Few people would care enough about beach litter to spend time collecting 10,000 cigarette butts, but all it took was a couple of surfers to think of turning the most littered item in the world into a surfboard.

The surfboard became an environmental ambassador as the filmmaker and board maker took it around the world to learn from pro surfers what they were doing to protect and restore the health of the ocean through science, education, art, business and political activism. The duo’s goal was to hold Big Tobacco accountable for their toxic plastic waste which continues to accumulate unabated on beaches worldwide.

This story, along with a lot of spectacular surfing footage, is the basis of the documentary, “The Cigarette Surfboard” (2024), which screens Feb. 26 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the University of Richmond’s Jepson Hall, after a reception with the filmmaker Ben Judkins. It is part of this year’s RVA Environmental Film Fest, which is running Feb. 21 through March 7 at various venues. Even better, all the events are free to attend and you can catch a lot of documentaries this rainy weekend at Studio Two Three (complete schedule here).

Speaking of plastics, another timely film being shown is “Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics” (Saturday, Feb. 21 at Studio Two Three at 1:01 p.m.). For anyone living under a rock, microplastic particles containing “forever chemicals” occur from the breakdown of plastics as these particles drift into the air, into every body of water and become part of the soil, eventually winding up in our organs, blood, brain tissue and even the placentas of moms-to-be. It only sounds dire because it is.

Every bit as topical is Business Insiders’ film, “Exposing the Dark Side of America’s AI Data Center Explosion” (Feb. 22 at Studio Two Three at 11:23 a.m.) particularly considering that Virginia carries the dubious honor of having 600 facilities already in existence, more than any other state in the U.S. It’s estimated that one third of the world’s internet traffic flows through Virginia. The film looks at how the vast environmental toll data centers take should be of concern for all Virginians.

History of the festival

The Richmond Environmental Film Fest launched in 2008 as a one-day event at the Byrd Theatre called “The Biggest Picture,” which featured consumer advocate Ralph Nader speaking (who was interviewed beforehand by Style Weekly’s Brent Baldwin) and which attracted a couple hundred attendees. The most recent festival was spread out over 11 days, with 21 films screened and an attendance of over 1,000 people.

“Every event is free and open to the public, no donors exert sway over choice of film selection, and we’re a volunteer-run entity,” says Keith Elliott, president of the RVA Environmental Film Fest.

Rebranded as the RVA Environmental Film Festival in 2011, the event was revived by the Sierra Club Falls of the James Group to include environmental themes relevant to local, regional and global concerns.

“While the festival has grown in the number of attendees and screening partners since then, we’re proud to have remained dedicated to our core values,’ says Keith Elliott, president of the RVA Environmental Film Fest. “Every event is free and open to the public, no donors exert sway over choice of film selection, and we’re a volunteer-run entity.”

It wouldn’t be an RVA Environmental Film Fest without multiple films about the mighty James River. This year brings screenings of “A River Called Home” (Feb. 22 at Studio Two Three) about four women who launch at the headwaters of the James and paddle the Chesapeake Bay over a three-week span. “All Forward” (Feb. 22 at Studio Two Three at 4:30 p.m.) documents the intensive training program for river raft guides to learn to navigate the country’s only Class III/IV urban whitewater rapids, right here in River City.

[Editor’s note: The first place winner this year of the Virginia Environmental Film Contest was “Catching Pinecones,” directed by Chad Heddleston, a passion project that tells the life story of pioneering rock climbers and nature preservationists, Jan and Herb Conn. You can catch this film on Sunday, Feb. 22 from 5:25 pm – 7:00 p.m. at Studio Two Three.]

Another topic close to Virginians’ hearts is the focus of “Not on This Land” (Feb. 22 at Studio Two Three at 12:47 p.m.) about the announcement in 2014 of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a project that would have crossed over 600 miles through the Blue Ridge Mountains, critical ecosystems and Indigenous communities. Jessica Sims of the Virginia Conservation Network will lead the discussion after the screening.

Free admission, important and relevant topics and discussions afterward offer the public solid reasons to come out, learn something and be entertained at the same time. Making that easier, the Environmental Film Fest works with partner organizations to ensure the festival is accessible to all by arranging screening events at venues throughout the community, including the Richmond Public Library, Studio Two Three, Henrico County Public Libraries, the University of Richmond, the ICA at VCU, Maymont, Chesterfield Libraries, and the VMFA.

It’s through the audiences that the RVA Film Festival attracts assistance to stage the festival. The 30 to 60 volunteers that make it possible were once festival attendees who decided to become actively involved in supporting environmental education for the local community.

“The films shown have raised environmental awareness and changed peoples’ practices, which tells us that the festival changes attitudes through education, discussion and community learning,” says Elliott. “We want to facilitate enlightenment in the way most accessible to the most people.”

The RVA Environmental Film Fest runs from Feb. 21 through March 7 at various locations including primarily Studio Two Three this weekend, as well as Richmond Public Library and The University of Richmond. Visit the website at rvaeff.org for a complete listing. All the events are free to attend.