04/13/2026
EARTH DAY AT EMERITUS: TOGETHER WE RISE
ETHOS Film Awards 2026 | Impact Cinema Event
April 22 | 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Emeritus Campus
On Earth Day, storytelling becomes more than art.
It becomes responsibility. It becomes legacy.
Together We Rise is a multigenerational gathering of filmmakers, students, and community voices — united by a shared belief that cinema has the power to shape how we care for our planet.
Hosted by Sheila Laffey’s film class at Emeritus, Santa Monica College, in collaboration with ETHOS Film Awards, this special program brings the classroom into conversation with the world. It is where emerging voices meet established storytellers, and where education meets impact.
The event opens with the Together We Rise Screening Series — a curated Earth Day program of environmental and purpose-driven short films. Featuring works from Sheila Laffey, Joseph Rosendo, ETHOS Film Awards, and ETHOS Kids filmmakers, the program spans cultures, generations, and perspectives — all connected by a single thread: our collective responsibility to the Earth.
These stories explore sustainability, travel, cultural understanding, and environmental stewardship — reminding us that the future of our planet is not abstract. It is deeply human.
Following the screening, the conversation continues.
Cinema for a Living Planet: Sustainability, Storytelling, and the Path to Impact
Hosted by Anabelle D Munro, the panel brings together voices shaping the future of impact cinema:
Sheila Laffey — building intergenerational learning through film at Emeritus
Joseph Rosendo — six-time Emmy Award–winning storyteller connecting audiences to cultures and landscapes worldwide
Nidhin Patel — bridging storytelling, access, and climate awareness across global platforms
Together, they explore how environmental storytelling is funded, supported, and brought to life — and how filmmakers can navigate the evolving ecosystem of partnerships, distribution, and purpose-driven work without losing the integrity of their voice.
This is not just a screening.
It is a living dialogue.
A space where students, filmmakers, and community members come together to ask a larger question:
How do we tell stories that help sustain the world we live in?
Join us for an afternoon of film, conversation, and connection — and be part of a movement that believes storytelling can shape a more conscious, more sustainable future.
