Green Screens

The Wild & Scenic film festival screens short environmental films at the Science Museum.

Inspired by a picture book, Max Romey headed to a remote beach on Alaska’s coastline in search of marine debris. What he found was a different story.

“If you Give a Beach a Bottle,” the quirky short film that resulted, focuses on a beach cleanup in Alaska. The trash that’s gathered is from all over the world, having traveled by global ocean currents to wash up on Alaska’s shoreline. What it demonstrates in real time is how pollution, whether physical, found in the air, or dissolved in water, knows no boundaries.

That’s just one of the short films that will be screened at the 21st annual Wild & Scenic film festival. “What made this film stand out is its reminder that the solution to environmental problems lies in teamwork,” explains Alexa Maione, Citizens Advisory Committee Project Associate of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. “Wherever there’s pollution, there’s probably going to be someone who’ll try and pick it up, and that person may even bring along more people.”

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, a regional nonprofit with offices in Lancaster, PA, Annapolis, MD, Washington, DC, and Richmond, brings together communities, companies, and conservationists to improve our land and waters. As part of that effort, it presents the Wild and Scenic film festival annually to inspire environmental activism and a love for nature.

Yuba River beginnings

The festival was started 21 years ago by the South Yuba River Citizens League to raise funds and awareness to recover California’s wild salmon and protect the Yuba River watershed. In the interim, the festival has grown to include film submissions from activists all over the world. After the SYRCL reviews the films, they choose which ones will go on tour to more than 150 events each year, partnering with groups like the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. Each partner chooses which films they’d like to show at their own festival. Concessions and drink tickets for beer and wine are part of the festival, along with raffle tickets for an array of prizes.

Richmond’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival takes place March 9 at the Science Museum of Virginia and will screen 11 short films ranging from two to 20 minutes in length. While the SYRCL choses about 60 films illustrating earth’s beauty, the challenges facing our planet, and the work communities are doing to protect the environment to go on tour, each local organization then chooses which they’d like to screen. “We discussed the films that left the greatest impact on us,” Maione says. “This year’s selection covers topics on wildlife conservation, invasive species, adventure, outdoor accessibility, and nature’s effect on people.”

Four of the screenings will be in-person events, but virtual tickets, which cost $20 and provide access to the films for five days beginning March 9, are also for sale. “We’re keeping the virtual element for those who want to watch the films but may not be able to come in person for a variety of reasons,” she explains. “Our watershed is huge, so this also helps us reach audiences who live far from the live events, like those tuning in from New York, Delaware, and West Virginia. Parts of those states are also in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”

Maione says she was most affected by a film called “Wood Hood,” which was filmed by a 15-year-old from New York City seeking a “quiet place.” He and other teenage boys took a weekend camping trip with Camping to Connect, a BIPOC-led youth mentorship program. “What gets me emotional about this film is that these kids, who have never spent a significant amount of time in nature before, are given the space to breathe, have introspective conversations, and develop a sense of brotherhood,” Maione says.

The festival’s feature film, “From My Window,” follows the story of a woman living with cerebral palsy. Her home is surrounded by mountains which she’s only ever experienced through her windows. She and a team of adventurers, including some living with their own disabilities, work together to summit a mountain. Maione says the film speaks to several of the most profound aspects of human nature: hope, determination, and camaraderie.

From My Window | Trailer from Futuristic Films on Vimeo.

How to get involved

For those inspired to be part of the solution, the Alliance will have an information table at the festival with upcoming local volunteer opportunities, such as pollinator garden maintenance at Richmond Public Schools, litter pick up, and water quality monitoring. The organizers’ goal is for the films to inform, inspire, and ignite solutions and possibilities to restore the earth and human communities while creating a positive future for the next generation.

“On a more local level, we want our presence known within Richmond,” Maione says. “Some of our green infrastructure projects are the direct result of community members voicing their needs, so we hope more people will engage with us.”

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival takes place on Thursday, March 9 with doors 6 p.m., and films at 7 p.m. at the Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad St., wildandscenicfilmfestival,org

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