Rocky Mountain Wild is excited to be bringing The Wild & Scenic Film Festival to a screen in your own home! Live stream the festival with whoever you are staying safe at home with and live chat with our staff and others attending the festival.
The evening will include the same award-winning environmental films you’ve come to expect, that have been selected not only for their great visual stories but also to inspire and motivate us to continue the cause to keep the Rocky Mountains wild.
This film festival is made by activists for activists and sits apart from the hundreds of festivals around the world by leaving you inspired and motivated to go out and make a difference in your community and the world.
When: October 20, 7:00 – 9:00 MT with virtual lobby “doors” opening at 6:30 pm. The program (minus the live chat) will also be available on-demand Thursday, October 20, 10:00 pm MT through Tuesday, October 25, 11:55 pm MT.
Where: Online, wherever you are!
Tickets: This year, we are offering three levels of ticketing: Individual tickets ($15), Group tickets (for people who are hosting parties of four people or more, $50), and Economy tickets (for students, seniors, young professionals, or anyone else who may need a discounted option, $5). Get your tickets today!
Can’t pay but want to attend? We understand that a lot of families have been hit hard by the coronavirus and unemployment. While this event is replacing our largest fundraiser of the year, it is our goal that everyone who wants to attend the festival can, regardless of current financial situation. If you have been affected and would like to attend the film festival, please contact Chris at chris@rockymountainwild.org to arrange for a complimentary ticket.
Wild & Scenic Raffle
This year, we are also hosting a raffle! Tickets are 1 for $1 or 15 for $10. Prizes you could win include:
- Sierra Nevada swag (tote bag, trucker hat, coozie, and fold-away tote)
- Earthjustice swag (coasters, gavel pencils, and copies of their quarterly magazine)
- hhmi “Stories that Spark” mug
- hhmi local pollinators’ wildflower seed mix (for Western U.S. residents only as the mix is specifically for our region)
- MiiR’s commemorative Wild & Scenic Film Festival camp cup with slide lid
- Peak Design’s Field Pouch
- and much more!
Wild & Scenic Days of Action
For years, we’ve paired the Wild & Scenic Film Festival with our Community Action Hub, which featured direct actions that festival attendees could take during the live event to make a real difference in Colorado and beyond.
This year, we are hosting three Wild & Scenic Days of Action lunch-and-learns at noon Mountain Time during the days leading up to the festival!
Stay tuned for more information. If you would like to partner for a Wild & Scenic Day of Action with your direct action, please email Chris.
October 18, noon-1 pm MT
Take action with Spirit of the Sun and Defenders of Wildlife.
Spirit of the Sun has a direct action to shut down Suncor Energy, Colorado’s only oil refinery, which is responsible for major pollution in the BIPOC and low-income communities living in its midst.
Spirit of the Sun is raising funds for mycelial soil remediation to heal the damage done by Suncor to their community. The funds raised will go towards the creation of mycelial kits and for community education and training on how to implement these kits in the soil to build back the mycelial network. Spirit of the Sun also has an action to push Governor Polis to shut Suncor down.
And…
Join Defenders to learn more about Senator Manchin’s dirty deal which would, if passed, rubber stamp dangerous and destructive giveaways to fossil fuel CEOs and strip communities of their voice who are most harmed by them. We’ll also take action to urge Senator Bennet and Senator Hickenlooper to oppose the dirty deal and help ensure that it is not attached to any legislation in the future.
Our communities and our climate can’t afford to let greedy fossil fuel executives make all the decisions about what happens where we live, work, and play.
October 19, noon-1 pm MT
Take action with The Wilderness Society and Wild Connections.
Wild Connections will present how to protect your Local Bureau of Land Management Lands: from the mountains to the Arkansas River Canyonlands!
Then join The Wilderness Society to help the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes rename Mount Evans as Mount Blue Sky.
Mount Evans is a stunningly beautiful Colorado landmark that deserves a name that honors its natural and cultural history. The mountain is named in honor of John Evans, the former territorial governor of Colorado who authorized the indiscriminate murder of American Indians and was responsible for one of the worst massacres in American history, the Sand Creek Massacre. The Sand Creek Massacre resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Cheyenne and Arapaho men, women, and children. Evans was roundly condemned, forced to resign in disgrace, and is not deserving of recognition. Please support the proposal by the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes and The Wilderness Society to rename Mt. Evans as Mt. Blue Sky.
Wild & Scenic Online Auction
As part of the fundraiser, we are hosting an online auction!
Auction items donated by businesses that have made a commitment to sustainability (through 1% for the Planet, Climate Neutral Certification, The Conservation Alliance, Certifiably Green Denver, Good Food 100 Restaurants, Green America Certification, and/or another certifying body) are indicated with a 🐾
Auction items have been donated by these incredibly generous businesses (and there is much more to come!):
Backpacker’s Pantry 🐾
Belong Wine Co 🐾
Butterfly Pavilion
Deirdre Denali Photography
Fair Indigo
Green Door Fitness 🐾
Hitch Bottle and Cup 🐾
The Films
First Half
An exploration of who were are as conservationists in the movement
One Star Reviews: National Parks
Alex Massey, Avocados and Coconuts, Alex Paulsen | 2020 | 2 min.
America’s National Parks are some of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s even said that they are America’s best idea. Well… unfortunately for some, there’s still room for improvement!
Camp Yoshi
Faith E. Briggs, Tyler Wilkinson-Ray | 2021 | 10 min.
After moving to Oregon and falling in love with the ability to explore the outdoors with ease with his wife and two kids, Rashad Frazier knew he had to extend the invitation to others. Driven by the magic of his experiences, his background as a chef, and his love of good food and connecting people to incredible places that open up to conversation, he created Camp Yoshi, which curates custom outdoor adventures centered around shared meals and shared experience with the goal of creating a space for Black people and allies to unplug and in turn reconnect with the wilderness. By virtue of being in these places, Camp Yoshi’s trips transform historically segregated spaces into safe havens for community, conversation and nourishment.
Dear Pippa
Simon Perkins | 2020 | 8 min.
Throughout her life, the woods and its trails have provided Els Van Woert with inspiration and balance. Today, many of those adventures are spent with her daughter, Pippa. In a letter to Pippa, Els describes this relationship with the outdoors. She also explores what motherhood has taught her about uncovering past scars, discovering vulnerability, and evolving her definition of bravery.
CW: Brief mention of sexual assault and the Trump campaign
An Imperfect Advocate
Jim Aikman, Graham Zimmerman | 2020 | 21 min.
In the rarified air of the world’s wildest mountains, alpinist Graham Zimmerman has seen firsthand the effects of human-driven climate change on the world. He has seen glaciers recede, winters become shorter, and weather patterns become more volatile. As his eyes have been opened to the irreversible damage that humans are doing to the planet, he has been forced to acknowledge that he is complicit in destroying these places that he loves. Despite his own carbon footprint, Graham decides that he must take action and joins Protect Our Winters, an advocacy group that enlists him in the fight against Climate Change. In doing so, he starts down the path of advocacy in an increasingly turbulent world. A world that will challenge him in many ways, not least of all, by asking if he can accept his imperfections to become an effective advocate.
CW: Mention of the murder of George Floyd
I Am Cheo
Pablo Irlando, Monica Griego-Irlando, Graciela Garcia-Irlando, Robert Fanger, Jose Antonio Partida, Luke Fitch, Neftali Eliseo “Cheo” Irlando, Pablo Irlando | 2019 | 8 min.
Inspired by the poem “I Am Joaquin” by Chicano poet Corky Gonzales, this unique film tells the story of a young boy named Cheo who, from the sights and smells of his abuela’s kitchen, takes a sweeping cinematic journey across the lands that are both his history and his future – he sees the gorges of the Grand Canyon, the antiquity of New Mexican acequias, the majesty of the Rockies, and the urban warmth of Downtown Los Angeles. On this journey, Cheo realizes that he is formed by these places – but they need his help, as they are devastated by wildfires, pollution, climate change and disrepair.
Intermission
Second Half
An exploration of what we can do as conservationists to make the world a greener place
If You Give a Beach a Bottle
Max Romey | 2021 | 5 min.
Inspired by a picture book, Max Romey heads to a remote beach on Alaska’s coastline in search of marine debris. What he finds is a different story altogether.
Guardians of the River
Shane Anderson | 2020 | 14 min.
In this film by American Rivers and Swiftwater Films, Indigenous leaders share why removing four dams to restore a healthy Klamath River is critical for clean water, food sovereignty and justice. Removing the dams will restore salmon access to 400 miles of habitat, improve water quality and strengthen local communities that rely on salmon for their food, economy and culture.
Denizens of the Steep
Zach Montes, Josh Metten, Dan Gibeau, Cole Buckhart | 2020 | 10 min.
For Ski Mountaineer and guide Kim Havell, the mountains are a place of adventure and solitude in wild places. However, the explosion in popularity of backcountry skiing, especially in the high alpine of Grand Teton National Park, has her concerned about a population of bighorn sheep who are now on the verge of extinction. Denizens of the Steep connects the joy of backcountry skiing with the urgent need to conserve an icon of the Wilderness.
Finding Gulo: The Movement to Save Wolverines
Colin Arisman, Tyler Wilkinson-Ray | 2021 | 27 min.
The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is an intrepid and solitary carnivore, historically ranging throughout North America’s most rugged and remote regions. However, human persecution decimated their populations, and it seemed that wolverines might disappear from much of their wild homeland. Today, they are recovering in the contiguous U.S. and sightings of the elusive gulo are becoming more frequent among backcountry skiers who visit the West’s most remote mountain ranges.
“Finding Gulo” follows Steph Williams, a ski guide and field biologist as she works with wildlife photographer Dave Moskowitz to capture images and data of a recovering population of wolverines near her home in the North Cascades of Washington State. Steph is on a mission to prove that citizen science can be a critical tool to protect endangered wildlife. As a backcountry skier, Steph has long been concerned about the impacts of climate change, but as her connection deepens with gulo, so does her commitment to grassroots stewardship.
Sponsors
Rocky Mountain Wild would like to invite you to show your wild side by sponsoring the film festival and Wild & Scenic Days of Action. Check out our sponsorship packet to see how you can get involved in the events. Contact Chris at chris@rockymountainwild.org to reserve your sponsorship.
A huge thank you to our sponsors:
Individual Sponsors:
Brendan Walsh
Britt Hinnen and Patricia Foley-Hinnen
Connor Liu
Geri & Meyer Saltzman
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