A Liter of Light(2 minutes) Nick Santiago and Mike Talampas (Philippines)
The film documents a foundation’s project to light up a poor neighborhood through the efforts of a local man who works for them. He becomes a beacon of hope to his community when he installs hundreds of solar-powered light bulbs in his neighbor’s houses. The clever device is made from old plastic soda bottles filled with water and bleach. Many of the homeowners can barely afford electricity and because their houses stand so close to each other, they don’t really get much daylight. With a little bleach, water and good will, their days are now much, much brighter. A Liter of Light won an Honorable Mention at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in January. Website
Bhutan: The Land of the Black Neck Crane(16 minutes) Greg Pope and Rhett Turner (USA) Bhutan: Land of the Black-necked Crane takes viewers on an exotic journey to the small Buddhist kingdom high in the Himalayan mountains. See how a benevolent king promotes Gross Domestic Happiness for his citizens while fostering respect for the environment and natural resources. Travel with George Archibald, co-founder of the International Crane Foundation, to see the rare and endangered Black-necked Cranes. Co-producer Rhett Turner presented Chattahoochee: From Water War to Water Vision (which he co-produced with Jonathan Wickham) at last year's festival and was given the River Rock Star Award at last year's River Revival. Website
eel*water*rock*man (6 minutes) Hal Clifford & Jason Houston (USA) A short documentary vignette celebrating nature’s cycles, contentedness, and Ray Turner -- the last man on the East Coast who still fishes for eels using an ancient stone weir. Narrated by artist and author, James Prosek. Check out this in-depth interview with Prosek, in which he discusses a range of issues including how he met Ray Turner and how Turner came to his "philosophy of live," the value of making short films, and the inspiration for his film work. eel*water*rock*man, in just six minutes, will make you think a lot about our place in nature. Website
Gloop(4 minutes) Gaby Bastyra & Joe Churchman (UK) Gloop is a dark fairy tale that follows the meteoric rise of plastic from its inception in Leo’s gloomy laboratory 100 years ago. Told like a Brother’s Grimm fable, Gloop offers a poignant and lasting message about the price we pay for the convenience of plastic. This film will resonate with anyone who struggles to conserve water, including those who have volunteered on one of UCR's many cleanups throughout the year and have pulled out countless plastic water bottles from the river! Website
The Story of Broke(8 minutes) Free Range Studios, The Story of Stuff Project (USA) The United States isn’t broke; we’re the richest country on the planet and a country in which the richest among us are doing exceptionally well. But the truth is, our economy is broken, producing more pollution, greenhouse gasses and garbage than any other country. In these and so many other ways, it just isn’t working. But rather than invest in something better, we continue to keep this ‘dinosaur economy’ on life support with hundreds of billions of dollars of our tax money. The Story of Broke calls for a shift in government spending toward investments in clean, green solutions — renewable energy, safer chemicals and materials, zero waste and more — that can deliver jobs and a healthier environment. It’s time to rebuild the American Dream; but this time, let’s build it better. The Story of Broke won the Best Short Short award at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in January. Website
Chasing Water(18 minutes) Pete McBride (USA)
Follow the Colorado River, source to sea, with photographer Pete McBride who takes an intimate look at the watershed as he attempts to follow the irrigation water that sustains his family's Colorado ranch, down river to the sea. Traversing 1,500 miles and draining seven states, the Colorado River supports over 30 million people across the southwest. It is not the longest or largest U.S. river, but it is one of the most loved and litigated in the world. Today, this resource is depleted and stressed. Follow its path with an artistic, aerial view on a personal journey to understand this national treasure. McBride teamed up with his bush-pilot father to capture unique footage and also shadowed the adventure of Jon Waterman who became the first to paddle the entire length of the river. Chasing Water won an Honorable Mention at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in January. Website
One Plastic Beach(8 minutes) Tess Thackara & Eric Slatkin (USA) Richard Lang and Judith Selby Lang have been collecting plastic debris off one beach in Northern California for more than 10 years. Each piece of plastic Richard and Judith pick up comes back to their house, where it gets cleaned, categorized and stored before being used for their art. The couple make sculptures, prints, jewelry and installations with the plastic they find washed up, raising a deeper concern with the problem of plastic pollution in our seas. Website
The Craziest Idea(7 minutes) Andy Maser (USA) 2011 was an historic year for rivers. The two dam removal projects that began as "crazy ideas" 30 years ago kicked off this year on the Elwha and White Salmon Rivers in Washington. These dam removal projects are the largest in history and represent a turning point in the effort to restore freeflowing rivers for salmon, recreation and culture. The climactic moment of the year was the explosive breach of 125-foot tall Condit Dam on the White Salmon, captured using video and time-lapse photography techniques.
Corner Plot(10 minutes) Andre Dahlman & Ian Cook (USA)
Amid the tangle of commuter traffic, shopping malls and office buildings that define life inside the beltway rests a one-acre piece of farmland under the care of 89-year-old Charlie Koiner. With the help of his only daughter, Charlie continues to work his land, share his produce, and enjoy the farm life he’s always known. Corner Plot explores one man’s steadfast authenticity in a changing world. Website
Weed War(6 minutes) Rich Addicks (USA) One man’s obsession to do his part for the environment using weed-eating goats to control noxious invaders in the Rocky Mountains. A profile on Mark Harbaugh, Patagonia fly fishing rep and goat rancher.
Website
Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000(30 minutes) Susan Edwards & Dorie Clark (USA)
Can one person truly make a difference? The Work of 1000 tells the inspiring story of a woman who takes on big business, politicians, and public skepticism to save a dying river -- and in the process becomes a citizen leader honored by the United Nations. This is the parallel journey of two characters: one a young woman discouraged at her future as a suburban housewife, the other a river -- one beautiful and teeming with wildlife -- now a hopeless, toxic sludge pit. Chronicling an important episode in U.S. environmental history, this inspirational story examines the human side of acclaimed environmental pioneer Marion Stoddart who proved that with vision and commitment, an "ordinary" person can accomplish extraordinary things. Website
Timber(1 minute) Adam Fisher (USA) As Fisher puts it: "I used my natural resources to make a film about our natural resources! This short animated film uses the trimming of a beard to make a point about irresponsible usage of everything the Earth has to offer." We thought this would be a fun way to send our attendees out on a fun image but one that will make you think long after you've left the theater. Website
A short documentary vignette celebrating nature’s cycles, contentedness, and Ray Turner -- the last man on the East Coast who still fishes for eels using an ancient stone weir. Narrated by artist and author, James Prosek. 
Gloop is a dark fairy tale that follows the meteoric rise of plastic from its inception in Leo’s gloomy laboratory 100 years ago. Told like a Brother’s Grimm fable, Gloop offers a poignant and lasting message about the price we pay for the convenience of plastic. This film will resonate with anyone who struggles to conserve water, including those who have volunteered on one of UCR's many cleanups throughout the year and have pulled out countless plastic water bottles from the river! 
The United States isn’t broke; we’re the richest country on the planet and a country in which the richest among us are doing exceptionally well. But the truth is, our economy is broken, producing more pollution, greenhouse gasses and garbage than any other country. In these and so many other ways, it just isn’t working. But rather than invest in something better, we continue to keep this ‘dinosaur economy’ on life support with hundreds of billions of dollars of our tax money. The Story of Broke calls for a shift in government spending toward investments in clean, green solutions — renewable energy, safer chemicals and materials, zero waste and more — that can deliver jobs and a healthier environment. It’s time to rebuild the American Dream; but this time, let’s build it better. The Story of Broke won the Best Short Short award at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in January. 
Richard Lang and Judith Selby Lang have been collecting plastic debris off one beach in Northern California for more than 10 years. Each piece of plastic Richard and Judith pick up comes back to their house, where it gets cleaned, categorized and stored before being used for their art. The couple make sculptures, prints, jewelry and installations with the plastic they find washed up, raising a deeper concern with the problem of plastic pollution in our seas. 
2011 was an historic year for rivers. The two dam removal projects that began as "crazy ideas" 30 years ago kicked off this year on the Elwha and White Salmon Rivers in Washington. These dam removal projects are the largest in history and represent a turning point in the effort to restore freeflowing rivers for salmon, recreation and culture. The climactic moment of the year was the explosive breach of 125-foot tall Condit Dam on the White Salmon, captured using video and time-lapse photography techniques.
One man’s obsession to do his part for the environment using weed-eating goats to control noxious invaders in the Rocky Mountains. A profile on Mark Harbaugh, Patagonia fly fishing rep and goat rancher.
As Fisher puts it: "I used my natural resources to make a film about our natural resources! This short animated film uses the trimming of a beard to make a point about irresponsible usage of everything the Earth has to offer." We thought this would be a fun way to send our attendees out on a fun image but one that will make you think long after you've left the theater. 
