Greenpeace Awards Visionary Student Filmmakers

by Melissa Thompson

February 20, 2015

The reviews from our esteemed judges are in, and The Ballad of Holland Island House is the winner of our first Student Film Contest.

“I wish we saw more of this artful approach to environmental topics.” Chico Colvard

“An emotional appeal even for those who are not necessarily thinking about climate change” Caty Borum Chatoo

“Can watch it over and over again!” Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

film-307992_640The reviews from our esteemed judges are in, and The Ballad of Holland Island House is the winner of our first Student Film Contest. Lynn Tomlinson created this haunting animated film while an MFA student at Towson University. If you cant wait for the premiere, check out this beautiful making of video about the creative process behind the film. We are thrilled to add this story from the Chesapeake Bay to the Postcards from Climate Change collection this Spring.

Close on its heels, A $73 Million Dollar Industry, about oyster farming in Oregon, was awarded second place in the contest. Judge Caty Borum Chattoo describes it as a professionally crafted story, with excellent attention to pacing, story, cinematography, editing Bravo to Kathryn Boyd-Batstone (University of Oregon).

The judges also recognized Sea Ice Secure, Sarah Betchers film about climate change and resilience in rural Northwestern Alaska, with an Honorable Mention (school: University of Alaska). Its power lies in the fact that its subjects themselves are the experts on how their immediate environment is changing and immerses the audience in a life experience not shared by many on this earth, say filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin.

Also shortlisted (out of 545 entries!) were two films about Hurricane Sandy:

I of The Storm, directed by Brian Adamkiewicz (Brooklyn College), and The Boats of Jamaica Bay, directed by Gary Bencheghib (New York Film Academy).

Finally, Greenpeace staff viewers were so awed by Provo Haze, a beautiful film about dirty air, submitted by Jesse Myrick (Brigham Young University), that we decided to create a staff pick award just for this film.

The Ballad of Holland Island House, A $73 Million Dollar Industry, and Provo Haze will be shown at the Environmental Film Festival in the Nations Capital on March 25 at 7PM at American University, as part of their Student Short showcase.

Huge thanks to program coordinator Francine Cavanaugh and our amazing judges Tia Lessin, Carl Deal, Chico Colvard, Keya Chatterjee, and Caty Borum Chattoo.

And congratulations to these visionary student filmmakers.

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