Launched in 2015, The Elements is an annual environmental film series featuring three to four free screenings each academic year. Screenings alternate between Wesleyan University and Russell Library and are open to the public.

View our events calendar for upcoming screening dates and registration.

Presented by:

Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District  •  The Rockfall Foundation   •  Russell Library  •   Middletown Garden Club  •  Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts  •   Bailey College of the Environment •  College of Film and the Moving Image

2026-2027 Season

Singing Back the Buffalo

Monday, October 5th, 2026 • 7:00 pm • Wesleyan Goldsmith Family Cinema

Richly visualised and deeply uplifting, Singing Back the Buffalo is an epic reimagining of North America through the lens of buffalo consciousness and a potent dream of what is within our grasp, which follows Indigenous visionaries and communities who are rematriating the buffalo to the lands they once defined.

Bee Wild

Saturday, January 23, 2027  • 2:00 PM  • Russell Library

BEE WILD is an uplifting documentary exploring the vital role of bees in sustaining humanity, the causes of their sharp decline, and how we can help regenerate their populations to restore thriving ecosystems. With 1 billion pollinators lost annually, the story highlights the urgent need to protect bees and other pollinating insects while showing viewers actionable ways to make a difference. Celebrating the natural beauty of these magical creatures, BEE WILD combines stunning visuals, inspiring stories, and hope-driven solutions to create an eco-doc like no other.

The Way of the Whale

Monday, April 5, 2027  •  7:00 PM  • Wesleyan Goldsmith Family Cinema

The film is a tale of intertwined destinies between gray whales and humans, a pivotal campaign to save Laguna San Ignacio in Baja California, Mexico in the late ’90s, and a profound exploration of our world’s climate crisis. Join climate champion Xiye Bastida as she takes us on a majestic journey, following the migratory path of the gray whales – from the California coast to the Washington coast, and up to the fragile Arctic waters of Alaska, where the whales feed. The film also includes a segment featuring John Calambokidis of Cascadia Research Collective and our local celebrity gray whales, the Sounders.

Previous Films: