River Relief

December 16, 2019

Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2020

Sunday, Feb 9 at The Blue Note, Columbia, MO

This friend and fundraiser for Missouri River Relief always warms our hearts during the cold winter months, jump starting the organization for another season on the river. Thank you from the bottom of our river lovin' hearts to everyone who came out to support our film festival, the Blue Stooges for rockin' the house, everyone at The Blue Note who helped us pull this off and our fantastic volunteer crew members who not only screened the films, but worked the stations throughout the festival.

For the first time ever, tickets for this fabulous event sold out before event day. We packed the Blue Note with one of the most wonderful and generous crowds imaginable for an afternoon of inspiring films.

This of course would not be a fundraiser without our long list of sponsors, silent auction donors and bakers who shared your time and talent with us. Thank you.

Live Music

We were lucky enough to have The Blue Stooges rock the house for us this year! Thank you!

Photo by Kevin Dingman

Special Local Features

"Sri's Story" - Tom Newcomb & Jim Karpowicz

Follow Sri Rajan and her friends and family as they make a direct impact during a Missouri River clean-up at the confluence. Watch the film here.

“Investigating the Missouri River” - Tom Newcomb & Jim Karpowicz

Hop aboard a Missouri River Relief boat as we investigate the Missouri River through exploration and experimentation at the confluence of the two longest rivers in North America. Watch the film here.

“Providence Climbing” – Jim Karpowicz

Join local climbers Katie Uttley and James Stack as they explore climbing routes in our own backyard. Complete with magnificent views of the Missouri River, this short film will have you reaching for more. Watch the film here.

Film Lineup

“A New View of the Moon” – Wylie Overstreet, Alex Gorosh

Become reacquainted with awe alongside strangers interacting with a telescope trained on the moon. Watch as Wylie Overstreet takes a telescope around the streets of Los Angeles to give passersby an up-close look at a familiar object: a new view of the moon. Watch the film here.

"Carpe Diem" - Jake Gigliotti, Kevin Shiramizu

In a city full of people trying to catch a break, one lucky man hooks into an unexpected dream that becomes the role of a lifetime, reminding him to seize each new day as a chance to do what he loves. Watch the film here.

“JUNK” – Chris Jones, Marcus Eriksen, Joel Paschal, Alec Baer, Lia Colabello, Katy Hass, Elan Glasser

On June 1st, 2008, Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal embarked from California for Hawaii aboard a plastic bottle raft. Without a motor or support vessel, the duo set out determined to raise awareness about the proliferation of plastic waste in our seas. Guided by Eriksen's first-person narration, viewers will be transported from the North Pacific to war-torn Kuwait, down the Mississippi River, and back again as the raft's origins are revealed and a movement is born. Watch the film here.

“Our National Parks belong to everyone. So why are they so white?” – Angela Fichter, Daniel Penner, Nikhil Swaminathan, Amelia Bates

Only 20 percent of visitors to National Parks are people of color. As the broader conservation movement continues to struggle with diversity and inclusion, many worry that the Trump administration will only make things worse. Watch our video to learn about the troubling history of public lands and to meet the conservationists of color who are trying to change the parks' future. Watch the film here.

“The New Environmentalist: Defending the Deep” – John Antonelli, Will Parrinello, Claire Nouvian

A tireless defender of the oceans and marine life, Claire Nouvian led a focused, data-driven advocacy campaign against the destructive fishing practice of deep-sea bottom trawling, successfully pressuring French supermarket giant and fleet owner Intermarché to change its fishing practices. Her coalition of advocates ultimately secured French support for a ban on deep-sea bottom trawling that led to an EU-wide ban. Watch the film here.

"Ashes to Ashes" - Taylor Rees

A small community in Northeast Alabama. A mayor whose town sits on the river's banks. A businessman in the Mobile Bay. All are impacted by coal ash, a pollution by-product of burning coal. Billions of tons of ash are stored in unlined pits alongside our rivers and streams causing harmful pollution such as mercury, arsenic, and other heavy metals to be dumped into waterways where we fish, swim, and drink. Ashes to Ashes tells the story of coal ash in Alabama and invites a call to action. Watch the film here.

“Climbing Out of Disaster” – Dominic Gill, Nadia Gill

In the immediate aftermath of Puerto Rico's Hurricane Maria, a group of local climbers bands together to use their skills and knowledge for the greater good of the community. Watch the film here.

“Clay Bolt” – Chema Domenech

Clay Bolt is a natural history and conservation photographer for World Wildlife Fund and has been featured in prominent magazines such as National Geographic. Affectionately referred to as the bug guy, Clay explains how and why he focuses on 99% of life on earth that is smaller than your finger. Watch the film here.

“Seeds of Hope” – Jon Bowermaster, Chris Rahm, Devin Pickering

From planting to harvest, follow the Akwesasne Tribe of northern New York, the Hudson Valley Farmhub, and Seedshed as they honor Native American seeds at the risk of extinction. Can they preserve this rich agricultural heritage and the stories each seed holds? Watch the film here.

“GRIZZLY COUNTRY” - Ben Moon, Shannon Ethridge, Annie Nyborg, Ben Sturgelewski

After serving in the Vietnam War, author and eco-warrior Doug Peacock spent years alone in the Wyoming and Montana wilderness observing grizzly bears. This time in the wild changed the course of his life. With the protection of Yellowstone grizzlies now under threat, Peacock reflects on the importance of habitat and why he continues to fight for wild causes. Watch the film here.

About the Film Festival

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is organized and produced by the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) in Nevada City, CA. Their flagship festival is held anually in Nevada City and Grass Valley, California and spans 5 days featuring over 100 films, workshops, visiting filmmaker and activist talks, family-friendly programs and art exibitions. 

Missouri River Relief is a part of the Wild & Scenic's On Tour program along with 250 enviromental nonprofits, schools, museums and businesses across the country. We have the honor of choosing from a diverse lineup of outdoor adventure & environmental films from around the globe.