The Ojai Film Festival partners with two other local organizations to honor Mother Earth on Mother’s Day weekend. Come to Flourish Ojai, at the corner of Aliso and Canada Streets, on Saturday, May 7 for a FREE screening of three environmental films previously shown at the Ojai Film Festival. Plus, Dan Parziale and Kyle Thompson, Co-Founders of MESA, will lead a discussion on earth enriching topics related to the films. The community has two opportunities to attend this program, first at 2 p.m., then again at 7 p.m..

On a weekend when many plan to spend time with their mothers, this presentation gives insight into helping those lacking that mothering influence. The nonprofit MESA exists to create innovative approaches to preventing transitional youth, ages 18 to 24, homelessness. They accomplish this through a focus on wellness, the building of strong relationships within the community, and the therapeutic potential of regenerative agriculture. They’re building a transitional housing and wellness center on a farm in Ojai.

“We recognize that when people experience trauma throughout childhood, it becomes incredibly difficult to live a healthy life as adults,” Thompson said. “The same goes for our planet. When we traumatize the earth, it’s not possible to continue to function in a healthy, predictable way.”

Flourish Ojai, a Center for Inspired Living, also focuses on young adults. They partner with local organizations to offer tools of personal transformation and leadership. By facilitating highly creative mentors, in person and online, they empower young people with the confidence to lead inspiring lives.

The lineup of films, two shorts and one feature, illuminates the theme of nurturing youth as well as caring for Mother Earth. In “The Falconer” Rodney Stotts seemed destined for a life of drugs and street violence until he joined the Earth Conservation Corps and developed a passion for falconry.

“Shepherd’s Song” shows how losing both her parents by age 18 pushed Jenya Schneider to find meaning and hope in her life. That came in the form of a flock of sheep used to restore California’s native grasslands as part of the Cuyama Lamb project.

Architect John Davis and his wife Lorrie Brown built their dream home in a canyon of the Topa Topa Mountains. When the house survives the largest wildfire in California history, John embarks on a mission to promote fire-resistant architecture. The short film “The Thomas Fire Architect” chronicles John’s journey to protect homes from nature’s sometimes harsh realities.

The Ojai Film Festival continues to embrace their theme of “Enriching the Human Spirit Through Film” with these three stories of the intersection of environmental and personal wellness. By partnering with MESA and Flourish for this event the Festival hopes to give the Ojai community a Mother’s Day gift that encourages them to celebrate Earth Day everyday.

“We are excited to align with the Ojai Film Festival and Mesa to present this uplifting film and discussion program,” Suzie Nixon, Program Consultant for Flourish, said. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the Flourish center, learn about MESA’s new farm, and view these three films for free at either 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7.