A Simpler Question: The Story of STRAW

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2010 FESTIVAL
34 min.
Filmmaker: Kevin White.
This inspiring film about the STRAW Project (Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed) follows the progress from STRAW’s origins in 1992 as a fourth-grade class project into a remarkable program that has restored over twenty miles of habitat, galvanized the local community, and led to significant educational innovations by connecting children and teachers with nature.

Africa’s Lost Eden: Gorongosa National Park

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2010 FESTIVAL
50 min.
Filmmaker: James Byrne.
The lush floodplains of central Mozambique, once teeming with wildlife, were ravaged during a fifteen-year civil war. Stunning cinematography captures the successes of conservationists battling to restore this 4,000 square kilometer park to its former glory.

Albatrocity

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2010 FESTIVAL
26 min.
Filmmaker: Ollie J. Lucks.
A dramatic tale about the Albatross, king of the sea. Coleridge’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ forms the backbone of this story. Stunning footage of this beautiful bird, shot in New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands, is woven with the harsh realities of the impact of commercial fishing. This is a film that features some of the most innovative visual effects used in modern day documentary.
[Student Filmmaker]
[Student Award Winner]

Amazing Plants

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2010 FESTIVAL
47 min.
Do you talk to your plants? Think of the stories they could tell if only they could talk back. The seemingly peaceful world of plants is actually a battlefield and a site of constant struggle for survival. In this Smithsonian Channel film, see how some predatory plants use trapdoors and enticing, beautiful flowers to trap their prey, while others shrivel up or emit odors to fend off their enemy.

Beyond the Pole

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2010 FESTIVAL
88 min.
Filmmaker: David L. Williams.
How far would you go to save the planet? This dark comedy follows two hapless friends as they set out on the first carbon neutral, vegetarian, organic North Pole expedition, trying to find their place in the world before the end of the world. Some adult language and content.

Butterflies & Bulldozers

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2010 FESTIVAL
62 min.
Filmmaker: Ann Dunsky.
Can people and endangered species live together? San Bruno Mountain, site of the nation’s first Habitat Conservation Plan, provides a context to explore this complex question. Told with humor and insight, Butterflies & Bulldozers is a story about the rights of nature and the rights of people, about compromise, commitment, and tough choices.

Can the Gulf Survive?

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2010 FESTIVAL
50 min.
With streaks of orange, red, and black oil creating havoc in Gulf waters, National Geographic Channel cameras are on the front lines with the individuals tasked with fighting the growing disaster. Gaining extended access to the Coast Guard and command center teams leading the cleanup, National Geographic Explorer follows the first two months after the spill, tracking cleanup efforts from sea, land, and air.

Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist

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2010 FESTIVAL
90 min.
Filmmaker: Peter Jay Brown.
Seen through the eyes of activist Peter Jay Brown (Whale Wars), Confessions offers an intimate look at shipboard life amongst members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. These self-proclaimed animal saviors and sea rebels immerse themselves in action-packed conflict including ramming illegal fishing vessels, sinking pirate whalers, and arguing amongst themselves over a vegetarian vs. vegan diet. Some adult language.

Darkened Horizons

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2010 FESTIVAL
This animated film reflects on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  The film was created by 6th-8th grade students in Roswell, New Mexico. The students used hand-drawn animation techniques (cut-outs and flipbooks), and created all the artwork, sound effects, music, and narration.

Dirty Paradise

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2010 FESTIVAL
70 min.
Filmmaker: Daniel Schweizer.
Gold fever has triggered a massive immigration of illegal gold-seekers into Guyana. This film, made in collaboration with local villagers, ponders the troubling question of why the French government ignores the health risks to its territorial inhabitants and wanton devastation of natural resources.