About

Portsmouth Film Society hosts a Green Film Festival inside its base at the Southsea Cinema and Arts Centre. From Tuesday 20th to Saturday 24th May, the festival will showcase a selection of thought-provoking films and engaging events centered around environmental issues and sustainability.

Film Festival Line-Up

Tuesday, May 20th

5pm: Opening reception at Southsea Cinema and Arts Centre

6pm: ‘Eating Our Way To Extinction’ (2022)

This entertaining and surprising documentary will challenge the way you look at the food industry. If food costs the Earth, who pays the price? Featuring shocking undercover footage and poignant first-hand accounts from indigenous people, this one-of-a-kind documentary will permanently change your perception of food and its connection to the future of our planet.

Wednesday, May 21st

7pm: The Birdwatchers (2024) - 13.40min

What does it mean to be a birdwatcher? Why is access to nature important? What makes someone get up at 3am to go birdwatching in the pouring rain? Catch the winner of Best Documentary and Audience Choice Award at Starling Film Festival, as well as winner of the Environmental Awareness Award at Greenwich Film Festival, and the Environmental Narrative Award at Novella Film Festival.

Guest speaker: Catharine Gale from Hampshire Swifts.

7.45pm: Local is the new Global - 15min

A city’s economy can be like a leaky bucket – the billions spent there, and the profits earned, often go somewhere else in the world. And yet amazing changes can happen when that spending power is redirected towards local businesses, helping create a supply chain that builds the social foundation and protects the planetary boundaries. Using the compass of Doughnut Economics, and the potential of Community Wealth Building, cities can become regenerative and flourish. This film looks at what different cities and regions - from Amsterdam to Southampton to Cornwall - are doing to keep the money in their local economy whilst protecting the environment.

A speaker and Q&A session will follow the film.

Thursday, May 22nd

2pm: Workshop: Moving Through Fear - 1hr

There is a lot going on in the world right now and it is becoming more and more difficult to stay informed without becoming paralysed by fear. How do we stay hopeful without being ignorant of the immense global suffering? How do we stay rooted without becoming stagnant? How do we take action despite feeling powerless? Moving through fear is a workshop designed to support us to find balance within the chaos by connecting with the oldest technology in the world - our bodies.

This workshop is run by Michelle Ezeuko. Entry is free, with donation.

5pm: Documentary: ‘Forests Beneath the Waves’ 12min (plus QA with Dr Ian Hendy)

Over the summer of 2023, Natural England commissioned a team of filmmakers, led by Dr Ian Hendy from the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS), to capture kelp forests in the waters around the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall.

6.30pm: Portsmouth Climate Choir

Join in for an evening of inspiring melodies.

7pm: Buy Now (2024) - 84mins

'Buy Now' pulls back the curtain on the world's top brands, exposing the hidden tactics and covert strategies used to keep all of us locked in an endless cycle of buying, no matter the cost.

Stay for a post-film discussion led by Portsmouth Greenpeace.

Friday, May 23rd

3pm and 7pm: Wild Coast Warriors (2024) - 72 minutes (English, Xhosa)

For centuries, indigenous people have lived sustainably while resisting invaders on South Africa's Wild Coast. In this documentary about a David and Goliath court-case struggle against Shell, these communities succeeded in halting oil and gas exploration, winning ongoing protection for their ocean and culture. It’s about how South Africa's indigenous amaMpondo, allied with Greenpeace Africa & Natural Justice, took on Shell, as well as a British oil company called Impact Oil and Gas, and the South African energy minister, in court. They won a landmark victory in protecting their land and oceans from a seismic survey and future oil and gas extraction on the Wild Coast.

Saturday, May 24th

12.30pm: Workshop: Composting the apocalypse: Climate change and what to do about it

When did scientists discover that burning coal causes global warming? What’s the best and worst foods you can eat - in terms of impact on the natural world? How can we stay positive in the face of this enormous challenge? This interactive two-hour workshop by Portsmouth Climate Action will answer these questions and give you an in-depth understanding of climate breakdown and how you can help avert it.

Entry by donation: £5 per person.

Ticket Information

Tickets for screenings and events can be purchased through the Portsmouth Film Society website or at the Southsea Cinema and Arts Centre box office.

About Portsmouth Film Society

Portsmouth Film Society is a non-profit community cinema organisation dedicated to bringing diverse and thought-provoking films to audiences in Portsmouth and beyond. Through screenings, events and community engagement, the society aims to enrich cultural experiences and spark meaningful conversations.

About Portsmouth Climate Action

Portsmouth Climate Action is a community organisation, run by volunteers, which helps local residents, businesses, schools and organisations become greener. It delivers projects as well as offering educational workshops.