We are thrilled to announce the five exceptional films selected as finalists for our 2024 Nature Connection Pitch — presented by The Redford Center, Mountainfilm, and IF/Then Shorts. Each of these compelling works offers a diverse array of voices and stories and a unique exploration of humanity’s past and present relationship with nature and the urgent need for reconnection and preservation.
These five projects delve into a range of topics, from the struggle to access nature amidst urban barriers to the preservation of endangered species and cultural traditions erased by settler colonialism. Through their powerful storytelling, these filmmakers are shedding light on the importance of equitable access to nature and the imperative to protect our planet for future generations.
Please join us in applauding these talented filmmakers as they prepare to pitch their projects at the 2024 Mountainfilm Festival taking place on May 23rd – 27th. Click here to purchase tickets. We are immensely proud to support their important work and look forward to the powerful conversations and connections their films will inspire.
Meet Our Five Finalists:
Symphony of Silence tells the story of Josue, a member of the Cofan tribe in the Amazon rainforest, who has come to Washington State to learn how to capture the sounds of the natural world from pioneering acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton. Gordon is losing his hearing and wants to pass what he has learned to the next generation while he still can. The pair come from vastly different worlds, but share the simple belief that recording the natural sounds of the planet has the potential to help save it. As Gordon recognizes the limits of his own ability to continue his work, we see Josue stepping into the role as someone who understands the stakes better than anyone, as he watches his community fight to conserve their homeland and as he discovers his place in that fight.
Devin Reuben is training to be the first certified nimiipuu whitewater guide of his generation. The nimiipuu (Nez Perce) have a long history with river travel– in fact, they introduced the practice to settlers– but centuries of displacement and disconnection means Tribal members are now largely absent from their ancestral rivers. Devin says, “it’s one big step for us: not just me, all of us. We’re slowly bringing our culture back.”
When her family land is taken for a bombing range by the US military, an Indigenous Chamorro daughter takes it upon herself to learn Western science from an elder with youth by her side. Will scientific data provide the answers for the community to hold the US federal agencies accountable?
As sea levels inch upwards, researchers predict that the salt marsh sparrow will go extinct by 2050. In coastal Rhode Island, a team of citizen scientists spends every day during the breeding season in the marsh – finding nests, monitoring nestlings, and experimenting with ways to stave off the sparrow’s nests from the encroaching tides.
After being threatened at knifepoint, a teenage Chevaughn finds himself in the company of sea kayakers and discovers a way to make NYC feel a bit more like his childhood home of Jamaica. Now, he’s on a mission to reshape the future of the city by reconnecting its people with the water.