Every March, the DC Environmental Film Festival—the largest of its kind in the world—comes to DC.  From March 19 through 28, more than 70 films will be screened across the city’s museums, embassies, and universities. This year’s event focuses on climate action in the face of adversity. Wi th a lineup of 70-plus films, ranging from a humorous therapy session for climate anxiety to an exploration of the deep friendship between a man and a 22-foot manta ray, the offerings span many genres and regions. “Framing the 2026 festival with the theme ‘Against the Current,’ we see that there’s no one way to interpret or contend with this present moment,” says Monica Schorn, the event’s executive director. “From investigative documentaries to family-friendly animations to late-night eco-horror shorts, this year’s slate of films celebrates those who build resilience and seek solutions.”  Many titles will screen at the Burke Theatre at the US Navy Memorial, the Miracle Theatre, and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, while others are sprinkled among embassies and cultural institutions, including the National Museum of Asian Art, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Archives. “A Life Illuminated” will screen on opening night of the DC Environmental Film Festival. Photograph courtesy of DC Environmental Film Festival. The ten-day DCEFF will kick off with headliner A Life Illuminated, a profile of legendary oceanographer Edie Widder. It continues with the world premiere of The [Conserv]atives, about a group of conservative Republicans advocating for more climate action, and the DC premiere of A24’s Nuisance Bear, which won this year’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Documentary and will receive the DCEFF’s William W. Warner Award. Other selections include Sallie’s Ashes, a short following three “Alabama grannies” as they take on the powerful corporation polluting their community; the globetrotting documentary Observer; and the Leonardo DiCaprio–produced Amazon defenders thriller Yanuni, which will close the festival. Borderlands Jaguar follows two wildlife cinematographers documenting elusive species along the US-Mexico border. Family-friendly movies include Hayao Miyazaki’s 2008 film, Ponyo.   For a full list of screenings and locations, check out the schedule online. The post DC’s Environmental Film Festival Is Back. Here’s Where to Catch a Film. first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less