Shorts Block 3: Border Stories
Five films exploring one of the most politically relevant and ecologically fascinating areas in the world: the border between the United States and Mexico.
Wildlife and the Wall
5 minutes, Directed by Ben Masters, US
Construction of a USA-Mexico border wall would have a huge impact on wildlife. Migratory corridors would be eliminated, dispersal events could no longer occur, and access to the Rio Grande River would be cut off for both wildlife and humans.
Mexican Fishing Bats
6 minutes, Directed by Edward M. Roqueta, Canada
In the Sea of Cortez, researchers delve into the mystery of a bat that inexplicably makes its living at sea. Watch PhD candidate Edward Hurme and his team in action, as they untangle the mystery of how these endangered bats find their prey.
Lions of West Texas
9 minutes, Directed by Ben Masters, US
Researchers put a GPS collar on a captured mountain lion in order to study mountain lion prey, home range size, and to get a glimpse into the secretive lives of Texas' largest apex predator. The data collected only adds to the mystery: how do mountain lions continue to persist in West Texas where they can be trapped, shot, and killed without regulation?
Rancheros del Jaguar
12 minutes, Directed by Sara Matasick, UK
In Sonora, Mexico, the familiar human-predator conflict story is taking on an unfamiliar ending. With the help of an innovative group of biologists, traditional cattle ranchers are changing their relationships with the jaguars they have historically persecuted, earning them the name RANCHEROS DEL JAGUAR.
Sky Migrations
15 minutes, Directed by Charles Post, Forrest Woodward, and Max Lowe, US
Each fall our skies fill with the wings of raptors, a migration that relies on two hemispheres worth of wild and healthy ecosystems. Join ecologist and filmmaker, Charles Post, as he shines a light on the network of backcountry scientists and sentinels at the front lines of raptor conservation.