More information about the film festival can be found at the website below:
http://www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/

Films On Tour
Planting Hope: 
Lisa Merton, Alan Dater   7 Minutes
The simple act of planting trees by Kenyan Wangari Maathai grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy—a movement for which this charismatic woman became an iconic inspiration and the winner of Nobel Peace Prize. This is a 7-minute segment of a longer 80-minute film. 

Every Day at School- Introduction by Kathy Wright, Powell Township School
Tristan Bancks, Wendy Gray   5 minutes
Follow a class down under as they spend the first five minutes of every day at school taking action to change the world in positive ways.

Watershed Revolution- Introduction by Emily Whittaker, Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve
Rich Reid, Paul Jenkin 27 minutes
What is a Watershed? The answer is explored through interviews with concerned citizens working to protect and preserve the Ventura River watershed.

Missouri Stream Team- Introduction by Geri Grant, Superior Watershed Partnership
Jim Karpowicz         18 minutes
Over 4000 teams channel the energy and enthusiasm of 80,000 volunteers in a host of stream stewardship activities in Missouri. Told in their own words, Stream Team volunteers describe the connections they’ve developed with their natural resources and with each other.

Signatures- Introduction by Bill Thompson, Downwind Sports
Nick Waggoner           12 minutes
At the heart of this lovely tale of deep powder mystery: the seasons. In Japan there is a cultural connection to the different Signatures of our terrestrial home– a sense that the rhythm of fall, winter, spring, summer influences the rhythm of the person, their energy, their style, and the lines they choose. Niseko local photographer Yoichi Watanabe explains, “As a photographer, the change in season brings a change of subject. I have to be ahead of this change in nature, like I have to be thinking about flowers before they actually bloom in order to capture what really goes on. I can say the same about the snow as well.”

Ascending Giants- Introduction by Doug Turnbull, Students for Sustainable Living
John Waller              12 minutes
You may hug a tree, but would you climb one? Join tree lovers & climbers Brian and Will as they attempt to find Oregon’s largest Sitka Spruce trees.  Through their eyes, from both ground and canopy views, we discover the breathtaking beauty of these beautiful giants.

The Fun Theory: Piano Staircase     2 minutes
“Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator and feel better” is something we often hear or read in the Sunday papers. Few people actually follow that advice. Can we get more people to take the stairs over the escalator by making it fun to do? See the results here.

The Fun Theory: Bottle Bank Arcade   2 minutes
Many of us return our plastic bottles and cans. Noticeably fewer recycle their glass. Maybe that’s because we don’t get any money in return, as we do for cans and plastic. Can we change this attitude by making recycling glass fun to do? So you are not just rewarded with a good conscience, you also get a smile.

Young Voices on Climate Change- Introduction by Mindy Otto, Students for Sustainable Living
Lynne Cherry                      14 minutes
“If you adults won’t do something on climate change, then we kids are going to take the reins,” says young activist Shannon McComb. These kids speak directly about their concerns, knowledge, and their actions to combat climate change.

Generations- Introduction by Vern Barber, Marquette Mountain
Steve Jones        17 minutes
For many, snowy winters have a deep significance – culturally, personally, and financially.  Going beyond charts and numbers, this new film humanizes the debate on climate change by exploring the delicate balance of winter and the intrinsic value of snow to people across generations and cultures.

The Story of Cap and Trade-Introduction by Gary McDonnell, Northern Michigan University
Free Range Studios             10 minutes
Annie Leonard of “The Story of Stuff” is back! This time, she is telling the story behind one of the most talked about solutions proposed to combat climate change: carbon trading. But is carbon trading a real solution, or just a dangerous distraction? Annie looks at the controversial issue in a head-on, matter-of-fact, and provocative way that will open your eyes and make you think twice about this supposed “silver bullet.”

Split Estate- Introduction by Kristi Mills, Save the Wild UP
Debra Anderson              15 minutes
Imagine discovering that you don’t own the mineral rights under your land, and that an energy company plans to drill for natural gas two hundred feet from your front door. Imagine having little recourse, other than accepting an unregulated industry in your backyard. Planet Green’s Documentary Film Series – Reel Impact.

Garbage Angels
Pierre Trudeau        6 minutes
What happens when trash meets trash? Could there be life in a dump? Best Canadian Short, Planet in Focus.

Nourish- Introduction by John O’Bryan, Students for Sustainable Living
Kirk Bergstrom, Linda Davis          26 minutes
What we eat, where we eat, and how we eat reveals much about our relationship to food. Today, more than ever, we need to understand where our food comes from and how it reaches us. If you want change, vote three times a day – with your fork! 

The Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival is now the largest environmental film festival in the country, with over 100 venues nationwide. The main goal is to inspire activism in those who attend, and make a lasting impression on the environment. Marquette’s venue will show 8 films over two nights and feature local experts on the subject of each film.

The films address a range of environmental issues, from urban organic gardening to faith communities greening their churches to the impact of roads in wilderness areas. “I love the way each film focuses on issues that we all face, no matter what your beliefs are, but in a way that is visually exciting and very inspiring. All of the films have really great cinematography and lively soundtracks,” said Emily Whittaker, Executive Director of the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve. “It’s great that our community is going to be part of this national circuit of festivals.”

Check out one of the film clips

Tickets can be purchased in advance at Downwind Sports or calling the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve office at 906-345-9223. Tickets will be available at the door as well. Admission for both nights for adults is $15, one night is $10. Ticket price for students is $5 per night. Call 906-345-9223 for more information or visit our www.yellowdogwatershed.org. 

Here is a quick look at the program:

November 5

1. Last Frontier: Conservation & Exploration in Papua New Guinea Trip Jennings- Introduced by Sam Crowley (Sea Kayak Specialists)
New Britain Papua New Guinea is one of the last frontiers between the industrialized world and tribal village life. This film weaves the story of an epic kayaking expedition around the story of a culture, ecosystem and river on the brink of change. (Papua New Guinea, 2007, 19min)  www.riversindemand.com

2. Hardrock Mining – Rethink, Reform
Adam Cramer, Nat Lopes- Introduced by Cynthia Pryor (Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve)
As human-powered outdoor recreation enthusiasts, we all need metal, from climbing carabiners and bike frames to trekking poles and ski edges. However, there remains a problem: 19th century values and policy are guiding 21st century high-tech mining technology. www.outdooralliance.net

3. Paradise Found: The Phoenix Islands
Kate Raisz- Introduced by Jon Saari (Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition)
In a remote corner of the Pacific, the nation of Kiribati has created the world’s largest marine reserve, the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. The reserve covers 410,500 square kilometers and is home to thriving coral reefs and abundant sea life, including sharks and manta rays.  The film follows scientific expeditions to these islands and the efforts of the people of Kiribati and the international environmental community to create the reserve. (US, 2005) www.neaq.org, www.phoenixislands.org

4. Division Street

Eric Bandick- Introduced by Dr. John Anderton (Northern Michigan University-Geography Department)
This is not your father’s road trip. Roads and cars have fragmented wild landscapes, ushered in urban sprawl, and challenged some of the bedrock values we once took for granted.  But as the transportation crisis appears to be spiraling out of control, a new generation of ecologists, engineers, city-planners, and everyday citizens are transforming the future of the American road. From pristine roadless areas to concrete jungles, follow filmmaker Eric as he tours North America, dodging Yellowstone’s grizzlies and Miami’s taxicabs, and highlighting sustainable road projects and wildlife corridors for the 21st century. (US/CANADA, 2008) www.divisionstreetmovie.com, www.transalt.org

November 6
1. Homegrown Revolution
Jules Dervaes- Introduced by Natasha Gill (Marquette Food Co-op)
In the midst of a densely urban setting in downtown Pasadena, radical change is taking root. For over twenty years, the Dervaes family have transformed their home into an urban homestead. As a family for this new paradigm, they harvest nearly 3 tons of organic food from their 1/10 acre garden while incorporating many back-to-basics practices, as well as solar energy and biodiesel.  www.freedomgardens.org

2. Burning the Future: Coal in America – 30 min.
David Novack, Alexis Zoullas- Introduced by John Rebers (Sierra Club)
Confronted by an emerging coal-based US energy policy, activists in West Virginia watch the nation praise coal without regard to the devastation caused by its extraction.  Faced with toxic ground water, the obliteration of 1.4 million acres of mountains, and a government that appeases industry, our heroes demonstrate a strength of purpose and character in their improbable fight to arouse the nation’s help in protecting their mountains, saving their families, and preserving their way of life. Montana CINE Best of Fest (US, 2007) www.burningthefuture.com

3. The Good Life Parable: An MBA Meets a Fisherman
Mark Albion and Free Range Studios - Introduced by Emily Whittaker (Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve)
A businessman and a fisherman on a small island. He tries to teach the fisherman about business but the fisherman teaches him about life. (US, 2008) www.makingalife.com, www.freerangestudios.com

4. Renewal

Marty Ostrow, Terry Kay Rockefeller- Introduced by Jon Magnuson (Cedar Tree Institute)
In communities across America, people are rolling up their sleeves in practical and far-reaching ways. Offering a profound message of hope, this film shows people driven by their spiritual and religious convictions, being called to re-examine what it means to be human and how we live on this planet. The full-feature film presents eight individual stories of Americans around the nation in different faith traditions, who are working to become better stewards of the environment. In this edited version for the Wild & Scenic On Tour, three parishes are featured: a Christian, a Jewish and a Buddhist congregation . Best of Fest, Hazel Wolf FF (US, 2007) www.renewalproject.net

To find out more about the festival origins, visit
http://www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/

If you would like to volunteer at this event, contact us at 906-345-9223.