RVA Environmental Film Festival not well-attended by students

The annual RVA Environmental Film Festival kicked off its week-long showing of free movies to the public on Feb. 1. With screenings each day at different venues around Richmond, each film is focused on raising awareness of environmental issues not only for the planet, but locally as well.

Richmond hosted the second night of the weeklong festival Tuesday, after partnering with the group for the first time last year.

The Ukrop Auditorium, though filled with a respectable number of locals, was not the least bit full of University of Richmond students. Camilla Cabot, a student sitting in the lobby just before the event commenced, said that she couldn't stay for the films.

"I was intrigued but unfortunately I have class tonight and can't go," Cabot said. "I don't really think it was a well-marketed project to students, though. I feel like I should have heard about it more than I did."

Two films were shown Tuesday: Jens Jensen The Living Green, which relayed the importance of nature in urban areas, and Baobabs between Land and Sea, which discussed the threatened baobab trees in Madagascar. 

William Godfrey spoke between the two films about the importance that millennials play in the future of not only Richmond's environment, but the planet as well. 

Tamara Smith, a graduate of the Robins School of Business class of '92 and member of Richmond's local Sierra Club, has attended every environmental film festival since the organizations inception in 2011.

Smith said that over the years attendance had definitely increased, along with the rise in global issues involving the environment.

The festival concludes this weekend with full days scheduled at the The Byrd Theatre.

Contact Kay Trulaske at kay.trulaske@richmond.edu