2024 Monteverde Conservation Film Festival

The first Monteverde Conservation Film Festival (MCFF) was held on January 27–28, 2024, at the Caburé/Bat-Jungle theater in Monteverde, Costa Rica. The festival brought together community members, students, and visitors to explore environmental storytelling through short documentary films.

In collaboration with Mountainfilm on Tour (Telluride, Colorado), organizers curated a selection of short films—each between 3 and 26 minutes—highlighting global and local efforts in conservation, sustainability, and human connection to nature. All films were subtitled in Spanish and shown free of charge, with opportunities for audience interaction through live Q&A sessions with filmmakers and follow-up “MCFF Conversations” hosted in local restaurants.

The festival aimed to inspire dialogue, reflection, and action around environmental challenges and successes, strengthening Monteverde’s role as a hub for conservation, education, and community-based sustainability.

Films

  • Director: Timmy O’Neill

    Duration: 14min

    Themes: Climbing/Blind Athlete

  • Directors: Paul Robert, Wolf Wilson, Rush

    Duration: 9min

    Themes: MFS/Kayaking/Indigenous

  • Director: Jessica Bishop

    Duration: 20min

    Themes: Conservation/Puffins/Teenagers

  • Director: Logan Lambert

    Duration: 3min

    Themes: Polar Bears/Cinematic

  • Directors: Carmen Morrow, Zach Wolf

    Duration: 8min

    Themes: MFS/Reindeer/Mongolia

  • Director: Chelsea Jolly

    Duration: 8min

    Themes: MFS/Toads

  • Director: Kurt Sensenbrenner

    Duration: 9 Minutes

    Themes: Youth/Conservation/Butterflies

  • Directors: Renan Kamizi

    Duration: 7min

    Themes: High-lining/Cinematic

  • Director: Andrew Nadkarni

    Duration: 26min

    Themes: Ecology/Trees/Recovery

Meet the Team

Dr. Nalini Nadkarni
Co-Founder

Mariana Zumbado
Co-Founder

Organizing Groups and Partners

  • Mountainfilm on Tour

  • Musical Theatre Far Corners Community

  • National Science Foundation

  • Monteverde Institute

  • Fondo Comunitario Monteverde

  • Cine Entre Montañas

  • Cervezas Artesanales Belmar

  • Children's Eternal Rainforest

  • Mountainfilm on Tour: Monteverde

  • Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve

  • Corclima

  • Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Advisory Board

  • Andrew Nadkarni

    Documentary Filmmaker - NYC

  • Arlene Burns

    Former Mayor, Mosier, Oregon- Environmental Advocate

  • Sybil Gotsch

    University of Kentucky - Forest Physiology Reseracher