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PRESS RELEASE
For More Information:
Katie Shaddix
205-322-6395
kshaddix@alabamarivers.org
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival comes to Alabama
Birmingham, Ala. Join the Alabama Rivers Alliance and Alabama Environmental Council when they host the Wild and Scenic Film Festival On Tour at the WorkPlay Theater on September 13, 2012 at 6pm. There will also be a satellite showing hosted by Friends of Big Canoe Creek in Springville, Ala on September 14, 2012 at 6:30pm at Springville First United Methodist Church.
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is a collection of films from the annual festival held the third week of January in Nevada City, CA which is now its 10th year. Wild & Scenic focuses on films which speak to the environmental concerns and celebrations of our planet. This is the fifth year that the Alabama Rivers Alliance and Alabama Environmental Council have hosted the festival in Alabama.
“Films featured at Wild & Scenic give people a sense of place,” says Tour Manager, Lori Van Laanen. “In our busy lives, it’s easy to get disconnected from our role in the global ecosystem. When we realize that the change we need in this world begins with us we can start making a difference. Come watch and see!”
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival was started by the watershed advocacy group, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) in 2003. The festival’s namesake is in celebration of SYRCL’s landmark victory to receive “Wild & Scenic” status for 39 miles of the South Yuba River in 1999. The 3-day event features over 100 award-winning films and welcomes over 100 guest speakers, celebrities, and activists who bring a human face to the environmental movement. The home festival kicks-off the national tour to over 100 communities nationwide allowing SYRCL is sharing their success as an environmental group with others organizations. It is building a network of grassroots organizations connected by a common goal of using film to inspire activism. With the support of their National Partners: Patagonia, CLIF Bar, Osprey Packs, Sierra Nevada Brewing and Mother Jones, the festival can reach an even larger audience in tour venues coast to coast. The Alabama showing is sponsored locally by the Alabama Waldorf School and EBSCO Industries.
The Alabama showing will feature Mother Nature’s Child, which explores the experience of today’s children growing up in the media age and the importance of connecting kids to nature. Other films include the story of two little girls who set out to save endangered orangutans, how a married couple rallied their community in 11 days to stop natural-gas-fracking in a local park, an elderly man’s determination to maintain a one-acre farm in the midst of urban development around him, and how one man literally brought light into Philippino slums using discarded soda bottles and bleach. Each film was carefully chosen for its ability to entertain, educate, inspire and empower viewers.
The festival is a natural extension of the Alabama Rivers Alliance and Alabama Environmental Council’s work to inspire people to act on behalf of the environment.
“For five years, it has been great to bring this nationally recognized film festival to Alabama,” said Michael Churchman, Executive Director of Alabama Environmental Council. “This is a great time for us to see and hear amazing stories about people around the world caring for the environment. The films are always amazing and encourage all of us to be good stewards of our local environment.”
Film descriptions, movie trailers, and online ticket purchasing are available at www.alabamarivers.org.
EVENT DETAILS:
Birmingham Showing
Date and Time: Doors open at 6pm and shows start at 6:30pm.
Location Address: WorkPlay Theater, 500 23rd Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233
Ticket Prices: $25 for VIP admission (includes food, beverages, and one year membership in the Alabama Rivers Alliance and Alabama Environmental Council)
$10 for General Admission
Kids under 12, free
Springville Showing
Date and Time: Doors open at 6:30pm and shows start at 7:00pm.
Location Address: First United Methodist Church, Springville, 6471 US Highway 11 South, Springville, AL
Ticket Prices: $15 for VIP admission (includes membership in Friends of Big Canoe Creek)
$8 for General Admission
Kids under 18, free
For ticket purchase: www.alabamarivers.org
Alabama Rivers Alliance 