WE SALUTE YOU!

Each year, the American Conservation Film Festival screens a unique collection of films selected on the strength of their conservation message, storytelling, and visual impact. Among this collection are films that particularly distinguish themselves in a unique, provocative, or impassioned way and may be garner one of these awards:
Green Fire Award
 Our most prestigious award, The Green Fire Award, named in honor of Aldo Leopold, is bestowed upon the film that exhibits an extraordinary level of excellence in filmmaking and helps us look anew at our relationship with our environment. Films are selected on the strength of their conservation message, storytelling, and visual impact.

Student Filmmaker Award
 Supporting new and emerging filmmakers is a major tenet of ACFF. We actively encourage student filmmakers to submit their work for review and potential inclusion in the festival. The Student Filmmaker Award Winner receives a $500 cash prize sponsored by Friends of the National Conservation Training Center.

Audience Choice Award
 Attendees vote for their favorite film of the festival!   This film may be honored with multiple screenings at Best of Festival events throughout the year.

Short Conservation Film Award
 ACFF looks to recognize compelling conservation stories that engage, inform and inspire viewers in less than 20 minutes.

Foreign Conservation Film Award
 This award is granted to an outstanding conservation film from outside the U.S. that illuminates conservation issues in a unique, provocative and impassioned way.  Multiple factors are taken into consideration when determining international eligibility such as primary shooting location, language(s) spoken in the film, and/or the nationalities of key members of a film’s cast and crew.

Green Spark Award
 Multiple Green Spark awards may be granted annually. This award is reserved for films that distinguish themselves in one of three ways:

  • by drawing attention to a conservation hero
  • by highlighting a pathway to environmental sustainability
  • by inspiring the next generation that will take on conservation challenges

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2015 AWARD WINNERS!

MODGreen Fire Award for Filmmaking Excellence – Merchants of Doubt
 The 2015 season marks the sixth year of ACFF’s “Green Fire Award” bestowed upon one film that exhibits this etraoridnary level of excellence in filmmaking, resonates with the spirit Leopold speaks of, and helps us look anew at our relationship with our environments.

Islands of CreationBroadcast Award – Islands of Creation (Smithsonian Channel)
Films that have previously aired or are scheduled to air on a national television network are eligible for the Broadcast Award. This is the third year for this award. Broadcast winners successfully engage a television audience with compelling conservation stories that educate, motivate, and inspire viewers.

WhiteEarth_Poster_nolaurelStudent Filmmaker Award – Christian Jensen for White Earth
Supporting new and emerging filmmakers is a major tenet of ACFF. We actively encourage student filmmakers to submit their work for review and potential inclusion in the festival. The Student Filmmaker Award Winner receives a $500 cash prize sponsored by Friends of NCTC.

City of TreesAudience Choice Award – City of Trees, Meridian Hill Pictures
 The audience has spoken and elected this DC-based story of people, community, tree-planting, and hope as our 2015 Audience Choice Award winner.  This was a world premier at ACFF on October 25th and played to a Standing Room Only audience.  Congratulations, Meridian Hill Pictures!