Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action and the Green Sanctuary Team at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta will host free admission screenings of the Merlyn Climate Grants Climate Future Film Festival on Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m., and a repeat screening on Saturday, March 22, at 2 p.m.

Both Festival screenings will be held in person in the Social Hall at First UU, 232 Third St., Marietta.

“We’re eager to host this touring festival of award-winning short films that explore the ‘interior,’ more artistic and more personal response to our many possible climate futures,” said Adeline Bailey, program organizer.

The 10 short films – drama, satire, comedy, films of hope and films of sadness, documentary and animation – were created by filmmakers from four different continents. Watch the trailer and see the descriptions of the films at https://www.climatefuturefilm.com

Bill McKibben, one of America’s leading voices and authors on climate, is the Festival’s Honorary Judge and introduces it on screen.

The Festival is produced by Merlyn Climate Grants (Merlyn Education and Climate Protection Project), a Rhode Island 501(c)(3). Merlyn is currently accepting short film submissions for their second Festival, which will premiere in Rhode Island in late 2025 and tour throughout 2026. Rules and information about submissions are available at https://filmfreeway.com/ClimateFuture

Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action focuses on raising awareness of the solid science establishing the danger of the climate crisis and the urgency of dealing with it. MOVCA supports the efforts of 350.org, and Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and is a Science Booster Club for the National Center for Science Education. Now a 501(c)(3) organization, the not-for-profit volunteer group also collaborates with other environmental groups on campaigns and events in the Mid-Ohio Valley. For more information, visit the organization’s web page (http://main.movclimateaction.org).

The Green Sanctuary Team of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta works on projects and activities related to environmental action in the FUUSM congregation and in the wider community in the Mid-Ohio Valley and beyond. The group meets regularly on the second Sunday of each month at 12:30 p.m. in the FUUSM Office building. Meetings are open to anyone interested in supporting a green environment.