About the festival:

Best enjoyed on desktop, laptop or tablet, Films of Return emerges as a continuation of Points of Return, an exhibition series by A La Luz (a platform founded by artists David Cass & Gonzaga Gómez-Cortázar Romero) which acts as “a counter-narrative for the often suggested point of no return from climate change” (Vaishnavi Patil, Harvard University, Water Stories). The project “emphasises that solutions remain within sight, providing commentary, reflection, and creative therapeutic strategies.”

This iteration focuses on film, moving-image, and video art that explores the many facets of the climate crisis. What began as a lockdown Open Call (2020–21) has evolved into a broader, ongoing series of environmental outreach events. In Films of Return we continue our mission to showcase works that promote sustainability, amplify non-human voices – from coral reefs and forests to rocks and minerals – and confront issues of waste and overconsumption. The films presented were selected by a distinguished jury, who we will meet in the second Screening Room.

The festival is dedicated to the memory of Ulrika Sparre (1974–2025). We were deeply humbled to work with Ulrika on two editions of Points of Return, most recently showcasing the first two parts of her triptych Ear to the Ground in Massachusetts, at The Umbrella Arts.

The core message of Ear to the Ground – which the artist concluded earlier this year with the final chapter Golden Monolith & Black Monolith – is itself a form of legacy. Sparre leaves behind a catalogue of cutting-edge, deeply moving environmental artworks, but above all she leaves us with a reminder, an urge, a plea: to listen. We will host an exclusive screening of Golden Monolith & Black Monolith beginning October 1st. In the meantime, an excerpt can be viewed below.

The quote in the banner-image above comes from Conversation with a Stone by Wislawa Szymborska – used as both subject and narrative in Sparre’s film. The poem is a dialogue with the natural world that speaks of endurance and permanence: the stone insists that even if “smashed or ground down”, it will remain closed. In this there is comment on ecological breakdown, but resilience, too. It critiques human entitlement, suggesting that nature is not infinitely available to us, nor fully comprehensible, and that there are thresholds we cannot – or should not – cross. Sparre produced a profound environmental statement of humility, urging us to recognise the independence of the world beyond us and the importance of listening.

“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.”
— Ulrika Sparre, 2020
It feels especially fitting, then, to open this climate film festival with Sparre’s voice – an artist who sets the scene for all that follows, grounding us in attentiveness and reminding us what is at stake. In this first Room of the exhibition, we will take a reading; we will analyse the state of play, listen and observe both natural and decidedly un-natural processes. In the spirit of our previous projects, the festival unfolds as a journey from the ground up: beginning with quietly powerful works of observation, moving through films that summon anger and despair, and arriving finally at a space of pragmatism and hope. Along the way, we’ll encounter a diverse collection of films and video artworks by 67 international artists. Our goal is to bring you onboard; to share accessible and engaging films that spark interest and action.

Films of Return is a celebration of artists who have focussed their lens on some of the biggest challenges humanity faces, and their messages couldn’t be more urgent. Our first virtual exhibition opened at a time when cautious optimism about climate action could be sensed. In the years since, that optimism has worn somewhat, as progress has seemingly slowed – and in some areas, even reversed. The works presented here prove that art remains a vital force: capable of communicating environmental truths with clarity and emotion.