Showing March 19 to March 25:

"The Meaningful Watershed Education Experience" with "When Learning Comes Naturally," Friday at noon. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-1186.

"Sweet Crude," Friday at 6:30. AED Globe Theater, 1927 Florida Ave. NW. .

"To the Sea (Alamar)," Friday at 6:30. Enrique V. Iglesias Auditorium, Inter-American Development Bank, 1330 New York Ave. NW. 202-623-3558.

"Full Signal," Friday at 7. Samara Theater, Edmund Burke School, 4101 Connecticut Ave. NW.

"The Gift of The Pachamama" with "The Indigenous Plant Diva," Friday at 7. National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-633-1000.

"Expedition Wild," Friday at 7:30. Grosvenor Auditorium, National Geographic, 1600 M St. NW. 202-857-7700.

"Mon Oncle," Friday at 8:45 and Tuesday at 7. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. 301-495-6720.

"Mystery Of The Wolf," Saturday at 10:30. Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-966-6000.

"The World In Our Hands (A Selection Of Children's Films)," Saturday at 10:30 and Sunday at 11:30. National Gallery of Art, East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue, NW. 202-737-4215.

"Dirt! The Movie," Saturday at 12:30. National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"Up," Saturday at 1. Grosvenor Auditorium, National Geographic, 1600 M St. NW. 202-857-7700.

"Araya," Saturday at 2 and 4. National Gallery of Art, East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.

"Ladies Of The Land," Saturday at 2. National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"Peter Matthiessen: No Boundaries," Saturday at 2. National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000.

"A Road Not Taken," Saturday at 2. National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"Taking Root: The Vision Of Wangari Maathai," Saturday at 2. National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave. SW. 202-633-4600.

"Soil In Good Heart," Saturday at 2:45. National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"Seed Hunter," Saturday at 3. National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"Sweetgrass," Saturday at 3. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. 301-495-6720.

"The Age Of Iron," Saturday at 5. Embassy of Finland, 3301 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-298-5800.

"Playtime," Saturday at 7 and Sunday at 5. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. 301-495-6720.

"Homegrown," Sunday at noon. National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"Ingredients," Sunday at 1. National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"The Saltmen Of Tibet," Sunday at 1. Meyer Auditorium, Freer Gallery, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. 202-633-1000.

"Who Killed Crassostrea Virginica: The Fall And Rise Of Chesapeake Bay Oysters," Sunday at 1:30. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1530 P St. NW. 202-387-6400.

"Forever Wild: Celebrating America's Wilderness," Sunday at 2. National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"Honey For the Maya: Life With Stingless Bees," Sunday at 2:15. National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"Behold the Earth," Sunday at 2:45. National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"Cooked," Sunday at 3. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1530 P St. NW. 202-387-6400.

"Turtle: The Incredible Journey," Sunday at 3. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. 301-495-6720.

"Butterflies & Bulldozers: David Schooley, Fred Smith and the Fight For San Bruno Mountain" with "Green Fire: The Life And Legacy Of Aldo Leopold," Sunday at 3:15. National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-1000.

"The Silent Holy Stones," Sunday at 3:30. Meyer Auditorium, Freer Gallery, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. 202-633-1000.

"Tabarly," Sunday at 4. Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Rd. NW. 202-944-6090.

"Home," Sunday at 4:30. National Gallery of Art, East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.

"Whiz Kids," Sunday at 4:30. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1530 P St. NW. 202-387-6400.

"So Right, So Smart," Sunday at 7. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1530 P St. NW. 202-387-6400.

"Traffic," Sunday at 7:30 and Monday at 7. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. 301-495-6720.

"Acid Test" with "Farmed Salmon Exposed," Monday at 6. American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1200 New York Ave. NW. 202-326-6672.

"American Outrage" with "Azerbaijan: The Last Kankan Of Nakhchivan" and "Battle For The Xingu," Monday at 6:30. Kenney Auditorium, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, 1740 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington. 202-663-5600.

"In My Father's Country," Monday at 6:30. Embassy of Australia, 1601 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-797-3000.

"A Necessary Ruin: The Story of Buckminster Fuller and the Union Track Car Dome," Monday at 6:30. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448.

"Lunch" with "Potato Heads," Monday at 7. Wechsler Theater, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave.. 202-885-2587.

"A Man Named Pearl," Monday at 7. U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. 202-245-2726.

"Split Estate," Monday at 7. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-5000.

"Light at The Edge of The World: Heart of the Amazon," Tuesday at noon. Grosvenor Auditorium, National Geographic, 1600 M St. NW. 202-857-7700.

"The Road Ahead: The First Green Long March," Tuesday at noon. Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-312-1399.

"Hananpacha (The World Above)," Tuesday at 6. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993.

"Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer," Tuesday at 7. Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW. 202-639-1700.

"Nora!," Tuesday at 7. International Students House, 1825 R St. NW. 202-387-6445.

"Altiplano," Tuesday at 7:15. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993.

"Coal Country," Tuesday at 7:30. St. Columba's Episcopal Church, 4201 Albemarle St. NW. 202-363-4119.

"Fish & Cow: A Story of Restoring The Upper Big Hole Valley" with "Out Of Yellowstone," Tuesday at 7:30. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1530 P St. NW. 202-387-6400.

"Seeds of Hunger," Wednesday at 4. World Bank, 1818 H St. NW. 202-477-1234.

"Climate Refugees," Wednesday at 6. World Resources Institute, 10 G St. NE. .

"Africa's Lost Eden," Wednesday at 7. Grosvenor Auditorium, National Geographic, 1600 M St. NW. 202-857-7700.

"The Age of Stupid," Wednesday at 7. Georgetown University, 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-2787.

"Harvest of Shame," Wednesday at 7. William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-357-5000.

"Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of Great Predators," Wednesday at 7. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1530 P St. NW. 202-387-6400.

Student Short Environmental Film Festival, Wednesday at 7. Wechsler Theater, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave.. 202-885-2587.

"Megamall," Thursday at 6:30. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448.

"Full Signal," Thursday at 7. Landmark's E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. 202-452-7672.

"Auto*Mat," Thursday at 7. Embassy of the Czech Republic, 3900 Spring of Freedom St. NW. 202-274-9100.

"Bon Appetit Monsieur Soleil" with "Solar Energy For Life," Thursday at 7. Wechsler Theater, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave.. 202-885-2587.

"E2 Transport: Food Miles" with "The Great Food Revolution: 24 Hours, 24 Million Meals," Thursday at 7. Maret School, 3000 Cathedral Ave. NW. 202-939-8800.

"Our Daily Bread," Thursday at 7:30. Embassy of Austria, 3524 International Ct. NW. 202-895-6776.

"Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo," Thursday at 8. Ring Auditorium, Hirshhorn Museum, Seventh and Independence SW. 202-633-1000.

Usually when critics can't get DVDs of an upcoming movie, it's not a good sign. But in the case of "GasLand," the documentary that opens Washington's Environmental Film Festival on Tuesday, it's an indication of how in-demand the festival's offerings have become in the event's 18th year.

Josh Fox's personal documentary chronicling and critiquing his encounters with the burgeoning natural gas industry won a special jury prize after making its debut at Sundance in January. The film, which begins with Fox getting a letter with an offer to sell his property for natural gas drilling, is getting closer to being picked up by a distributor. Obeying the custom of such transactions, "GasLand's" producers preferred to save reviews for when the movie opens in theaters.

On the want-to-see scale, "GasLand" tops the list, along with two other upcoming documentaries in the festival, "Sweetgrass," about a group of Montana shepherds, and "Fresh," about new trends in farming.

And happily, there are plenty of poetic, enlightening and provocative films playing throughout the 13-day event to make this one of the strongest EFF lineups in recent memory. More than 150 features, documentaries and short films will be shown in theaters and cultural institutions throughout the city, many of them focusing on food production, actually. One of the strongest features in that program is "Colony," a documentary by Carter Gunn and Ross McDonnell about the ongoing mystery known as colony collapse disorder, wherein millions of bees have died or disappeared from their hives in recent years. In this sensitive, exquisitely crafted group portrait, the filmmakers focus on the hardy people who raise bees and cart them from California to Florida to the East Coast, where the little buzzers pollinate almond, orange and cranberry crops. Ultimately, "Colony" focuses on one family in California whose steady work ethic, deep sense of communal spirit and fiercely protective mother mirrors the queen-dominated hives they lovingly tend. Filmed with the elegant attention to composition worthy of Terrence Malick, "Colony" deserves to join "GasLand" in the distribution swarm.

Family bonds form a similar riveting central focus of three of the festival's best offerings: In "To the Sea," a 5-year-old boy name Natan, who lives with his mother in Rome, joins his father, Jorge, for a visit at the latter's home near a coastal reef in Mexico. As if in a dream wrought by Mark Twain and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Natan plunges into a world of natural beauty and adventure, with Jorge serving as a lithe, charismatic guide as the two snorkel, spear lobsters, befriend a wild bird and bond against the stunning backdrop of Jorge's wild, watery world.

"Araya," a 1959 film being shown in a sparkling new print, serves as a perfect if unlikely bookend to the quiet rhythms of "To the Sea." Margot Benacerraf's groundbreaking documentary about three families living on the coast of Venezuela recalls the beguiling mix of anthropology and poetics of the 1964 revolutionary film "I Am Cuba." Here, the families harvest the salt, fish and clay in lives that combine grueling labor and a symbiotic connection to the land and water around them. Unfolding without narration as a series of stark, arresting images and indigenous music, "Araya" transcends categories of fiction and nonfiction, as it simultaneously celebrates and mourns a disappearing way of life. (Benacerraf had to cancel her scheduled appearance with "Araya" due to illness.)

A sense of loss also animates the fiction film "Home," although in director Ursula Meier's hands, the drama slowly gives way to psychological terror. Isabelle Huppert stars as Marthe, the matriarch of a family living next to an abandoned highway somewhere in Switzerland. When construction begins on the road, the family's life is upended, leading to increasingly desperate and unsettling acts. Meier does a superb job of depicting a happy, edge-dwelling life on society's margins, as well as its darker shadows. (And Huppert, who has made such a fascinating study of women driven to extremes, delivers yet another uncompromising, fearless performance.)

For the ultimate in edge-dwelling, though, filmmakers can't do better than the legendary Manhattan-based red-tailed hawk Pale Male, who famously took up residence above a posh Fifth Avenue window back in 1991. In "The Legend of Pale Male," Belgian Frederic Lilien tells the bird's extraordinary story -- involving Woody Allen, Mary Tyler Moore, several mates, gaggles of chicks, an eviction and a real estate victory -- while interweaving the saga with his own personal growth. If Lilien's voice-over intrudes with unwelcome notes of solipsism, his film still manages to pay homage to New York at its quirkiest and most spirited, and abrim with natural wonder.

Directors Fox, Gunn and Lilien will be present at their films' screenings; other personal appearances include Pete Docter, who will answer questions after a presentation of his recent Oscar-winning film, "Up," and the literary giant Peter Matthiessen, who Tuesday night will deliver a lecture at the National Geographic Society about the impact of climate change on arctic indigenous cultures. (The documentary "Peter Matthiessen: No Boundaries" will be shown on March 20 at the National Portrait Gallery.)