Presented by Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA)

Join us on Friday, September 29, 2023 for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, presented by E2 Solar.

This year’s festival will be hosted at the Tower Theatre in Bend, OR and will also include a virtual, streamed-in-HD option for those who can’t join us in-person. This showcase of films that speak to environmental concerns and celebrate our planet is not to be missed. We can’t wait to have you join us!

Our lineup will take you on a journey through our natural world, highlighting stunning natural wonders and emphasizing the need to protect our wild places. Here are the films you’ll enjoy…

The Rock Pool Waltz centers around a boy’s affinity with nature which helps to ease his worries and loneliness during the COVID lockdown. This leads him to an incredible friendship with an unlikely creature from the ocean. This inspiring film brings awareness to our connection with nature and the importance of caring for our environment and the amazing creatures we share this world with. By Marlon Denning.

Giant Sequoias – Yosemite Nature Notes. Giant sequoia trees are impressive for their great size, old age, and stoic resilience, but this resilience is being tested by bugs, drought, and catastrophic wildfires. These challenges offer opportunities to research these wonderful trees and develop better ways to support their ability to thrive and survive in the face of a changing climate. By Steven M. Bumgardner.

From My Window. From her bedroom window, Melissa Simpson looks out at the highest peaks in Colorado. Despite being so close, the mountains have always been worlds away for Melissa, who was born with cerebral palsy. With the help of her friend and mentor, blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer, Melissa sets out to conquer something far greater than a summit. Through humility and grace, Melissa proves that what is within us, is stronger than what’s in our way. By Frank Pickell, Christian Silberbauer, Daniel Bedell, Melissa Simpson, and Erik Weihenmayer.

I Am Salmon. Connecting humanity with salmon and the sea through the subtle art of poetry and Gyotaku (fish rubbing), Duncan Berry shares his experience as a longtime environmentalist and former captain of a salmon troller. In adopting the perspective of this transcendent fish, the beauty and power of the Oregon coast becomes the canvas through which the evolution of the salmon is illustrated. By Whit Hassett.

Hart Sheldon Postcard. The Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Oregon and the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada help protect a critical sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. Watch the short film to hear from Gail Collins, a retired supervisory wildlife biologist at the refuges, Aaron Collins, a former park ranger for the Hart and Sheldon wildlife refuges, and Julie Weikel, a large animal veterinarian and board member of Friends of Hart Mountain talk about what makes this region so special and unique, and the importance of maintaining a healthy ecosystem between the two refuges for the survival of pronghorn and other wildlife. By the Center for Western Priorities.

Returning England’s Forgotten Frog.As scientists were discovering a surprising detail about an often-overlooked frog, the last local population of the species was winking out of existence. This is the extraordinary story of England’s pool frog and the effort to bring it back. By Katie Garrett, bioGraphic.

Voices from the Water. River heroes are at the forefront of solving the pollution and waste issues faced by our planet’s waterways. “Voices of Water,” tells the stories of these champions and highlights the direct value of rivers to our community ecosystem and the importance of their role in the health of the planet and climate change. Through the stories of these heroes and the projects, they have undertaken we seek to raise awareness of river plastic pollution, and the commitment to solve the problem at its source upstream. By James Flanagan, BeAlive Studios, Jordan Letsinger, Mark Stewart Iverson, and Bethany Scully.

Riparia. In the summer of 2019, ten young Indigenous and non-Indigenous women set out on a five-day, science-focused canoe journey in the Poisson Blanc Rese?rvoir in Quebec, Canada, within traditional, unceded Anishnaabeg territory. Guided by an all-female team of water scientists, educators and Indigenous knowledge holders as their mentors, the young women encounter a journey of connection to themselves, each other and water. Led by the voices of the youth, the film follows the journey of what they discover in the riparian zone: between land and lake, Western Science and Indigenous Ways of Knowing, young women and water. Their reflections become teachings about care, connection, awe, and reciprocal relationships to the land, water, and one another. The participants were brought together by Riparia, a registered Canadian charity created to inspire the next generation of water protectors. By Olivia Mater and Mikayla Wujec.

Kohunlich: Guided by Nature. Explore Kohunlich with our guide, Dany, as he shares his lifelong curiosity of the natural world, while working to preserve the legacy of this unique region and its people. Walk through ancient Mayan ruins, kayak amongst crocodiles, and harvest medicinal honey from bees to get an adventure-filled snapshot of this area in the south of Quintana Roo. By Rob Holmes.

Bring the Salmon Home. Bring the Salmon Home captures the emotions, courage, and determination of Klamath River tribal communities as they host a 300+ mile run from ocean to headwaters to cultivate support for the biggest river restoration project in history. By Shane Anderson.

Doors at 5 p.m., show at 6 p.m.

Tickets:  $14 General Admission, $10 for Students (plus $4 Historic Preservation fee)

Buy Tickets – Tower Theatre Show

Register – Online Streaming Show

Available from Friday, Sept. 29, 2023 – Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023

Date: September 29, 2023; 6 PM

Location: Tower Theatre

835 NW Wall Street, Bend, OR 97703 

Click here for more information