Arkansas Cinema Society is teaming up with Just Communities of Arkansas, the Arkansas Peace and Justice Memorial Movement, and Washitaw Foothills Youth Media Arts & Literacy Collective for a virtual screening of The Story of Plastic, a comprehensive look at the world's plastic crisis. The screening will be followed by a Q&A conversation with Emmy Award-winning director Deia Schlosberg, I. Malik Saafir, founder of Southern Renaissance, Inc.; and Dr. Marty Matlock, Executive Director of the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center and professor of Ecological Engineering at the U of A.

“As represented by our new Science on Screen® Film Series, we love science here at ACS - and even more, we love movies about science!” says Kathryn Tucker, ACS Executive Director. “The Story of Plastic takes on a critical issue in our time and so eloquently expresses the need for change. ACS loves teaming up with Just Communities to raise the awareness of underrepresented films in order to start important conversations in our communities.”

Just Communities Executive Director Donald Wood believes collaboration between organizations like Just Communities and ACS is necessary to increase awareness and activism for important issues such as plastic pollution. "We can’t truly protect the environment unless we tackle social justice issues, too,” he says. “Historically, low income and communities of color have been on the receiving end of pollution, toxic waste, and other environmental problems at rates much higher than middle-class white Americans. This has been done mainly by design. So then we must by design and with an inclusive, equitable lens reimagine and recreate systems that simultaneously care for our planet as well as all of its inhabitants. Partnerships like this between ACS, JCA, and WFYMALC—using powerful tools like The Story of Plastic—is one way we can do this type of systemic change work."