Microplastic Madness Toolkit
Data + action lessons for grades 3-12
Microplastic Madness
An award-winning documentary that's inspiring a global youth movement
free from March 1st to April 30th, 2025!
Screening sign up for NGOs, Community
groups, colleges, and businesses.
A Cafeteria Culture production
Directed and Produced by Atsuko Quirk and Debby Lee Cohen
Featuring P.S. 15 Brooklyn 5th graders and experts, Judith Enck, Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Rachael Z. Miller, and Dr. Chelsea M. Rochman
watch trailer on YouTube -> / watch on Vimeo ->
Microplastic Madness is the most informative, entertaining and hopeful film I ever seen on the significant problem of plastic pollution.
Judith Enck – Former EPA Region 2 administrator and founder of Beyond Plastics
Microplastic Madness is a MUST SEE documentary that includes rigorous science and math, covering the gamut of plastic pollution issues. It dramatically shows NYC teachers teaching and leading students in civic action and community science in a positive, loving way.
Adam Zaid – NYC High school teacher
With stop-motion animation, heartfelt kid commentary, and interviews of experts and renowned scientists who are engaged in the most cutting edge research on the harmful effects of microplastics, this alarming, yet charming narrative, conveys an urgent message in user-friendly terms.
These eleven year olds dive deep into the root causes of plastic pollution. Taking on the roles of citizen scientists and community advocates, they collect local data, lead community outreach, and use their own local data to inform policy by testifying and rallying at City Hall. Then they turned their focus back to school, taking action in their cafeteria to eliminate all single-use plastic!
Created to inspire kids, teachers and policy makers alike, this is the spark needed to grow a youth-led Plastic Free Future movement in schools across the world!
The movie was accepted to 60+ film festivals around the world, won awards including:
Best Documentary Feature Award – Youth Jury, Children’s Film Festival Seattle
Best Solution Award, Cinema Verde Environmental Film and Art Festival
Best Feature Documentary Film – Audience Choice, Providence Children’s Film Festival
Best Documentary – Amateur Category (over 40 minutes), Raw Science Film Festival
Peggy Charred Award for Excellence, Boston International Kids Film Festival
Grand Jury Award, Greenpoint Film Festival
