7th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival is happening
… but with a new twist!
The challenges of Covid-19 mean that the Columbia Valley’s much-loved film festival must adapt. But fear not! Our usual promise for a fun evening with thought-provoking films and door prizes remains the same. The only change is the LIVE VIRTUAL screening format and not being able to schmooze with your cool mountain community! The added bonus? This means that you – your friends – your family – even your dog! – can watch from your sofa (in your pyjamas), no matter where you may be! ANOTHER BONUS: a recording of the program will be available to all ticket-holders as VIDEO ON DEMAND until midnight on November 28, so you can watch it (or watch it again!) if you are joining us from a different time zone or can’t be with us on November 21. And just like other years, there will be lots of DOOR PRIZES! And remember, there’s one more cool prize if you fill out your PEOPLES’ CHOICE ballot: a Free Range Backpack from Talus Lodge featuring artwork by local artist, Pat Bavin. The link for the Peoples’ Choice will be included in your final information email on November 20. This will give you all the info you need to access the event.
“The Wild and Scenic Film Fest sits apart from hundreds of other festivals by leaving you feeling motivated to make a difference in your community,” explains Cam Gillies, the evening’s popular Emcee and a Wildsight Invermere Director. “It puts our local work into the broader environmental and social context and serves to remind us that we’re participants in a global movement.”
When combined together, our small actions create a big impact.
Check out our special Film and Food Combo. Along with your ticket purchase, you can pre-order pizza from Peppi’s (our long-time festival supporter). For a low-carbon footprint, get your order delivered by Sparky, the electric car from SPARK, our EV Share program.
QUESTIONS? NEED HELP WITH THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGES OF A VIRTUAL EVENT? contact Kat Graves at ccrc@wildsight.ca or call our office 250-341-6898. She’s always happy to help you!
Program – 9 awesome films
The Guardian Elephant Warriors of Reteti – Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is the first ever community-owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa. This oasis where orphans grow up, learning to be wild so that one day they can rejoin their herds, is as much about the people as it is about elephants. It’s a powerful story about the changing relationship between people and the animals they are protecting. 2019 | 4 min.
Nigerians Fight to Protect the World’s Most Trafficked Mammal – Pangolins are believed to be the most trafficked mammals in the world. As the four Asian species of pangolins have dwindled, poachers are increasingly turning to the African species to supply the trade. In this short film, meet the bold Nigerians who are fighting to protect this gentle and vulnerable creature. 2019 | 10 min.
(Re)Connecting Wild – Restoring Safe Passage – Busy highways are a recipe for disaster for both humans and animals. This is the inspiring story of a decade-long effort by the Nevada Department of Transportation to improve human safety by re-connecting a historic mule deer migration over I-80. Safe passage for wildlife is an issue in Canada as well, especially in Banff National Park and the Highway 3 corridor in the Elk Valley. 2019 | 12 min.
See Animals – This short, animated film shows unwelcome changes in an uncertain future. 2019 | 2 min.
Rock-Paper-Fish – Every year, all five species of salmon return to the Chilkat River and sustain the communities of Haines and Klukwan, but now a modern day gold rush is underway in the mountains above the river’s headwaters. Rock-Paper-Fish offers a vivid look into the lives of Alaskans grappling with questions as immense as the place they call home. 2019 | 26 min.
INTERMISSION + DOOR PRIZES announced in the chat feature
Raccoon and the Light – A raccoon finds a flashlight in the woods. 2018 | 4 min.
Every Nine Minutes – Every nine minutes, the weight of a blue whale (300,000 pounds) in plastic makes its way into our ocean. To call attention to this, the Monterey Bay Aquarium built a life-sized replica of a blue whale made of single-use, locally sourced plastic trash. Certified by Guinness World Records, the whale is the largest sculpture of its kind ever built. 2018 | 4 min.
Confluir – A group of scientists and river experts investigate the Grand Canyon of the Amazon, Río Marañón, on a month-long raft expedition. The crew navigate intricate whitewater as well as the environmental and social issues created by 20 dams proposed on the principle tributary of the Amazon, connecting with passionate local communities as they go. 2018 | 39 min.
Nature Now – Made with no flights, recycled footage, and zero net carbon. Given away for free. Viewed 53 million times, played to the United Nations. This film is a personal and passionate call to arms from Greta Thunberg and George Monbiot to use nature to heal our broken climate. 2019 | 4 min.
For more info on the 9 films in our program, check out the Wild & Scenic Film Fest platform here. You can also download a PDF of the program here.
PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE
WILD THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
VISIONARY SPONSOR
CATALYST SPONSORS
LEADER SPONSORS
Cleanline Automotive
Copper City Dental
Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine
Peppi’s Italian Fuel