Keepers of the Wild:
Conservation Nation. These films explore stewardship and collaboration when it comes to protecting wild creatures and places around the world.
KO`K’ETÌ: Walking With Caribou: The Bathurst caribou herd have roamed Canada’s arctic since time immemorial. Tragically, in just the last 30 years, their population has dropped from half a million to less than ten thousand. The Tli?cho people have an intimate connection with the Bathurst. The herd has been a source of food, clothing and deep culture. However, a future without the Bathurst has become a very real possibility. Directed by Chad Galloway. Produced by Tammy Steinwand-Deschambeault. Sponsored by 1889.
Restoring Italy's Wild Heart: Restoring Italy’s Wild Heart is a short film that places a spotlight on the people in the Apennine Mountain range, who are doing extraordinary things to restore their native ecosystem and promote progressive coexistence within it. Directed and Produced by Olly Pemberton. Sponsored by Good Food Store.
Porcupines Give You 30,000 Reasons to Back Off: Porcupines may be adorable, but their quills are razor-sharp, designed to impale, and are next to impossible to remove. But it's not all bad news. Researchers are designing new surgical staples that mimic the quill's shape to better close wounds and speed up healing. Directed by Sevda Eris. Produced by Josh Cassidy. Sponsored by NWF.
Returning Fire to the Land: The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' Forestry Department is integrating traditional ecological knowledge within their current forestry management plan. This includes an ecosystem-scale, holistic approach, and integrating their historical positive relationship with fire, to benefit ecosystem health, cultural uses, and to prevent catastrophic-sized wildfires. Directed and Produced by Lara Tomov. Sponsored by TNC.
The Fish & The Flame: When a supposedly extinct fish resurfaces in the path of oncoming wildfire, a Colorado biologist braves the flames on a daring rescue mission. Directed by David Hutchinson. Producers: Page Buono, Nate Dappen, and David Hutchinson. Sponsored by Sussex School.
La Voz del Mar: Hope for Hawksbill Turtles: Hawksbill turtles are critically endangered globally, and for many years it was believed they had disappeared from El Salvador. Today, grassroots conservation is delivering renewed hope for hawksbills. Each year, tens of thousands of hatchlings now begin their amazing life journey. Directed by Jon Bougher. Produced by Emic Films. Sponsored by Portico Real Estate.
Hellbender in the Blue: From New York to Appalachia, the two-foot long Eastern hellbender salamander is an indicator species of our river health. The population has declined noticeably since the early 1980s. Taking place in the Blue River watershed of Southern Indiana, this film shares the story of a state-wide effort to improve the environment for our slimy friend and the water for us all. Directed by Katelyn Calhoun. Produced by Teardrop Pictures. Sponsored by Diversified Materials.
The 4/26 screening includes a post-film discussion with Hellbender in the Blue filmmaker Katelyn Calhoun, Returning Fire to the Land filmmaker Lara Tomov, and La Voz del Mar: Hope for Hawksbill Turtles producer Adam Henson!