Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2019

November 28, 2018

Sunday, Feb 10 at The Blue Note, Columbia, MO

We filled The Blue Note with 486 of our closest friends, and had a wonderful afternoon enjoying films and each other at our 9th Annual year of hosting the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. This one followed the usual pattern, which is waking up Sunday morning to an apocalyptic forecast, taking a deep breath, and realizing that we can do this! We delayed the fest for one hour to give the morning's ice a chance to melt and still packed the place!

Our thanks to everyone that braved the weather to come. Thank you to our long list of Silent Auction donors and purchasers. Thank you to all the amazing bakers who shared your bake sale treats. Thank you to our dedicated sponsors (listed on the right) for making this event into a much needed fundraiser. Thank you to Tim Pilcher and Monica Lord for sharing your beautiful music. Thank you to the Blue Note for being such excellent hosts.

And our deepest gratitude to our volunteer crew who worked so hard to pull this event together with a smile.

Music by Tim Pilcher and Monica Lord

We were blessed to have these local ethereal instrumentalists fill the Blue Note with sound before the films and during intermission.

Test drive their music here.

Special Local Features

"Big Muddy Refuge" - by Jim Karpowicz

The Big Muddy Refuge is a "String of Pearls" clustered around the Missouri River. This short film highlights the Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge and their work to protect and preserve large sections of land along our beloved river.

Watch the full-length film on the refuge here (11 min).

"Pat Jones, Prairie Godmother"

A tribute to a force for conservation in our state. We miss her. This tribute shows the hard work and dedication that our Prairie Godmother has put back into the Earth through conservation and education.

Watch the film here.

"Outside Science, Inside Parks: Missouri River Days " - by Colorado State University

A peek into one of our "Missouri River Days" education programs. With the help of our partners we get the entire Columbia Public Schools fourth grade on the Missouri River each year.

Watch the film here.

Film Lineup

"Where the Wild Things Play" - Krystle Wright

Where the Wild Things Play This adrenaline-pumping short film follows adventure seeking women as they base jump, perform tricks on slacklines, climb granite routes, ski the backcountry and leave the boys at the bar. This rowdy ode to female athletes leaves no doubt about the state of women in today's outdoor world: badass. Watch the film here. (4:05 min)

"Loved by All: The Story of Apa Sherpa" - Steve Henderson

Apa Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest 21 times, more than any other human. However, he wouldn't wish this upon anybody. Having grown up in a region in Nepal, Apa was forced to leave school and work as a porter at age 12. Apa aims to change this all-too-common story with his work at the Apa Sherpa Foundation. This film follows Pemba Sherpa, a child who must walk six hours a day to attend school, a present-day reflection of Apa's past. Watch the film here. (14 min)

"Lost in Light" - Sriram Murali

Lost in Light shows how light pollution affects the view of our night skies. Shot mostly in California, this beautiful film shows how the night sky gets progressively better as you move away from the lights. Watch the film here (3 min)

"Kokota: The Islet of Hope" - Craig Norris

Mbarouk Mussa Omar is from a small East African Island called Pemba. Nearly ten years ago, he visited a tiny neighboring islet called Kokota and was shocked by what he saw. Kokota was teetering towards collapse, and Mbarouk knew climate change and deforestation were the culprits. The Islet of Hope tells the story of Mbarouk's quest to save the islet. Watch the film here. (15 min)

"PROTECTED: A Wild & Scenic Portrait" - Jeremy Monroe

This beautiful film follows the author and conservationist Tim Palmer through the enchanting waters of Oregon's Wild Rivers Coast. With only a canoe, camera and an old van, Tim finds his bliss on these rivers. He shares their beauty while reminding us all about the significance of the National Wild & Scenic Rivers Program that protects beautiful rivers all across the country. Watch the film here. (12:30 min)

"Wildlife and the Wall" - Ben Masters

This film goes into the last true wilderness in the state of Texas, Big Bend. This film asks us to consider what effects building a border wall might have on wildlife dispersals, migratory corridors, and access to the Rio Grande, the only water source in a harsh desert environment. Watch the film here. (5 min)

"Canis Lupus Colorado" - Eric Bendick

Ghosts are stirring in Colorado's high country. These are the guardians of a delicate balance. They haunt the trees, the water, the animals - the very fabric of the land itself. Gray wolves have shaped this place for eons, only to disappear nearly overnight. Canis Lupus Colorado is the story of the past, present and future of Colorado's now extinct native wolf population. Now we're at a tipping point: the emerging west, the future of our public wildlands, and the health of vast ecosystems are all at stake. Watch the film here. (18:25 min)

"A Letter to Congress" - Dalia Burde

Wallace Stegner's 1960 letter to Congress about the importance of wilderness is the framework for a new message, one in which our unified voice can help prevent the transfer of our most valuable heritage - our public lands - to private and corporate interests. Watch the film here. (3 min)

"Brothers of Climbing" - Paolo Mottola

Follow Mikhail Martin and his growing crew of climbers that are helping to make climbing and the outdoors a place for everyone through Brothers of Climbing, an organization dedicated to bringing people of color to the rock climbing community. Watch the film here. (7:18 min)

"Dragging 235 lbs. Uphill Both Ways" - Christina Franklin

The next generation is becoming increasingly plugged into electronics and out of touch with the outdoors, threatening the future of conservationism. A mother of four decided to turn off the screens and make a change. Though challenging, her kids go from fearing and ignoring nature to understanding and loving it. Watch the film here (7:40 min)

"STRAWS" - Linda Booker

Used once and tossed, billions of plastic straws wind up in landfills and streets, eventually finding their way to rivers and oceans. This film digs into the history of straws and features marine researchers, citizen activists and business owners as they discuss how it's possible to make a sea of change, one straw at a time. Visit the film website and learn more.

About the Film Festival:

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is the largest film festival of its kind with over 100 venues across the country showing astonishing outdoor adventure and environmental films from around the globe, highlighting the natural world and the people working to protect it. The home festival is hosted by the South Yuba River Citizens League in Nevada City, CA. and we select films from those shown at our home festival.

We hope these films inspire you to take action for and appreciate the health and beauty of our community.