What if we could peer into the future of our landscape in New Mexico? What would we see, and how would that affect the actions we take today?

Creative Santa Fe presents Cli-Fi: Altered Futures Through Film and Literature, A Disruptive Futures Dialogue on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 from 5:30 – 8:00 PM at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center.  This multifaceted evening will include short films, readings by local authors, and opportunities to engage in learning about and taking action on sustainability issues.

This event will explore how our local resources, when combined with the arts, can address the effects of climate change and create a pathway for sustainability for years to come. The first portion of the evening will feature four science fiction short films by directors Suzi Yoonessi, Nanobah Becker, Hugo Perez, and Ramin Bahrani exploring the potential futures of water, waste, and agriculture in the face of climate change. These films are collected from the FutureStates film archive. Following the films, local authors Sarena Ulibarri and Lauren Teffeau will read excerpts from their climate fiction (Cli-Fi) and Solarpunk themed stories. Solarpunk is a movement in speculative fiction that seeks to answer and embody the question “what does a sustainable civilization look like, and how can we get there?”

The book and film presentations will be followed by a discussion of an initiative, led by the Coalition of Sustainable Communities NM and Creative Santa Fe, to explore the development of a sustainable technology center in Santa Fe. This center would serve as an intellectual consortium and physical hub for institutions of higher education, national laboratories, non-profit and business partners to advance research, development and deployment in the area of sustainable technology in New Mexico.

The Santa Fe Watershed Association, 350.org New Mexico, The Santa Fe Community College Controlled Environment Agriculture Department, and other fantastic local resources will engage audience members in activities and education before and after the event.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required, and will open on the event webpage on Monday, May 6th at 6 PM. We will share the registration link at that time through our newsletter and social media. Snacks will be provided and complimentary childcare is available upon early request.