The third annual Filmgate Interactive, a Knight Arts grantee, is Florida’s only transmedia conference that blurs genres and weaves film, technology and interactive storytelling together. The festival, which runs from February 1-8, features more than 10 screenings, five performances, three interactive exhibits and 10 workshops throughout Miami Beach and Greater Miami.

“The Invisible Season.”

“The Invisible Season,” one of the feature length films that will headline the festival, examines the cost and consequences of the post-Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown using survivor testimony, data on rising sea levels and the surreal serene landscape of the region to show the destructive and revitalizing forces of nature.

On March 11th, 2011 a 9.0 earthquake struck of the coast of Japan and triggered a massive tsunami that caused three of the plant’s six reactors to melt down. “The Invisible Season” meticulously captures the daily struggles of residents trying to reclaim a sense of normalcy after this cataclysmic event, where hiking and fishing are now mortal dangers.

As one resident hikes through a wooded area punctuated by large black bags filled with irradiated soil, she utters: “We used to eat wild vegetables from the mountain and fish from the ocean, but no longer. How long before we can fish in rivers without the concern of radiation? I truly realize how great and plentiful nature was—it’s something that we can never buy.”

“The Invisible Seasons” is a monumental and defiant portrait of a people determined to reclaim and revitalize the landscape—even if it kills them.

“The Invisible Season” opens during Filmgate Interactive. For locations and show times, please visit www.film-gate.org/calendar/.