By Erin Rauch

The ten day Gainesville Environmental Film and Arts Festival, the first of its kind in the community, will be hosted at the Hippodrome Theater from March 19 to March 28.

“Our tag line is to educate, entertain and inspire,” said Shirley Lasseter, Cinema Director of the Hippodrome Theater.

Lasseter is teaming up with Trish Riley, Film Festival Co-Director and Publisher of GoGreenNation.org, to get the community together for a week of eco-friendly film and art.

Lasseter and Riley applied for a grant to pay for the festival but wouldn’t see the money until 2011. Both decided they just couldn’t wait until then.

Green Drinks, a monthly networking event that brings environmental professionals and enthusiasts together in cities around the country, co-sponsored two fundraisers throughout the month of February.

Attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, prizes and trailers of films such as The Greening of Southie and The End of the Line at the Prairie Creek Lodge. The venue for the February 3 fundraiser was provided by the Alachua Conservation Trust, a co-sponsor of the event.

Sustainable Alachua County along with Green Drinks Gainesville co-sponsored a fundraising event at Sharab Lounge on February 17.

Attendees were asked to donate five to ten dollars at both events. All proceeds will go towards their goal of raising 20,000 dollars.

But Lasseter and Riley didn’t host the fundraisers solely for monetary contributions.

“We also hope that this will help us spread the word to organizations that might be interested in supporting the festival,” said Riley.

The festival features five major environmental films, film discussions, gallery openings, nature tours and a tabling opportunity for local organizations and businesses.

Over fifteen films address serious sustainable issues are listed for the event. Although it has not been chosen yet, Lasseter and Riley have plans to host a free film outside.

Organizations around Gainesville who perform environmental and social justice works qualify for free tickets to film screenings. Along with free tickets, co-organizers Lasseter and Riley are hoping to provide attendees with some environmental insight.

“Most importantly they can take home a personal way to affect the environment in a positive way,” said Lasseter.

Santa Fe student, Muriel Akamatsu, created the promotional video for the festival which can be viewed on YouTube. For more information regarding sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, visit www.gefaf.org