The Wild and Scenic Film Festival

Ohio River Foundation (ORF) will again bring one of the largest environmental film festivals in North America to Cincinnati this spring. The Wild & Scenic Film Festival inspires environmental activism and a love for nature through film.

The Festival works with environmental groups across the US to host local film festivals as a way to reach into their communities, inspire activism, increase awareness for grassroots environmental causes, and generate critical funds. Wild & Scenic on Tour is taking place in cities across the country including Chicago, Houston, Washington DC, and many others. We are excited to bring the festival to Cincinnati to show our city’s commitment to environmental activism and love for nature.

Featured Films:

Flowing – My Dream of Freedom – The river itself speaks about its dream of flowing wilder and freer again. Dams, weirs, and other obstacles disrupt the natural functioning of rivers and are detrimental to migrating fish, other river wildlife, and ultimately us humans. The good news is that we can change this. Obsolete stone and concrete barriers can be removed, helping river ecosystems bounce back to whole vibrating life!

Mussel Grubbing: A Citizen Science Treasure Hunt – Following a citizen scientist’s journey of discovery, the film explores the treasure hunt for freshwater mussels in the upper Sangamon River. Finding a diverse collection of healthy mussels means a healthy river and a healthy community.

Diagonal – Feeling stuck in life, 54-year-old India Wood bucks the traditional way of recreating and strikes a novel path across the state of Colorado. Taking a uniquely in-depth look at the world around her, India’s walk is a celebration of the originality that makes us human and delights in doing things a little bit differently.

Forests Above Forests Below – Take a deep dive into California’s unique and irreplaceable underwater kelp forests that have experienced catastrophic loss in the past decade. This piece was written and supported by scientists at The Nature Conservancy and was filmed and produced by the Coldwater Collective.

Healing Hiłsyaqƛis – Hiłsyaqƛis (Tranquil Creek) is located within the traditional territory of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht) First Nation approximately 20 km east of Tofino, in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia. The sharp decline in wild Pacific salmonids in this watershed is poorly understood. It has sparked research, monitoring, and habitat restoration initiatives to address knowledge gaps and restore habitat in hopes of fostering a recovery of wild fish populations within the Tranquil Watershed and contributing to the broader recovery of wild Pacific salmon.

A Journey Upstream – This is the story of two seemingly unrelated fish that help us understand the connectivity within our environment and the importance of a healthy Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Danny Macaskill: Do a Wheelie – In the summer of 2021 Danny MacAskill put out a call to action to his 3.5 million social media fans asking them to #WheelieWithDanny. Riders and fans applied from around the world to feature alongside Danny in his latest project from Five Ten and Cut Media. Join Danny MacAskill and a host of friends as he pushes the boundaries of the humble wheelie and learns a thing or two from friends old and new.

6,000 Miles – In 6,000 Miles, Kayla Lopez, a multifaceted artist and river activist, and Steve Evans, the impassioned Wild Rivers Director at CalWild, offer an exciting and educational exploration of California’s Wild Rivers, blending expertise and passion to illuminate the essence and threats to our precious waterways. Their journey unfolds a narrative transcending advocacy, revealing the intricate connection and profound significance of preserving wild rivers.

Soundscape – Soundscape features Erik Weihenmayer, a global adventure athlete and author who is fully blind, as he ascends a massive alpine rock face deep in the Sierra Nevada. The film is a surprising and soulful adventure using expert camera work and emotive, novel animation to bring to life a concept by adaptive climbing pioneer Timmy O’Neill.

STORMY – Stormy, a Master Haida carver, muses in this short zen-like piece about making a canoe by hand on an island in Alaska.

Toxic Art – On a mission to clean up Ohio’s leaking, abandoned coal mines, Ohio University Art Professor John Sabrah teamed up with an engineer to develop a process that turns the toxic runoff pollution into paint. John’s artwork has been shown worldwide, and proceeds have helped numerous environmental organizations and projects, including a new water treatment plant on the Sunday Creek Watershed. 

Doors will open at 6:00 pm for food, refreshments, and socializing.

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