Wild & Scenic Film Festival Sneak Peek
With thoughts of paddling local rivers on our minds thanks to the warm weather, it’s a great time to focus on past, present and future work to preserve some of America’s most special places. Acting on our mission to “Bring Nature into Neighborhoods”, The Parklands is collaborating with Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA) to host the 2017 Wild & Scenic Movie Festival on Friday, March 10 at Gheens Foundation Lodge along the banks of Louisville’s most wild and scenic stream, Floyds Fork. Your ticket purchase includes a reception beginning at 6 p.m., hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Movies will be screened from 7:30-10 p.m.
A one-night only touring festival, this special evening features some of 2016’s best short films on wild places and the people engaged in their care and stewardship—something close to our hearts. Your ticket purchase will help fund The Parklands and KWA as we conserve and protect some of Kentucky’s most special waterways.
Ten movies will be shown this night, including:
The Elwha Undammed – A movie about change, speed and conservation. The transformation of this Olympic Peninsula river since two large dams were removed beginning in 2011 is staggering. Elwha teaches us how little we really know about change. Powerful.
The Wild President – The largely unappreciated story of President Carter’s involvement with the Chattooga River while he was Governor of Georgia, and how this small southern river inspired some of our nation’s largest conservation initiatives. Inspiring. (Photo at top)
Yellowstone’s Northern Range– Home to some of our nation’s largest predators and prey, Yellowstone’s northern tier offers a glimpse at North America’s most wild heart. The reintroduction of the gray wolf to this rugged corner of our nation’s seminal national park transformed the land and the animals that call it home. This is the American story.
Douglas Tomkins: A Wild Legacy– Best known as the founder of North Face and co-founder of Esprit, Douglas spent the second half of his life putting his personal wealth and business acumen to work saving some of the wildest portions of Patagonia. Ultimately, this is the story about the place where entrepreneurialism and conservation meet.
CLICK HERE to see full list of films!
In addition to the movies, a very special one-night exhibit of “My Watershed” by Joanne Weis, textile artist, will be on display. Weis is a mixed media textile artist in Louisville Kentucky whose work can be found in numerous private collections around the country. In her series, “My Watershed” her work aims to connect individuals to the greater cause of water preservation by focusing on the waterways found in our own yards and neighborhoods.
“While water quality is recognized as a major global issue, recognizing watersheds means that my neighbors and I have a role to play in the condition of our waterways,” says Weis of her inspiration for the series.
I hope you can make plans to join us for this special night highlighting great work underway across the globe to preserve, protect, live, and recreate in some very special places.
Tickets are limited, so go to Wild and Scenic Ticket Portal to get yours now. And who knows, perhaps a future Wild & Scenic Festival will highlight how citizens, businesses, non-profits, and governments in a medium sized Kentucky urban area partnered up to set aside thousands of acres for conservation and recreation.