Hosted at Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center October 23-24, 2026
DEKALB COUNTY – October 27, 2026. Over the weekend, Commissioner Terry and his people-powered Resilient DeKalb initiative brought community partners, environmentalists, and artists together to shine a light on the climate crisis in DeKalb County through storytelling and celebrate climate champions at Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center.
The two-day festival centered around screenings of feature films The Tree Economy, Groundswell, and How to Live on Earth. Additionally, attendees were able to enjoy panels, a selection of Georgia-made short films about environmental issues and participate in interactive art projects led by Heather Elson of No More Liddering and Mel Shaw of the Art Share Foundation.
“The Free Climate Film Festival was an entertaining, enlightening, inspiring, and catalyzing event that brought some incredible artists together to deal with an issue that affects us all: climate change,” said Commissioner Ted Terry.
“I was so proud to see the variety of community partners, panelists, and DeKalb County departments engaging in conversation and sharing ideas to combat climate change. Thank you to all the artists who participated, submitted their films, and attended. I am deeply grateful for DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran‑Johnson ‘s Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor Dr. G. Leah Davis as well as Chief Resilience Officer Liza Milagro who spoke about the importance of sustainability and art during the event. Thank you very much to everyone who joined us for this moving and inspiring event,” Commissioner Terry continued.
For images from the 2026 Free Climate Film Festival, see our photo gallery here. Please include the credit “Photo by Isadora Pennington, courtesy of Commissioner Ted Terry” when applicable.
Click here for more details about the 2026 Free Climate Film Festival.