The 12th Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival is expanding the festival experience this year with FLEFF Labs, a new way for festivalgoers to interact with guests by engaging in projects and discussions.

The themes of FLEFF this year, incorporated into films, discussions and events, are syncopation, spice, toxins and trade. Each was chosen to inspire a different way of thinking about the environment. These also serve as frames for the different festival events to show festivalgoers that the environment pertains not just to nature and sustainability.

Ithaca College junior and FLEFF intern Peter Srinivasan said his most inspiring moment working with FLEFF was when he realized that the word environmental didn’t always just mean green.

“The point of FLEFF is to take those [environmental] boundaries … and then to break that down, to say maybe more is included in this environment,” he said. “We do address [green and our carbon footprint] because people expect that, but we don’t address that the whole time.”

In the past, FLEFF has hosted events to explore the environment, ranging from film screenings to concerts to book readings and signings.

This year, FLEFF is introducing FLEFF Labs, a new component to the dozens of events that have made up the festival in the past.

Tom Shevory, professor of politics and co-director of FLEFF, said FLEFF Labs will give students the chance to interact with the guests on campus.

“The FLEFF Labs are to be more imaginative, to create projects … to generate ideas in a way that wouldn’t just be a presentation of a person in front of an audience,” he said.

Patricia Zimmermann, professor of cinema and photography and co-director of FLEFF, said the labs and other activities widen the scope of the festival.

“We are actually more than a film festival, we’re, as you can see, a one-week multimedia international extravaganza,” she said.

John Valadez, director and writer of several award-winning documentaries aired nationally on PBS and CNN, will show two films. The first film is “Passin’ It On,” an examination of the case of Black Panther leader Dhoruba Bin Wahad, which he directed. He will show “High Stakes Testing,” a film that focuses on the “No Child Left Behind Act,” which he produced. Valadez will also host two labs about making independent films.

Zimmermann said the labs would give students and audience members exposure to different ideas — right from the filmmakers and artists themselves.

“All these people are really impressive, and they’re really courageous,” Zimmermann said. “[They] do work that just makes you think differently about what the environment is.”

The lab “Brown Cloud Paper Cutting” features guest artist Pamela See. In the lab, participants cut brown clouds out of paper bags to represent pollution over global cities that are then displayed. This project is also taking place in Beijing and Austria, Shevory said, and will be hung in the Handwerker Gallery when finished.

“It’s a transglobal art project happening simultaneously all over the world,” he said.

These, as well as other FLEFF Labs, are scheduled among events throughout the week.

Tuesday through Thursday features more on-campus labs and films. Next Friday is “FLEFF Lab Friday.” Hosted by the Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies and FLEFF, the labs will be held in the Roy H. Park School of Communications, led by independent film directors who focus primarily on making independent films and documentaries.

Siobhan Cavanagh, a freshman FLEFF intern, said the festival is a great opportunity to talk to professionals in the industry.

“We get to work with filmmakers and artists … in a very personal setting,” she said.

Zimmermann said it’s an incredible opportunity to be a student at the college during the festival.

“You’re there interacting with the greatest artists and intellectuals and filmmakers who changed how people think and see the world,” she said.

Shevory said one goal of the festival is to get the campus engaged.

“Once people start to interact with people on campus they can take those interactions downtown and really get a chance to talk to people in a lot of different contexts,” he said.

After festivities have ended for the day downtown, free “galas and gatherings” will be hosted for the festivalgoers. On April 3 and 4, festivalgoers will be able to mingle with some of the special festival guests at the Lost Dog Lounge. On April 5, there will be a chance for more socializing at Korova for those ages 21 and up.

Zimmermann said the festival is unique to the campus community and students should take advantage of as many opportunities as they can.

“You roll out of bed, and you’re at an international multi-arts festival with people from countries all over the world,” Zimmermann said. “It’s just incredible.”

FLEFF kicks off with “A Tribute to the Clash” tomorrow. A rock concert and a benefit rolled into one, the tribute will raise money for the Cayuga Waterfront Trail and will feature local Ithaca bands from different music genres.

 

For a complete schedule of screenings and events visit www.ithaca.edu/fleff.