About

The Eugene Environmental Film Festival believes in creating space to address critical issues facing our planet.
We support the work being done at local and global levels and share a deep connection and responsibility to protect the environment and work in solidarity with others in the struggle toward environmental justice.

The Team

Festival Director

Michele Eggers Barison

I am interested in addressing the interrelated issues of environmental and economic exploitation, poverty, repression, and violence, which often force individuals and communities to leave their home countries.
I have visually documented environmental rights abuses in Central and South America as well as coordinated speaking engagements and outreach for human rights delegations to help raise awareness about these issues. My vision of creating the Eugene Environmental Film Festival is to bring people together across geographic boundaries to address critical environmental issues facing our planet and to acknowledge the people in the struggle for environmental justice.

Organizer

Sarah Cantril

Sarah grew up playing in the creek and climbing trees around her house. She has fond memories of sleeping under the stars, swimming in the Eel River and hiking in the redwoods. As an adult she has enjoyed hiking, skiing and playing on the beach in Oregon. Her deepest connection to the land developed by living in the countryside outside of Eugene and experiencing the changes of the seasons and witnessing the impact of climate change in her own garden. She is passionate about growing and preserving food for her family and founded Huerto de la Familia (The Family Garden) in order to offer Latino immigrant families the same opportunity. Most recently, Sarah taught as an adjunct professor at Pacific University in the Masters of Social Work Program.

Organizer

Lisa Fragala

Originally, I moved to Oregon to work for the Forest Service surveying threatened and endangered species like the Marbled Murrelet and Spotted Owl. I fell in love with the woods in Oregon and grew to understand what a precious resource it is; how important it is that we protect it. Now I understand that environmental politics are deeply about social justice issues. Communities of color & indigenous communities are impacted at a much higher rate by environmental degradation and will be much more impacted by Climate change. Again as a citizen of planet Earth I feel a deep responsibility to not only protect the planet, but also to think about the people who are most impacted by what is happening. It is an honor to get to work on the Eugene Environmental Film Festival and to bring our community together around these important issues. See you at the Fest!

The Judges

Ana Molina Trejo

Ana was born in Mexico but grew up in South Lake Tahoe when her family migrated to the US. She is first in...MORE

Ana Molina Trejo

She is first in her family to graduate from college, and recently graduated from Humboldt State University. Growing up in such a beautiful area gave her an appreciation for the environment that inspired her to pursue a degree in Environmental Science. While in school she became involved in social justice issues on campus and in Humboldt County. Ana began to make the connections of how our social constructs affect our environment leading to environmental racism. She realized that you can’t leave out whole communities when it comes to conversations about climate change and the environment when they will be the ones who are affected. Ana has a love for both the environment and people because we are resilient, strong and imaginative and we can come up with solutions when we work collectively. On her down time Ana likes to hike, backpack, read and check out thrift stores.

Chris Wig

Chris Wig was elected to the board of directors of the Willamalane Park and Recreation District in 2019. He...MORE

Chris Wig

He received his undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Toronto and his master’s degree from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. He has served as Chair of the Democratic Party of Lane County since 2014 and as a volunteer judge for the Eugene Environmental Film Festival since 2018. He volunteers because he supports ensuring every Oregonian has access to recreation opportunities in natural spaces like our National Parks, State Parks and local community parks. Chris and his fiancé, Celine, love living in Springfield and on the weekends you can find them enjoying coffee at the Washburne Cafe or walking Willamalane's 29 miles of paths and trails.

Karolo Aparacio

Karolo Aparicio, is the Annual Giving Officer at the San Francisco Foundation. Karolo has been drawn to...MORE

Karolo Aparacio

Karolo has been drawn to organizations that work at the intersection of human and economic rights and environmental sustainability. He has led fundraising efforts at organizations such as GRID Alternatives, the Sierra Club, Global Fund for Women, EcoViva, and International Rivers. During his tenure as Executive Director at EcoViva, he helped produce several short documentary films on environmental conservation and community development in El Salvador. He earned a Master’s degree in Anthropology from Vanderbilt University, and an MBA from San Francisco State University, where he also earned his BA.

Lara Damiani

Lara Damiani cut her teeth in one of Australia’s toughest industries – fishing. At 23, she was that industry’s you...MORE

Lara Damiani

At 23, she was that industry’s youngest female executive officer. In 1997, she left to travel overseas and write and later worked for some years as a freelance writer and editor. In 2006, she made the transition into the world of filmmaking. Her first production, Tibet’s Cry for Freedom, screened in Australia, NZ, the US, the UK, Europe and Asia. It was also broadcast in the Czech Republic and New Zealand for three and four years running. It included exclusive interviews with the Dalai Lama and a Tibetan independence activist who broke a three-year silence to be involved. Lara’s focus is on using her skills for social good and helping to create social change. She works both in Australia and overseas with the communities she works with being central to the process. Lara has worked for UNDP, The World Bank, Relief International, Sight For All, CUFA and others. She works with individuals and organisations such as: People With Disability Australia; STRIDE Foundation; Zero Waste SA; The Migration Museum; Adelaide City Council; Carclew; LeeAnn Buckskin & Associates and many more. She runs Think Films – a specialist media production studio whose focus is on creating content that is purpose driven.

Michael Peterson

Michael Peterson is a documentary film director living in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. His love of the...MORE

Michael Peterson

His love of the outdoors and passion for the preservation of the land, animals and those who live in it lends the imagery he captures to be timeless and relevant. Peterson was awarded “Best Feature” in 2019 at Eugene Environmental Film Festival for his film, Dammed to Extinction. Prior to directing Dammed to Extinction, Peterson directed The Rapid Decline of the Lower Deschutes River. This short film depicts the recent environmental tragedy that is taking place on this Oregon waterway. Peterson spent 20 years working in film and television in Hollywood. His visual effects film credits include Independence Day, Armageddon, Contact, and Star Trek First Contact. He has worked on dozens of music videos and national broadcast commercials.

Pradnya Garud

Pradnya Garud is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Geography and Development at the University of Arizona. She...MORE

Pradnya Garud

She received her Master of Science in Environmental Sciences from the Institute of Science, Mumbai, and completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Disaster Preparedness and Response at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Prior to starting her Ph.D., Pradnya worked in a research and advocacy capacity with a Delhi-based human rights organization, through which she conducted fieldwork in several post-disaster contexts across India. Her doctoral research focuses on exploring the dynamics of caste and gender environmental issues, and she is particularly interested in analyzing environmental justice movements in India through an anti-caste perspective.

Ralph King

Ralph King is a grassroots organizer with Silicon Valley Climate Action Now (https://sv-can.org) and a documentary..MORE

Ralph King

and a documentary filmmaker whose recent films promote climate activism for 350.org, the Sierra Club and others. In 2005, he founded Hawkview Pictures, an independent film production company, and made the 2013 PBS primetime special, Extreme By Design, about Stanford University students who make low-cost products for the developing world. King previously spent 25 years as a print journalist and was twice nominated by Wall Street Journal editors for the Pulitzer Prize.

Audience Choice Awards

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