Don’t miss the virtual Wild & Scenic Film Festival

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Our eleventh annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival is coming to a TV (or computer, or mobile device) near you! Join us from anywhere with an internet connection on Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 7:00pm Pacific for the live screening of nine films specially curated by Committee staff. This year’s diverse array of films highlights environmental activists from across the world and impressive outdoor adventurists overcoming a variety of obstacles. Check out the films we’ve selected for this year below.

New! Silent auction with fun gear and film-inspired packages

We’ve added a silent auction to the festivities this year! Bid on a variety of outdoor clothing, gear, and fun prize packages to benefit Outdoor Education Center programs.

Auction items include binoculars, backpacks, Patagonia apparel, bike bags, art supplies, artwork, and goods from some of our favorite Black-owned and Indigenous businesses as well as popular items from our own independent bookstore right here at Mono Lake. 

The auction is open through Friday, March 18, which is also the end of the on-demand festival viewing window.

Festival fun preparation: themed cocktails and a mocktail

We’ve designed two cocktails and one mocktail for the event that you will be sure to enjoy, so don’t miss out! If you have any cocktail questions, please feel free to contact Robbie Di Paolo, the Mono Lake Committee Restoration Field Technician (and mixologist).

Tufa Tower
Whiskey Sour

  • 2 oz whiskey 
  • 1 oz orange liquor  
  • 1 oz lemon juice 
  1. Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice.
  2. Shake vigorously and pour into a chilled class.
  3. Garnish with a lemon peel. 

Between the Scenes

  • 1½ oz gin 
  • ½ oz orange liquor 
  • ½ oz lime juice 
  • 2 dashes bitters  
  1. Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice.
  2. Shake vigorously and pour into a chilled class.
  3. Garnish with a lime peel. 

Film Festive

  • 6 blackberries (plus additional for garnish) 
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
  • 1 oz lemon juice 
  • 1 rosemary stem (plus additional for garnish) 
  • 3-6 oz sparkling water 
  1. Combine blackberries, maple syrup, and rosemary in a container and muddle.
  2. Mix in lemon juice and strain syrup into a glass.
  3. Add crushed ice and sparkling water.
  4. Garnish with additional blackberries and a fresh rosemary stem.  

And the 2022 films are…

Matagi Mālohi: Strong Winds

Matagi Mālohi tells the story of the Tuvaluan’s journey to uplift their people to shape a narrative that paints them not as victims of the climate crisis, but as the leaders, the healers, the nurturers, the artists, the gardeners, the growers, the seafarers and navigators they are. This short but striking film follows the activists working to change that fate. Their rally cry? “We are not drowning, we are fighting.”
3 minutes

Water Flows Together

 Water Flows Together is told from Colleen Cooley’s perspective, exploring the ways in which her upbringing and her native identity have shaped the way she interacts with the world. The film is a meditation on the challenges Colleen and her community have faced, the unique relationship she has with the San Juan River, and the unique opportunities her role as a river guide affords as she seeks to create positive change.
11 minutes

CRACKED

This short film portrays a little girl trying her best to help nature in a drought-stricken village. It reminds us that even the small acts to protect our environment can make a difference.
5 minutes

The Bird Nerds of Mono Lake

This film gives insight of the science that happens here at Mono Lake. California State Parks and the Mono Lake Committee come together to band Osprey and keep track of the health of the population who nest at Mono Lake.
6 minutes

From Kurils with Love

Set in one of the most inaccessible volcanic island chains in the world, the film From Kurils With Love introduces us to a true warrior for the planet and takes the audience on an intimate journey of visual bliss, sea lion chaos, and ultimately a greater hope for the Earth.
24 minutes

Maneuvers

Maneuvers (Manöver) is a fun skiing short film, featuring experimental animation combining skiing with stop-motion animation techniques. Made by a Swiss skier and filmmaker named Sämi Ortlieb, Maneuvers is made up of vignettes of various ski jumps, ramps and other tricks that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
4 minutes

If I Tell Them

If I Tell Them is one of the heaviest films in this year’s lineup. We meet James Sampsel, a plein air painter and fishing guide who comes to terms with his past and bi-polar diagnosis that hangs over his future.
12 minutes

TranSending

TranSending is the story of Erin Parisi, a transgender woman training to conquer the Seven Summits. During this pilgrimage of self-discovery and rebirth, she aims to create awareness and visibility for the trans community through her quest.
9 minutes

Becoming Ruby

Not seeing herself reflected in the community she loves, mountain biker and artist Brooklyn Bell created her own role model: a hand-drawn hero called Ruby J. Brooklyn spent the next few years trying to “live like her, breathe like her, be unapologetically Black like her,” and in the process shaped her own identity, one that intertwines her love for dirt, snow and art – and a voice in which to advocate for diversity and inclusion.
19 minutes
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Throughout the evening, Committee staff and special guests will be introducing films, talking about the current state of Mono Lake, and discussing the important programs at the Mono Basin Outdoor Education Center. Be sure to come a few minutes early to say hi to Committee staff and other attendees in the chat. After the live screening concludes, you will also be able to re-watch the event anytime for one week following the live screening (through Friday, March 18). 

Admission includes at least one free raffle ticket, and if you purchase a benefactor ticket, you will get additional raffle entries. At this year’s event, we will also have a silent auction, which we will be announcing more details about next week. All proceeds from ticket sales, the auction, and any additional donations will benefit the Mono Lake Committee’s Outdoor Education Center (OEC). 

The Committee’s OEC program has been connecting Los Angeles youth with the source of their water for over 25 years through multi-day trips to Mono Lake that focus on watershed education through hands-on learning and stewardship activities. 

Learn more about all the ticket packages we’re offering through our virtual partner Qudio. If you have any questions or if you would like to learn more about special discounted tickets for students, please send me an email or call (760) 647-6595.

Top photo from the short film “From Kurils with Love.”

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