2022 Lineup

Finding Salmon. In this film, follow 11-year-old, Keyona, into a wondrous world of trees, water, and friendly fish… and find the spirit of Salmon Watch, a program that connects Oregon youth to their backyard river ecosystems. By Jeremy Monroe and David Herasumtschuk.

The Bat Woman and Bat Man of India. Bhargavi and Chelmala Srinivasulu have been called the bat woman and bat man of India. Their chiropteran-infused love has guided their passion for studying and protecting bat species around India. And it’s what launched them on a strange and at times dangerous journey to find a bat that had not been seen in nearly three decades: the Kolar leaf-nosed bat. By Emily V. Driscoll, Jeffery DelViscio and Lottie Kingslake.

An Alaskan Fight. Sometimes conservation can feel like an ultramarathon. In this short biopic, runner and wild fish advocate Sam Snyder fights for Bristol Bay, Alaska over the course of a decade and learns the meaning of home and place in the process. By Brian Kelley.

Guardians of the River. 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. By Shane Anderson.

Ghost Ponds. In the farmland of England, a search and rescue mission is underway. A team is working to excavate land haunted by ghosts… but these are not ordinary ghosts… they are ghost ponds. Norfolk used to have a record number of ponds, but modern-day farming is burying England’s wetlands at an exponential rate. With a looming biodiversity crisis, a grassroots movement is reviving farmland ponds as an unexpected last hope to protect freshwater wildlife. By Amanda Sosnowski, Pedro Furtado, Charlie Dean, Maia Sherwood-Rogers and Jack Greenhalgh.

National Parks “One Star Reviews”. They say National Parks are America’s greatest idea. Some of the most beautiful and sacred places in all the world. Well, for some people… there’s still room for improvement! By Alex Massey, Alex Paulson and Avocados and Coconuts.

The Voice of a River. In 1979, Mark Dubois became a symbol of conservation and proof of how the power of resolve in one man can bring about change to our world when he was willing to sacrifice his life for the life of a river. The Voice of a River is the telling of this resolve 42 years later, after Mark made national headlines for chaining himself to a rock behind the New Melones Dam in protest of the threatened Stanislaus River scheduled to be flooded. The catalyst of legislation that eventually followed, saving numerous rivers thereafter, is testament to how humble actions can transform into larger movements that may preserve our global climatic future. By Monica Gonzalez, Jarvis Smith, Carlos Gonzalez and Krono Lescano.

Denizens of the Steep. 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. By Zach Montes, Josh Metten, Dan Gibeau and Cole Buckhart.

I am Cheo. 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. By Pablo Irlando, Monica Griego-Irlando, Graciela Garcia-Irlando, Robert Fanger, Jose Antonio Partida, Luke Fitch, Neftali Eliseo “Cheo” Irlando and Pablo Irlando.

Land of the Yakamas. Since Time Immemorial, Yakamas lived by the laws of the creator; honoring and protecting the resources that provide for the physical and spiritual sustenance of human beings.”Land of the Yakamas” is a short film that focuses on the importance of the ancestral lands surrounding the general Nch’i-Wàna (Columbia River) area, as well as some of the environmental challenges the communities of the region face. By Rush Sturges and Tyler Bradt.