Riverside Park Conservancy x Climate Film Festival
September 3 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Join Riverside Park Conservancy and the Climate Film Festival for a special preview screening of four short films exploring our local environment and the people working to help cities and wildlife adapt to a changing climate. A conversation with filmmakers will follow, including:
Emily Driscoll, director, Snow Bears
Emily Fano, RiSC, featured in Where It Floods
Eliza Mitnick, director, A Fragile Paradise
Jason Jaacks, director, Between Moon Tides
More to be announced! RSVP Required on Eventbrite here.
Snow Bears (2026)
Artist Heide Hatry, known as “Snow Banksy,” crafts polar bears out of snow to draw attention to a warming world. What begins as a solitary pandemic project grows into community climate action, as she inspires more than 100 New Yorkers to build snow bears alongside her in Central Park. She dreams of seeing snow bears spread around the globe.
Where It Floods: Planting Hope in Coney Island (2023)
Where it Floods follows New York City students on the frontline of climate activism in Coney Island as they participate in RiSC, the National Wildlife Federation’s award-winning climate education program that connects schools with local residents and partner organizations to help build community resilience.
A Fragile Paradise (2026)
Beyond its summer crowds and postcard-perfect beaches, Fire Island is sustained by the people who quietly care for it year-round. A Fragile Paradise follows landscaper Dylan Wallace, who helps preserve the island’s fragile dunes; Margaret Hofbeck, whose monarch butterfly garden has become a sanctuary for endangered butterflies; and longtime shopkeepers Lynn and Wes Little, whose dockside market has served as the heart of Seaview for generations. Together, their stories reveal the many ways people care for a place, from protecting delicate ecosystems to preserving the traditions and relationships that define a place. Through intimate observational moments and sweeping coastal imagery, A Fragile Paradise is a portrait of Fire Island through the people who sustain it—a reflection on stewardship, resilience, and our relationship to the places we call home.
Between Moon Tides (2025)
Between Moon Tides follows an intergenerational group of citizen scientists in coastal New England as they attempt to save the Saltmarsh Sparrow from extinction — one nest at a time. Against the backdrop of rising sea levels, three retirees and a young intern forge deep bonds while scouring the saltmarsh, banding birds, and witnessing firsthand the devastating effects of climate change. Through stunning visuals and intimate storytelling, the film reveals how a disappearing bird serves as both a warning and a call to action. Yet, at its heart, Between Moon Tides is a love story—about nature, mentorship, and the hope that comes from refusing to give up, even in the face of impossible odds.
This event takes place in the newly-renovated 102nd Street Field House. Enter the Park at 102nd Street and Riverside Drive, then descend to the promenade level. The stairs to the Field House are across the promenade at 102nd Street.
