Wild and Scenic Film Festival

Last night I attended the "Sundance of Kodiak." Well...it was a film festival, in any case, and the only one that has taken place since we arrived last fall.

The South Yuba River Citizens League's Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival was presented at the Kodiak High School. We arrived late and were seated in the drama pod-appropriately enough-the main showing was in the choral pod. An interesting and diverse crowd was in attendance-representing many different facets of Kodiak society. There was a silent auction during the intermission and my friend won a beautiful pendant. I was happy to walk away with some festival swag-Tom's of Maine toothpaste, Patagonia stickers, Clif Bars and Sierra Nevada bottle openers.

My favorite film of the night was called "Goldfish" (watch it here), recipient of an Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival. I also enjoyed the eye-opening tear-jerker "Burning the Future: Coal in America"(Montana CINE Best of Fest winner) and the heart-warming "Sand Dancer" about an artist in New Zealand. "Homegrown Revolution" was inspiring and I wished Bruce had been there to see it. The Future Farmers of America, Kodiak Chapter, the Alaska Marine Conservation Council and a local sports store sponsored the event.

I suspect that most of the crowd was very excited to view the last film on the program, called "AK the Hard Way," which follows a group of skiers on their road trip from Squaw Valley to southern Alaska, with stops at Mt. Baker, Whistler and Smithers, BC. Unfortunately, before the last selection could start, a future farmer stopped the projector, telling us that there wasn't time to view the last short. I feared that the audience might start pelting him with toothpaste and Clif Bars, but, eventually, folks filed out of the drama pod without incident.

These photos depict the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, home of the Porcupine River Caribou herd and the Gwich'in Nation.