncovering the near-extinction of grizzly bears and the human tendency to destroy the things that scare them. The film beautifully painted grizzly bears as the gentle creatures they are rather than the scary predator humans have convinced themselves to fear. This film was very touching on an emotional level and perfectly conveys the conflict of man versus nature. The antagonistic characterization of bears and harassment against their species is heartbreaking, but this film sparks hope for the return of their species in California through sanctuaries and education efforts.

The final film to conclude the night was “How’s Devs?” Directed by Piers Nicklin, this screening dove into the topic of surf culture within Isla Vista’s tight-knit community. Its purpose catered to a specific audience but promoted the surf community as welcoming to all skill levels. This film was a light-hearted and uplifting end to the night with feel-good vibes and beautiful videography of our local waves at Devereux Beach. As someone with a surfboard collecting dust in my backyard, I actually felt more inspired to put myself out there and hit the waves. No judgement, no rules. The first step is just getting out in nature and having fun.

At the end of the night, the audience voted on their favorites. “quwa’” was nominated as the most informative film, and “The Bear Beneath” took home two titles as the most visually appealing and an overall favorite. All short films screened that night were well applauded, and directors received certificates for their participation in the showing.

“I didn’t need people to agree with this,” Hille, graduate film student and creator of “The Bear Beneath,” said. “I think it’s really important that we face environmental issues with an open mind.” She shared her experiences working on this project for a class at UCSB centered around environmental filmmaking. “There’s so many different ways to make a change. This medium [filmmaking] is very powerful because you get to see their emotion, you get to hear their emotion; there’s so many aspects.”

Through the intense production of sound, visuals, and technology, this blended craft of filmmaking has so many capabilities for making an impact on the environment and the world around us. Films among so many other forms of art and human expression have the ability to plant a seed into the minds of viewers, ones that would not normally be sought out for but have raised awareness that sparks difficult conversations and inspires initiative. 

Attending the Environmental Film Festival felt like being set back in time in the most cliche way possible. Seeing people gathered around in blankets surrounded by human-made art, music and a beautifully lush field from the recent rainfall was very grounding to nature and one’s surroundings. To just take a step back and enjoy this moment, one that isn’t monetized or serious; just art made by humans, for humans. To me, that’s what Earth Day is about.