Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and Gallatin Wildlife Association are excited to host the Wild & Scenic Film Festival at the Emerson Theater in Bozeman on Wednesday, February 8th beginning at 6pm.
The festival will showcase a collection of awe-inspiring environmental and adventure films that illustrate and explore the Earth’s natural wonders, the challenges facing our planet, as well as what the work communities, groups, and individuals are doing to protect the places and wildlife we love. Doors open at 5pm. The event will feature information tables and representatives of local conservation groups ready to discuss current issues. There will be complimentary coffee, beer, and snacks. The best part? This event is FREE and open to the public, so please come with friends and family who might also be interested. The evening is also complete with some great raffle prizes from local businesses! All proceeds from the raffle will benefit Gallatin Wildlife Association, an organization that promotes restoration, maintenance, and perpetuation of wildlife and their habitat. Here’s a look at just two of the many exciting films set to be featured. Co2ld Waters Five of the most respected names in the fly fishing world converge on a single creek in Montana to talk about their passion and to discuss the single biggest threat to their timeless pursuit—climate change. Can four million fly anglers make difference? Legendary fishermen, including Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia, believe it is possible. Defined by the Line When Josh Ewing began visiting the Bears Ears region of Southeastern Utah, he saw degradation from oil drilling, looting, and careless visitors. Ewing knew simply loving a place was no longer enough. With LOTS of support, Bears Ears is now a National Monument!
The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) started the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in January 2003 to promote community building within the Yuba Watershed, as well as a way to explore enviornmental issues through an exciting and influential medium. SYRCL is a watershed advocacy group started in 1983 by a small group of concerned citizens who banded together to fight against several proposed dams. The festival’s namesake is in celebration of achieving Wild & Scenic status in 1999 for 39 miles of the South Yuba River. After twenty-eight years, thousands of supporters and 700 active volunteers later, SYRCL is one of the largest single-river organizations in the nation and the Wild & Scenic Film Festival is the largest film festival of its kind in the United States. January’s annual 5-day main event features over 110 award-winning films, plus speakers, celebrities, and activists who bring a human face to the environmental movement. The tour allows SYRCL to share their success with other environmental groups nationwide. It is building a network of grassroots organizations connected by a common goal—to use film to inspire activism. The festival’s national partners have joined together to support this campaign. By showing the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival to diverse audiences across the country, SYRCL collectively wants to inspire more individuals to take environmental action. For further information about SYRCL, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, and a list of films and descriptions, please visit www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/. •