Opening Night Reception & Film
Thursday, July 15 at 5:30PM to 7:00PM
Reception at Hilton Garden Inn Boulder on Canyon. Outdoor Courtyard
Libations & Appetizers, Live Music by SHAWN CUNNANE TRIO
Film at 7:30PM at Dairy Arts Center (SUPER FRENCHIE)
We suggest you park at the DAC and walk 2 blocks to Garden Inn
Tickets For Reception and Film
Shawn Cunnane Trio is an eclectic jazz combo that performs instrumental versions of pop classics. Drawing from such greats as Van Morrison, Jim Croce, and Smokey Robinson the group focuses on smooth grooves and texture to create an enjoyable atmosphere for any event. With all three members hailing from the Northeast, they love to bring their own brand of soul to every performance.
2021 FESTIVAL FILMS at the DAIRY ARTS CENTER
Professional skier and BASE jumper Matthias Giraud, who stops at nothing to pursue his passion for adventure
July 15 at 7:30PM @ the Dairy Arts Center
SUPER FRENCHIE
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SUPER FRENCHIE provides an intimate look at the life of professional skier and BASE jumper Matthias Giraud, who stops at nothing to pursue his passion for adventure. Featuring breathtaking cinematography, the film combines the thrills and danger of some of the world’s most extreme sports with Matthias’ personal experience to tell a story that is both heart-racing and inspirational. The film follows Matthias as he dares ever more dangerous stunts while simultaneously falling in love and starting a family. Matthias’ story takes a turn when he suffers a catastrophic crash just days before the birth of his first child. After miraculously surviving, Matthias struggles to get back to the sport he loves while grappling with the effects it has on his young family.
Director: Chase Ogden
Director of photography: Chase Ogden
Locations: United States, France, Iceland, Switzerland
Stars: Matthias Giraud, Julian Carr, Todd Davis
77 Minutes
Pre-recorded — Q&A with Chase Ogden, Director
July 16 at 7:30PM @ the Dairy Arts Center
8 Billion Angels
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Today, humanity’s demand for resources vastly exceeds nature’s ability to supply them. Food, water, climate and extinction emergencies are unfolding before our eyes. 8 Billion Angels tells the truth about the conflict between the size of our global population and the sustainability of our planet. It dispels the misperceptions that technology can save us, that reducing consumption is the answer, and that the blame lies solely in the developing world. Because audiences connect more easily to experiences than data and facts, 8 Billion Angels weaves together the voices of people around the world as they confront the growing impact of overpopulation on their lives and the planet.
The film unflinchingly shows how our skyrocketing numbers are affecting our rivers, oceans, land and air. With passion, humility, and honesty, experts explain the indisputable connection between our environmental catastrophes, unsustainable population and increasing consumption. The consequences to humanity and the planet are laid bare if we do not quickly and dramatically alter our current population and consumption trajectories.
Director: Victor Velle
Producer: Terry Spahr
Director of photography: Jake L. Mitchell
74 Minutes
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER/COMMENTATOR Speakers: TBD
Kelp Forest
July 17 at 7:30PM @ the Dairy Arts Center
ENVIRONMENTAL/NATURE/OUTDOORS SHort Films
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A selection of short films curated from over 100 submissions to the festival in 2021
ENVIRONMENTAL SHORT FILMS PROGRAM
THE LONG TODAY
My Dad turned 70 this summer. So he found a “river” on a map, repaired one of his old wood canoes, and invited his family to help him celebrate the big day. Only a few of us showed up.
Niobe Thompson
Length: 16:47 mins.
Canada
CRATE EXPECTATIONS
From vision to execution; the transformation of two $3 wooden crates
Christian Cordeaux
Length: 3:07
Australia
Tess Felix: Portrait Artist
After a major storm, Tess Felix found her local beach covered in plastic debris, making her aware of the magnitude of the plastic pollution in the ocean. Tess’s art form shifted that day. She began to assemble large portraits of her eco heroes from the plastic she collected on the beach. In making these portraits, she not only creates beautiful works of art from items such as discarded plastic toys, lighters, and empty water bottles, but also reminds the viewer of the throwaway culture we live in. Her hope is to inspire us to change our habits and ask ourselves, “How much plastic do we really need to use?”
Cynthia Abbott, Andrea E. Leland
Length: 8:05
USA
DANI BURT
For the first few days after she awoke from her coma, Dani Burt didn't know her right leg, from just above the knee down, was gone. When the doctors finally told her the full extent of her injuries, Burt, an active, hungry-for-life person, wasn't sure if she could go on. But she found the courage to continue through surfing, which led her on a path to becoming the first-ever women's World Adaptive Surfing champion.
Brian Olliver
Length: 11:00
USA
WIND FARM
The film was conceived in a hazy daydream while road-tripping through the high plains of Eastern Colorado. Through the windshield, a vast field of fallow ground to Kansas, and on it a barrage of towering wind turbines. No other car in sight. The interpolation of man in nature and the surrounding loneliness served as inspiration – the mood-piece that is "Wind Farm."
Paul Julian
Length: 6:00
USA
IT'S OUR FUTURE
A wonderful, heart-warming snapshot, this documentary portrait was made before and during the toughest time in their—and our—lifetimes: the COVID-19 pandemic. In March of 2020, RiSC staff and their partners were planning boat excursions and dune plantings at local beaches.
Lukas Huffman
Length: 8:54
USA
DECISION
Decision is the story of wild Alaska shorelines, a remote lighthouse and the ongoing problem of marine debris. The scenery is magnificent and the kayaking is superb, while the message about our addiction to plastic and its effects on the environment come through in every shot. This short film can transport you to pristine southeast Alaska waters, bringing you along on a paddling journey with whales, sea lions and otter, and still show you the realities of wilderness beaches choked with plastic debris and the volunteers working to clean them up.
Beau Gaughran
Length: 12:21
USA
I'M A CHILD
Original song about the misinformation bombarding us from all sides. The challenge is to thread through all the noise to uncover the truth. Only then can we make informed decisions about our lives and the issues that affect them. Original animated story about a young boys journey to understand the impact of global warming, guided by a shapeshifting raven.
Kaitlin McQueeney, Eliézer Ojeda, Barbara McQueeney
Length: 3:03
USA
BLAZING TRAIL
Caine Warburton is an Australian firefighter and accomplished, sponsored trail runner. This story follows Caine through The Scenic Rim, as the worlds of a sponsored athlete and professional firefighter collide. Blazing Trail explores Caine’s passion for trail running the ridgelines of the gorgeous Mt Barney and the fragile ecology of the regenerating National Park.
This film follows his journey on the trail and the front line of defending Queensland from bushfire devastation, close to one year since the devastating fires that engulfed Australia.
Lachlan Gardiner, Kai Pantano, Alexander Wootten
Length: 8:54
Australia
The Practice Room
As humans, we often fall into the trap of viewing the world through just one lens; the lens of status, race, profession, etc. We fail to acknowledge the connectivity of us with those who are seemingly different than us, leading to a mindset of closeminded compartmentalization. This film explores the world through the lens of Scott Downs, a band director and avid mountain biker, who recognizes and capitalizes on the striking similarities between two drastically "different" worlds: music performance and mountain biking.
Jack Armstrong
Length: 3:03
USA
SOLO CANOE
Paddling and portaging over 80km through the pristine landscape of Temagami, Ontario, Solo Canoe captures the serenity of the being alone in the wilderness on a canoe trip.
Matt Steeves
Length: 10:11
Canada
Approx. 90 Minutes
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS/COMMENTATOR —- TBD
Blue Fin Whale
July 18 at 7:30PM @ the Dairy Arts Center
THE LONELIEST WHALE
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THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52 is a cinematic quest to find the "52 Hertz Whale," which scientists believe has spent its entire life in solitude calling out at a frequency that is different from any other whale. As the film embarks on this engrossing journey, audiences will explore what this whale's lonely plight can teach us -- not just about our changing relationship to the oceans, but to each other. This is the only film that set out in search of 52.
Director: Joshua Zeman
Executive Producers: Leonardo DiCaprio and Adrian Grenier
Editor: Aaron Crozier and J.D. Marlow
90 Minutes
INTERVIEW WITH SPECIAL GUESTS: Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza
SPECIAL GUEST
Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza is passionate about sharing her love of the ocean, the joy of exploration and the critical importance of science. Her research focuses on the sensory biology and ecological physiology of sharks, skates and rays. Mikki has been a tireless advocate for sharks, highlighting their global declines and framing new directions for their conservation. Mikki has been invited to speak, educate and conduct research at labs and institutions in South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Her outreach efforts have been documented in film, magazine and radio by the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel's Shark Week, and CBC National Radio Canada. Mikki strives to bridge the gap between research and public engagement. She believes that when people are aware, they care and when they care, they act. Her current position as Executive Director of Ocean First Institute allows her to promote research, conservation, and sustainability. The Institute supports expeditions and a variety of education initiatives which have reached over 100,000 students in 35 countries. Mikki holds a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from Florida Atlantic University and is the author of numerous scientific publications.