EASTON -- The Chesapeake Film Festival opens its 2021 Live Festival with a VIP reception in the courtyard of the Eastern Shore Conservation Center on Friday, Oct. 1. The reception, hosted by the CFF Board of Directors, honors filmmakers, sponsors and major donors.

Tickets, which cover the reception and the three environmental films premiering at the Avalon Theatre that evening, may be purchased for $125 per person. To purchase tickets, go to chesapeakefilmfestival.com and scroll down to “Click Here to Purchase Tickets for the Live Festival.”

CFF relies on its VIP sponsors and donors to fulfill its mission to entertain, empower, educate and inspire diverse audiences of all ages by presenting independent films and events throughout the year.

The reception honoring them, catered by Blue Heron Catering, begins at 5 p.m. The ESCC, at 114 S. Washington Street in Easton, is just two blocks from the Avalon Theatre.

Because of CoVid concerns, the reception will be outdoors and attendees must be fully vaccinated. In the event of rain or new CoVid restrictions, the reception will be rescheduled for a future date.

Friday evening offers the world premieres of three environmental films, ranging from 5- to 45-minutes, and a panel discussion with the filmmakers. Tickets for Friday’s evening of environmental films, without the VIP reception, are $25.

The Live Festival opens with "Water’s Way: Thinking Like a Watershed." This new film by Tom Horton, Dave Harp and Sandy Cannon-Brown suggests that learning to appreciate and emulate beavers may be a key to understanding how we might once again experience a watershed resilient to flood and drought and Chesapeake clean and clear.

Two shorts follow Water’s Way and a panel discussion. "Olympic Sleepers of the Arctic," by CFF board members Irene Magafan and Jamie Currie, explores the arctic ground squirrels and how they have adapted to hibernate up to eight months to survive. This 5-minute film touches on the unique biology of these animals in the greater context of the environmental threats facing the arctic region.

"The Heat is On: Driving Climate Action for People and Nature" is a 20-minute film by Irene Magafan and Kelly Ashford about World Wildlife Fund’s response to dire reports on the threats of climate change.

To learn more about the reception, the Live Festival Oct. 1 and 2, and the Virtual Festival Oct. 3-10, go to the website.

The Chesapeake Film Festival is generously supported by the Shared Earth Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Prager on behalf of Bluepoint Hospitality, Enel Green Powers, Doug Powers, The Nature Conservancy, Maryland Film Office, Choptank Electric, Maryland State Arts Council, Talbot Arts, Talbot County Department of Tourism, Artistic Insights Fund, Richard and Beverly Tilghman, U.S. Small Business Administration, and The Ravenal Foundation. Funding has also been provided to the Chesapeake Film Festival from Maryland Humanities and The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program.