One Earth Film Festival presents environmental films in Lake County

One Earth Film Festival will host nine film programs in six Lake County communities during its 2019 season. The Festival runs through March 10.

The 2019 Festival theme is "All In," a declaration of the pressing need for decisive action to reduce the environmental impact humans leave on planet Earth. Since its beginning in 2012, the Festival has been deliberate in selecting films that tell stories of hope, action and transformation along with offering opportunities for attendees to take positive action.

The Lake County film showings are free unless otherwise noted. Attendees also will learn of opportunities to support or register for local environmental efforts. One Earth Film Festival will host these programs in Lake County:

• Saturday, March 2, 1 p.m., Prairie Crossing Charter School, 1531 Jones Point Road, Grayslake. "Living in the Future's Past." Produced and presented by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, "Living in the Future's Past" explores the question, "What kind of future would you like to see?"

• Sunday, March 3, 2 p.m., Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. "Into the Okavango," takes viewers on an expedition to explore a vast wetland wilderness in Africa, home to African elephants, cheetahs, lions and hundreds of species of birds, which is now under pressure from increasing human activity. Admission: $10 for adults; $5 for students

• Sunday, March 3, 5 p.m., Gorton Community Center, Lake Forest. "The Human Element," by renowned photographer James Balog, who uses his camera to reveal how environmental change is affecting the lives of everyday Americans. Admission: $10 for adults; $5 for students.

• Wednesday, March 6, 6:30 p.m., College of Lake County, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake, Room A011 Auditorium. "Dirt Rich" shines a light on the power of rich soils to effectively draw carbon out of the atmosphere and be a critical strategy for addressing climate change. Regenerative agriculture, native plant gardening, reforestation and protection of carbon-rich wetlands are tools we can use to protect and restore the soil.

• Friday, March 8, 6:30 p.m., College of Lake County, Grayslake. "Paris to Pittsburgh" spotlights some of the cities, states, businesses and citizens taking action against climate change; from innovative ways to grow local food systems, to parking lots shaded by solar paneled roofs, to passionate college students making an impact with sustainable energy jobs, this documentary provides a hopeful road map for the future.

• Saturday, March 9, 10 a.m., Warren Township High School's Black Box Theater, 34090 Almond Road, Gurnee. Along with a screening of "Protecting the Boundary," students from WTHS and Lakes Community High School will host a series of short films that tell stories of the important role that the Boundary Waters wilderness played in the lives of the young filmmakers, even helping them fight life-threatening illness, as well as how youth are now organizing to help protect the area from the threat of copper mining on its shores.

• Saturday, March 9, 1 p.m., Catlow Theater, 116 W. Main St., Barrington. Go Green Barrington and the Barrington Area Library will co-host "River Blue" at the historic Catlow Theater. "River Blue" explores the manufacture of an iconic item of closing - blue jeans - and how the use of toxic chemicals and the irresponsible disposal of toxic waste are harming human health and the rivers. On the flip side, the film features innovative approaches to the manufacturing of jeans that eliminate the waste. Local groups will share how they are working to keep area rivers clean and other strategies consumers can employ to address the issues portrayed in the film.

• Saturday, March 9, 2 p.m., Waukegan Public Library, 128 N. County St., Waukegan. "The Guardians" looks at the delicate balance between humans and nature. The film interweaves the lives of the monarch butterflies that overwinter in Mexico with the indigenous community in the area, where both depend on the same ancient forest for their survival and now face an uncertain future. The film is in the language of the speaker, mostly Spanish with English subtitles.

• Sunday, March 10, 2 p.m., St. Joseph Catholic Church, Koenig Center, 121 E. Maple Ave., Libertyville. "Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees" follows scientist and author Diana Beresford-Kroeger as she explores the most beautiful forests in the Northern Hemisphere and shares the amazing stories behind the science of trees and the irreplaceable roles they play in protecting and feeding the planet.

For film trailers, detailed times and locations and tickets for the above film events visit www.oneearthfilmfest.org/lake-county-films-2019. Fifteen local organizations do the planning and provide support for the One Earth Film Fest in Lake County.

The One Earth Film Fest is the Midwest's premier environmental film festival, and includes Chicago and the surrounding counties of Lake, Suburban Cook, DuPage and Kane. The 2019 schedule includes 28 films that will be screened in 60 locations.