Whaleback Environmental Film & Art Festival announces its open call for film submissions for its event, taking place in Portsmouth NH, May 11-13. With the excellent response to last year’s inaugural event, the Whaleback Festival returns for its second annual weekend of environmental films.

“We welcome films from new and upcoming filmmakers,” invites Dyanna Smith, festival organizer and President of the Red Eft Project, host of the event. Whaleback was designed to encourage people to translate their environmental messages and actions into film. “People are accomplishing great things for sustainability and conservation,” says Smith, “and some of the most exciting, thought-provoking films telling these stories are coming from first-time filmmakers.”

Films invited for submission can address any environmental subject, and range in length from short to full-length feature. Submissions are now being accepted online at the festival website: www.whaleback.org, and the early bird submission deadline has been extended until February 17. Visit the “submissions” page for more details.

Lancaster Community Garden

The garden started as a new project during early 2011, spearheaded by then board member Melissa Grella. She successfully launched a community garden in her hometown of Lancaster, New Hampshire and has been busy putting together the first full growing season to begin this spring. See the garden’s project page for all the great details!

Contoocook Valley Food Security and Farming

Red Eft President, Dyanna Smith, started working with a group of farmers, growers and citizens of the Peterborough area in New Hampshire this fall, to capture their innovative ideas in a short film. This is a group who is already making strides towards their goal of increasing food security for their region, and the film documents their inspired vision. In 2012, Dyanna will continue her project by looking more deeply into their agricultural lifestyles and how they might be featured as models of a new style of farming for the future. View the 10-minute short here.

Living Landscapes Institute

Our third project is a continuation of last year’s Living Landscapes Institute. Look for a project update from Steven Alexander in the next few weeks by checking our news page.

Contoocook Valley Film Short

In 2012, this short film will be expanded into a longer documentary as part of a new Red Eft Project! Stay tuned to our news page as the project unfolds.

For more details, visit our website dedicated to the festival.

The Lancaster Community Garden’s mission is to nurture a caring community by providing space, offering support and creating opportunities for the residents of Lancaster and neighboring communities to learn about and experience the rewards of growing their own food and sharing their bounty with those in need. The purpose of the project is to offer access to a garden for those who do not have green space available, while encouraging individuals to help themselves become more self reliant.  We are a sharing garden – meaning in lieu of rental fees, gardeners are required to share their crops with an individual, family, or organization in need.  The Red Eft Project was awarded a $15,000 grant from the Tillotson Foundation in July, 2011 to spearhead the LCG project.

Project director Melissa Grella and her 4-person garden committee envision the garden becoming a landmark within the community, a place where different generations can come together to relish all the benefits that come with gardening – from eating fresh, local produce to the simple pleasure of digging your hands into the earth.  Our first full growing season will be in 2012, but before the spring planting, we’ll be busy with gardener workshops, ordering materials, and preparing the garden site.

Red Eft is now accepting donations in support of the Lancaster Community Garden through our online portal! There are a number of ways that you can support this wonderful project:

Sponsor an engraved brick, installed in the garden path:

$50 Donation

Sponsor a small raised bed in the garden:

$80 Donation

Sponsor a tall raised bed in the garden, for wheelchair or seated gardeners:

$180 Donation

To add your support to the garden, follow the links next to your choice of donation.

Check here for the latest news on the garden!