Films of Return
“In order to face the threat of climate change, we must give voice to non-human actors – the gardens, the cities, the stones, the glaciers. Perhaps by repositioning our perspective, we can give rights to our environment and to non-human actors in our world.”
If you visited our original virtual exhibition, launched in early 2022, you will be familiar with the poignant words above, written by artist Ulrika Sparre. We were humbled to work with Ulrika on two versions of Points of Return, most recently exhibiting her work in Concord, MA, at The Umbrella Arts. The core message of her series Ear to the Ground – which she concluded earlier this year with a chapter titled Golden Monolith & Black Monolith – is also a form of legacy. Sparre leaves us with a catalogue of cutting edge, deeply moving environmental artwork, but above all she leaves us with a reminder, an urge, a plea: to listen. Our latest virtual offering – Films of Return – is dedicated to the artist.
Still from Ear to the Ground (Golden Monolith & Black Monolith), Ulrika Sparre | Photography: Fredrik Sweger | Courtesy of Filmform
Virtual Climate Film Festival
19.9.25 — 23.11.25
Films of Return emerges as a continuation of Points of Return, an exhibition which “acted as a counter-narrative for the often suggested point of no return from climate change and emphasised that solutions remain within sight.” The show provided “commentary, reflection, and creative therapeutic strategies” (Vaishnavi Patil, Harvard University, Water Stories).
Just as Points of Return invited reflection on our relationship with the planet, this initiative extends that dialogue – offering new perspectives, voices, and ways of engaging with the climate crisis through film and moving image. The festival delves into critical questions around the climate crisis, sparking fresh perspectives and fostering a deeper understanding of the ways it intersects with human lives and ecosystems. As the world faces accelerating changes – rising sea levels, extreme weather patterns, biodiversity loss, and social inequality – this online festival aims to amplify voices that address these interconnected struggles and reflect on possible pathways toward resilience and restoration.
Films of Return is also a celebration of our place within the vast, intertwined fabric of life. It challenges the notion of nature as “other,” inviting filmmakers and audiences alike to consider the profound ways we are shaped by the world around us. Through this shared lens, the festival becomes a space to explore the beauty, complexity, and urgency of living in harmony with all that sustains us.
Filmmakers were both invited, and selected via an international open call. A jury of artists, film-industry professionals, curators and a scientist aided us in the selection process. The Special Jury Selection will be announced during the festival.
Still from The Bleeding Tides, Ipshita Bhattacharyya | Courtesy of the artist
Featuring
Joseph Paul Alvarado
Sarah Bachinger
Ipshita Bhattacharyya
Collin Bradford
Anthony Carr
David Cass
Damien Cattinari
Adam Chitayat
Joshua Ashish Dawson
James DeLisio
Nicole Dextras
Sean Allen Fisher
Felipe De Ávila Franco
Tessa Garland
Bia Gayotto
Alexander Girav
Gonzaga Gómez-Cortázar
Emilia Haar
Tom Hansell
Aletta Elizabeth Harrison
Louis Heilbronn
Jessica Houston
Israel Hope Irby
Bethany Johnson
Nick Jordan
Amy Kaczur
Mats Landström
Michaela Lind
Nora Jane Long
Juan López López
Colin Lyons
Tim Laing, Alastair Mackie & Fleur Mackie
Camille Martel
Luke Myers
Amirmahdi Kalantari & Abraham Paul Velázquez Navarro
Kian Peng Ong
Miguel García Orive
Elizabeth Ogilvie & Robert Page
Lau Persijn
Planetary Intimacies
Katie Pustizzi
Marina Rees
Francisco José Vaquero Robustillo
Mike Marshall & Keri Rosebraugh
Kathleen Rugh
Mars Saude
Adam Sébire
Ulrika Sparre
Anne-Katrin Spiess
Heather Bird Harris, Monica Ordóñez & Bryan Tarnowski
Eluned Zoe Aiano & Alesandra Tatić
Iván D'onadío & Gustavo Valdivia
Nelson Varas-Díaz
Takuya Watanabe
Marcelina Maria Wellmer
Sebastian Wiedemann
Erin Woodbrey
Virginia Woods-Jack
Find out more about our jury at filmsofreturn.org
Javier Bardón
Brian Brooks
Cristina Ezquerra
Alicia García González
Begoña Izquierdo
Rattanamol Singh Johal
Ivana Larrosa
Stephanie Marlin-Curiel
Miranda Massie
Edward Morris
Susannah Sayler
Rosa Parma
Emily Strong
Marcos Urquijo
Images used with permission | Text by A La Luz, 2025 | Please do not re-publish any of the above without prior written consent | Banner image courtesy of FilmForm: still from Ear to the Ground (Golden Monolith & Black Monolith), Ulrika Sparre | Photography: Fredrik Sweger
