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While meat, dairy, and eggs compose just a little over a quarter of US food waste by weight, the EPA report authors argue that there are disproportionate environmental benefits to reducing animal product waste. That’s because animal products typically require much more land, water, and energy — and emit more of the greenhouse gases carbon and methane — than plant-based foods.

In October 2002, the first political party worldwide was founded which does not base its policy on human-centric thinking. The Party for the Animals represents a new political movement that values animal welfare and the environment. "The foundation of The Party for the Animals was received with much skepticism within traditional politics. However, the Party for the Animals quickly appeared to function as a pacer in the marathon", recalls Marianne Thieme - co-founder and party leader. The Pacer in the Marathon is a documentary on the first ten years of the Party for the Animals. Next to in-depth interviews with the party founders, the film provides an insight into the public reception of this pioneering political movement, within science, politics and media. Past Presentation

Dominion uses drones, hidden and handheld cameras to expose the dark underbelly of modern animal agriculture, questioning the morality and validity of humankind’s dominion over the animal kingdom. While mainly focusing on animals used for food, it also explores other ways animals are exploited and abused by humans, including clothing, entertainment and research. Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Sia, Sadie Sink and Kat Von D, and co-produced by Earthlings creator Shaun Monson. Filmed in Australia, with a global message. Past Presentation

He said the scientific study of animal cognition, consciousness and sentience has galloped forward in recent years and that abilities once thought unique to humans have also been discovered in nonhuman animals, including tool use, language, sense of time and the future, deception, empathy and altruism.The bill now being debated is unprecedented in scope because it seeks to protect wildlife as well as domesticated and companion animals such as cows and chickens, dogs and cats.

Philip Wollen makes an impactful case against animals on your menus in front of an audience at the St. James Ethics Centre and the Wheeler Centre. Wollen then passes the debate onto a six-person panel, with three members supporting his case and three making an argument to continue to keep animals on the menu. Past Presentation

More action adventure than traditional documentary, this film follows the world’s most ambitious and daring animal rescue, with a narrative compiled from film, interviews, conversations, and reactions as events unfolded. How attitudes toward animals were changed in Bolivia, illegal circuses pursued and closed, and 25 lions airlifted to freedom. Past Presentation

There are few things Americans can agree on these days. Wildlife crossings, it seems, are one of them.

Filmed in a fly-on-the-wall style, this raw and inspiring documentary follows 26-year-old Manoj Gautam, a modern day, third world hero on a passionate quest to protect animals and wildlife from cruelty and extinction. Inspired by the work of his mentor, Dr. Jane Goodall, and with minimal resources and no formal training, Gautam is creating a network of allies across the country, busting animal smugglers, protecting fragile ecosystems, rescuing abused animals, and galvanizing an environmental movement. Past Presentation

Director note: “Through 3 years of researching what the Cheetah Conservation Fund and other NGOs were doing in the way of conservation . . I realised that there was a big focus on the illegal trade of dead animal parts, but no one was telling the story of the illegal trade in live animals, especially those destined for the pet trade.” This film looks at the illegal wildlife trade of cheetah cubs, and the role social media plays in the parading and trading of exotic animals online. Hundreds of cheetah cubs are being stolen from the wild, which is decimating the wild population in Africa. For every 5 cubs that are taken, only 1 survives. They are being smuggled illegally into the Middle East to be sold as pets. Past Presentation

Earthlings is an award-winning documentary film about the suffering of animals for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered the most persuasive documentary ever made, Earthlings is nicknamed “the Vegan maker” for its sensitive footage shot at animal shelters, pet stores, puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, the leather and fur trades, sporting events, circuses and research labs. Past Presentation

The remains of 176 turtles, 20 dolphins and four whales have washed ashore since, a court has heard. Experts fear the ship, which carried tonnes of oil in its tanks, will remain an environmental hazard for decades.

The Canary Islands are a whale Paradise. Their waters hold more than a third of the world’s species, making it the most important enclave in the European Union, and one of the most relevant globally.Today, this paradise is being threatened by different human pressures, such as boat collisions, plastic consumption and climate change. This struggle aggravates their mortality each year and makes us face ourselves as the ones responsible for their survival, forcing us to rethink how much we value these animals currently.How much is a whale worth? Can you put a price on the life of such a majestic animal? How can we estimate that value? How has the value that human beings give to whales changed throughout history? What are whales used and needed for?To answer all these questions, Natacha Aguilar, an eminent Canarian scientist and whale expert, backed up by a group of scientists and non-profit organizations, will guide us in a spectacular journey through time and space to discover the never-told stories of the lives of these animals. Now Playing

"2021 is pulling out all the tricks … including raining fish in Texarkana today. And no, this isn’t a joke," the city of Texarkana wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. The city said raining fish is a phenomenon called "animal rain" that happens when small water animals such as frogs, crabs or small fish are swept into waterspouts.

This reminds me of The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness Honeybees count landmarks when navigating toward sources of nectar. Lionesses tally the number of roars they hear from an intruding pride before deciding whether to attack or retreat. Some ants keep track of their steps; some spiders keep track of how many prey are caught in their web. But rigorous experiments during the past two decades have shown that even animals with very small brains can perform incredible feats of numerical cognition.

Industrial livestock systems designed to extract ever greater commercial value from farmed animals have repeatedly been shown to depend on cruelty to animals and the armies of workers processing them.

Since farm animals are legally property and have no rights and almost no protection from suffering, removing them is usually treated as burglary, no different from stealing jewelry or someone’s wallet. In the last decade, many state “ag-gag” laws have sought to further criminalize such activism.

You cannot watch rats playing hide and seek and doubt that they have feelings – that they are sentient creatures. But as animals become more distant from us in evolutionary terms, some doubt begins to creep in.

We must safeguard one of nature’s greatest creations: wild birds. Build a better world for them, and we’ll build one for ourselves. We must defend a livable planet by electing politicians who have empathy and an ecological conscience. Vote blue, act green. Restore native habitats and environmental health.

"This also poses a great opportunity to educate the public about the challenges that wild animals face for survival and the need for better protection from a government, industry and society level," Sun wrote. "These animals belong in the wild. We need to keep a safe distance from them, which is good for us and the wild animals."

US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which administers the Endangered Species Act, has been working on proposals in recent years that would strip the Key deer of its endangered species status – even as the agency’s own scientists have highlighted the threat of rising sea levels to the deer’s habitat, according to records obtained by the Guardian and Type Investigations.

On the isolated Danish Faroe Islands, the longtime hunting and fishing practices of the Faroese are being threatened by animal rights activism, plummeting wildlife populations, and rising mercury levels. Past Presentation

The Invisible Mammal (10 min) Animal Award Directed by Kristin Tieche. Bats are struggling to survive, specifically in North America, where white nose syndrome is causing a sharp decline of certain species. Pertinent issues: climate change, habitat destruction, what can humans must do to prevent extinction. Now Playing

Many know its name; few have seen it. Once present throughout Europe, the angel shark is now critically endangered. As unique as extraordinary, it reveals to us several secrets… little by little, and to those who take the time to listen Past Presentation

The story of a multi-generational cattle farm in Talbott, Tennessee, turned sanctuary. The director notes that, through photography, “I could bring my love of animals to new levels and reach wider audiences. With this goal in mind, I started The Sentient Project. By capturing animals in a way many people may not necessarily see them, I hope they will reconsider some of the choices they make. Our daily decisions have massive effects on animals whether immediately recognized or not.” Past Presentation

“It’s stomach-turning to see this barbaric federal program wiping out hundreds of thousands of native animals,” said Collette Adkins, carnivore conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Killing carnivores like wolves and coyotes to supposedly benefit the livestock industry just leads to more conflicts and more killing.

Any human can build a relationship with an animal, he said, “once they respect the animal for what it is, that is a living creature that shares the Earth with us.

In the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes, more than 3 800 meters above sea level, live alpaca and vicunia breeders. Quechua and Aymara families protect their animals live off of the sale of the animals’ fiber. Gold mining is another activity that predates the Conquest and is widespread among families living in the border area between Peru and Bolivia. The difficult compatibility on the same territory of these two production activities increases the need for environmental protection and workers' rights. It has become indispensable to support producers so that this activity does not disappear with the migration of native peoples, abandoning traditions and animals. Now Playing

A truck carrying pigs was tracked while it travelled for 32 hours nonstop across the US in August last year, with the animals kept inside for the whole journey.

Jetty Cats explores contemporary animal rights issues through a focus on a feral cat colony that has survived on a rocky, seaside jetty in Southern California for decades. There is an ongoing debate over feral cat colonies involving advocates who support the trap, neuter, and return -- or "TNR" -- model of management, and those who argue that trapping and euthanizing the cats is more humane. This documentary’s point-of-view supports the TNR model and the related “no-kill” animal shelter policy, and features an exclusive interview with Richard Avanzino, the "Father" of the no-kill movement. Now Playing

While such diseases -- called zoonoses -- have been around for millennia, they have become more common in recent decades due to deforestation, mass livestock cultivation, climate change and other human-induced upheavals of the animal world, experts say.

There’s no 9-to-5 for female northern elephant seals. After the winter breeding season, the animals spend more than 19 hours—and up to 24 hours—per day hunting in the northern Pacific Ocean, killing up to 2000 small fish daily to survive, according to a new study of these elusive animals. The work, made possible by cameras and devices attached to the seals’ heads, could also help scientists monitor other deep-ocean life.

Loss of more than half the central African forest elephant population to poaching in the last decade has led to a concerted effort to save those that remain. These efforts are explored through one of Cameroon’s first female eco-guards, a grassroots wildlife law enforcement group, a Congolese biologist studying elephant behavior, a reformed elephant poacher, and anti-poaching sniffer dogs led by a Czech conservationist, all fighting corruption despite a lack of funding that threatens to derail their work to save the elephants. Past Presentation

Soviet soldiers shot many of the abandoned animals in an effort to prevent the spread of contamination. But, undoubtedly, some of the animals hid and survived. Thirty-five years later, hundreds of stray dogs now roam the 2,600km (1,000 sq mile) Exclusion Zone put in place to restrict human traffic in and out of the area.

The story of the repercussions of human negligence juxtaposed against the incredible power of human compassion. A humpback whale entangled in a fishing net is left for dead until documentarians happen on the whale. Although untrained for such missions, they nonetheless work to rescue her and at the same time capture incredible up-close footage. Beautiful images of humpbacks swimming through the protected blue waters off Hawaii contrast with the whale in this story, concluding with a powerful statement: 'Change begins with the heart.' Past Presentation

The Paw Project documentary is an inspiring David and Goliath story of a grassroots movement to protect felines, both large and small, from the cruelty of declawing and how the movement has prevailed, despite the efforts of well-funded professional veterinary associations. In the United States today, approximately 25% of domesticated cats are declawed. Declawing is the amputation of the last bone in a cat's toes. Despite the physical and behavioral harm inflicted on cats who are declawed, many veterinarians continue to recommend the procedure, which costs upwards of $1,200. per hour – even for very young kittens. These are animals we love, and with whom we share our homes. Why aren't we being told the truth about what the declawing procedure involves? The Paw Project chronicles the happy and unexpected twist of fate that led to the protection of many animals through the grassroots advocacy efforts led by Dr. Conrad and The Paw Project. Past Presentation

In 1975, a young writer published a book arguing that no justifications exist for considering humans more important than members of other species. It slowly began to gain attention. Today, a quickly growing number of prominent individuals and political activists are adopting its conclusions. They have termed the assumption of human superiority speciesism. As a result, they rank these animal factories among the greatest evils in our history. Speciesism brings viewers face-to-face with the leaders of this developing movement, and, for the first time ever on film, fully examines the purpose of what they are setting out to do. Past Presentation

Film from Non-Violence United promotes a vegan diet as a path toward healing the relationship between animals and humans Past Presentation

So far, though, there is no clear sign of an intermediate host. Of the 80,000 animal samples tested in China, none have contained the virus’ genetic material or antibodies to it.

Microsculpture is a unique visual experience. A 10mm insect is shown as a 3 meter print, revealing minute detail and allowing the viewer to take in the structure of the insect in its entirety. The beautifully lit, high magnification portraiture of Levon Biss captures the microscopic form of these animals in striking high-resolution detail. Past Presentation

Illustrating the wide array of birds that live in and around the city of Toronto, the film features passionate birdwatchers who have devoted most of their lives to discovering these birds. In the process, these dedicated people promote Toronto as an international location for birdwatching, which also leads to conservation efforts to protect animals and green land. Past Presentation

Inspired by the decline of monarch butterflies in the Midwestern prairie, a gardener, educator, and pastor transform a rural church’s backyard into a sanctuary for pollinating animals, an educational garden for the community, and a sacred space for spiritual contemplation. Now Playing

Animal agriculture, the leading cause of many environmental problems, including deforestation, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, and ocean “dead zones,” goes on, almost entirely unchallenged. Andersen uncovers what an apparent intentional refusal to discuss these effects, and industry whistleblowers and watchdogs warn him of the risks to his freedom and even his life if he persists. As eye opening as Blackfish and as inspiring as An Inconvenient Truth, this shocking yet humorous documentary reveals the absolutely devastating environmental impact large scale factory farming has on our planet and offers a path to global sustainability for a growing population. Past Presentation

They are among the rarest animals in the world: lynxes, European minks, swamp turtles and ground squirrels. They all once disappeared from Germany. In an attempt to rewild Germanys nature, they are now returning. The film follows their individual journeys back to the wild. For those who are now reclaiming their old habitat, it is a long and dangerous road. Now Playing

"Shameful,” Italy’s anti-hunting league said. “Enraging,” the animal protection league said. “A delicacy,” said Floriano Massardi, a regional official who, like many in the area, likes to eat songbirds on a skewer. The Italian police were called to investigate a luncheon for a potential violation of coronavirus rules. They found a feast of migrating finches.

After a sting operation in Bangkok for two trafficked orangutans leave those accountable with no consequence, Daniel Stiles, a detective in the illegal wildlife trade, thinks of new ways to combat illegal trafficking of great apes. For the last 8 years the focus of Sytsma’s work has been giving a platform to ordinary people who express a specific sociopolitical concern to strengthen community and inform us of actions and consequences at the ground level. Originally trained as an experimental storyteller and cinematographer at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, his work has been shown on national media like PBS and at film festivals around the world. Past Presentation

While the idea of earthworms or bacteria having personalities might seem a stretch, it’s clear that more complex animals, including wolves, bears, dolphins, whales and many birds, have highly developed personalities that mirror human traits.

This story is told in the Ainu language, which has been deemed a critically endangered language by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Higashiyama, the home of the foxes, has become an illegal dumping ground. This has resulted in the decline of small animals, which the mother fox relied on as prey to feed her children. The fox comes down for the mountains in search of food to feed her children, and comes upon a human village. Past Presentation

Elephant Keeper is the story of an elder indigenous mahout who is adjusting to a new job in ecotourism in the remote jungles of Sainyabuli Province, Laos. Senior mahout, Mr. Tong, arrives at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in search of work to support his family, and is paired with Mae Dok, the Center’s sweet and stubborn 60-year-old elephant matriarch. As he adapts to a new routine away from home, Mr. Tong finds a confidant in his elephant charge. The immersive contemplative nature of the cinematography allows the audience to feel present within the action and story in a complex narrative rich with visual metaphor and symbolism, exploring themes of Extinction & Conservation, Industrialization & Globalization, and Culture & Identity. Past Presentation

Executive Producer, Diane Mellen found a recent article about three-eyed fish and two-headed turtles in the New River which flows from the U.S. Mexico border into the Salton Sea. Runoff sewage is causing DNA mutations in the animals. As filmmakers, we found it alarming that the California Department of Parks and Recreation is advising parents it is permissible to swim and fish in the Salton Sea. We wanted to make a documentary with vivid imagery, as no words can encompass the sadness of the area. Past Presentation

“We always talk about habitat loss, we talk about all these things,” she said. “We are not talking about what animals are going through psychologically.”

An animation short that informs and educates about the urgent issues that are threatening the future of wildlife and communities on the island of Madagascar. As an island nation of spectacular and unique biodiversity, Madagascar has over 80% of its animals and plants that are found nowhere else on Earth. Madagascar's Scars attempts to inform the viewer of the environmental crisis involving illegal logging, deforestation and hunting of the critically endangered lemur which threatens the future of the island, as well as offer hopeful solutions to protect the biodiversity and improve the lives of the Malagasy. Past Presentation

We made this short film under lockdown conditions throughout the pandemic of Covid-19. The film argues that policies are not enough to prevent a future outbreak. We need a paradigm shift in how we view nature and the rest of life on this planet. The film was made remotely via zoom, a fact made clear in the style of the film. Our speakers appear on screens, which we filmed from inside our homes. Each speaker offers a different perspective on the origins of the pandemic in the ways we see and value nature. If humans can’t escape their connection to the natural world, it’s time for a better one. The health of us and the planet depends on it. Now Playing

The combination of extraordinary heat and drought that hit the Western United States and Canada over the past two weeks has killed hundreds of millions of marine animals and continues to threaten untold species in freshwater, according to a preliminary estimate and interviews with scientists.

This “important film,” as described by Paul McCartney, addresses how, due to quintupling of meat consumption since 1960 in the West–where cardiovascular disease and cancer are epidemic, 65 billion land animals are slaughtered every year and 30% of all grain is fed to those animals while globally 1.8 billion people suffer starvation. The director spent 3 years traveling throughout Europe, India, and the United States to research dietary lifestyles. Meeting with expert physicians, nutritionists, veterinarians, behavioral scientists, activists, agronomists and farmers led to one solution, a simple one that restored our own health and the health of our planet: Food Matters, You Matter! Past Presentation

A moving, powerful inside look at what has happened to the wild, rarely seen, real Florida. A compelling, emotional soundtrack carries the viewer through the past destruction of wild Florida habitats, to beautiful scenes of Florida's rarely seen native wild animals, including the most endangered cat in North America, the Florida Panther, and ends with a positive message encouraging the viewer to work to protect Florida's wildlife and habitat before it is too late. Now Playing

Good news doesn’t get any more in-your-face than this. One thousand fin whales, one of the world’s biggest animals, were seen last week swimming in the same seas in which they were driven to near-extinction last century due to whaling. It’s like humans never happened.

Deaths have been particularly high in the Indian River Lagoon on Florida’s east coast. One of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America, it supports about a third of US manatees. More than 30% of manatee deaths last year occurred here, with many the result of starvation as high levels of water pollution killed off the seagrass on which the animals depend.

While this ingenuity demonstrates the cephalopods’ intelligence and “extreme ability to adapt,” Proietti stressed that “it is not a good thing to think that the animals may be using litter as shelter because the seashells are gone.”

Forget that dark swamp picture, the Everglades in fact is a crystal clear, shallow river flowing slowly towards the sea. This is an intimate portrait of this strange but troubled watery wilderness through the stories of the animals that call it home, for example, “a little grey bird that was walking silently under the bushes… and then all of a sudden he picked up a land crab! A big one. . . . I didn’t guess that we’re going to end up spending more than a week on that little meadow in the mangrove.” Past Presentation

Animals using their natural environment to self-medicate is far from unheard of. Many creatures, including bears, apes, and deer, are thought to ingest plants with medicinal properties. And given that the insects are being applied to wounds, the researchers surmise that the act is some form of medical treatment. If it is, it seems to be the first instance of insect therapy ever spotted in the wild.