Forested Future, a 90 minute documentary directed by filmmaker Petr Krejčí and produced by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), received overwhelming positive reviews at its premier in November 2025. Shown at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival (October 24 – November 2, 2025) and BARQ Festival (November 4 – 9, 2025) and also at a private screening in London, Forested Future is a feature-length immersion into the Appalachian forest communities of the eastern United States.
Inspired by A Trillion Trees, a book by the English environmental journalist Fred Pearce, the film is a visually rich and wide-ranging exploration of how – in an age of climate crisis – our relationship with trees and forests might hold the key to a positive future. For the last two years, AHEC has worked with Pearce and with director Petr Krejčí to tell the story of hardwood forests and the people who depend on them.
“Humans have lived in forests and used forests without destroying them. It’s only in the last couple of centuries that we forgot how,” stated Fred Pearce, Author, A Trillion Trees.
Through their voices and practices, this gently inspiring documentary reveals a model of sustainable forest management rooted in respect, regeneration, and balance. Their stories illuminate a path towards an industry that works with nature, not against it – offering not just a material solution, but a vision of hope for a more resilient future.
“I have always believed that the heart of filmmaking lies in telling stories that matter, stories that can ignite change, inspire action, and awaken a collective sense of responsibility. I am convinced that Forested Future tells such a story,” stated Petr Krejčí, Director.
At the films’ world premiere at the BARQ Festival, British-Canadian architect Alison Brooks, one of the UK’s most influential and internationally acclaimed architects, also delivered a keynote talk – An Architecture of Nature – as part of the IAAC Lecture Series. Brooks’ architectural ethos bridges cultural memory and the future. From experimental houses and installations to landmark cultural institutions and large-scale mixed-use developments, her practice is known for architecture that weaves together community connections, material expression and environmental responsibility.
Beyond its environmental benefits and structural potential, Brooks elevates timber from a building material to a medium for emotional and spiritual connection. Her understanding of context as physical, cultural and spiritual stems from her dual Canadian-European education and her growing appreciation for North American indigenous worldviews.
“As humans we love wood and instinctively engage with it, having used it to build and decorate our environments over thousands of years. Although today’s societal pressures leave many people feeling that we shouldn’t cut down trees, not all forests are disappearing, and this film dispels that myth. It tells an extraordinary story of reforestation and community engagement. We believe architects and designers will be able to make more informed decisions if they have a better understanding of this amazing resource. This film is a beautiful way to engage them,” stated David Venables, European Director, AHEC.
As the world has become more and more urbanized, our sense of connection to nature has grown weaker. We have become detached from the land, and therefore from the materials we depend on to build and furnish our homes and towns. Forested Future is an attempt to reestablish that connection.
Following the lives and work of the people whose lives are woven into the story of America’s hardwood forests – foresters, farmers, artisans, ecologists, timber workers and more – Forested Future gently but compellingly, makes the case for a traditional model of land stewardship that is in tune with the cycles of nature, and the rhythm of the forest.
“As humans, we tend to have a short range of how we think about time. The forest, on the other hand, thinks in centuries,” said Nancy Baker, Forest land owner.
By learning to see beyond the short term, thinking in ‘tree time’ rather than human lifespans, the film argues that we can embrace regenerative practice, meet our material needs, heal our broken bond with nature, and find our way towards solutions to some of the most urgent problems we face today.
“In a world of eight billion people, where the demand for housing and infrastructure continues to grow, architecture remains one of humanity’s most environmentally costly pursuits. How, then, can we meet today’s needs without compromising tomorrow’s forests? Forested Future searches for answers in the Appalachian Mountains, following individuals and communities who are working to restore the deep-rooted bond we share with nature,” concluded Roderick Wiles, AHEC Regional Director.
Having screened around Europe at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival in the Czech Republic and at Barcelona’s BARQ International Architecture Film Festival, Forested Future premiered in the UK at the Institute of Contemporary Arts on 3 November 2025. As well as English, the film is also available in Czech, French, Italian, German, and Spanish editions.
