Sea Girt
New Jersey
Garden State Film Festival: New Environmental Initiatives
Arts and Entertainment
February 21, 2023
From: Garden State Film Festival-On an ongoing basis, explore additional meaningful ways to reduce and mitigate the environmental impact of GSFF activities, and recommend to the Board of Directors action items to be implemented accordingly.
-Work with GSFF staff to facilitate and assess implementation of adopted action items.
-Work with GSFF staff to establish vendor criteria that grants preferences to vendors that provide for reuse alternatives where feasible, and that minimize or eliminate single use packaging; Work with GSFF staff to assure high recycled content in all printed materials and festival merchandise.
-On an ongoing basis, investigate relevant industry best practices on environmental sustainability and report back to the Board of Directors on same.
-Work with the Board of Directors to establish quantifiable sustainability goals for GSFF (for instance, in the area of waste reduction/recycling).
-Explore the introduction of opt-in carbon offset funding through our ticketing platform.
-Explore and make recommendations to the Board of Directors on ways to encourage filmmakers to create content that deal with environmental issues.
-In partnership with the New Jersey-based mission-driven companies such as TerraCycle, providing recycling stations at all venues for attendees, volunteers, and staff to recycle materials that are traditionally not recyclable (i.e., flexible film snack packaging, non-#1 & #2 plastics).
-Reduction of promotional mailings in favor of electronic and digital outreach.
-Elimination of single-use non-recyclable plastic cups/bottle at GSFF cocktail party and Awards Dinner.
-ADA Compliant shuttle offered between venues during festival weekend to reduce vehicular traffic by attendees.
-Mandated year-round recycling policy at GSFF office.
-Making permanent the COVID-era policy of allowing remote participation in Board meetings, reducing negative impact of travel.
-Annual featured environmental film blocks consisting of shorts and feature length programming, with post-screening audience discussions with filmmakers.?
The Garden State Film Festival is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization, created to promote the art of filmmaking on all levels. This globally recognized festival also provides creative arts education programs and creates a forum where local and international independent filmmakers can exhibit their work. Their outreach programs also support the U.S. Military, seniors, children, and the underserved populations. Since 2003, thousands of films have made their public premieres, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have attended; and the total infusion of cash to local businesses since inception exceeds $10 million. It is held in Asbury Park and surrounding area as well as Cranford, NJ.
The artistic philosophy of the Garden State Film Festival is rooted in the celebration of the independent film genre and the creation of a forum where local and other independent filmmakers can exhibit their work. It was also created to pay tribute to New Jersey’s legacy as the birthplace of the American filmmaking industry in Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratories where he invented the first film cameras and projectors, to Fort Lee, where the original studios were founded. Our event provides novice and aspiring filmmakers, actors, and others interested in careers in the film business, the opportunity to meet and network with industry professionals in an atmosphere conducive to learning and mentoring. Further, we are happy to be present each spring in Asbury Park and to serve as an added engine for the city’s vitality through arts, commerce, and culture.