PHILADELPHIA, September 4, 2019

A cinematic meditation on humanity’s massive re-engineering of the planet, ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN EPOCH, premieres in Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 25, 2019, at an exclusive one-night-only event at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University to coincide the U.N. Climate Action Summit in New York. The Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival and the Academy, are proud to join institutions around the nation in screening Anthropocene: The Human Epoch. Following the screening, Maiken Scott, host of WHYY-FM’s The Pulse, will moderate a discussion with experts from the Academy and Drexel University and an audience Q&A. The scientists in the discussion are, Scott Knowles, head of the History Department at Drexel University, and Stephanie Kroll, Academy Watershed Ecologist.

A stunning sensory experience and cinematic meditation on humanity’s massive reengineering of the planet, Anthropocene: The Human Epoch is a years-in-the-making feature documentary from the award-winning team behind Manufactured Landscapes (2006) and Watermark (2013) and narrated by Alicia Vikander.

The film follows the research of an international body of scientists, the Anthropocene Working Group, who, after nearly 10 years of research, argue that the Holocene Epoch gave way to the Anthropocene Epoch in the mid-twentieth century as a result of profound and lasting changes to the Earth caused by people.

“We are thrilled to present local audiences with this exclusive viewing experience of Anthropocene: The Human Epoch,” said Debra Wolf Goldstein, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival. “This year, we’ve seen some of the greatest climate alterations in human history, and we think it’s imperative to bring environmentally focused features to Philadelphia, and in doing so, keeping the environment at the forefront of society’s consciousness.”

“The beautifully stark and revealing cinematography of this film forces us to think about our relationship with our planet,” said Academy President and CEO Scott Cooper. “It serves as a disturbing call to action in this day and age of rainforest fires, extreme weather and species extinction.”

Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 7:00pm
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Tickets: 
$15 General Public
$12 Members of the Academy of Natural Sciences

ABOUT THE PHILADELPHIA ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival showcases powerful films from around the world that entertain, inform, and inspire personal action. The 2020 Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival will be held April 1-5, 2020 at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Learn more at www.philaenvirofilmfest.org.

THE ANTHROPOCENE PROJECT

The Anthropocene Project is a multidisciplinary body of work from world-renowned collaborators Nicholas de Pencier, Edward Burtynsky and Jennifer Baichwal. Combining art, film, virtual reality, augmented reality and scientific research, the project investigates human influence on the state, dynamic and future of the Earth. theanthropocene.org

ABOUT THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF DREXEL UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1812, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is a leading natural history museum dedicated to advancing research, education, and public engagement in biodiversity and environmental science. Visitors to the Academy have the opportunity to get face-to-face with towering dinosaurs, meet live animals, and explore a tropical garden filled with live butterflies. Philadelphia’s natural history museum offers surprises for all ages, from changing interactive science exhibits to a children’s discovery center, a fossil dig, and opportunities to interact with real science experts.