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Confluence Film Festival
Join the Academy of Natural Sciences for its third annual Confluence Film Festival.
A month-long environmental film series held each April in celebration of Earth Month, with screenings every Thursday evening. Presented in partnership with BlackStar Projects, cinéSPEAK, the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival and the Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival, Confluence 2026 showcases films that speak to this year’s theme, “Seeding the Future.”
With feature-length films, shorts and documentaries appropriate for adults, the festival is both a call to action and a loving reminder that we don’t have to simply react to the climate crisis; we can actively shape a more just and sustainable future. Rooted in tradition, wonder and possibility, Confluence invites audiences to imagine what’s next. Experience this powerful film program, hear from filmmakers, community organizations and advocates, and learn how you can support and imagine climate resilience for the next seven generations.
Academy Members receive a free Confluence tote bag. Show your membership card at check in to claim yours!
Students can receive $6 tickets available onsite with a valid ID.
This program is supported by The Arcadia Foundation.
April 2
5:00–8:30 p.m.
Programmed by cinéSPEAK
Opening Night Party Schedule of Events
5–6:30 p.m. Join us for a joyous Opening Night Party in Dino Hall!
Enjoy the moving sounds of vibraphonist Hudson River, savor a special Indigenous Brazilian cuisine tasting curated by Mila Romero and enjoy light refreshments and a cash bar to toast our 2026 festival.
Connect with local advocacy organizations, meet fellow guests, and kick off the celebration in a warm, lively atmosphere. We can’t wait to welcome you!
6:30–8:30 p.m. Film Program: Screening followed by Q&A
A short film and a Pennsylvania Film Premiere feature documentary.
Botany of Nations
(2026, 10 min), a short documentary by dir. Cass Gardiner
Botany of Nations reframes the plants collected on the Lewis and Clark expedition to reveal a hidden history of the USA rooted in Indigenous stewardship, native food sovereignty, and a radical rethinking of botany and nationhood.
MUNDURUKUYÜ – The Forest Of The Fish Women
(2025, 75 min) a documentary feature film by dirs. Aldira Akay, Beka Munduruku and Rilcélia Akay
On the banks of the Tapajós River, in the Amazon, the forest of fish women reflects Munduruku mythology, where humans, at the origin of the world, transformed into forest, plants and animals. In the daily life of the Sawre Muybu village, the spirits of the forest are not only ancestral spiritual forces, but part of the family.
Q&A with Botany of Nations director, Cass Gardinier and Zakia Elliot (Soil Generation) moderated by Gabriela Watson-Burkett (director, and Founder of Inti Media).
MUNDURUKUYÜ – The Forest Of The Fish Women | Trailer
MUNDURUKUYÜ – The Forest Of The Fish Women | Trailer
On the banks of the Tapajós River, in the Amazon, the forest of fish women reflects Munduruku mythology, where humans, at the origin of the world, transformed into forest, plants and animals.
Credit: Dirs. Aldira Akay, Beka Munduruku and Rilcélia Akay