As part Confluence, a month-long environmental film festival that showcases films from regional filmmakers, we will host a screening of Jennifer MacArthur’s Family Tree.

Family Tree explores sustainable forestry in North Carolina through the stories of two Black families fighting to preserve their land and legacy. Family Tree’s cinéma vérité approach reveals the vast task of maintaining the land while navigating challenging family dynamics, unscrupulous developers and changing environmental needs. The forest itself and the beauty of its changing seasons become a primary character in this family drama.

The event will include a pre-screening gathering with organizational partners from 5–6:30PM. The film program will begin at 6:30 and will include a Q&A.

Confluence Film Festival is hosted by the Academy of Natural Sciences in partnership with BlackStar Projects, cinéSPEAK, the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival and the Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival. This year’s festival explores the theme of ‘regeneration’. The stories featured are rooted in neighborhoods, cities and regions, illuminating how communities have been imagining and enacting alternatives to the climate crisis and stewarding ecosystems for future generations. Click here to view the full program.