One day festival is free and open to the public at the Charles F. Dodge City Center

The Frank art gallery is hosting the first ever Earth Day Film Festival on Saturday, April 14 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Charles F. Dodge City Center.

The Earth Day Film Festival spotlights South Florida filmmakers and features narrative and documentary short films focused on the environment, sustainability and the nature of South Florida. The Frank invited local filmmakers to submit their work for a chance to be chosen for the film festival. The following filmmakers will be featured:

Anthony Dones: A Miami-based freelance filmmaker with more than 15 years of experience, Dones created “8GHZ,” a film about a massive event that plunges the earth into darkness and chaos and one sole survivor’s quest to overcome her greatest fear.

Jenny Larson: Artistic director of Wild Beast Collective, a group of artists from various disciplines, Larson created the film “Home,” which explores the disappearing traditions and mythologies connected to the Everglades, changes happening to the land throughout history as well as today.

Michael Macias: Self-taught screenwriter and director, Michael Macias has directed seven short films. He created “Grace,” which focuses on a man named John and the events which led him to meet a unique person in the park.

Dean Robaina: Robaina is an award- winning director and familiar face to the South Florida film scene. He created “Poseidon’s Journey,” which follows a newborn turtle on its journey from its recue as a hatchling to its return back to the ocean.

Angela Smith: Smith is a documentary film director and the founder of Shark Team One, a conservation expedition organization. Her film, “Tiger Sharks Fight for Survival,” follows Shark Team One to a remote underwater bank in the Bahamas where they discover multiple pregnant female tiger sharks.

Felipe Vargas: A South Florida native and student of the University of Southern California’s film and television production program, Vargas’s films “Vessel,” “Africa,” and “Mighty” all include different aspects of nature around the world.

“We’re so excited to host our first film festival and invite the community to experience nature through the eyes of these talented artists,” said Joshua Carden, chief curator of The Frank. “We received so many outstanding submissions. The films we chose reflect the passion, inspiration and dedication of these filmmakers.”

The Frank’s newest exhibition “Florida Is…,” an evolving body of two-dimensional works that depict the natural beauty of Florida, is currently on display and will be open during the film festival.

The Frank is located in the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines at 601 City Center Way. Admission to The Frank is free. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about The Frank, call 954.392.2120, email thefrank@ppines.com or visit thefrankgallery.org. Follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at The Frank Pembroke Pines.

About The Frank

The Frank is a two-story art gallery named after Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank C. Ortis for his decades-long commitment to the cultural arts. The Frank art gallery, located in the Charles F. Dodge City Center, showcases multi-disciplinary inclusive exhibitions to foster connections, initiate cultural change and promote innovation. The gallery’s exhibition and learning space serves as a site of convergence for artists, performers, thought leaders and community members to create partnerships for social engagement, leveraging the power of the arts to create a sense of place.

The Frank is located at 601 City Center Way Pembroke Pines, FL 33025. Stay connected and follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at The Frank Pembroke Pines. For more information, call 954.392.2120 or email: thefrank@ppines.com.

Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission charges are subject to change during special events. Times and dates for special events will be announced.

Funding for this organization is provided in part by Broward County Cultural Division, Culture Builds Florida, Hello Sunny-Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center and Visitors Bureau and National Endowment for the Arts.