Announcing the Winners of III DREFF Audience Award

Announcing the Winners of III DREFF Audience Award
New York, 31/10/2013

The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) is pleased to announce this year’s Audience Award Winners. Out of III DREFF’s diverse selection of acclaimed films – 15 featured films, 6 short films, 5 Dominican productions and 2 retrospective films– audience members selected their top picks.

First prize goes to The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
This film focuses on the aftermath of the devastating tsunami of March 11th 2011.  Nominated for a 2012 Academy Award for best Documentary and having won the 2012 Sundance Film festival prize for short film in the non-fiction category, this inspiring documentary shares the journey of survivors in the areas hardest hit by Japan’s recent tsunami. They find the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins – a symbol of hope and new beginnings in Japanese culture.

Coming in a close second is the film ‘’Valle Nuevo: Madre de las Aguas / Valle Nuevo: Mother of the Waters’’
This interactive film looks at the Valle Nuevo National Park and aims to encourage young viewers’ respect for the environment and for them to reflect on the important ecological issues facing the next generation, such as protecting water sources. Valle Nuevo is rightly called the Mother of the Waters, as it is one of the most important eco-regions in the Dominican Republic because of the numerous environmental services it provides to the nation.

Taking home third place is ’Lorax: en busca de la trúfula perdida / Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’’
Dr. Seuss’ classic, environmentally themed children’s book comes to the big screen in this tale of a young boy who encounters a cantankerous forest creature after venturing outside of his artificial city in search of a tree.

The Audience Awards are special acknowledgements, as they reflect the preferences and interests of our audience members. DREFF congratulates all the winners for earning this important recognition.

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